§1003 Notices of Capacity Requirements

Summary

The Attorney General must publish, within 1 year after October 25, 1994, and after talking with state and local law enforcement, phone companies, service providers, and equipment makers and asking for public comment, notices in the Federal Register and to industry groups. One notice must say how many wiretaps, pen registers, and trap-and-trace devices the government is likely to use at the same time by the date 4 years after October 25, 1994. Another notice must state the maximum capacity needed after that 4-year date. The notices can use things like equipment type, service type, subscriber numbers, carrier size, or service area to make the estimate, and they should say, when possible, how much capacity is needed in specific places. Phone companies must, within 3 years after the Attorney General publishes the notice or within 4 years after October 25, 1994, whichever is later, make their systems able to handle the stated number and be able to expand to the maximum. After that time, companies must be able to expand quickly up to the maximum if needed. The Attorney General must also publish any later increases in maximum capacity after public comment, and companies then have 3 years (or a longer time the Attorney General allows) to meet the new level. Within 180 days after a notice is published, each company must tell the Attorney General which systems cannot meet the notice. The Attorney General will review those reports and may, if money is available and costs are reasonable, agree to pay for changes; until such payment is agreed, the company is treated as complying.