The Federal Communications Commission adopts rules
for its new database aimed at reducing the number of unwanted calls
to reassigned phone numbers.
Each year, approximately 35 million telephone numbers in the
United States are disconnected and then reassigned to a new
subscriber. This turnover creates a vexing problem for entities
(such as medical care providers, merchants, and others) who had
received permission to call the original subscriber but who now
find themselves talking to the wrong party and, perhaps, a lawyer
threatening a class action under the Telephone Consumer Protection
Act ("TCPA").
The Federal Communications Commission ("FCC") recently
has adopted rules to establish a new, nationwide database in an
effort to reduce the number of unwanted phone calls to reassigned
telephone numbers. The new regulation reflects the FCC's
acknowledgement that calls to reassigned numbers can result in
legitimate business callers becoming subject to litigation.
