NOTICES
PENNSYLVANIA PUBLIC UTILITY COMMISSION
In the Matter of the Petition of the Office of the Mayor of Harrisburg, on behalf of the City of Harrisburg, for the City of Harrisburg to be Recognized and Assigned as the Sole Administrator of the 311 Dialing Code that will be Implemented as a Means for Citizens in Harrisburg to Access Information from the City Government
[44 Pa.B. 3473]
[Saturday, June 7, 2014]Public Meeting held
May 22, 2014Commissioners Present: Robert F. Powelson, Chairperson; John F. Coleman, Jr., Vice Chairperson; James H. Cawley; Pamela A. Witmer; Gladys M. Brown
In the Matter of the Petition of the Office of the Mayor of Harrisburg, on behalf of the City of Harrisburg, for the City of Harrisburg to be recognized and assigned as the Sole Administrator of the 311 Dialing Code that will be implemented as a means for citizens in Harrisburg to access information from the City Government;
Doc. No. P-2014-2412153
Order By the Commission:
On March 19, 2014, pursuant to the provisions of 52 Pa. Code § 5.41, the City of Harrisburg, (the City), filed a petition requesting that the Commission recognize and assign the City as the proper administrator of, and only party authorized to utilize, the 311 abbreviated dialing code within the City of Harrisburg (Petition). The City plans to utilize the 311 abbreviated dialing code to provide information on nonemergency police services and other government services to its residents. No responses to the City's Petition were filed. Accordingly, the Commission grants the City's Petition.
Background
In 1997, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released the N11 First Report and Order and FNPRM1 in which it assigned the 311 abbreviated dialing code on a nationwide basis for nonemergency police services. The FCC, acting on a petition filed by the Department of Justice, concluded that assigning the 311 abbreviated dialing code as the universal telephone number for nonemergency police services was in the public interest.2 The FCC determined that use of an N11 code for access to nonemergency police services could alleviate congestion on 911 circuits, which could permit more effective operation of 911 emergency services. Additionally, the FCC left it to the discretion of local jurisdictions to determine whether 311 should also be used for the dual purpose of accessing other government services. Accordingly, the FCC reserved the 311 abbreviated dialing code for the purpose of providing nonemergency police services and access to other government services.3 Further, the FCC stated that when a provider of telecommunications services receives a request from an entity to use 311 for access to nonemergency police and other government services in a particular jurisdiction, it must ensure that, within six months of the request: (1) entities that were assigned 311 at the local level prior to the effective date of this First Report and Order relinquish non-compliant uses; and (2) it takes any steps necessary to complete 311 calls from its subscribers to a requesting 311 entity in its service area.4 Furthermore, the FCC stated that since 311 calls, like 911 calls, are typically intrastate, states would regulate cost recovery in most instances.5 The FCC concluded that funding of 311 was a local issue.6
On March 19, 2014, the City filed the instant petition requesting that it be assigned as the proper administrator of the 311 abbreviated dialing code for the purpose of providing nonemergency police services and access to other government services to its residents of the City of Harrisburg. In accordance with 52 Pa. Code § 5.41, the City served copies of its petition on the Office of Consumer Advocate (OCA), the Office of Small Business Advocate (OSBA) and the Commission's Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement (BI&E). Additionally, a notice regarding the City's Petition was published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin on April 5, 2014. See 44 Pa.B. 2145. However, no responses to the City's Petition were filed.
Discussion
The City is seeking to be assigned as the administrator of, and only party authorized to utilize, the 311 abbreviated dialing code within the City of Harrisburg. The City explains that its 311 system will be a scalable city-wide information service to provide quality, timely, reliable and relevant information on government services. Additionally, when fully implemented, a call to 311 will route to a toll-free number and will be available to the public 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The information that will be available includes, but is not limited to: city government services, including sanitation routes, street closures, amber alerts, public safety advisories; weather conditions; construction and maintenance activities and access to information for Harrisburg citizens and visitors. The City is currently in the process of implementing a plan to establish, host and operate the telephone and web service.
