2011-13016. Information Collection Being Reviewed by the Federal Communications Commission

AGENCY:

Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION:

Notice and request for comments.

SUMMARY:

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC), as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork burdens, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on the following information collection, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995. Comments are requested concerning (a) 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; (b) the accuracy of the Commission's burden estimate; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information collected; (d) 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 (e) ways to further reduce the information collection burden on 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 control number. No person shall be subject to any penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information subject to the PRA that does not display a valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number.

DATES:

Written PRA comments should be submitted on or before July 25, 2011. If you anticipate that you will be submitting comments, but find it difficult to do so within the period of time allowed by this notice, you should advise the contact listed below as soon as possible.

ADDRESSES:

Direct all PRA comments to Paul Laurenzano, FCC, via e-mail [e-mail] and to [e-mail].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

For additional information about the information collection, contact Paul Laurenzano at [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

OMB Control Number: 3060-0395.

Title: The ARMIS USOA Report (ARMIS Report 43-02); the ARMIS Service Quality Report (ARMIS Report 43-05); and the ARMIS Infrastructure Report (ARMIS Report 43-07).

Form Number: FCC Reports 43-02, 43-05 and 43-07.

Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.

Respondents: Business or other for-profit.

Number of Respondents and Responses: 48 respondents; 63 responses.

Estimated Time per Response: 322.5 hours.

Obligation to Respond: Mandatory—The ARMIS reporting requirements were established by the Commission in 1987 to facilitate the timely and efficient analysis of carrier operating costs and rates of return, to provide an improved basis for audits and other oversight functions, and to enhance the Commission's ability to quantify the effects of alternative policy proposals. Additional ARMIS Reports were added in 1991 and 1992. Incumbent LECs must submit the ARMIS reports to the Commission annually on or before April 1. See Reporting Requirements of Certain Class A and Tier I Telephone Companies (Parts 31, 43, 67 and 69 of the FCC's Rules), Order, 2 FCC Rcd 5770 (1987).

Frequency of Response: Annual reporting requirements.

Total Annual Burden: 20,317.5 hours.

Total Annual Cost: No cost.

Privacy Act Impact Assessment: No impacts.

Nature of Extent of Confidentiality: This collection addresses information of a confidential nature for two of these reports. Respondents have requested and filed for confidential treatment of information they believe should be withheld from public inspection under 47 CFR 0.459 of the Commission's rules.

Needs and Uses: FCC Report 43-02 is prescribed for each incumbent local exchange carrier with annual operating revenues for the preceding year equal to or above the indexed revenue threshold. The report collects the operating results of the carrier's total activities for every account in the Uniform System of Accounts at the operating company level, as specified in Part 32 of the Commission's Rules. There are no changes to the ARMIS Report 43-02.

ARMIS Report 43-05 is prescribed for every mandatory price cap ILEC and local exchange carriers electing the incentive regulation plan. This report is designed to capture trends in service quality under price cap regulation. It provides service quality information in the areas of interexchange access service installation and repair intervals, local service installation and repair intervals, trunk blockage, and total switch downtime for price cap companies. We are adjusting the number of respondents submitting the 43-05 from 14 to 15 to reflect a carrier that was not included in the prior approval process.

ARMIS Report 43-07 is prescribed for every ILEC for whom price cap regulation is mandatory. The report is designed to capture trends in telephone industry infrastructure development under price cap regulation. It provides switch deployment and capabilities data. The information is also part of the data necessary to support the Commission's audit and other oversight functions. The data provide the necessary detail to enable the Commission to fulfill its regulatory responsibility. There are no changes to the ARMIS Report 43-07.

Federal Communications Commission.

Bulah P. Wheeler,

Deputy Manager, Office of the Secretary, Office of Managing Director.