[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 162 (Friday, August 21, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44862-44863]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-22515]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION


Public Information Collections Approved by Office of Management 
and Budget

August 17, 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.: 3060-0785.
    Expiration Date: 01/31/1999.
    Title: Universal Service Worksheet.
    Form No.: FCC Form 457.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 5000 respondents; 13.69 hours per response 
(avg.); 68,450 total annual burden hours for all collections.
    Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost Burden: $4,903.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion.

[[Page 44863]]

    Description: The Telecommunications Act of 1996 (1996 Act) directed 
the Commission to initiate a rulemaking to reform our system of 
universal service so that universal service is preserved and advanced 
as markets move toward competition. To fulfill that mandate, on March 
8, 1996, the Commission adopted a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) 
in CC Docket No. 96-45 to implement the congressional directives set 
forth in section 254 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended by 
the 1996 Act. Pursuant to section 254(a)(1), the NPRM also referred 
numerous issues related to universal service to a Federal-State Joint 
Board for recommended decision. On November 8, 1996, the Joint Board 
released a Recommended Decision in which it made recommendations to 
assist and counsel the Commission in the creation of effective 
universal service support mechanisms that would ensure that the goals 
of affordable, quality service and access to advanced services are met 
by means that enhance competition. On November 18, 1996, the 
Commission's Common Carrier Bureau released a Public Notice (DA 96-
1891) seeking public comment on the issues addressed and 
recommendations made by the Joint Board in the Recommended Decision. On 
May 8, 1997, the Commission released the Report and Order on Universal 
Service (Universal Service Order) in CC Docket 96-45 that established 
new federal universal service support mechanisms consistent with the 
universal service provisions of section 254. On July 31, 1997, OMB 
approved the Universal Service Worksheet, FCC Form 457. On March 3, 
1998, OMB approved a Universal Service Worksheet revised pursuant to 
the Second Order on Reconsideration and Fourth Order on 
Reconsideration. OMB recently approved the July 1998 edition of the 
Universal Service Worksheet. In the July 1998 worksheet we added to the 
Worksheet a new Line 48, where contributors shall report the revenues 
derived from charges assessed on end-users to recover contributions to 
state or federal universal service support mechanisms. We also revised 
Lines 22 and 35 of the Worksheet to require contributors to include on 
those lines, respectively, revenues derived from presubscribed 
interexchange carrier changes (PICCs) levied on carriers and PICCs 
levied on end users. We direct contributors to begin reporting at this 
time the revenues derived from such changes, because contributors began 
assessing these charges on January 1, 1998, the first day of the 
revenue-reporting period for the Worksheet. Section 254(d) provides 
that telecommunications carriers that provide interstate 
telecommunications services shall contribute to the universal service 
support mechanisms. Accordingly, we clarified the paragraph on pages 3-
4 of the revised instructions that carriers that use switches or lines 
that are used to provide interstate services, but that do not 
themselves provide interstate telecommunications services are not 
required to contribute to the universal service support mechanisms. We 
also emphasized in the instructions to the Worksheet that the 
Commission may make publicly available a list of the entities that file 
the Worksheet. Note that a contributor that provides interstate 
telecommunications will be exempt from universal service contribution 
and filing requirements if that contributor's contribution for the next 
four quarters is expected to be less than $100. This determination is 
made by using the worksheet. Contributors exempt from filing and 
contributing because of de minimis revenues must retain the worksheet 
and make it available to the Commission or to the Universal Service 
Administrator upon request. FCC Form 457 is used by the Commission and 
the Administrator to calculate contributions to the universal service 
support mechanisms. Without such information the Commission could not 
determine contributions to the support mechanisms and, therefore, could 
not fulfill its statutory responsibilities in accordance with the 
Communications Act of 1934, as amended. Copies of the revised Universal 
Service Worksheet and instructions may be downloaded from the 
Commission's Forms Web Page, 222.fcc.gov/formpage.html. Copies also may 
be obtained by calling the fax-on-demand line at (202) 418-2830 and 
selecting document number 000457. Finally, copies may be obtained from 
USAC at (973) 560-4400. 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. 98-22515 Filed 8-20-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P