Eload Instructions and Frequently Asked Questions

eLoad Instructions and Frequently Asked Questions

Load Submission File Creation

- What should I use to create the submission file?

- Business rules to consider while creating the submission file

- Submission file format/specifications

File Submission

- When can I submit a file?

- How do I submit a file?

- What happens after I submit a file?

- Can I delete a file I just submitted?

Submission Status

- What does a status code mean?

- Common reasons for data row errors or file rejection

Problem Reporting

- How to report a problem

Load Submission File Creation Back to top

What should I use to create the submission file?

The NPC does not recommend or endorse any specific program or tool. This section is intended only to provide some helpful hints in using the commonly available Word Processors such as Notepad or Microsoft Word. You can use any word processor or text editor or any other tool of your choice. Just make sure the file you created conforms to the file format specifications and complies with the business rules specified in this document. Below are a few guidelines if you are using either Notepad or Microsoft Word.

Notepad

If you use Notepad, the disadvantage is that you will not be able to see the line numbers or column positions. It is hard to count the number of characters on a line or the position of the cursor. But the Notepad eliminates majority of the formatting characters and creates pure text files. You may want to look for an enhanced version of a Notepad which may show the line numbers and column positions. You may be able to find one on the web.

Microsoft Word

If you use Microsoft Word to create your file, you will be able to see the line numbers and column positions. If you see them grayed out at the bottom, just go to the menu at the top and select View à Normal or Print Layout to turn them on. You must not use any kind of formatting while creating the file. If you are not sure if there are any format characters in your file, you can view them by toggling the Show/Hide¶ button () on your standard tool bar at the top.

When you toggle to ‘Show’, you should not see anything other than a . (dot – represents a space – Space bar key) or ¶ (linefeed/carriage return – Enter key).

If you see anything else, that means there are special characters. In addition, you should not have any blank lines in your file. After entering the last ANI, do not press the ‘Enter’ key. If you do that, it will create a blank line at the end of your file.

When you are ready to save the file, save it as a text document (not a Word document). You can do this by selecting the ‘Save as type’ as ‘Text Only’ as shown below.

File Name Tip: Do not include any special characters in the file name such as &, ( ), |, < , >, *, ?, [ ], ~, -,@, !, “, ‘, and \.

Here is an example of looking at the data with format turned off and turned on (the entire width of the line is not shown in the figure below).

Format Turned-Off

202201 9999

391001mmddyy5132311111 John Smith Phones 111 New Street

391001mmddyy5132311112 John Smith Phones 111 New Street

National Payphone Clearinghouse Room 121-1090, 221 East 4th St., Cincinnati, OH 45202

Phone: 513-397-6260, Email:

Format Turned-On

If you look at the above data with the Show/Hide toggle button turned on, it would look like the example below (the entire width of the line is not shown in the figure below).

Other Tools

You can use any other text editor or tool to create your file. There are many text editors (for example, VEDIT ) to create and edit text files. You may also find free text editors on the web. Some programs may be free and some may charge you a license fee.

Disclaimer: The NPC does not, in any way, endorse or recommend any of the aforementioned tools or programs. Any links to external websites and/or non- NPC information provided on these pages are provided as a courtesy. They should not be construed as an endorsement by the NPC of the content or views of the linked materials.

Business rules to consider while creating the submission file Back to top

LEC Load (Paystation Data) Submission file

Your submission file should comply with the following business rules. Non-compliance will result in errors or rejection of your file.

1. Submission file MUST be an ASCII text file (text format). The NPC cannot accept any other formats such as Excel, Macintosh formats, Lotus 1-2-3, Lotus SmartSuite or Database files.

2. Submission file MUST be a fixed format file and fields are padded with spaces. No other format character (such as tab, indent etc.) is accepted for padding.

3. The submission file will have two different types of records, a header record and a detail record.

- The first line should only include the header record identifier of “202201” and the company’s LEC ID which must start at position 28.

- All other lines in the file must begin with the record identifier “391001”. This record identifier must be present on each ANI record you are reporting.

- There must be correct Billing Name and Address information on each ANI record you are reporting. Each piece of information must be in the correct position according to the file format specifications.

- Please report only those ANIs which were “in and working” on the last day of the quarter.

See the LEC load (paystation data) submission file format specifications section for the file layout.

MLEC Submission file Back to top

Your submission file should comply with the following business rules. Non-compliance will result in errors or rejection of your file.

1. Submission file MUST be an ASCII text file (text format). The NPC cannot accept any other formats such as Excel, Macintosh formats, Lotus 1-2-3, Lotus SmartSuite or Database files.

2. Submission file MUST be a fixed format file and fields are padded with spaces. No other format character (such as tab, indent etc.) is accepted for padding.

3. The submission file will have two different types of records, a header record and a detail record.

- The first line should only include the header record identifier of “202201” and the company’s LEC ID which must start at position 28.

- All other lines in the file must begin with the record identifier “391001”. This record identifier must be present on each ANI record you are reporting.

4. The data rows on an MLEC file should be ANIs that the LEC should not have reported.

5. The MLEC file format is the same format as the normal LEC reporting file format. For more information please refer to the LEC Load Submission File Format/ Specifications section.

6. The submission window for the MLEC file is same as the submission window for the LEC data file. For the data submission schedule, please refer to the ‘ FCC letter outlining requirements for quarterly LEC reporting of COCOT ANIs’ in the LEC Quarter Reporting Forms section accessible via the Local Exchange Carrier menu.

