[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 189 (Wednesday, September 30, 1998)] [Notices] [Pages 52268-52269] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 98-26148] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION Notice of Public Information Collection(s) submitted to OMB for Review and Approval September 23, 1998. 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(s), as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 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, 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 information techniques or other forms of information technology. DATES: Written comments should be submitted on or before October 30, 1998. If you anticipate that you will be submitting comments, but find it difficult to do so within the period of [[Page 52269]] 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, Room 234, 1919 M St., N.W., Washington, DC 20554 or via internet to [email protected]. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information or copies of the information collections contact Les Smith at 202-418-0217 or via internet at [email protected]. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: OMB Approval Number: 3060-0823. Title: Pay Telephone Reclassification Memorandum Opinion and Order, CC Docket No. 96-28. Form Number: N/A. Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection. Respondents: Business and other for-profit entities. Number of Respondents: 400. Estimated Time Per Response: 2-35 hours/request. Frequency of Response: Recordkeeping. Annual, quarterly, monthly, one time, and on occasion reporting requirements; Third party disclosure. Total Annual Burden: 44,700 hours. Cost to Respondents: $480,000 ($600 filing fee/submission). Needs and Uses: In the Payphone Orders, the FCC adopted new rules and policies governing the payphone industry to implement Section 276 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996. Those rules and policies in part established a plan to ensure fair compensation for ``each and every completed intrastate and interstate call using [a] payphone.'' Specifically, the Commission established a plan to ensure that payphone service providers (PSPs) were compensated for certain noncoin calls originated from their payphones. As part of this plan, the Commission required that by October 7, 1997, LECs provide payphone-specific coding digits to PSPs, and that PSPs provide those digits from their payphones to IXCs. The provision of payphone-specific coding digits is a prerequisite to payphone per-call compensation payments to IXCs to PSPs for subscriber 800 and access code calls. The Common Carrier Bureau, on its own motion, subsequently provided a waiver until March 9, 1998, for those payphones for which the necessary coding digits were not provided to identify calls. In a Memorandum Opinion and Order (MO&O) (released March 9, 1998), we clarify the requirements established in the Payphone Orders for the provision for payphone-specific coding digits and for tariffs that LECs must file pursuant to the Payphone Orders. We also grant a waiver of Part 69 of the Commission's rules so that local exchange carriers (LECs) can establish rate elements to recover the costs of implementing FLEX-ANI to provide payphone-specific coding digits for per-call compensation. The Commission in the Memorandum Opinion and Order, therefore, is effecting the following collections of information made in regard to information disclosures required in the Payphone Orders to implement Section 276 of the Act. The collection requirements are as follows: (a) LEC Tariff to provide FLEX ANI to IXCs: The MO&O requires that LECs implement FLEX ANI to comply with the requirements set forth in the Payphone Orders. LECs must provide to IXCs through their interstate tariffs, FLEX ANI service so that IXCs can identify which calls come from a payphone. LECs (and PSPs) must provide FLEX ANI to IXCs without charge for the limited purpose of per- call compensation, and accordingly, LECs providing FLEX ANI must revise their interstate tariffs to reflect FLEX ANI as a nonchargeable option to IXCs no later than March 30, 1998, to be effective no later than April 15, 1998, in those areas that it is available. (b) LEC Tariff to recover costs: LECs must file a tariff to establish a rate element in their interstate tariffs to recover their costs from PSPs for providing payphone-specific coding digits to IXCs. This tariff must reflect the costs of implementing FLEX ANI to provide payphone-specific coding digits for payphone compensation, and provide for recovery of such costs over a reasonable time period through a monthly recurring flat- rate charge. LECs must provide cost support information for the rate elements they propose. The Bureau will review these LEC rate element tariff filings, the reasonableness of the costs, and the recovery period. LECs will recover their costs over an amortization period of no more than ten years. The rate element charges will discontinue when the LEC has recovered its cost. (c) LECs must provide IXCs information on payphones that provide payphone-specific coding digits for smart and dumb payphones: LECs must provide IXCs information on the number and location of smart and dumb payphones providing payphone-specific coding digits, as well as the number of those that are not. (d) LECs must provide IXCs and PSPs information on where FLEX ANI is available now and when it is scheduled in the future: Within 30 days of the release of the MO&O, LECs should be prepared to provide IXCs, upon request, information regarding their plans to implement FLEX ANI by end office. LECs must provide IXCs and PSPs information on payphones that provide payphone-specific coding digits on end offices where FLEX ANI is available, and where it is not, on a monthly basis. Pursuant to the waivers in this order, LECs must also inform IXCs and PSPs proposed dates for its availability. (e) For a waiver granted to small or midsize LECs, a cost analysis must be provided, upon request: In the MO&O, the Bureau grants a waiver to midsize and small LECs that will be unable to recover the costs of implementing FLEX ANI in a reasonable time period. LECs must make this evaluation within 30 days of the release of the MO&O. The LEC must then notify IXCs that they will not be implementing FLEX ANI pursuant to this waiver, and provide the number of dumb payphones providing the ``27'' coding digit and the number of smart phones for which payphone-specific coding digits are unavailable. A LEC delaying the implementation of FLEX ANI pursuant to this waiver provision, must be prepared to provide its analysis, if requested by the Commission. The information disclosure rules and policies governing the payphone industry to implement Section 276 of the Act will ensure the payment of the per-call compensation by implementing a method for LECs to provide information to IXCs to identify calls, for each and every call made from a payphone. Federal Communications Commission. Magalie Roman Salas, Secretary. [FR Doc. 98-26148 Filed 9-29-98; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6712-10-P