[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 208 (Wednesday, October 28, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57689-57694]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-28769]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION


Public Information Collections Approved By Office of Management 
and Budget

October 20, 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.: 3060-0856.
    Expiration Date: 04/30/99.
    Title: Universal Service--Schools and Libraries Universal Service 
Program Reimbursement Forms.
    Form No.: FCC Form 472, FCC Form 473, FCC Form 474.
    Respondents: Business or other for profit; Not for profit 
institutions.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 61,800 respondents; 1.42 hours per 
response (avg.); 88,050 total annual burden hours.
    Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost Burden: $0.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion.
    Description: The Commission adopted rules providing universal 
service support for all telecommunications services, Internet access, 
and internal connections for all eligible schools and libraries. The 
Telecommunications Act of 1996 contemplates that discounts on eligible 
services shall be provided to schools and libraries, and that service 
providers shall seek reimbursement for the amount of the discounts. FCC 
Form 472--Billed Entity Applicant Reimbursement Form. The information 
to be collected in the Billed Entity Applicant Reimbursement Form is 
necessary to enable the fund administrator, the SLC, to pay universal 
service support to service providers who provide discounted services to 
eligible schools, libraries, and consortia of those entities. The 
information is to be collected from each Form 471 Billed Entity 
Applicant (Applicant) that received a funding Commitment Decisions 
Letter from the administrator and filed a Form 486 to indicate the 
applicant intended to prepare and submit to the SLC an invoice for 
reimbursement. The information to be collected on the Billed Entity 
Applicant Reimbursement Form should be completed by an applicant to 
seek reimbursement for payments on approved services and/or products 
delivered to the applicant from the actual service start date, as 
reported in the applicant's Form 486 Column (E), through no later than 
December 31, 1998. This information is necessary to identify the amount 
of the discounts due and owing from the service provider to the 
applicant, so that the service provider may reimburse this amount to 
the applicant. (No. of respondents: 50,000; annual burden per 
respondent: 1.5 hours; total annual burden: 75,000 hours). FCC Form 
473--Submission of Service Provider Annual Certification Form. The 
Service Provider Annual Certification Form is to be submitted by each 
service provider or vendor, hereinafter collectively referred to as 
service providers, that was assigned a service provider identification 
number (SPIN) by the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) 
and that participates in the universal service support mechanism for 
schools and libraries. The purpose of the Annual Certification Form is 
to confirm that, for each Invoice Form submitted by the service 
provider, the Invoice form is in compliance with the FCC's rules 
governing the schools and libraries universal service support 
mechanism, and the Invoice Form is true, accurate and complete. (No. of 
respondents: 9300; annual burden per respondent: 1 hour; total annual 
burden: 9300 hours). FCC Form 474--Submission of Service Provider 
Invoice Form. The Service Provider Invoice Form is to be used by all 
service providers or vendors, hereinafter collectively referred to as 
service providers, who were assigned a SPIN by the USAC and participate 
in the universal service support mechanism for schools and libraries. 
The purpose of the Invoice Form is for the service provider/vendor to 
seek reimbursement for the cost of discounts. The information to be 
collected on the Service Provider Invoice Form must be received by the 
SLC before a service provider participating in the universal service 
program for schools and libraries can receive payment for the 
discounted portion of its bill for eligible services to eligible 
entities. (No. of respondents: 2500; annual burden per respondent: 1.5 
hours; total annual burden: 3750 hours). All of the information 
collected is used to administer the universal service schools and 
libraries program. Copies of the forms may be obtained via e-mail 
<www.neca.org> or by calling 1-888-203-8100. Obligation to comply: 
required to obtain or retain benefits.

