§ 54.903 - Obligations of rate-of-return carriers and the Administrator.

§ 54.903 Obligations of rate-of-return carriers and the Administrator.

Cross Reference

Link to an amendment published at 89 FR 25163, Apr. 10, 2024.

(a) To be eligible for CAF BLS, each rate-of-return carrier shall make the following filings with the Administrator.

(1) Each rate-of-return carrier shall submit to the Administrator on March 31 of each year the number of lines it served as of the prior December 31, within each rate-of-return carrier study area showing residential and single-line business line counts, multi-line business line counts, and consumer broadband-only line counts separately. For purposes of this report, and for purposes of computing support under this subpart, the residential and single-line business class lines reported include lines assessed the residential and single-line business End User Common Line charge pursuant to § 69.104 of this chapter, the multi-line business class lines reported include lines assessed the multi-line business End User Common Line charge pursuant to § 69.104 of this chapter, and consumer broadband-only lines reported include lines assessed the Consumer Broadband-only Loop rate charged pursuant to § 69.132 of this chapter or provided on a detariffed basis. For purposes of this report, and for purposes of computing support under this subpart, lines served using resale of the rate-of-return local exchange carrier's service pursuant to section 251(c)(4) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, shall be considered lines served by the rate-of-return carrier only and must be reported accordingly.

(2) A rate-of-return carrier may submit the information in paragraph (a) of this section in accordance with the schedule in § 54.1306, even if it is not required to do so. If a rate-of-return carrier makes a filing under this paragraph, it shall separately indicate any lines that it has acquired from another carrier that it has not previously reported pursuant to paragraph (a) of this section, identified by customer class and the carrier from which the lines were acquired.

(3) Each rate-of-return carrier shall submit to the Administrator annually by March 31 projected data necessary to calculate the carrier's prospective CAF BLS, including common line and consumer broadband-only loop cost and revenue data, for each of its study areas in the upcoming funding year. The funding year shall be July 1 of the current year through June 30 of the next year. The data shall be accompanied by a certification that the cost data is compliant with the Commission's cost allocation rules and does not reflect duplicative assignment of costs to the consumer broadband-only loop and special access categories.

(4) Each rate-of-return carrier shall submit to the Administrator on December 31 of each year the data necessary to calculate a carrier's Connect America Fund CAF BLS, including common line and consumer broadband-only loop cost and revenue data, for the prior calendar year. Such data shall be used by the Administrator to make adjustments to monthly per-line CAF BLS amounts to the extent of any differences between the carrier's CAF BLS received based on projected common line cost and revenue data, and the CAF BLS for which the carrier is ultimately eligible based on its actual common line and consumer broadband-only loop cost and revenue data during the relevant period. The data shall be accompanied by a certification that the cost data is compliant with the Commission's cost allocation rules and does not reflect duplicative assignment of costs to the consumer broadband-only loop and special access categories.

(b) Upon receiving the information required to be filed in paragraph (a) of this section, the Administrator shall:

(1) Perform the calculations described in § 54.901 and distribute support accordingly;

(2) [Reserved]

(3) Perform periodic reconciliation of the CAF BLS provided to each carrier based on projected data filed pursuant to paragraph (a)(3) of this section and the CAF BLS for which each carrier is eligible based on actual data filed pursuant to paragraph (a)(4) of this section; and

(4) Report quarterly to the Commission on the collection and distribution of funds under this subpart as described in § 54.702(h). Fund distribution reporting will be by state and by eligible telecommunications carrier within the state.

[81 FR 24343, Apr. 25, 2016, as amended at 84 FR 4733, Feb. 19, 2019]