Sec.  52.16   Billing and Collection Agent.

   The B&C Agent shall:

   (a)  Calculate,  assess,  bill  and collect payments for all numbering
   administration functions and distribute funds to the NANPA, or other agent
   designated by the Common Carrier Bureau that performs functions related to
   numbering administration, on a monthly basis;

   (b) Distribute to carriers the “Telecommunications Reporting Worksheet,”
   described in  Sec. 52.17(b).

   (c) Keep confidential all data obtained from carriers and not disclose such
   data in company-specific form unless authorized by the Commission. Subject
   to any restrictions imposed by the Chief of the Wireline Competition Bureau,
   the  B  &  C  Agent  may  share  data  obtained from carriers with the
   administrators of the universal service support mechanism (See 47 CFR 54.701
   of this chapter), the TRS Fund (See 47 CFR 64.604(c)(4)(iii)(H) of this
   chapter), and the local number portability cost recovery (See 47 CFR 52.32).
   The  B  & C Agent shall keep confidential all data obtained from other
   administrators.  The B & C Agent shall use such data, from carriers or
   administrators, only for calculating, collecting and verifying payments. The
   Commission shall have access to all data reported to the Administrator.
   Contributors   may  make  requests  for  Commission  nondisclosure  of
   company-specific revenue information under  Sec. 0.459 of this chapter by so
   indicating on the Telecommunications Reporting Worksheet at the time that
   the subject data are submitted. The Commission shall make all decisions
   regarding nondisclosure of company-specific information.

   (d)  Develop  procedures to monitor industry compliance with reporting
   requirements and propose specific procedures to address reporting failures
   and late payments;

   (e) File annual reports with the appropriate regulatory authorities of the
   NANP member countries as requested; and

   (f) Obtain an audit from an independent auditor after the first year of
   operations and annually thereafter, which shall evaluate the validity of
   calculated payments. The B&C Agent shall submit the audit report to the
   Commission for appropriate review and action.

   (g) For the purposes of this rule, the term “carrier(s)” shall include
   interconnected VoIP providers as that term is defined in  Sec. 52.21(h).

   [ 62 FR 55183 , Oct. 23, 1997, as amended at  64 FR 41330 , July 30, 1999;  66 FR 9532 , Feb. 8, 2001;  67 FR 13226 , Mar. 21, 2002;  73 FR 9481 , Feb. 21, 2008]