    OMB Control No.: 3060-0470.
    Expiration Date: 10/31/2001.
    Title: Allocation of Cost, Cost Allocation Manual, RAO Letters 19 
and 26.
    Form No.: N/A.
    Respondents: Business or other for profit.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 18 respondents; 300 hours per response 
(avg.) (approximately 2 filings annually); 10,800 total annual burden 
hours.
    Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost Burden: $0.
    Frequency of Response: Annually.
    Description: Section 64.903(a) requires local exchange carriers 
(LECs) with annual operating revenues equal to or above the indexed 
revenue threshold as defined in 47 CFR 32.9000 to file a cost 
allocation manual containing the information specified in Section 
64.903(a) (1)-(6). Section 64.903(b) requires that carriers update 
their cost allocation manuals annually, except that changes to the cost 
apportionment table and to the description of time reporting

[[Page 57690]]

procedures must be filed at least 15 days before the carrier plans to 
implement the changes. The cost allocation manual is reviewed by the 
FCC to ensure that all costs are properly classified between regulated 
and nonregulated activity. Uniformity in the CAMs will help improve the 
joint cost allocation process. In addition, this uniformity will give 
the Commission greater reliability in financial data submitted by the 
carriers through the Automated Reporting Management Information System 
(ARMIS). Obligation to comply: Mandatory.

    OMB Control No.: 3060-0853.
    Expiration Date: 04/30/99.
    Title: Receipt of Service Confirmation Form--Universal Service for 
Schools and Libraries.
    Form No.: FCC Form 486.
    Respondents: Business or other for profit; Not for profit 
institutions; State, local or tribal government.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 30,000 respondents; 1.5 hours per response 
(avg.); 45,000 total annual burden hours.
    Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost Burden: $0.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion.
    Description: The Commission adopted rules providing support for all 
telecommunications services, Internet access, and internal connections 
for all eligible schools and libraries. To participate in the program 
schools and libraries must confirm that they are actually receiving the 
services eligible for support. FCC Form 486, Receipt of Service 
Confirmation Form is used by all billed entities who filed a FCC Form 
471 on behalf of an eligible school, library, library consortium or 
consortium of multiple entities, to inform the SLC when they begin 
receiving or have received service from the service provider. The FCC 
Form 486 is also used to confirm that technology plans of entities 
receiving universal service support pursuant to an SLC-approved funding 
commitment have been approved, indicating that the eligible entities 
applying for universal service support have a plan in place to utilize 
the services for which they have contracted, and to indicate the name 
of the authorized reviewing body, contact name, and contact telephone 
number. The FCC Form 486 is used to implement the congressional mandate 
for universal service. See 47 USC 254. The reporting requirements 
verify that each eligible school or library has received the services 
it ordered and assure that invoices submitted from service providers 
for the costs of discounts for eligible services represent services 
which have been delivered to the eligible school or library. Copies of 
the forms may be obtained via e-mail <www.slcfund.org> or by calling 1-
888-203-8100. Obligation to respond: Required to obtain or retain 
benefits.

    OMB Control No.: 3060-0422.
    Expiration Date: 10/31/2001.
    Title: Section 68.5, Waivers (Application for Waiver of Hearing Aid 
Compatibility Requirement).
    Form No.: N/A.
    Respondents: Business or other for profit.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 10 respondents; 3 hours per response 
(avg.); 30 total annual burden hours.
    Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost Burden: $0.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion.
    Description: Section 710(b) of the Communications Act of 1934, as 
amended, requires that almost all telephones manufactured in or 
imported into this country after August 15, 1989 be hearing aid 
compatible. Refurbished, repaired or resold telephones, telephones used 
with public and private mobile radio services, and secure telephones 
used for classified communications are exempt. The HAC Act provides a 
three year grace period for cordless telephones before they must comply 
with the requirement. Congress recognized, however, that there may be 
technological and/or economical reasons some new telephones may not 
meet the hearing aid compatibility requirement. Therefore, it provided 
for a waiver requirement for new telephone based on technological and 
economical grounds. Section 68.5 of the Commission's rules provides the 
criteria to be used to assess waivers. Applicants seeking waivers must 
submit sufficient information for the Commission to make an informed 
decision. Obligation to comply: Required to obtain or retain benefits.

