FCC delays rules against junk faxes to 2005

<br>WASHINGTON (AP) _ The Federal Communications Commission has delayed until 2005 a new rule requiring companies to obtain written permission before sending unsolicited faxes. <br><br>The new regulations

Tuesday, August 19th 2003, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

WASHINGTON (AP) _ The Federal Communications Commission has delayed until 2005 a new rule requiring companies to obtain written permission before sending unsolicited faxes.

The new regulations originally were to take effect next Monday, but the commission earlier this week agreed to delay the starting date to Jan. 1, 2005. The FCC said the delay will give businesses more time to get signed approval forms from people to whom they want to send faxes, and will provide more time for the commission to respond to requests to reconsider the new rules.

Under current regulations, entities do not have to obtain written permission to fax unsolicited advertisements to individuals and companies that they already do business with. Such entities cannot fax unsolicited advertisements to anyone that they do not have a business relationship with, unless they first receive permission to do so.

The new fax rules were approved at the same time as the do-not-call list, which takes effect Oct. 1. More than 30 million Americans have signed the registry for blocking unsolicited telephone sales pitches.