MCI Urges FCC to Extend Permissive Dialing Period for Carrier Identification Codes

Strategic Insights -

MCI Telecommunications Corp. has written to FCC Common Carrier Bureau Chief A. Richard Metzger Jr. urging swift action to extend the permissive dialing period for carrier identification codes (CICs). The current deadline for switching to four-digit CICs is June 30, but MCI argues that the transition is problematic due to issues with telcos' intercept recordings, BellSouth's proposal to phase in blocking of three-digit CICs, and extensions granted to several telcos to accommodate four-digit CICs on their switches. MCI also estimates that $1.5 billion worth of dial-around access calls were carried by carriers other than the Big Three IXCs in 1996.

Key Takeaways:

  • MCI has requested an extension of the permissive dialing period for carrier identification codes (CICs) beyond the current deadline of June 30.
  • The company cited problems with telcos' intercept recordings, BellSouth's proposal to phase in blocking of three-digit CICs, and extensions granted to several telcos to accommodate four-digit CICs on their switches.
  • MCI argued that the current intercept message approved by the FCC discourages callers and imposes significant anticompetitive hardship on interexchange carriers (IXCs).
  • The company proposed that telcos be instructed not to include a "special information" tone in the message, citing research that a high number of callers hang up immediately upon hearing the tone.
  • MCI estimated that $1.5 billion worth of dial-around access calls were carried in 1996 by carriers other than the Big Three IXCs.
  • The industry is required to move to four-digit CICs, which serve as the final digits of carrier access codes used by callers to reach IXCs other than the one presubscribed to the line from which they are calling.

Statistics:

  • $1.5 billion: estimated worth of dial-around access calls carried by carriers other than the Big Three IXCs in 1996.
  • June 30: current deadline for switching to four-digit CICs.
  • 1998: year by which several telcos were granted an extension to accommodate four-digit CICs on their switches (January 1).

Sources:

  • Ex parte letter to FCC Common Carrier Bureau Chief A. Richard Metzger Jr.