    OMB Control No.: 3060-0736.
    Expiration Date: 10/31/2001.
    Title: Implementation of the Non-Accounting Safeguards of Sections 
271 and 272 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, CC Docket 
No. 96-149.
    Form No.: N/A.
    Respondents: Business or other for profit.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 5 respondents; 5 hours per response 
(avg.)(about 12 responses per year); 303 total annual burden hours.
    Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost Burden: $0.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion.
    Description: Section 272 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 
requires that BOCs make information available to third parties if it 
makes that information available to its section 272(a) affiliates. In 
an Order released February 6, 1998, the Commission's Common Carrier 
Bureau resolved questions regarding the application of sections 10 and 
272 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, to the provision of 
E911 services by the Bell Operating Companies. Bell Operating 
Companies, Petitions for Forbearance from the Application of Section 
272 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, to Certain 
Activities, CC Docket No. 96-149, DA 98-220, Memorandum Opinion and 
Order (Com. Car. Bur. Feb. 6, 1998) (February 6 Order). E911 services 
enable emergency service personnel to identify the location of the 
party calling 911, and are essential to the safety of many Americans. 
In the February 6 Order, the Bureau determined that the BOCs' E911 
services are interLATA information services. One consequence of this 
determination was that each BOC had an obligation under section 
272(a)(2)(c) of the Act to provide E911 services only through a 
separate affiliate. In the February 6 Order, the Bureau forbore from 
the application of this separate affiliate requirement pursuant to the 
forbearance authority in section 10 of the Act, thus permitting the 
BOCs to provide E911 services on an integrated basis. The Bureau 
determined that requiring the BOCs to provide E911 services only 
through separate affiliates would have increased the cost, but not the 
quality, of those services. In the February 6 Order, the Bureau 
maintained the substance of the statutory nondiscrimination requirement 
by requiring each BOC to provide unaffiliated entities with all listing 
information, including unlisted and unpublished numbers as well as the 
numbers of other local exchange carriers' customers, that the BOC uses 
to provide E911 services, even though that Order was permitting the 
BOCs to provide those services on an integrated basis. The Bureau 
required that this listing information be provided at the same rates, 
terms, and conditions, if any, the BOC charges or imposes on its own 
E911 services. The BOCs are already required to account for their E911 
services on the books of account that they maintain in accordance with 
Part 32 of the Commission's rules. The Commission requires that the 
BOCs treat their E911 services as nonregulated activities for federal 
accounting purposes to the extent they involve storage and retrieval 
functions included within the statutory definition of

[[Page 57691]]

information service. The BOCs shall record any charges they impute for 
their E911 services in their revenue accounts. The BOCs shall account 
for any imputed charges by debiting their nonregulated operating 
revenue accounts and crediting their regulated revenue accounts by the 
amounts of the imputed charges. The BOCs shall make any changes to 
their cost allocation manuals necessary to reflect this account. The 
BOCs' independent auditors shall include this accounting in their 
review of the BOCs compliance with their cost allocation manuals. The 
requirements will be used to ensure that BOCs comply with the 
nondiscrimination requirements under the 1996 Act. OMB also approved 
the proposals contained in the Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking 
issued in CC Docket No. 96-149. In the FNPRM the Commission proposed 
that BOCs make certain information disclosures available to 
``unaffiliated entities'' as defined under Commission rules. This 
disclosure include the amount of time, measured in percentages and 
averages, that it takes a BOC to respond to its section 272 affiliates. 
BOCs must submit an annual affidavit to the Commission certifying, 
inter alia, that they are maintaining the information according to the 
required format. Obligation to comply: Mandatory.

