[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 31 (Tuesday, February 17, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7789-7793]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-3989]
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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
Public Information Collections Approved by Office of Management
and Budget
February 10, 1998.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has received Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) approval for the following public
information collections pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act of
1995, Pub. L. 104-13. An agency may not conduct or sponsor and a person
is not required to respond to a collection of information unless it
displays a currently valid control number. For further information
contact Shoko B. Hair, Federal Communications Commission, (202) 418-
1379.
Federal Communications Commission
OMB Control No.: 3060-0810.
Expiration Date: 05/31/98.
Title: Procedures for Designation of Eligible Telecommunications
Carriers Pursuant to Section 214(e)(6) of the Communications Act of
1934, as amended.
Form No.: N/A.
Respondents: Business or other for-profit.
Estimated Annual Burden: 35 respondents; 47.14 hours per response
(avg.); 1650 total annual burden hours for all collections.
Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost Burden: $0.
Frequency of Response: On occasion.
Description: The Communications Act of 1934, as amended (the Act),
mandates that, after the date the Commission's rules implementing
section 254 of the Act, only eligible telecommunications carriers may
receive universal service support. The Commission's rules implementing
section 254 of the Act take effect on January 1, 1998. Under the Act,
state commissions must designate telecommunications carriers as
eligible. On December 1, 1997 Public Law 105-125 added subsection
(e)(6) to section 214(e) of the Act. New section 214(e)(6) states that
a telecommunications carriers that is not subject to the jurisdiction
of a state may request that the Commission determine whether it is
eligible. Specifically, section 214(e)(6) states that ``[i]n the case
of a common carrier * * * that is not subject to the jurisdiction of a
State commission, the Commission shall upon request designate such a
common carrier that meets the requirements of paragraph (1) as an
eligible telecommunications carrier for a service area designated by
the Commission. * * *'' The Commission must evaluate whether such
telecommunications carriers, almost all of which are expected to be
companies owned by Native American tribes, meet the eligibility
criteria set forth in the Act. a. Petition for Designation as Eligible
Telecommunications Carriers Pursuant to Section 214(e)(6). Carriers
seeking designation from the Commission pursuant to section 214(e)(6)
must demonstrate that they fulfill the requirements of section
214(e)(1). Carriers seeking designation from the Commission early in
1998 are instructed to provide specific information. See Public Notice,
FCC 97-219, released 12/29/97. (No. of respondents: 25; hours per
response: 58; total annual hours: 1450 hours). b. Submission of Written
Comments by Interested Third Parties. Oppositions or comments on
petitions are due 10 days after a Public Notice announcing receipt of a
petition is released. Reply comments are due 7 days after comments are
due. (No. of respondents: 10; hours per response: 20 hours; total
annual burden: 200 hours). The Commission will use the information
collected to determine whether the telecommunications carriers
providing the data are eligible to receive universal service support.
Obligation to respond: Mandatory.
OMB Control No.: 3060-0815.
Expiration Date: 07/31/98.
Title: North American Numbering Plan Funding Worksheet.
Form No.: FCC Form 496.
Respondents: Business or other for-profit.
Estimated Annual Burden: 3700 respondents; .50 hours per response
(avg.); 1850 total annual burden hours.
Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost Burden: $0.
Frequency of Response: On occasion.
Description: Pursuant to Congress' directive in the
Telecommunications Act of 1996 that the Commission establish an
independent entity to administer telecommunications numbering, the
Commission determined on July 13, 1995, that the costs associated with
administering numbering duties should be based on each
telecommunications carrier's gross revenues less payments made to other
carriers. We authorize the North American Numbering Plan
Administrator's (NANPA) billing and collections agent to send FCC Form
496 requesting that telecommunications carriers provide information
regarding their yearly gross revenues less payments made to other
telecommunications carriers. The Worksheet, FCC Form 496, seeks
financial data, and payment from telecommunications carriers to fund
NANPA. All common carriers providing telecommunications service between
U.S. and foreign points must file this worksheet. The Commission and
the NANPA will use the information collected in the worksheet to
determine the total revenue received from telecommunications carriers
in order to arrive at an amount that each carrier must pay to fund the
NANPA.
