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             California Public Utilities Commission
505 Van Ness Avenue, Room 5301            San Francisco, CA 94102

CONTACT: Dianne Dienstein                 June 3, 1996  CPUC - 49
         415-703-2423

FCC DELAYS CALLER ID IMPLEMENTATION FOR SOME CALIFORNIA PHONE
                     COMPANIES UNTIL JULY 1

    On May 31, 1996, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
responded to requests by Pacific Bell, GTEC, and Citizens to
delay implementation of Calling Party Number (CPN) passage by
issuing an order staying until July 1, 1996, the FCC requirement
that numbers be transmitted on calls originating in California.
Implementation of CPN transmission makes Caller ID possible.
    The FCC ruling allows California telephone companies to
withhold transmitting numbers until July 1, but also allows
companies which have satisfied California Public Utilities
Commission (CPUC) customer education requirements to do so
earlier.
    The FCC found that the utilities could have complied with
CPUC education requirements on a more timely basis and warned
them it would "not tolerate further delay," stating that it would
impose sanctions including fines if necessary.
    The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) supported
the utilities' requests to the FCC for delay to enable them to
complete customer education programs designed to ensure customer
understanding of the privacy implications of number transmission
and blocking options available.  Pacific Bell, for example,
needed more time to mail the final confirmation letter to
customers advising them of the blocking option assigned to their
phone and their right to change that option free of charge.
    Half of California residential phone customers have unlisted
phone numbers, and clearly have an interest in keeping their
numbers private.  The CPUC required the education program to make
                            - more -
sure consumers understood their numbers would be passed on and
could be seen and possibly captured for marketing and other
purposes by anyone with Caller ID.  The goal of the education
program was to reach all customers, so they could make an
informed choice about whether and how to block their phone number
once CPN transmission and Caller ID were implemented.

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