2013-31178. Information Collection Being Reviewed by the Federal Communications Commission Under Delegated Authority, Comments Requested

AGENCY:

Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION:

Notice; request for comments.

SUMMARY:

As part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork burden(s) and as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520), the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on the following information collection(s). Comments are requested concerning: whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Commission, including whether the information shall have practical utility; the accuracy of the Commission's burden estimate(s); ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information collected; ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on the respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology; and further ways to reduce the information burden for small business concerns with fewer than 25 employees.

The FCC may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB Control Number. No person shall be subject to any penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) that does not display a valid OMB Control Number.

DATES:

Written Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) comments should be submitted on or before February 28, 2014. If you anticipate that you will be submitting PRA comments, but find it difficult to do so within the period of time allowed by this notice, you should advise the FCC contact listed below as soon as possible.

ADDRESSES:

Submit your PRA comments to Nicholas A. Fraser, Office of Management and Budget (OMB), via fax at: [phone] or via the Internet at [e-mail] and to Leslie F. Smith, Office of Managing Director (OMD), Federal Communications Commission (FCC), via the Internet at [e-mail]. To submit your PRA comments by email, send them to: [e-mail].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Leslie F. Smith, Office of Managing Director (OMD), Federal Communications Commission (FCC), [phone], or via the Internet at [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

OMB Control Number: 3060-0370.

Title: Part 32, Uniform System of Accounts for Telecommunications Companies.

Form Number: N/A.

Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.

Respondents: Business or other for-profit.

Number of Respondents and Responses: 859 respondents; 859 responses.

Estimated Time per Response: 1 hour.

Frequency of Response: On occasion reporting requirement.

Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. Statutory authority for this information collection is contained in 47 U.S.C. 11, 151, 154, 161, 201-205, 215, and 218-220.

Total Annual Burden: 859 hours.

Total Annual Cost: No cost(s).

Privacy Act Impact Assessment: No impact(s).

Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: The Commission is not requesting that the respondents submit confidential information to the Commission. If the Commission requests applicants to submit information that the respondents believe is confidential, respondents may request confidential treatment of such information under 47 CFR Section 0.459 of the Commission's rules.

Needs and Uses: The Commission, in 2004, adopted the Joint Conference's recommendations to reinstate the following Part 32 accounts:

Account 5230, Directory revenue;

Account 6621, Call completion services;

Account 6622, Number services;

Account 6623, Customer services;

Account 6561, Depreciation expense-telecommunications plant in service;

Account 6562, Depreciation expense-property held for future telecommunications use;

Account 6563, Amortization expense-tangible;

Account 6564, Amortization expense-intangible; and

Account 6565, Amortization expense-other.

These accounting changes are mandatory only for Class A Incumbent Local Exchange Carriers (ILECs). The reinstatement of these accounts imposed a minor increase in burden only Class A ILECs only. The Commission also established a recordkeeping requirement that Class A ILECs maintain subsidiary record categories for unbundled network element revenues, resale revenues, reciprocal compensation revenues, and other interconnection revenues in the accounts in which these revenues are currently recorded. The use of subsidiary record categories allows carriers to use whatever mechanisms they choose, including those currently in place, to identify the relevant amounts as long as the information can be made available to state and federal regulators upon request. The use of subsidiary record categories for interconnection revenue does not require massive changes to the ILECs' accounting systems and is a far less burdensome alternative than the creation of new accounts and/or subaccounts. The information submitted to the Commission by carriers provides the necessary detail to enable the Commission to fulfill its regulatory responsibilities.

Federal Communications Commission.

Gloria J. Miles,

Federal Register Liaison, Office of the Secretary, Office of Managing Director.