    OMB Control No.: 3060-0804.
    Expiration Date: 03/31/99.
    Title: Universal Service--Health Care Providers Universal Service 
Program.
    Form No.: FCC Form 465, FCC Form 466, FCC Form 467, and FCC Form 
468.
    Respondents: Businesses or other for profit entities; Not for 
profit institutions.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 18,400 respondents; 6.6 hours per response 
(avg.); 121,500 total annual burden hours.
    Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost Burden: $0.
    Frequency of Response: . On occasion.
    Description: The Commission adopted rules providing support for all 
telecommunications services, limited distance charges, and Internet 
access for all eligible health care providers. Health care providers 
who want to participate in the universal service program must file the 
following forms. FCC Form 465 to request eligible services (no. of 
respondents: 12,000; annual burden per response: 2.5 hours; total 
annual burden: 30,000 hours); FCC Form 466 to certify that the most 
cost effective method of providing the services has been requested (no. 
of respondents: 15,000; annual burden per respondent: 1.5 hours; total 
annual burden: 22,500 hours); FCC Form 467 to confirm the receipt of 
the requested services (no. of respondents: 12,000; annual burden per 
respondent: 1.5 hours; total annual burden: 18,000 hours); and FCC Form 
468 to ensure that the proper amount of universal service support has 
been calculated (no. of respondents: 3400; annual burden per 
respondent: 1.5 hours; total annual burden: 51,000 hours). All the 
information is used to administer the universal service health care 
program. Copies of the forms may be obtained via e-mail 
<www.rhccfund.org> or by calling 1-888-203-8100. Obligation to comply: 
Required to obtain or retain benefits.
    OMB Control No.: 3060-0824.
    Expiration Date: 09/30/2001.
    Title: Service Provider Information Form.
    Form No.: FCC Form 498.
    Respondents: Business or other for profit.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 10,000 respondents; 1 hours per response 
(avg.); 10,000 total annual burden hours.
    Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost Burden: $0.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion.
    Description: Pursuant to Sections 54.515 and 54.611 of the 
Commission's rules, 47 CFR Sections 54.515 and 54.611, the Universal 
Service Administrative Company (USAC), must obtain information relating 
to: service provider name and address, telephone number, Federal 
employer identification number, contact names and telephone numbers, 
and billing and collection information. To that end, USAC has developed 
a Service Provider Information Form, FCC Form 498 to collect this 
information from carriers and service providers participating in the 
universal service programs. The FCC Form 498 is designed to collect 
only the information necessary to fulfill the obligation of USAC to 
bill and collect funds for the various universal service programs. All 
the requirements contained herein are necessary to implement the 
congressional mandate for universal service. See 47 USC 254. Copies of 
the form may be obtained via e-mail <www.neca.org/usacform.html> or by 
calling 1-888-641-8722.
    OMB Control No.: 3060-0819.
    Expiration Date: 09/30/2001.
    Title: Lifeline Assistance (Lifeline) Connection Assistance (Link 
Up) Reporting Worksheet and Instructions (47 CFR 54.400-54.417).
    Form No.: FCC Form 497.
    Respondents: Business or other for profit.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 1500 respondents; 28 hours per response 
(avg.) (about 12 submissions per respondent annually); 42,000 total 
annual burden hours.
    Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost Burden: $0.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion.
    Description: Pursuant to Section 54.405 all eligible 
telecommunications carriers (ETCs) are required to provide Lifeline 
service. In turn, these ETCs are permitted under Section 54.407 
(Lifeline) or Section 54.413 (Link Up) to receive support for offering 
Lifeline service to qualifying low-income customers or reduced service-
connection charges through Link Up. Pursuant to Section 54.403(c), 
carriers providing toll-limitation services (TLS) for qualifying low-
income subscribers will be compensated from universal service 
mechanisms for the incremental cost of providing TLS. In addition, 
pursuant to Section 54.403(d), the cost of the Presubscribed Carriers 
Charge (PICC) for Lifeline customers who elect toll blocking is also 
recoverable from the low-income program. FCC Form 497, Lifeline and 
Link Up Worksheet, is to be used to request reimbursement for 
participating in the low-income program. The information is necessary 
in order for ETCs to receive universal service support reimbursement 
for providing Lifeline and Link Up. Copies of the form may be obtained 
via e-mail <www.neca.org/usacform.html> or by calling 1-888-641-8722. 
Obligation to comply: Required to obtain or retain benefits.
    OMB Control No.: 3060-0815.
    Expiration Date: 09/30/2001.
    Title: North American Numbering Plan Funding Worksheet.
    Form No.: FCC Form 496.
    Respondents: Business or other for profit.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 3700 respondents; .50 hours per response 
(avg.); 1850 total annual burden hours.
    Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost Burden: $0.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion; annually.
    Description: Pursuant to Congress's directive in the 
Telecommunications Act of 1996 that the Commission establish an 
independent entity to administer telecommunications numbering, the 
Commission determined on July 13, 1995, that the costs associated with 
administering numbering duties should be based on each 
telecommunications carrier's gross revenues less payments made to other 
carriers. The costs the North American Numbering Plan Administrator 
(NANPA) incurs from establishing telecommunications numbering 
administration arrangements and other number portability are to be 
borne by all