OMB Control No.: 3060-0760.
Expiration Date: 07/31/98.
Title: Access Charge Reform, CC Docket No. 96-262 (First Report and
Order); Second Order on Reconsideration and Memorandum Opinion and
Order, and Third Report and Order.
Form No.: N/A.
Respondents: Business or other for-profit.
Estimated Annual Burden: 16 respondents; 112,945 hours per response
(avg.); 1,807,120 total annual burden hours for all collections.
[[Page 7790]]
Incremental burdens associated with collections approved by OMB on 1/
29/98 are listed below.
Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost Burden: $33,000.
Frequency of Response: On occasion.
Description: In the Order Designating Issues for Investigation and
Order on Reconsideration (Order), CC Docket No. 97-250, Tariffs
Implementing Access Charge Reform, the FCC's Common Carrier Bureau
adopts that the price cap incumbent local exchange carriers (LECs) must
file supplementary information to support their tariff filings
implementing access charge reform. In all instances described below,
the price cap LEC has failed to provide adequate support for the
position taken in its tariff filing. The information collections are as
follows:
a. Primary and Non-Primary Residential Line Definitions: BellSouth,
SNET, and SWBT must explain fully their definitions of primary and non-
primary residential lines, including any assumptions that went into
these definitions, and submit modified, expanded, or clarified
definitions as necessary. These price cap LECs should make clear what
lines these definitions include and the manner in which they would be
identified, such as by account number(s), billing number(s), customer
name, location, or by whatever sorting method the LEC chose to use.
(No. of respondents: 3; hours per response (avg.): 2; total annual
burden: 6 hours).
b. Identification of Primary and Non-Primary lines: The Bureau
requires price cap LECs to identify the number of lines in each of the
following categories: (1) primary residential lines; (2) single-line
business lines; (3) non-primary residential lines; and (4) BRI ISDN
lines. Each price cap LEC's direct case must delineate what, how, and
in which order data were sorted and used in accordance with its
definition to arrive at the primary and non-primary residential line
count totals submitted pursuant to this order. The Bureau also directs
each price cap LEC to include in its direct case an explanation of why
its definition is reasonable. (No. of respondents: 16; hours per
response (avg.): 16 hours; total annual burden: 256 hours).
c. Inward-Only Line PICC Demand: The Bureau requires Ameritech and
CBT to include inward-only lines in their SLC and PICC counts.
Ameritech and CBT must include in their direct cases an explanation as
to why their practices with respect to determining PICC demand should
be considered reasonable and consistent with the First Report and
Order. U S West must include in its direct case its rationale as to why
it is reasonable to exclude inward-only lines from the development of
common line rates. Further, U S West must identify in its direct case
the portion, if any, of the costs of these lines that is assigned to
the interstate jurisdiction. If a portion of these costs is assigned to
the interstate jurisdiction, U S West must include in its direct case
an explanation of how these costs are recovered in interstate rates,
and how U S West's treatment of these lines in computing common line
rates is consistent with the Commission's Part 69 rules. If none of
these costs is assigned to the interstate jurisdiction, U S West must
explain how this is consistent with the Commission's Part 36 rules. The
Bureau also directs Ameritech to include in its direct case an
explanation as to why its practice of counting each PRI ISDN service
application as five SLCs, but only one PICC is reasonable and
consistent with the First Report and Order. In addition, the Bureau
directs Ameritech, CBT, and U S West to submit with their direct cases
their recalculated line counts. (No. of respondents: 3; hours per
response (avg.): 2 hours; total annual burden: 6 hours).
d. Maximum CCL Rate Reduction Calculation: The Bureau directs Bell
Atlantic, NYNEX, GTE, SWBT, the Sprint LTCs, and U S West to provide a
recalculation of their maximum common line revenues. (No. of
respondents: 6; hours per response (avg.): 24 hours; total annual
burden: 144 hours).
