[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 116 (Tuesday, June 17, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32808-32809]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-16030]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION


Public Information Collections Approved by Office of Management 
and Budget

June 13, 1997.
    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.: 3060-0760.
    Expiration Date: 12/31/97.
    Title: Access Charge Reform, CC Docket No. 96-272 (First Report and 
Order).
    Form No.: N/A.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 13 respondents; 138,714 hours per response 
(avg.); 1,803,282 total annual burden hours for all collections.
    Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost Burden: $31,200.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion.
    Description: In the Access Charge Reform First Report and Order, 
the Commission adopts, that, consistent with principles of cost-
causation and economic efficiency, non-traffic sensitive (NTS) costs 
associated with local switching should be recovered on an NTS basis, 
through flat-rated, per month charges. The information collections 
resulting from this Report and Order are as follows. The information 
collected would be submitted to the FCC by incumbent LECs for use in 
determining whether the incumbent LECs should receive the regulatory 
relief proposed in the Order. Compliance is mandatory.
    a. Showings under the Market-Based Approach. As competition 
develops in the market, the FCC will gradually relax and ultimately 
remove existing Part 69 federal access rate structure requirements and 
Part 61 price cap restrictions on rate level changes. Regulatory reform 
will take place in two phases. The first phase of regulatory reform 
will take place when an incumbent LEC network has been opened to 
competition for interstate access services. Detariffing will take place 
when substantial competition has developed for the access charge 
elements. We proposed that in order for LECs to meet this standard, 
they have to demonstrate that: (1) Unbundled network element prices are 
based on geographically deaveraged, forward-looking economic costs in a 
manner that reflects the way costs are incurred; (2) transport and 
termination charges are based on the additional cost of transporting 
and terminating another carrier's traffic; (3) wholesale prices for 
retail services are based on reasonably avoidable costs; (4) network 
elements and services are capable of being provisioned rapidly and 
consistent with a significant level of demand; (5) dialing parity is 
provided by the incumbent LEC to competitors; (6) number portability is 
provided by the incumbent LEC to competitors; (7) access to incumbent 
LEC rights-of-way is provided to competitors; and (8) open and non-
discriminatory network standards and protocols are put into effect. The 
second phase of rate structure reforms will take place when an actual 
competitive presence has developed in the marketplace. We propose that 
the second phase of rate structure reforms would take place when an 
actual competitive presence has developed in the marketplace. LECs 
would have to show the following to indicate that actual competition 
has developed in the marketplace by: (1) Demonstrated presence of 
competition; (2) full implementation of competitively neutral universal 
service support mechanisms; and (3) credible and timely enforcement of 
pro-competitive rules. (Number of respondents: 13; annual hour burden 
per respondent: 137,986; total annual burden 1,793,818).
    b. Cost Study of Local Switching Costs: The FCC does not establish 
a fixed percentage of local switching costs that incumbent LECs must 
reassign to the Common Line basket or newly created Trunk Cards and 
Ports service category as NTS costs. In light of the

[[Page 32809]]

widely varying estimates in the record, we conclude that the portion of 
costs that is NTS costs likely varies among LEC switches. Accordingly, 
we require each price cap LEC to conduct a cost study to determine the 
geographically-averaged portion of local switching costs that is 
attributable to the line-side ports, as defined above, and to dedicated 
trunk side cards and ports. These amounts, including cost support, 
should be reflected in the access charge elements filed in the LEC's 
access tariff effective January 1, 1998. (Number of respondents: 13; 
annual hour burden per respondent: 400 hours; total annual hours: 
5200).
    c. Cost Study of Interstate Access Service that Remain Subject to 
Price Cap Regulation: The 1996 Act has created an unprecedented 
opportunity for competition to develop in local telephone markets. We 
recognize, however, that competition is unlikely to develop at the same 
rate in different locations, and that some services will be subject to 
increasing competition more rapidly than others. We also recognize, 
however, that there will be areas and services for which competition 
may not develop. We will adopt a prescriptive ``backstop'' to our 
market-based approach that will serve to ensure that all interstate 
access customers receive the benefits of more efficient prices, even in 
those places and for those services where competition does not develop 
quickly. To implement our backstop to market-based access charge 
reform, we require each incumbent price cap LEC to file a cost study no 
later than February 8, 2001, demonstrating the cost of providing those 
interstate access services that remain subject to price cap regulation 
because they do not face substantial competition. (Number of 
respondents: 13; annual hour burden per respondent: 8 hours; total 
annual burden: 104 hours).
    d. Tariff Filings. The Commission also adopts several information 
collections relating to tariff filings. Specifically, the Commission 
adopts its proposals to require the filing of various tariffs, with 
modifications. For example, the FCC directs incumbent LECs to establish 
separate rate elements for the multiplexing equipment on each side of 
the tandem switch. LECs must establish a flat-rated charge for the 
multiplexers on the SWC side of the tandem, imposed pro-rate on the 
purchasers of the dedicated trunks on the SWC side of the tandem. 
Multiplexing equipment on the EO side of the tandem shall be charged to 
users of common EO-to-tandem transport on a per-minute of use basis. 
These multiplexer rate elements must be included in the LEC access 
tariff filings to be effective January 1, 1998. Tariff to be filed on 
December 16, 1997. Other tariff filings dates required by Report and 
Order are as follows: June 16, 1997, Filing which includes: Downward 
Exogenous Adjustment to the Traffic Sensitive Basket. December 16, 
1998, Filing which includes: Inflation adjustments and the TIC. 
December 16, 1999, Filing which includes: Inflation adjustments and the 
TIC. (Number of respondents: 13; annual hour burden per respondent: 320 
hours; total annual burden: 4160 hours).
    Public reporting burden for the collection 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, DC 20554.

Federal Communications Commission.
William F. Caton,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 97-16030 Filed 6-13-97; 3:59 pm]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P