7. Now there will be Error Files generated for errors encountered during MLEC processing. Previously, no error files were generated. For more information on the error file please refer to the ERRORS part in the What does a Status Code mean? section.

See the LEC load (paystation data) submission file format specifications section for the file layout.

LEC Disconnect Submission file Back to top

Your submission file must comply with the following business rules. Non-compliance will result in errors or rejection of your file.

1. Submission file MUST be an ASCII text file (text format). The NPC cannot accept any other formats such as Excel, Macintosh formats, Lotus 1-2-3, Lotus SmartSuite or Database files.

2. Submission file MUST be a fixed format file. Every line must be only 22 characters in length.

See the LEC disconnect submission file format specifications section for the file layout.

NOTE: On page 66, paragraph 113 of FCC Docket 96-388, the FCC states that “once a LEC makes positive identification of an installed payphone, the carrier-payor must accept claims for that payphone’s ANI until the LEC provides information, on a timely basis, that the payphone has been disconnected.”

Submission file format/specifications Back to top

LEC Load (Paystation Data) Submission file format/specifications

Header record - This record identifies the record type and the LEC ID.

Header Record Format

Field

Position

Length (Max.)

Comments

Record Identifier / 1-6 / 6 / Must be 202201
Filler / 7-27 / 21 / Must be white spaces only.
LEC ID / 28-31 / 4 / LEC ID - Example: 9999

Detail record – This record identifies the ANI record and it’s billing name and address.

Detail Record Format

Field

Position

Length (Max.)

Comments

Record Identifier / 1-6 / 6 / Must be 391001
Date / 7-12 / 6 / Optional field. You may enter the date the ANI became active or leave it blank (white spaces). If entered, must be in format ‘mmddyy’. Example: for March 5th 2005, enter 030505.
ANI / 13-22 / 10 / ANI. A numeric 10 digit number. Do not include any parentheses, dashes, or hyphens. Example: 9999999999 but NOT (999) 999-9999 or 999-999-9999
Filler / 23-44 / 22 / Must be white spaces only.
Billing Name / 45-69 / 25 / Your billing name. Example: John Doe Incorporated
Address 1 / 70-94 / 25 / Address line 1 - Some use this for their DBA (Doing Business As) name or attention also. Example: 999 Any Street or JDoe Inc (See also example below)
Address 2 / 95-119 / 25 / Address line 2 – Example: Suite 999 or if you have used Address 1 for DBA, 999 Any Street Suite 999
Address 3 / 120-144 / 25 / Address line 3 – You can use this field as well for the address, if it is too long.
City / 145-159 / 15 / City. Example: Any Town
State / 160-161 / 2 / Two character State code: Example: for Ohio, use OH
Zip Code / 162-170 / 9 / Zip code. Must be a 5 or 9 digit zip code. It should not contain a dash or hyphen to separate the zip and zip extension.

LEC Disconnect Submission file format/specifications Back to top

Field

Position

Length (Max.)

Comments

LEC ID / 1-4 / 4 / LEC ID. Example: 2345
ANI / 5-14 / 10 / ANI. A numeric 10 digit number. Do not include any parentheses, dashes, or hyphens. Example: 9999999999 but NOT (999) 999-9999 or 999-999-9999
Disconnect date / 15-22 / 8 / Disconnect date. Must be in the format YYYYMMDD - Example: for June 25th 2005, enter 20050625

File Submission Back to top

File submissions will be accepted all quarter. However, only those files submitted during the posted loading schedule period will be processed in the current quarter. Any files submitted after the posted date will be processed in the next quarter.

When Can I Submit a File? Back to top

You can submit a file at any time during the quarter. However, only those files submitted during the allowed data submission schedule period for a given quarter will be processed in that quarter. Any files that were submitted after the posted loading schedule will remain in a ‘PENDING’ status and will be processed in the next quarter. File submission transactions that are to be processed in the current quarter must be initiated before midnight on the cut off date (Eastern Standard Time).

For the data submission schedule, please refer to the ‘ FCC letter outlining requirements for quarterly LEC reporting of COCOT ANIs’ in the LEC Quarter Reporting Forms section accessible via the Local Exchange Carrier menu.

How do I submit a file? Back to top

The following section explains how to submit a LEC load submission file.

1. Access the NPC website https://www.npc.cc.

2. Select the Local Exchange Carrier drop down menu and select Log In.

3. On the Log In page, verify that the User type, ‘LEC’, is selected. Enter your User Name and Password, and click on the Login button.

4. After successful login, again select the Local Exchange Carrier drop down menu and select ‘Quarterly Load Submission’. The ‘Load File Submission Status Report’ page is displayed. This page displays the status of previously submitted files, if any, for the current processing quarter. At the bottom of the page you should see a ‘Submit A File’ button as shown below. Click on the ‘Submit A File’ button.

5. The ‘File Submission’ page is displayed.

6. Select the type of file you would like to submit. If you are submitting a LEC Report or MLEC type file, choose the claim quarter of the file from the displayed claim quarters and click on the ‘Browse…’ button. If you are submitting a Disconnect type file, claim quarters won’t be displayed, just click on the ‘Browse…’ button. Please note that if you are attempting to submit a file after the current quarter load window has passed, the list of available quarters will reflect only those quarters that will be valid during the next load file processing cycle.