[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 190 (Thursday, October 1, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52697-52698]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-26336]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION


Notice of Public Information Collection(s) Submitted to OMB for 
Review and Approval

September 24, 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 November 2, 
1998. If you anticipate that you will be submitting comments, but find 
it difficult to do so within the period of 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., NW., 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: 3060-0760.
    Title: Access Charge Reform, CC Docket No. 96-262, First Report and 
Order; Second Order on Reconsideration and Memorandum Opinion and 
Order.
    Form Number: N/A.
    Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Business and other for-profit entities.

[[Page 52698]]

    Number of Respondents: 13-14.
    Estimated Time Per Response: 2-300 hours (128,351 hours/respondent 
(avg.)).
    Frequency of Response: On occasion reporting requirements; Third 
party disclosure.
    Total Annual Burden: 1,796,916 hours.
    Cost to Respondents: $23,400 ($600 filing fee).
    Needs and Uses: In the First Report and Order, CC Docket No. 96-
262, Access Charge Reform and the Second Report on Reconsideration and 
Memorandum Opinion and Order, the FCC adopts, that, consistent with 
principles of cost-causation and economic efficiency, nontraffic 
sensitive (NTS) costs associated with local switching should be 
recovered on an NTS basis, through flat-rated, per month charges. 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 
caps 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 Local Exchange Carrier's (LEC) network has been 
opened to competition for interstate access services. The second phase 
of rate structure reforms will take place when an actual competitive 
presence has developed in the marketplace. LECs may have to submit 
certain information to demonstrate that they have met the standards. b. 
Cost Study of Local Switching Costs: Price cap LECs are required to 
conduct a cost study to determine the geographically-average portion of 
local switching costs that is attributable to the line-side ports, and 
to dedicated trunk side cards and ports. c. Cost Study of Interstate 
Access Service that Remain Subject to Price Cap Regulation: 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. d. Tariff Filings: The 
Commission requires the filing of various tariffs. e. Third-Party 
Disclosure: In the Second Order on Reconsideration, the Commission 
requires LECs to provide IXCs with customer-specific information about 
how many and what types of presubscribed interexchange carrier charges 
(PICCs) they are assessing for each of the IXCs presubscribed 
customers. One of the primary goals of the First Report and Order was 
to develop a cost-recovery mechanism that permits carriers to recover 
their costs in a manner that reflects the way in which those costs are 
incurred. Without access to information that indicates whether the LEC 
is assessing a primary or nonprimary residential PICC, or about how 
many local business lines are presubscribed to a particular IXC, the 
IXCs will be unable to develop rates that accurately reflect the 
underlying costs. The information required under these Orders would be 
used in determining whether the incumbent LECs should receive the 
regulatory relief proposed in the Orders. The information collected 
under the Orders would be submitted by the LECs to the interexchange 
carriers (IXCs) for use in developing the most cost-efficient rates and 
rate structures.

Federal Communications Commission.
Magalie Roman Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 98-26336 Filed 9-30-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-10-P