e. Method for Calculating Exogenous Cost Changes for Line Ports and
End Office Trunk Ports: Each LEC must list all exogenous adjustments it
has made since it entered price cap regulation that had the purpose of
reallocating costs among baskets, categories, rate elements, or between
price cap and non price cap services. LECs should list the method used
in each instance. (No. of respondents: 16; hours per response (avg.):
24 hours; total annual burden: 384 hours).
f. Attribution of tandem switching revenue requirement to SS7
costs: The Bureau requires Bell Atlantic and U S West to provide cost
studies justifying the amount that was removed from the transport
interconnection charge (TIC) as SS7 costs. The Bureau also requires
detailed information regarding any additional SS7 costs that were
incorporated into the TIC during the period January 1, 1994 to December
31, 1997. Furthermore, Bell Atlantic and U S West should provide
detailed information regarding any true-up to SS7 costs due to
exogenous cost adjustments in the trunking basket. (No. of respondents:
2; hours per response (avg.): 8 hours; total annual burden: 16 hours).
g. Removal of COE maintenance and marketing expenses from the TIC:
Price cap LECs must provide supporting documentation justifying the
amount that was removed from the TIC as COE maintenance and marketing
expenses. In particular, the price cap LECs must provide detailed
information substantiating the amount of COE maintenance and marketing
costs that were removed from the trunking basket, and the portion of
that amount that was removed from the TIC. Price cap LECs should
explain their theory for determining the portion removed from the TIC.
(No. of respondents: 16; hours per response (avg.): 8 hours; total
annual burden: 128 hours).
h. Recalculation of Removal of TIC: PacBell and certain of the
United, Frontier, and GTE operating companies must recalculate the
removal of TIC costs and the facilities-based portion of the TIC. (No.
of respondents: 4; hours per response (avg.): 6 hours; total annual
burden: 24 hours).
i. Universal Service Fund (USF) obligation allocation: Price cap
LECs must submit explanations detailing why the methodology each has
used to allocate different amounts of the universal service fund
obligation to individual price cap baskets more accurately reflects the
distribution of interstate end-user revenues across baskets. As part of
this explanation, each price cap LEC must explain in detail the
methodology it uses and any assumptions it makes to determine these
allocations. Price cap LECs must report the interstate end-user
revenues they derived from each basket during the accounting period
they used to calculate their universal service contribution. If the
proportions of the USF contributions that LECs allocate for recovery
from the common line, trunking, and interexchange baskets differ from
the proportions of the total interstate end-user revenues they report
for these baskets, they must explain the reason for this difference.
Also, Citizens must justify allocating a portion of its USF
contribution to the traffic sensitive basket, given the Commission's
finding in the Access Reform Order that none of the service categories
in this basket generate, interstate end-user revenues. (No. of
respondents: 18; hours per response (avg.): 7.3 hours; total annual
burden: 132 hours). Our authority to collect this information is
provided under 47 U.S.C. 201-204 and 303(r). The information collected
under this Order would be submitted to the FCC by incumbent LECs for
use in determining
[[Page 7791]]
whether the incumbent LEC properly calculated its tariffed rates in its
December 17, 1997 tariff filing. Obligation to comply: Mandatory.
OMB Control No.: 3060-0646.
Expiration Date: 01/31/2001.
Title: Policies and Rules Concerning Unauthorized Changes of
Consumers' Long Distance Carriers--CC Docket No. 94-129.
Form No.: N/A.
Respondents: Business or other for-profit.
Estimated Annual Burden: 500 respondents; 2 hours per response
(avg.); 1000 total annual burden hours for all collections.
Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost Burden: $0.
Frequency of Response: On occasion.
Description: In Policies and Rules Concerning Unauthorized Changes
of Consumers' Long Distance Carriers, CC Docket No. 94-129, Report and
Order, the Commission adopted consumer protection mechanisms that were
designed to curb widespread instances of slamming and associated
deceptive or misleading marketing practices by many long distance
carriers. In response to six petitions for reconsideration of the 1995
Report and Order, the Commission amended its rules in three respects.
