[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 27 (Tuesday, February 10, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6757-6758]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-3350]
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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
Public Information Collection Requirements Submitted to Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) for Review
February 4, 1998.
The Federal Communications Commission has submitted the following
information collection requirements to OMB for review and clearance
under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. Section 3507.
Persons wishing to comment on the information collections should
contact Timothy Fain, Office of Management and Budget, Room 10236,
NEOB, Washington, D.C. 20503, (202) 395-3561. For further information,
contact Judy Boley, Federal Communications Commission, (202) 418-0214.
Please note: The Commission has requested emergency review of
the following collections by February 9, 1998 under the provisions
of 5 CFR Section 1320.13.
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.
OMB Control No.: 3060-0774.
Action: Revised collection.
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
for which approval is sought.
Needs and Uses: 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 C.F.R. 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.
[[Page 6758]]
hours per response: 1 hour; total annual burden: 50 hours).
c. 47 C.F.R. 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 cariers 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. The recordkeeping requirements should not be burdensome since
most businesses ordinarily retain these types of documents.
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.
OMB Control No.: 3060-0785.
Action: Revised collection.
Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities.
Estimated Annual Burden: 4,000 respondents; 13.9 hours per response
(avg.); 55,650 hours total annual burden all requirements.
Needs and Uses: 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. 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.
The foregoing estimates include the time for reviewing
instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and
maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the burden
estimates or any other aspect of the collection of information
including suggestions for reducing the burden to the Federal
Communications Commission, Performance Evaluation and Records
Management, Paperwork Reduction Project, Washington, D.C. 20554.
Federal Communications Commission.
Magalie Roman Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 98-3350 Filed 2-9-98; 8:45 am]
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