Abbreviated Dialing Arrangements
US: Telephone
numbers of less than the standard 7 digits (for local calls) or 10 digits
(for long distance calls). Examples include 911,
which is used for emergency calls, and 711,
which is used by individuals with hearing or speech disabilities to reach
Telecommunications Relay Services (TRS) to
obtain functionally equivalent access to the telephone network.
A/B Roaming-Intelligent Retry for Dialing
911
US: A
method of dialing the emergency telephone number 911
from an analogue wireless telephone. When
a user dials 911 the handset seeks to complete the call with the user's preferred
carrier. If the handset fails to receive a
signal, it attempts to complete the call via the non-preferred carrier and continues
to rescan and reattempt the call until it is completed, the user terminates
the call, or the handset loses power.
Accelerated Docket
US:
Procedures created by the FCC in July 1998 (CC Docket
96-238, FCC 98-154) designed to accelerate FCC resolution of complaints from
consumers or phone companies about other phone companies. The procedures allow
for live testimony of witnesses at FCC 'mini-trials' and provide for the resolution
of formal complaints within 60 days. Either party to a complaint may request
that the FCC handle the matter under the Accelerated Docket procedures. In
deciding whether to put the complaint on an accelerated track, the FCC may
consider a number of factors, including the effect of the dispute on competition,
whether the dispute is one that can be reasonably resolved within the accelerated
time frame and whether an accelerated proceeding would place an unreasonable
burden on one party because of a substantial resource disparity between parties.
Also called 'Rocket Docket.' [See 47 CFR Part 1.]
Access Charge Rules - "Part 69"
US:
Rules prescribed by Part 69 'Access Charges' of the FCC's
Code of Federal Regulations by which
incumbent local exchange carriers LECs) charge
interexchange carriers (IXCs) and end users
to recover the costs they incur in providing access services (originating
and terminating inter-state telephone calls).
Access Charges
US: A
system of tariffed charges established by the FCC and paid to local
exchange carriers (LECs) by both interexchange
carriers (IXCs) and subscribers for use of the LEC's network to originate
and terminate inter-state long distance telephone calls.
Access charges collected by LEC's to
recover costs of the local subscriber loop
allocated to inter-state long distance service consisted of a per-minute carrier
common line charge (CCLC) collected from IXCs and a flat-rate monthly subscriber
line charge (SLC) collected from telephone subscribers. The FCC reformed
its access charges rules in May 2000 (see US
Rep 21, II.B.) [See also CCLC, PICC,
SLC)].
Access Software Provider
US:
As used in the Telecommunications Act of 1996,
the term 'access software provider' means a provider of software (including
client or server software), or enabling tools that do any one or more of the
following: filter, screen, allow, or disallow content; pick, choose, analyze,
or digest content; or transmit, receive, display, forward, cache, search,
subset, organize, reorganize, or translate content. [See also CI '96 Act Reference
V(509)(230)(e)(4)]
Accounting Costs
US:
Accounting costs are the costs that, e.g., incumbent
local exchange carriers carry on their accounting books that reflect historical
purchase prices, regulatory depreciation rates, system configurations, and
operating procedures. Accounting costs are also referred to as embedded
costs. (CC Docket 96-98)
Accounting Rate
The
price a facilities-based telecommunications
carrier negotiates with a foreign carrier
for handling one minute of international telephone service, intended to
allow each carrier to recover the costs it incurs for terminating an incoming
international call on its domestic telephone network. Each carrier's portion
of the accounting rate is referred to as the settlement rate, which, in
almost all cases, is equal to one-half of the negotiated accounting rate.
At settlement, each carrier nets the minutes of service it originated against
the minutes the other carrier originated. The carrier that originated more
minutes of service pays the other carrier a net settlement payment calculated
by multiplying the settlement rate by the number of imbalanced traffic
minutes. In the United States, every carrier is required to file a copy
of its settlement agreements with the FCC.
(see also Growth-Based Accounting Rate;
Settlement
Rate)
Adequate/Strongest Signal for Dialing
911
US:
A method of dialing the emergency telephone number 911
from an analogue wireless telephone. When a user dials 911, the handset scans
the control channels of the user's preferred carrier to determine if an adequate control channel
is available (defined as -85dBm). If not, the handset attempts to complete
the call using whichever cellular carrier provides the strongest control channel
signal.