[[Page 57692]]

telecommunications carriers on a competitively neutral basis. See 47 
USC 251(e)(2). Section 52.16(b) of the Commission's rules require the 
Billing and Collection agent to design a standard reporting worksheet 
to collect information for assessment calculations from carriers and to 
distribute it to carriers. FCC Form 498, is the instrument used to 
request that telecommunications carriers provide information regarding 
their yearly gross revenues less payments made to other 
telecommunications carriers. The Commission and the NANPA's billing and 
collection agent will use the information collected in the worksheet to 
determine the total revenue received from telecommunications carriers 
in order to arrive at an amount that each carrier must pay to fund the 
NANPA. Copies of the form were mailed to respondents. Copies of the 
form may be obtained via email <www.fcc.gov>. Obligation to respond: 
Mandatory.

    OMB Control No.: 3060-0845.
    Expiration Date: 10/31/2001.
    Title: 1998 Annual Biennial Review of ARMIS Reporting Requirements.
    Form No.: FCC 43-01-FCC 43-08, FCC 495A, FCC 495B.
    Respondents: Business or other for profit.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 150 respondents; 1092 hours per response 
(avg.); 163,846 total annual burden hours.
    Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost Burden: $0.
    Frequency of Response: Annual.
    Description: Section 220 of the Communications Act of 1934, as 
amended, 47 USC 220, allows the Commission, at its discretion, to 
prescribe the forms of any and all accounts, records, and memoranda to 
be kept by carriers subject to this Act, including the accounts, 
records, and memoranda of the movement of traffic, as well as of the 
receipts and expenditures of moneys. Section 219(b) of the 
Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 47 USC 219(b), authorizes the 
Commission by general or special orders to require any carriers subject 
to this Act to file annual reports concerning any matters with respect 
to which the Commission is authorized or required by law to act. 
Section 43.21 of the Commission's rules details that requirement. The 
Automated Reporting Management Information System (ARMIS) was 
implemented to facilitate the timely and efficient analysis of revenue 
requirements and rate of return to provide an improved basis for audits 
and other oversight functions, and to enhance the Commission's ability 
to quantify the effects of alternative policy. Section 11 of the 
Communications Act of 1934, as amended, requires the Commission, in 
every even-numbered year beginning in 1998, to review its regulations 
applicable to providers of telecommunications service to determine 
whether the regulations are no longer in the public interest due to 
meaningful economic competition between providers of such service and 
whether such regulations should be repealed or modified. (See 47 USC 
161). In a NPRM issued in CC Docket No. 98-117, released 7/17/98, we 
proposed as part of the biennial review to reduce the reporting 
requirements of our ARMIS. These modifications are designed to minimize 
the reporting burden on carriers, improve the quality and use of the 
reported information and reduce the cost to the Commission of 
collection, verification, and distribution of the data. The Common 
Carrier Bureau currently requires carriers to submit both paper and 
electronic copies of the ARMIS reports. The Commission has, in recent 
years, relied on the data filed electronically to maintain internal 
databases and generate meaningful reports for policy making. We 
tentatively conclude that paper versions of the ARMIS reports do not 
significantly contribute to the Commission efforts or future goals in 
administering its accounting, joint cost, jurisdictional separations, 
access charge rules, or in monitoring the quality of service and 
infrastructure development in the public network. Therefore, we 
tentatively conclude that we should eliminate the paper filing 
requirement. We anticipate that the transition to an electronic-only 
reporting program will represent a substantial cost savings for all 
carriers that file ARMIS reports.
    The Commission plans to make the ARMIS data available through the 
Internet. This will require Commission staff to develop software that 
will allow interested parties to obtain ARMIS reports over the 
Internet, which we anticipate to be a costly process. The Commission 
also proposed specific modifications for certain ARMIS reports. For 
example, the Commission proposed to modify the ARMIS 43-04 Access 
Report by eliminating 114 rows and three columns in which carriers 
report data pertaining to equal access, inside wire, and payphone 
investment. The Commission also proposed to reduce reporting 
requirements for mid-sized incumbent LECs. For the largest incumbent 
LECs, we tentatively conclude that we should maintain the Class A level 
of detail for their ARMIS reporting requirements. See CC Docket No. 98-
117 for detailed discussion of the proposals. The proposals contained 
in the NPRM have been approved by OMB. The following is a listing of 
the reports that may be affected by the proposals contained in the NPRM 
and the burden estimate if the proposals are adopted.
    a. ARMIS Annual Summary Report, FCC Report 43-01--The ARMIS Annual 
Summary Report contains financial and operating data and is used to 
monitor the local exchange carrier industry and to perform routine 
analyses of costs and revenues. (No. of respondents: 150; estimated 
time per response: 135 hours; total annual burden: 20,250 hours).
    b. ARMIS USOA Report, FCC Report 43-02--The FCC Report 43-02 
contains company-wide data for each account specified in the Uniform 
System of Accounts (USOA). It provides the annual operating results of 
the carriers' activities for every account in the USOA. (No. of 
respondents: 50; estimated time per response: 190 hours; total annual 
burden: 9500 hours).
    c. ARMIS Joint Cost Report, FCC Report 43-03--FCC Report 43-03 
contains financial and operating data. FCC Report 43-03 displays 
regulated and nonregulated data disaggregated by allocation method, at 
the study area level. The Commission uses it to monitor the local 
exchange carriers' allocation of costs to regulated and nonregulated 
activities and to perform routine analyses of costs and revenues. (No. 
of respondents; 150; estimated time per response: 110 hours; total 
annual burden: 12,450 hours).
    d. ARMIS Access Report, FCC Report 43-04--FCC Report 43-04 contains 
financial and operating data and is used to monitor the local exchange 
carrier industry and to perform routine analyses of costs and revenues 
on behalf of the Commission. (No. of respondents: 150; estimated per 
response: 621 hours; total annual burden: 93,150 hours).
    e. ARMIS Service Quality Report, FCC Report 43-05--The FCC Report 
43-05 collects data at the study area level and holding company level 
and is designed to capture trends in service quality under price cap 
regulation. It provides service quality information in the areas of 
interexchange access service installation and repair intervals, local 
service installation and repair intervals, trunk blockage and total 
switch downtime for price cap companies. (No. of respondents: 12; 
estimated time per response: 625 hours; total annual burden: 7500 
hours.
    f. ARMIS Customer Satisfaction Report, FCC Report 43-06--The FCC 
Report 43-06 reflects the results of customer satisfaction surveys 
conducted

