[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 102 (Thursday, May 28, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29218-29219]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-14093]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION


Public Information Collections Approved by Office of Management 
and Budget

May 18, 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, Public Law 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.: 3060-0717.
    Expiration Date: 05/31/2001.
    Title: Billed Party Preference for InterLATA 0+ Calls, CC Docket 
No. 92-77 (47 CFR Sections 64.703(a), 64.709, 64.710).
    Form No.: N/A.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities.
    Estimated Annual Burden:  1500 respondents; 446.10 hours per 
response (avg.); 699,157 total annual burden hours.
    Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost Burden: $198,000.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion, annually, third party 
disclosure.
    Description: 1. Section 64.709, OSP Informational Tariff Filing 
Requirement: In the Second Report and Order and Order on 
Reconsideration issued in CC Docket No. 92-77 (released January 29, 
1998), the Commission codifies the OSP informational tariff filings at 
47 CFR 64.709. OSPs currently are required by statute, i.e., 47 U.S.C. 
Sec. 226(h)(1)to file informational tariffs with the Commission. The 
new rules governing the filing of such tariffs codify existing FCC 
requirements. The Commission also amended the rules to increase the 
usefulness of informational tariffs by requiring that such tariffs 
include specific rates expressed in dollars and cents as well as 
applicable per-call aggregator surcharges or other per-call fees, if 
any, that are collected from consumers. (Number of respondents: 300; 
annual burden per respondent: 50 hours; total annual burden: 16,500 
hours). 2. Section 64.703(a)(4), Disclosures: In the Second Report and 
Order and Order on Reconsideration, the Commission amends its rules, 
effective generally July 1, 1998, to require operator services 
providers (OSPs) to disclose orally to away-from-home callers, at no 
cost to such callers, how they may obtain all applicable charges for a 
call placed through an OSP, without the caller having to hang up to 
dial a separate number. The Commission's decision is intended to make 
it easier for callers using operator services at pay phones, hotels and 
other call aggregator locations to obtain immediately the total cost to 
them of making a call using the carrier selected by the pay phone or 
premises owner before the call is made. Subsection 64.703(a)(4) is 
added, which requires each OSP to disclose, audibly and distinctly to 
the consumer, at no charge and before connecting any interstate call, 
how to obtain rate quotations, including any applicable surcharges, if 
the call is to be placed through the carrier selected by the payphone 
or premises owner. (No. of respondents: 630; annual burden per 
respondent: 6-8 secs per call; total annual burden: 13,711 hours).  3. 
Section 64.710, Operator services for prison inmate phones. New Section 
64.710 requires providers of interstate operator services to inmates at 
correctional institutions to identify themselves, audibly and 
distinctly, to the party to be billed for the call and also disclose 
immediately thereafter to that party how he or she, without having to 
hang up to dial a separate number, may obtain the charges for the call, 
before the carrier may connect, and bill for, a call. (No. of 
respondents; 570; annual burden per respondent: 4 hours; total annual 
hour burden: 2280 hours).  4. Section 64.703(a)(1)-(3), Consumer 
Information, Branding by OSPs. Section 64.703(a)(1)-(3), requires that 
operator service providers disclose to consumers their identity, and 
upon request by the consumer, the rates for the call, collection 
methods for the charges, and complaint procedures. 47 U.S.C. Section 
226 required adoption of this rule. Providers of operator services are 
required to identify itself, audibly and distinctly, to both the 
calling party and the called party, rather than just one party. This 
requirement was a response to a widespread failure of operator service 
providers to disclose information necessary for informed consumer 
choice in the marketplace. This requirement is currently approved

[[Page 29219]]

by OMB under OMB control number 3060-0666 and is not being modified by 
the Second Report and Order and Order on Reconsideration in CC Docket 
No. 92-77. It is being consolidated with and is now approved under OMB 
control number 3060-0717 as suggested by OMB. (No. of respondents: 630; 
annual burden per respondent: 2 secs per call; total annual burden: 
666,666).
    The new information disclosure rules will make it easier for 
callers using operator services provided at call aggregator phones, and 
prison-inmate phones, to obtain immediately the cost of the call, prior 
to the call being connected. This should eliminate the surprise that 
many consumers encounter upon subsequently receiving the bill or bills 
containing what they believe to be excessive charges or surcharges for 
such calls. Further, requiring that carriers divulge this information 
without the consumer having to dial a separate telephone number more 
readily enables consumers to obtain valuable information necessary in 
making the decision whether to have that carrier carry the call at the 
identified rates. OSPs are required under Section 226(h)(1) of the 
Communications Act to file informational tariffs with the Commission 
and to update these tariffs regularly. The tariffs are filed to protect 
consumers from unfair and deceptive practices relating to their use of 
operator services to place interstate telephone calls; and to ensure 
that consumers have the opportunity to make informed choices in making 
such calls. Obligation to comply: mandatory.

OMB Control No.: 3060-0817.
    Expiration Date: 05/31/2001.
    Title: Computer III Further Remand Proceedings: BOC Provision of 
Enhanced Services (ONA Requirements), CC Docket No. 95-20.
    Form No.: N/A.
    Respondents: Businesses or other for profit entities.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 5 respondents; 2 hours per response 
(avg.); 20 total annual burden hours.
    Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost Burden: $0.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion; semi-annually.
    Description: In the Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking issued in 
CC Docket Nos. 95-20 and 98-10, the Commission seeks to eliminate 
outdated, unnecessary regulations, while continuing to protect against 
potential anticompetitive behavior by the Bell operating companies 
(BOCs) in the provision of information services. In fulfillment of this 
goal, the Commission proposed and OMB approved the following collection 
of information from BOCs: Open Network Architecture (ONA) Reporting 
Requirements: The Commission sought comment on whether we should modify 
current ONA reporting requirements by reducing the frequency of semi-
annual reporting to annual, whether the current quarterly installation 
and maintenance reports and accompanying annual affidavits are 
necessary or effective for the nondiscrimination obligations of 
Computer III, whether the separate subsidiary network information 
disclosure rules should continue to apply to BOCs with Computer II 
subsidiaries, whether the ``all-carrier rule'' should continue to apply 
to all carriers, other than incumbent LECs, owning basic transmission 
facilities, or whether the Commission should eliminate current ONA 
reporting requirements on the BOCs and GTE. In the FNPRM, the 
Commission tentatively concludes that the BOCs should be permitted to 
make one consolidated filing (or posting ) for all generic information 
they currently submit in their semi-annual ONA reports. If adopted, the 
proposed collections would be used to ensure that BOCs and GTE comply 
with the Computer III, ONA requirements as modified by the FNPRM, and 
with the Communications Act, as amended, and with Commission policies 
and regulations. Obligation to respond: 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. 98-14093 Filed 5-27-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-F