Informational Presentation by: ACTA Director, and ACTA Co-sponsors (ATIS & TIA)

An Overview of theAdministrative Council for

Terminal Attachments (ACTA)

The Federal Communications Commission’s Privatization of Certain 47 CFR Part 68

Responsibilities

Informational Presentation by:ACTA Director, and

ACTA Co-sponsors (ATIS & TIA)

September 2002September 2002

Part 68: Biennial Review

The Telecommunications Act of 1996 directed the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to review its rules every even-numbered year and repeal or modify those found to be no longer in the public interest

Because of the rapid pace of change in both network and telephone equipment technologies, the FCC found it increasingly difficult for the regulatory process to keep pace thus creating a public disservice


Part 68: Privatization

Pursuant to the Report and Order, CC Docket No. 99-216, FCC 00-400, the FCC minimized the government’s role in Part 68 by privatizing significant portions of its rules governing the connection of customer premises equipment (telephone equipment) to the public switched telephone network and certain private-line services, and privatized the standards development and terminal equipment approval processes


Part 68: Privatization

To ensure continued uniformity and a level playing field, the FCC mandated the establishment of the Administrative Council for Terminal Attachments (ACTA) to assume functions privatized

ACTA was formed through the co-sponsorship and support of the Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions (ATIS) and Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) ACTA held its Inaugural Meeting on May 2, 2001 ACTA adopted technical criteria covering the 130 pages of

Part 68 criteria privatized by the Commission, on July 11, 2001

ACTA adopted industry-developed product labeling requirements, on July 11, 2001

ACTA assumed complete control over the database of approved Part 68 equipment, on August 1, 2001


Administrative Council: Structure

ACTA was established as: A non-governmental telecommunications industry

driven entity not controlled or dominated by any particular industry segment

Impartial, fair, balanced, and open Representing all segments of the industry, including:

Local Exchange Carriers (LEC) Interexchange Carriers (IXC) Terminal Equipment Manufacturers (TEM) Network Equipment Manufacturers (NEM) Test Laboratories (LAB), and Other Interested Parties (OIP)


Administrative Council: Mission & Scope

The ACTA mission is to: (1) adopt technical criteria for terminal equipment to prevent network harms (as defined in §68.3) through the act of publishing such criteria developed by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) accredited Standards Development Organizations (SDO); and (2) establish and maintain database(s) of equipment approved as compliant with the technical criteria

The scope of ACTA involves the coordination and management role for the adoption and publication of technical requirements for terminal equipment, and the associated database(s) Note, the Administrative Council does not make

substantive technical decisions regarding the development of technical criteria


Administrative Council: Responsibilities

As mandated by the FCC, ACTA must perform its responsibilities in an equitable and nondiscriminatory manner. They include: Adopt technical criteria submitted from ANSI-accredited

SDO or committees Provide 30-day public notice to inform industry of proposed

technical criteria Operate and maintain an accurate database of compliant

equipment Establish and maintain an appropriate labeling methodology Respond to inquiries from the public regarding its technical

criteria


Administrative Council: Responsibilities

ACTA Responsibilities (cont): Manage such other tasks as necessary and within the

Council’s scope that were formerly part of the FCC’s Part 68 functions

Ensure that the management, activities, and decisions of the Council are independent from all external influences

Coordinate, if necessary, which industry SDOs will take on a particular development project


Administrative Council: Standards

Any ANSI-accredited SDO observing ANSI consensus decision-making procedures may establish technical criteria and submit such criteria to the ACTA for adoption. Active SDOs include: ATIS Sponsored T1 Committee T1E1

TIA Committee TR41

ACTA must publish the submitted criteria as technical criteria for terminal equipment

On publication, the Commission considers the technical criteria to be presumptively valid, i.e., enforceable under federal law


Administrative Council: Standards

SDOs submitting criteria to ACTA must certify, in writing, that: it is ANSI-accredited to the Standards Committee Method

or the Organization Method

the technical criteria does not conflict with any published technical criteria or with any technical criteria submitted and pending for publication

the technical criteria is limited to preventing harms to the PSTN, identified in §68.3 of Part 68; and

the criteria were developed in accordance with ANSI requirements for consensus and due process.


Administrative Council: Appeals

Individuals and entities possessing directly and materially affected interests and believing that they have been or will be adversely affected by the actions or inaction of the ACTA shall have the right to appeal such action or inaction; however,

Appeals relating to the activities of a SDO submitting technical criteria to the ACTA, must utilize the appeals processes afforded by that SDO, the ANSI if applicable, or alternatively, the FCC

In the case of action or inaction appropriate for the ACTA appeals process, individuals and entities are encouraged to first approach the ACTA leadership with an informal complaint before pursuing the official appeals process


Administrative Council: Approval Methods

Terminal equipment connected to the public network or certain private-line services requiring such approval, must comply and shall continue to comply with the applicable Part 68 rules and regulations and with the applicable ACTA-adopted technical criteria, labeling requirements, and customer information requirements

Two approval methods are recognized: Telecommunications Certification Body (TCB):

• Must follow FCC Rules governing the TCB Program• Must submit copy of certificate to ACTA

Supplier’s Declaration of Conformity (SDoC):• SDoC is a procedure where the Responsible Party, as

defined in §68.3, makes measurements or takes other necessary steps to ensure that the terminal equipment complies with the appropriate technical standards


Administrative Council: SDoC Method

Entities utilizing the SDoC process must provide: the identification and a description of the Responsible Party

for the SDoC and the product, including the model number of the product,

a statement that the terminal equipment conforms with applicable technical requirements, and a reference to the technical requirements,

the date and place of issue of the declaration, the signature, name and function of person making

declaration, a statement that the handset, if any, complies with §68.316

defining hearing aid compatibility, or that it does not comply with that section,

any other information required to be included in the SDoC by the Administrative Council of Terminal Attachments


Administrative Council: SDoC Method

Responsible Parties for a SDoC shall maintain records containing: A copy of the Supplier’s Declaration of Conformity The identity of the testing facility, including the name,

address, phone number and other contact information A detailed explanation of the testing procedure utilized to

determine whether terminal equipment conforms to the appropriate technical criteria

A copy of the test results for terminal equipment compliance with the appropriate technical criteria

A description of the measurement facilities employed for testing the equipment must be compiled and shall contain the information required to be included by the ACTA


Administrative Council: Database

The continuation of a uniform, nationwide database is essential to protecting public interests

ACTA maintains an accurate database that is readily available and accessible to the public including persons with disabilities. The database: Permit interested parties such as the FCC, U.S. Customs,

and providers of telecommunications services to track and identify suppliers or importers of non-compliant equipment

Ameliorate concerns regarding the potentially adverse impact of non-compliant terminal equipment on the public network by ensuring that suppliers are held accountable for any damage their equipment may cause

Provide the public with the means to identify the party ultimately responsible for the product


Administrative Council: Database Entities submitting information to the database,

whether they obtained their approval from a TCB or utilized the SDoC process, must submit pertinent information regarding the identity of the Responsible Party and approved equipment to the ACTA database administrator and shall assure that ACTA-specified product information is available for retrieval from the database, via the publicly-available interface, prior to the connection of such product to the PSTN or certain private-line services that require such approval

The Part 68 database currently contains over 35,000+ entries

http://www.part68.org

Informational Presentation by: ACTA Director, and ACTA Co-sponsors (ATIS & TIA)

Documents

Transcript of Informational Presentation by: ACTA Director, and ACTA Co-sponsors (ATIS & TIA)