First, Section 64.1150(g) was modified to clarify that interexchange
carriers using letters of agency must fully translate their LOAs into
the same language(s) as their associated promotional materials or oral
descriptions and instructions. Second Section 1150(e)(4) was modified
to incorporate the terms interLATA and intraLATA, as well as interstate
and intrastate, in order to remove all possible confusion or
uncertainty about the scope of our rules, which are generally relevant
to all jurisdictions. Third, Section 64.1100(a) was modified to clarify
that IXCs must confirm orders for long distance service generated by
telemarketing using only one of the four verification options. This
information will be used to inform long distance carriers of their
additional and continuing obligations to verify all orders for long
distance service generated by telemarketing in accordance with the
Commission's verification rules. The information received from the
current collection was used to identify and strengthen the areas in
which increased protection and/or clarification of our verification
rules were needed. Obligation to comply: mandatory.
OMB Control No.: 3060-0786.
Expiration Date: 01/31/2001.
Title: Petitions for LATA Association Changes by Independent
Telephone Companies.
Form No.: N/A.
Respondents: Business or other for-profit.
Estimated Annual Burden: 20 respondents; 6 hours per response
(avg.); 120 total annual burden hours for all collections.
Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost Burden: $0.
Frequency of Response: On occasion.
Description: In the Memorandum Opinion and Order issued in CC
Docket 97-158, the Commission pursuant to the provisions of the
Communications Act of 1934, as amended requests that independent
telephone companies (ITC) and Bell Operating Companies (BOC) provide
certain information to the Commission regarding ITC requests for
changes in local access and transport area (LATA) association and
modification of LATA boundaries to permit the change in association.
The Commission has provided voluntary guidelines to assist ITCs in
filing petitions for changes in LATA association and connected
modification of LATA boundaries. The guidelines ask that each LATA
association change request include the following information: (1) type
of request; (2) exchange information; (3) number of access lines or
customers; (4) public interest statement; (5) a map showing exchanges
and LATA boundaries involved; (6) a list of extended local calling
service routes between the independent exchange and the LATA with which
it is currently associated; and (7) a BOC supplement requesting a
modification of the LATA boundary. The requested information is used by
the Commission to determine whether the need for the proposed changes
in LATA association outweighs the risk of potential anticompetitive
effects, and thus whether requests for changes in LATA association and
connected modifications of LATA boundaries should be granted
.OMB Control No.: 3060-0808.
Expiration Date: 02/28/2001.
Title: Amendments to Uniform System of Accounts for
Interconnection--CC Docket No. 97-212 (Proposed Rule).
Form No.: N/A.
Respondents: Business or other for-profit.
Estimated Annual Burden: 68 respondents; 320 hours per response
(avg.); 21,760 total annual burden hours for all collections.
Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost Burden: $0.
Frequency of Response: On occasion.
Description: In the NPRM issued in CC Docket No. 97-212, the
Commission proposed rules for the accounting treatment of transactions
related to interconnection and shared infrastructure. Specifically, the
Commission proposed new part 32 accounts and subsidiary recordkeeping
requirements to record the revenues and expenses related to providing
and obtaining interconnection. The following are the new proposed
accounts: Account 5071, Interconnection and access to unbundled network
elements; Account 6551, interconnection and access; Account 5072,
Transport and termination revenue; Account 6552, transport and
termination expense; and Account 6553, Purchased telecommunications
service expense. (No. of respondents: 68; hours per response (avg.): 40
hours; total annual burden: 2720). The Commission also proposed several
subsidiary account records: Subsidiary recordkeeping categories that
will enable carriers to identify the revenue from and amounts paid for
interconnection and each unbundled network element; Subsidiary records
categories so that the amounts attributable to transport and
termination may be separately recorded; Subsidiary record categories
for carriers to report the amounts contained in existing part 32
revenue accounts that result from the wholesale of telecommunications
service pursuant to Section 251(c)(4); Subsidiary accounting records to
record the costs associated with providing interconnection. We propose
that the total amount of costs to be recorded in the subsidiary records
be based on the revenues received for providing interconnection and
that the apportionment of the costs should be consistent with cost
studies underlying the charges for these services and elements. (No. of
respondents: 68; hours per response (avg.): 120 hours; total annual
burden: 8160 hours). The Commission proposes to require ILEC to
construct a cost study reflecting the agreement upon which to base its
assignment of costs to the subsidiary records. Any action of the state
that alters the underlying cost study should be reflected in the
underlying cost study upon which the ILEC bases the reclassification of
costs to the subsidiary records. ILECs must maintain a sufficiently
detailed audit trial of the assignments of costs to permit audits of
the method of assignment and amounts assigned to the subsidiary
records. (No. of respondents: 68; hours per response (avg.): 160 hours;
total annual burden:
[[Page 7792]]
10,880 hours). The proposed information collection requirements will
provide the necessary information to enable this Commission to fulfill
its regulatory responsibilities. Obligation to comply with the
requirements, if adopted, is mandatory
.OMB Control No.: 3060-0774.
