ARLINGTON, Va.—NAFCU, in a letter to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), reiterated its support for a reassigned numbers database to aid in the elimination of illegal robocalls, but cautioned against certain recommendations that could increase credit unions' costs.
The trade association was responding to the FCC's public notice seeking comment on the North American Number Council (NANC) recommendations on cost funding and fee structure for its reassigned numbers database. The FCC in 2018 unanimously approved of a rulemaking to create a single, reassigned numbers database to combat illegal robocalls.
“NAFCU supports the option that most expeditiously establishes the reassigned numbers database and creates the greatest cost efficiencies, thereby limiting the cost to credit unions to use the database,” wrote NAFCU Senior Regulatory Counsel Elizabeth LaBerge. “Unfortunately, NANC’s recommendation does not appear to support the FCC’s current approach as the product of a thorough analysis of the costs and benefits of such a database.”
Given NAFCU's concerns with the fee structure recommended by NANC, LaBerge urged the FCC to exempt credit unions from paying any fees for use of the database or, alternatively, to “reject the NANC’s recommendations and adopt a fee structure that does not unfairly burden credit unions.”
Seeking Opportunity to Review
NAFCU believes access to the database should be affordable to institutions of all sizes, LaBerge wrote, and requiring a single, up-front expenditure may prevent smaller credit unions from using the database. The lack of information provided by the FCC and NANC regarding the estimated amount of that single, up-front cost will make it difficult to determine whether credit unions will exclude themselves from using the database, she added.
“NAFCU supports the Commission’s effort to create a reassigned numbers database,” LaBerge concluded. “However, before adopting any recommendations, NAFCU encourages the FCC to provide an opportunity to review and comment on detailed cost funding and fee structure information once meaningful data is obtained.”
As CUToday.info reported, CUNA earlier this week sent a letter to the FCC encouraging the use of a reassigned number database.