NEWSReport No.  CC 97-8        COMMON CARRIER ACTION         February 20, 1997

NANC SEEKS PROPOSALS FROM ENTITIES INTERESTED IN SERVING AS NORTH
AMERICAN NUMBERING PLAN       ADMINISTRATOR

     The North American Numbering Council (NANC) took an important step today in
promoting impartial and pro-competitive administration of telecommunications numbers by
seeking proposals from entities wanting to serve as the new North American Numbering Plan
(NANP) Administrator.  The NANC, established pursuant to the U.S. Federal Advisory
Committee Act by the Federal Communications Commission (Commission), is a Federal
Advisory Committee with a balanced membership made up of representatives from the North
American telecommunications industry and state regulatory commissions.  The NANC has been
charged with providing advice and recommendation on telecommunications numbering issues to
the Commission.  The NANC has specifically been asked to recommend a neutral entity to serve
as the new NANP Administrator.

     In furtherance of this task, the NANC has today released a Requirements Document for
the North American Numbering Plan Administrator.  The purpose of the Requirements
Document is to invite responses from entities regarding how they would provide, and what price
they would charge for performing, the administrative and assignment functions associated with
the administration of the NANP.  The NANP is the basic numbering scheme for the
telecommunications networks located in the United States, Canada, Bermuda and sixteen
countries in the Caribbean.  The Requirements Document also invites responses from entities
interested in providing the billing and collection functions associated with funding the NANP
Administrator.  In accordance with the Requirements Document, responses must be submitted
to the NANC no later than April 3, 1997, at 12:00 noon, Eastern Standard Time.  The
NANC expects to recommend a new NANP Administrator and a NANP Administration Billing
and Collection Agent on May 15, 1997.

     Interested parties can download the Requirements Document from the NANC World
Wide Web Home Page at http://www.fcc.gov/ccb/Nanc.  The Requirements Document is also
available for inspection and copying in the Network Services Division's Public Reference Room,
Room 220, 2000 M Street, N.W., Washington, D.C., from 8:30 A.M. to 12:30 P.M. and 1:30
P.M. to 3:00 P.M., Monday through Thursday.  Copies can also be obtained from the
Commission's contractor for public service records duplication, ITS, Inc., by calling (202)
857-3800 or at 2100 M Street, N.W., Suite 140, Washington, D.C. 20037.
 - FCC -
News Media contact: Rochelle Cohen at (202) 418-0253.
Common Carrier Bureau contacts: Marian Gordon at (202) 418-2337 and Scott Shefferman at
(202) 418-2332.