The City asserts in its petition that the 311 number is currently being used with success in Baltimore, Philadelphia, Chicago, New York and other municipalities to reduce the calls to the emergency 911 number and to simplify the process of securing information on local government services. The Commission takes note of this fact. Additionally, as mentioned above, a notice of the Petition was published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin. However, no comments were received by the Commission.
The Commission believes that the City has demonstrated it will have the requisite knowledge, skills and technical expertise to serve as the administrator for the 311 abbreviated dialing code. We believe that the City has an adequate business plan for the administration of the 311 abbreviated dialing code. Accordingly, we find that the City has shown good cause to grant its request that it be assigned to be the administrator of the 311 abbreviated dialing code in order to provide nonemergency police services and access to other government services to its residents.
The Commission does not believe that it is necessary to designate Commission staff to assist and coordinate on an ongoing basis with any arrangements between affectedcarriers and the City to implement 311. We simply direct that all affected carriers expeditiously perform all analyses required to quantify its costs for the necessary translations and/or facilities work if it plans to seek recovery of internal costs associated with enabling 311 call completion and estimate the time required to perform the necessary translations and/or facilities work to allow 311 call completion from its subscribers. Additionally, we will not direct any technical specifications or protocols at this time. Rather, we encourage the City to provide detailed information regarding its network and feature requirements so that the telephone carriers can commence implementation of the 311 abbreviated dialing code. We also recognize that wireless and other alternate service providers will need to provide access to 311. Therefore, we encourage all affected wireless and other alternate service providers to coordinate and work with the City in an expeditious manner as well regarding any implementation issues.
In conclusion, we find that the use of the 311 abbreviated dialing code to provide nonemergency services and access to other government services will benefit the residents of the City of Harrisburg, by providing a simple, universal, easy-to-remember number to access this pertinent information. Moreover, no party presented any opposition to the assignment of 311 to the City; Therefore,
It Is Ordered That:
1. The Petition of the City of Harrisburg to be designated as the proper administrator of the 311 Abbreviated Dialing Code for the Provision of Nonemergency Police Services and Access to other Government Services to the residents of the City of Harrisburg is hereby granted.
2. Within six months of the entry date of this Order, any carrier or provider possessing numbering resources within the exchanges of Harrisburg Zone 1 and Harrisburg Zone 2, if they have not done so already, shall discontinue using the 311 abbreviated dialing code for purposes other than access to nonemergency services and access to other government services.
3. Within 30 days of the entry date of this Order, the City of Harrisburg shall provide any carrier or provider holding numbering resources within the exchanges of Harrisburg Zone 1 and Harrisburg Zone 2 with access to a copy of its implementation plan for 311 dialing.
4. Within 45 days of the entry date of this Order, any carrier or provider holding numbering resources within the exchanges of Harrisburg Zone 1 and Harrisburg Zone 2 that possess switches that would have to undergo re-programming shall perform all analyses required to quantify its costs for the necessary translations and/or facilities work if it plans to seek recovery of internal costs associated with 311 call completion and estimate the time required to perform the necessary translations and/or facilities work to allow 311 call completion from its subscribers and shall forward that information to the City of Harrisburg.
5. All affected carriers shall comply with the implementation schedule established herein unless a petition for waiver is filed with the Commission pursuant to 52 Pa. Code § 5.41.
6. A copy of this Order shall be served on the carriers or providers holding numbering resources within the Harrisburg Zone 1 and Harrisburg Zone 2 exchanges, the Pennsylvania Telephone Association, Broadband Cable Association of Pennsylvania, and the CTIA-The Wireless Association®.
7. A copy of this Order shall be published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin and on the Commission's website at http://www.puc.pa.gov/.
8. The Secretary's Bureau shall mark this matter closed.
ROSEMARY CHIAVETTA,
Secretary
[Pa.B. Doc. No. 14-1229. Filed for public inspection June 6, 2014, 9:00 a.m.] _______
1 In the Matter of the Use of N11 Codes and Other Abbreviated Dialing Arrangements, CC Docket No. 92-105, First Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, 12 FCC Rcd 5572 (1997) (N11 First Report and Order and FNPRM).
2 Id.
3 Id.
4 Id.
5 Id.
6 Id.
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