Expiration Date: 08/31/98.
Title: Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service, CC Docket
No. 96-45 (47 CFR 36.611-36.612 and 47 CFR Part 54).
Form No.: N/A.
Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities; individuals or
households, state.
Estimated Annual Burden: 5,565,451 respondents; .32 hours per
response (avg.); 1,801,570 hours total annual burden for all
collections. See estimates provided below for burden for requirements
approved by OMB on
2/6/98.
Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost Burden: $0.
Frequency of Response: On occasion.
Description: On December 30, 1997, the Commission released the
Fourth Order on Reconsideration in Federal-Joint Board on Universal
Service, CC Docket 96-45, Access Charge Reform, Price Cap Performance
Review for Local Exchange Carriers, Transport Rate Structure and
Pricing, End User Common Line Charge, CC Docket Nos. 96-262, 94-1, 91-
213, 95-72 (Order). Following publication of the Commission's May 8th
Report and Order on Universal Service, the Commission received
significant comment from the public regarding universal service in the
form of petitions for reconsideration, oppositions to those petitions,
and comments on those petitions. In the Order, the Commission responded
to various issues raised in the petitions for reconsideration and/or
clarification of the Commission's May 8th Report and Order on Universal
Service. Several of the rules adopted in the Order reduce existing
reporting requirements or impose new reporting requirements.
a. 47 CFR Sec. 54.201(a)(2)--Submission of eligibility criteria.
Pursuant to section 214(e), a carrier must be designated an eligible
telecommunications carrier by a state commission before receiving
universal service support in accordance with section 254. A state
commission that is unable to designate as an eligible
telecommunications carrier, by January 1, 1998, a carrier that sought
such designation before January 1, 1998, may, once it has designated
such carrier, file with the Commission a petition for waiver of
paragraph (a)(1) of this section requesting that the carrier receive
universal service support retroactive to January 1, 1998. The state
commission must demonstrate in its petition that exceptional
circumstances prevented it from designating such carrier as an eligible
telecommunications carrier by January 1, 1998. (No. of respondents:
100; avg. hours per response: 4 hours; total annual burden: 400 hours).
b. Demonstration of Reasonable Steps. Carriers also are encouraged
to file with the Commission information demonstrating that they took
reasonable steps to be designated as eligible telecommunications
carriers by January 1, 1998. (No. of respondents: 50; avg. hours per
response: 1 hour; total annual burden: 50 hours).
c. 47 CFR Sec. 54.519--State telecommunications networks. State
telecommunications networks that secure discounts on eligible services
on behalf of eligible schools and libraries must maintain records
listing eligible schools and libraries, showing the basis on which
eligibility determinations were made, and demonstrating the discount
amount to which each eligible school and library is entitled. The state
networks must direct the eligible schools and libraries to pay the
discounted price for services and must comply with the competitive bid
requirements established in 47 CFR Sec. 54.504. (No. of respondents:
50; avg. hours per response: 4 hours; total annual burden: 200 hours).