Adjacent Channel Coupled Power (ACCP)
US:
An emission limit based upon the absolute and relative levels of coupled power
as a function of frequency that ensures that the adjacent channel interference
potential of transmitters at various bandwidths is consistent and predictable.
As wireless communications evolve, the complexity of determining compatibility
between different types of systems increases and ACCP is an industry-developed
method to assess compatibility within a complex channel environment.
Advanced Telecommunications Capability
US:
As used in the Telecommunications Act of 1996,
the term 'advanced telecommunications capability' is defined as high-speed,
switched, broadband telecommunications capability without regard to any transmission
media or technology, that enables users to originate and receive high-quality
voice, data, graphics, and video telecommunications using any technology.
[See also CI '96 Act Reference VII(706)(c)(1)]
Advanced Television Services (ATV)
US:
As defined in the Telecommunications Act of 1996,
advanced television services means television services provided using digital
or other advanced technology. Over the past decade the FCC
began referring to ATV as digital television
(DTV), as it came to be recognized that any
ATV system was certain to be digital. DTV is capable of delivering to consumers
a number of services, including high definition
television (HDTV), multiple digital-quality
program streams, as well as CD quality audio programming and advanced digital
services, such as data transfer or subscription video. To receive DTV, consumers
will have to buy digital televisions or set-top converter boxes for existing
TVs. [See also '96 Act Reference II(201)(336)(g)(1)]
Aeronautical Enroute
Station
Aeronautical
enroute and aeronautical fixed stations provide communications for the operational
control of aircraft by aircraft operating companies. Communications relate
to safe, efficient, and economical operation of aircraft. Typical messages
concern aircraft performance, fuel, weather, position reports, and essential
services and supplies. Public correspondence
Affiliate
US:
This term takes on different meanings in different regulatory circumstances.
For example, as defined in the Telecommunications
Act of 1996, the term `affiliate' means a person that (directly or indirectly)
owns or controls, is owned or controlled by, or is under common ownership
or control with, another person, in which the term `own' means to own an equity
interest of more than 10 percent. [See also CI '96 Act Reference 0(3)(a)(33)].
For purposes of applying its Effective
Competitive Opportunities (ECO) test under Section
214 of the Communications Act of 1934, the FCC
considers an applicant for a license to be 'affiliated' with a foreign carrier
when a foreign carrier owns a greater than 25 percent interest in, or controls,
the applicant.
Aggregate Customer Information
Aggregator
US:
Aggregators are defined as "any person that, in the ordinary course of its
operations, makes telephones available to the public or to transient users
of its premises, for interstate telephone calls using a provider of operator
services." Payphone service providers
are aggregators. [47 U.S.C. §
226(a)(2)] [see also Operator Services Provider]
Alarm Monitoring Service
US:
As used in the Telecommunications Act of 1996,
alarm monitoring service is a service that uses a device located at a customer
premises to receive signals from other devices located at those premises regarding
a possible threat to life, safety, or property, from burglary, fire, vandalism,
bodily injury, or other emergency. The on-premises device transmits a signal
by means of transmission facilities of a local
exchange carrier to a remote monitoring center, alerting persons at the
center of the need to inform the customer, or police, fire, rescue, security,
or public safety personnel of the threat. Alarm monitoring service does not
include a service that uses a medical monitoring device attached to an individual
for the automatic surveillance of an ongoing medical condition. [See also
CI '96 Act Reference I(151)(275)(e)(1)]
Alliance for Telecommunications Industry
Solutions (ATIS)
US:
Originally called the Exchange Carriers Standards Association (ECSA),
ATIS was created in 1983 as part of the breakup of AT&T. It sponsored
'Committee T1' to give local exchange carriers
(LECs) a voice in the creation of interconnection standards, which previously
had been done on a de facto basis by AT&T. ECSA changed its name to ATIS
in 1995 and expanded membership eligibility beyond LECs. Today, ATIS
sponsors 13 open industry forums in which 2,000 experts from 300 companies
participate. Its mission includes: promoting the timely resolution of
national and international issues involving telecommunications standards and
operational guidelines; sponsoring open industry forums to address technical
and operational issues affecting telecommunications facilities, services and
innovative technologies; and serving as an information resource to its members
and federal and state agencies. ATIS seeks to promote industry 'progress and
harmony' with minimal regulatory or legislative intervention. [see also
Committee T - 1]
Allocation of Costs - "Part 64"
US:
Rules prescribed by Part 64 of the FCC's Code
of Federal Regulations by which incumbent LECs
divide their recorded investment and expenses between regulated and nonregulated
services.
