Hello TREG'ers, FYI... Saying that the "marketplace for telemarketing has changed significantly in the last decade," the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recently released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking asking for comments on its rules that implement the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) of 1991. FCC rules mandated by the TCPA have limited what telemarketers can do. For instance, telephone solicitation "cold calls" are prohibited before 8 AM or after 9 PM. If asked, the caller must provide his or her name, the name of whoever the call is being made for, and a telephone number or address where that person or entity can be contacted.
The rules also affect solicitations by FAX. Telemarketers who use FAX are required to identify the originator of the FAX, and to provide a telephone number where recipients can put themselves on that telemar- keter's "do not call" list. This NPRM was precipitated by steadily increasing complaints about telemarketers, who use the telephone and FAX as vehicles for advertising. In the last two years alone, the FCC says they have received over 11,000 complaints, and 26,900 TCPA-related inquiries. The FCC releasee the text of the NPRM on September 18, but the comment period ends 45 days after the NPRM appears in the Federal Register. If this happens soon, then the comment period will extend until sometime in early November. A September 12, 2002 news release summarizes the inquiry. See: http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-226183A1.pdf If you are interested in reading the full text of the NPRM (CGB Docket 02-278), you can download it at: http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-02-250A1.pdf Some consumers were not shy about letting the FCC know their opinions about telemarketers right away, as comment filings started to appear in the comment database within a week after the initial news release. The FCC provides access to all comments filed in this matter under the proceeding number 02-278. To read these comments, go to the FCC's Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS) Web page at: http://gullfoss2.fcc.gov/prod/ecfs/comsrch_v2.cgi Enter the proceeding number "02-278" then press "Retrieve Document List." Best regards, -- Scott R. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Scott Roleson, PE (MS-61U74) | E-mail: [email protected] Telecom & EMC Engineer | http://www.roleson.com Corporate External Standards | Telephone: +1-858-655-4809 Hewlett-Packard Company | FAX: +1-858-655-5931 16399 W. Bernardo Drive | Amateur Radio: KC7CJ San Diego, CA 92127-1899 USA | Any opinions are my own, not HP's. ---------------------------------------------------------------------