d. Streamlined application process for schools and libraries and
for rural health care providers. An eligible school or library will not
be required to undergo the competitive bid process outlined in 47 CFR
Sec. 54.504(a) for a minor modification to a universal service contract
as defined in 47 CFR Sec. 54.500(h). An eligible school or library
making a minor modification to a contract must submit an FCC Form 471
indicating the value of the proposed contract modification. An eligible
school or library will not be required to undergo the competitive bid
process outlined in 47 CFR Sec. 54.504(a) if the eligible entity elects
to order services from a master contract negotiated by a third party as
defined in 47 CFR Sec. 54.500(g). An eligible rural health care
provider shall not be required to undergo the competitive bid process
outlined in Sec. 54.603 for a minor modification to a universal service
contract. Such health care provider, however, shall be required to file
an FCC Form 466 indicating the value of the proposed contract
modification. An eligible rural health care provider shall not be
required to undergo the competitive bid process outlined in 47 CFR
Sec. 54.603 if the eligible entity elects to order services from a
master contract negotiated by a third party. (See Order, Section J,
pps. 130-136). (No. of respondents: 16,000; avg. hours per response: 1
hour; total annual burden: 16,000 hours).
e. 47 CFR Sec. 54.604--Existing contracts. Rural health care
providers bound by existing contracts for services shall not be
required to comply with the competitive bid process outlined in 47 CFR
Sec. 54.603. (This rule reduces the total annual burden of Section
54.603(b)(1) by 1,000 burden hours).
f. Obligation to notify underlying carrier. Systems integrators
that derive de minimis amounts of revenue from the resale of
telecommunications and small entities that qualify for the de minimis
exemption are not required to contribute to universal service. They
must, however, notify their underlying carriers that they constitute
end users for universal service purposes. (No. of respondents: 1700;
avg. hours per response: 1 hour; total annual burden: 1,700 hours). All
the requirements contained herein are necessary to implement the
congressional mandate for universal service. These reporting
requirements are necessary to calculate the contribution amount owed by
each telecommunications carrier or to verify that particular carriers
and other respondents are eligible to receive universal service
support. Obligation to comply: Mandatory.
OMB Control No.: 3060-0785.
Expiration Date: 08/31/98.
Title: Changes to the Board of Directors of the National Exchange
Carrier Association and the Federal-State Joint Board on Universal
Service, CC Docket Nos. 97-21 and 96-45.
Form No.: FCC Form 457.
Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities.
Estimated Annual Burden: 5,000 respondents; 11.3 hours per response
(avg.); 55,650 hours total annual burden all requirements.
Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost Burden:
$4,903,000.
Frequency of Response: On occasion.
Description: On December 30, 1997, the Commission released the
Fourth Order on Reconsideration in Federal-Joint Board on Universal
Service, CC Docket 96-45, Access Charge Reform, Price Cap Performance
Review for Local Exchange Carriers, Transport Rate Structure and
Pricing, End User Common Line Charge, CC Docket Nos. 96-262, 94-1, 91-
213, 95-72 (Order). Following publication of the Commission's May 8th
Report and Order on Universal Service, the Commission received
significant
[[Page 7793]]
comment from the public regarding universal service in the form of
petitions for reconsideration, oppositions to those petitions, and
comments on those petitions. In the Order, the Commission responded to
various issues raised in the petitions for reconsideration and/or
clarification of the Commission's May 8th Report and Order on Universal
Service. The Commission reconsidered certain aspects of the Universal
Service Order and exempted additional entities from universal service
contribution and reporting requirements. Broadcasters and schools,
colleges, universities, rural health care providers, and systems
integrators that derive de minimis amounts of revenue from the resale
of telecommunications will not be required to contribute to universal
service. See 47 CFR Section 54.703. Entities whose annual contribution
would be less than $10,000 will not be required to contribute to
universal service or comply with universal service reporting
requirements. See 47 CFR Section 54.705. Obligation to comply:
Mandatory.
Public reporting burden for the collections of information is as
noted above. Send comments regarding the burden estimate or any other
aspect of the collections of information, including suggestions for
reducing the burden to Performance Evaluation and Records Management,
Washington, D.C. 20554.
Federal Communications Commission.
Magalie Roman Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 98-3989 Filed 2-13-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P
