Insights

FCC Releases Public Notice for 833 Auction, Sets Auction Date and Procedures

Aug 05, 2019

East Brunswick, NJ, August 5, 2019 – Somos, Inc., a leading registry management and data solutions company, is pleased to announce that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has successfully completed the next step towards conducting an auction to assign select numbers in the 833 Toll-Free code. At the FCC’s August 1, 2019 meeting, the FCC approved a plan that sets December 17, 2019 as the auction date. Additionally, the FCC adopted application requirements, bidding procedures and post-auction procedures.

The auction comes as a result of the FCC’s initative to determine how to proceed with assigning future Toll-Free Numbers equitably and efficiently. The first of its kind, the 833 Auction will provide a bold, innovative way for the FCC to use a market-based approach to modernize a legacy system.

This auction will be hosted at auction.somos.com. The site provides information about the 833 Auction, including the list of numbers to be auctioned and frequently asked questions (FAQs) about the auction process. The website will also feature web tutorials, webinar information and details on how to register for the 833 Auction, and will be updated to reflect any new information for prospective bidders as well as the auction results.

“The FCC’s diligence and commitment to modernizing Toll-Free assignment is commendable,” said Joel Bernstein, VP, Regulatory and Public Policy at Somos. “We here at Somos are honored to have been invited to conduct the auction. Toll-Free Numbers are valuable assets to our customers and we applaud the FCC’s forward-thinking spirit and innovative approach to recognizing that value.”

About Somos, Inc.
Somos is a leading provider of trusted, neutral numbering and registry administration services and data solutions. Our mission is to empower more intimate and trusted interconnections between brands, consumers, and communities. A total customer focus is reflected in everything we do – working collaboratively to build market value and creatively resolve industry problems.

Somos serves as the North American Numbering Plan Administrator and the Pooling Administrator for over 800 million local and wireless telephone numbers, and operates the SMS/800 Toll-Free Number (TFN) Registry for the 41 Million and growing Toll-Free Numbers in North America. Other Somos solutions include the Texting & Smart Services (TSS) Registry, the centralized registry for the use of Toll-Free Numbers in text messaging and multimedia services; and RouteLink, the alternative solution for accessing authoritative Toll-Free routing data. To learn more about Somos, please visit www.somos.com.

Media Contact:

Michelle Larsen

Vice President, Customer Engagement & Product Strategy
844.HEY.LARSEN

844.439.5277