Alternative Local Transport Service
(providers) (ALTS)
US:
A name given to competitors who entered the local exchange markets prior to
enactment of the Telecommunications Act of 1996
who provided access links between end-customers and the switching nodes of
inter-state long distance carriers, generally
bypassing the facilities of the incumbent local
exchange carrier. While most states prohibited local competition, local
access for inter-state services of the kind provided by the ALTS fell under
FCC jurisdiction and was therefore open to competition. The 96 Act opened
all local telephone markets to competition as well, and thus the term 'ALTS'
is loosing currency to the more generic 'competitive
local exchange carrier,' or CLEC, to
describe new competitors. ALTS also refers to the Association for local telecommunications
services, an industry group of new local market entrants. (see also CAP)
American National Standards Institute
(ANSI)
A
private, nonprofit membership organization founded in 1918 which serves
as administrator and coordinator of the US private sector voluntary standardization
system. Is membership includes some 1,400 companies, organizations, government
agencies, and other domestic and international institutions. ANSI
does not itself develop standards, but facilitates standards development
by establishing consensus among qualified groups. In addition, ANSI promotes
the use of US standards internationally, advocates US policy and
technical positions in international and regional standards organizations,
and encourages the adoption of international standards as national standards
where it concludes such adoption will benefit the user community. [see
also Alliance for Telecommunications Industry
Solutions; Committee T - 1]
Ancillary Network Service (ANS)
US:
A service defined in the context of the 'Common Open
Network Architecture (ONA) Model' which
had been developed by the Bell Operating Companies and approved by the FCC
in 1988.
ANS are services that the BOCs actually
consider to be outside of the ONA construct, but which may be useful to enhanced
service providers (i.e.,information service providers). These could include
enhanced services offered by the carrier,
such as protocol conversion, or other deregulated, non-common-carrier services,
such as billing and collection.[See also Basic
Serving Arrangement (BSA); Basic
Service Element (BSE); Complementary Network
Services (CNS); enhanced service; information
service; Open Network Architecture (ONA).]
Area Code
US:
Under the North America Numbering Plan (NANP),
telephone numbers consist of ten digits in the form NPA-NXX-XXXX in which
NPA refers to 'numbering plan area,' known commonly as area codes, which correspond
to geographic areas throughout the NANP region.
Assymetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL)
A
technology that enables, for example, rapid access to interactive broadband
services and video on demand through copper wire used in existing local
telephone loop plant. ADSL supports one-way transmission at bit rates up
to 6.176 Mbps on a single pair of copper wires and enables subscribers
to connect to data networks and the Internet
at speeds from 50 to 200 times faster than current analog modems operating
at 28.8 Kbps. [See also, Digital Subscriber
Line.]
AT&T Consent Decree
The
AT&T Consent Decree is the order entered August 24, 1982, in the antitrust
action United States v. Western Electric, Civil Action No. 82-0192, in the
United States District Court for the District of Columbia, and includes any
judgment or order with respect to this action entered on or after August 24,
1982. Under this consent decree, AT&T divested its local operating
companies forming the seven Regional Bell Operating Companies, or RBOCs.
[See also Consent Decree; CI '96 Act Reference
0(3)(a)(34);VI(601)(e)(1)]
Automated Reporting Management Information
System Reports (ARMIS)
US:
ARMIS is an automated system developed in 1987 for collecting common
carrier financial and operating information for submission to the FCC
as required by regulation. As of 1996, ARMIS consisted of 10 reports, including,
e.g., cost and revenue reports, reports on service quality and network infrastructure
information, etc.
Automatic Location Identification (ALI)
US:
A technology used in public safety communications enabling emergency service
personnel receiving 911
emergency calls to identify the geographic location of the calling party
Automatic Roaming
US:
A method of enabling cellular telephone customers to use their mobile phones
outside of their home region without requiring the subscriber first to register
with the out of region wireless carrier.
Automatic roaming requires the home carrier to have a roaming arrangement
with the remote system that its own subscriber wishes to use. (compare "manual
roaming")