Consumer Bankers Assn. files petition with FCC seeking clarification

Long Island Business News, Feb 13, 2004 by Claude Solnik

The Consumer Bankers Association has filed a petition seeking clarification of and relief from the Federal Communications Commission for its Do Not Call registry.

The CBA said that banks are encountering unanticipated technical problems as a result of a registry-related regulation that requires telemarketers to provide the recipients of calls with a number that can be picked up by Caller ID so an individual can make a do-not- call request.

The CBA said there are technology difficulties in providing the number on a Caller ID when a T1 line or copper analog line is used.

Although the Caller ID rules are supposed to be comparable to regulations issued by the Federal Trade Commission, the FTC version explicitly exempts business-to-business calls.

The FCC version, however, remains unclear about the scope of coverage, according to the CBA, which is asking the FCC to confirm that the Caller ID requirement does not apply to business-to- business calls.

The CBA is also seeking a retroactive waiver regarding business- to-business calls and facilities served by T1 and analog copper trunks, pending consideration of the petition.