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ATIS, Others Back Somos Waiver Bid To Allocate 800 Numbers More Broadly

Parties supported a temporary waiver of a "first-come, first-served" rule for allocating toll-free numbers, which was sought by Somos (formerly SMS/800) for numbers controlled by its help desk (see 1604060037). Somos wants to restrict "Responsible Organizations" (RespOrgs), which manage toll-free numbers for others, to obtaining 100 numbers per day for a period of five days to prevent some entities from hoarding. In comments filed Thursday in docket 95-155, the Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions SMS/800 Number Administration Committee said it agreed with Somos that there's "widespread and intense interest" in toll-free 800 numbers, justifying a limited waiver to ensure "a wider and fairer distribution" than "first-come, first-served" allocation. Inteliquent, a new RespOrg, agreed the Somos proposal was the best way to allocate the 96,000 toll-free 800 numbers Somos says it took back from another RespOrg for nonpayment. Inteliquent said when Somos made its last large allocation of 800 numbers -- 23,000 in 2008 -- more than 70% went to just two entities. Also supporting the petition is ATL Communications, another RespOrg, which said it had large backlogs of client requests for 800 numbers that haven't been available in "any significant number" for "many years."