[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 167 (Monday, August 30, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47189-47190]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-22403]
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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
Notice of Public Information Collection(s) Being Reviewed by the
Federal Communications Commission, Comments Requested
August 20, 1999.
SUMMARY: The Federal Communications Commission, as part of its
continuing effort to reduce paperwork burden 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 of 1995, Pub. L. 104-13. An agency 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
Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) that does not display a valid control
number. 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; and (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.
DATES: Written comments should be submitted on or before October 29,
1999. 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 comments to Les Smith, Federal Communications
Commissions, 445 12th Street, SW, Room 1-A804, Washington, DC 20554 or
via the Internet to lesmith@fcc.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information or copies
of the information collections contact Les Smith at (202) 418-0217 or
via the Internet at lesmith@fcc.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
OMB Control Number: 3060-0734.
Title: Implementation of the Telecommunications Act of 1996:
Accounting Safeguards Under the Telecommunications Act of 1996.
Form Number: SEC 10-K.
Type of Review: Revision.
Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities.
Number of Respondents: 168 respondents.
Estimated Time Per Response: 1074.6 hours per response (avg.).
Total Annual Burden: 180,547 hours.
Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost Burden: $633,000.
Frequency of Response: Annually, Biennially, On occasion,
Recordkeeping.
Needs and Uses: In Accounting Safeguards Under the
Telecommunications Act of 1996, Report and Order in CC Docket No. 96-
150 (Report and Order), the Commission addressed the accounting
safeguards necessary to satisfy the requirements of section 260 and 271
through 276 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996. The Report and Order
prescribed the way incumbent local exchange carriers (ILECs), including
the Bell Operating Companies (BOCs), must account for transactions with
affiliates involving, and allocate costs incurred in the provision of,
both regulated telecommunications services and nonregulated services,
including telemessaging, interLATA telecommunications and information
services, telecommunications equipment and customer premises equipment
manufacturing, electronic publishing, alarm monitoring services and
payphone service. The Commission concluded that its current cost
allocation rules generally satisfy the 1996 Act's accounting safeguards
requirements when ILECs, including the BOCs, provide services permitted
under sections 260 and 271 through 276 on an in-house basis. The
Commission also concluded that its current affiliate transactions rules
generally satisfy the 1996 Act's accounting safeguards requirements
when ILECs, including the BOCs, are required to, or choose to, use an
affiliate to provide services permitted under sections 260 and 271
through 276. In the Report and Order, the Commission also modified its
affiliate transaction rules to provide greater protection against
subsidization of competitive activities by subscribers to regulated
telecommunications services. Section 274(F) establishes a reporting
requirement for separate electronic publishing affiliates created
pursuant to section 274. In the Report and Order, the Commission
concluded that its rules should require those section 274 affiliates
that already file an SEC Form 10-K to file a copy with this Commission.
For those section 274 affiliates that were not required to file a Form
10-K with the SEC, the Commission required them to file an identical
form with us. In CC Docket No. 98-81, released June 30, 1999, the
Commission modified the holding in the
[[Page 47190]]
Report and Order and concluded that the information contained in the
limited version of the SEC Form 10-K, with certain modifications, is
sufficient to enable the Commission to monitor electronic publishing
affiliates' compliance with the section 274 requirements. The
Commission concludes that the information contained in the limited
version of SEC Form 10-K, with certain modifications, will enable the
Commission to monitor the electronic publishing affiliate's compliance
with the section 274 requirements. The Commission modify the limited
Form 10-K filing requirements to exclude Item 5 and include Item 10.
The information collections will enable the Commission to ensure that
the subscribers to regulated telecommunications services do not bear
the costs of these new nonregulated services and that transactions
between affiliates and carriers will be at prices that do not
ultimately result in unfair rates being charged to ratepayers.
Federal Communications Commission.
Magalie Roman Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 99-22403 Filed 8-27-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P