[[Page 57693]]

by individual carriers from residential and business customers. (No. of 
respondents: 8; estimated time per response: 675 hours; total annual 
burden: 5400 hours).
    g. ARMIS Infrastructure Report, FCC Report 43-07--The FCC Report 
43-07 is designed to capture trends in telephone industry 
infrastructure development under price cap regulation. It provides 
switch deployment and capabilities data. (No. of respondents: 8; 
estimated time per response: 412 hours; total annual burden: 3296 
hours).
    h. ARMIS Operating Data Report, FCC Report 43-08--The FCC Report 
43-08 consists of statistical schedules previously contained in FCC 
Form M which are needed by the Commission to monitor network growth, 
usage and reliability. (No. of respondents: 50; estimated time per 
response: 120 hours; total annual burden: 6000 hours).
    i. and j. ARMIS Forecast of Investment Usage Report and Actual 
Usage of Investment Report, FCC Reports 495A and 495B, implement the 
FCC's Joint Cost Order, CC Docket No. 86-111 which requires that 
certain telephone plant investments used for both regulated and 
nonregulated purposes be allocated on the basis of forecasted regulated 
and nonregulated use. The detection and correction of forecasting 
errors requires reporting of both forecasted and actual investment 
usage data. The Forecast of Investment Usage Report is used by carriers 
to subject the forecasts of investments used. The Actual Usage of 
Investment Report is used to submit the actual investments used. (No. 
of respondents: 300; estimated time per response: 21 hours; total 
annual burden: 6300 hours). The proposed modifications, if adopted, 
would result in a burden reduction of more than 50% in our current 
estimate for ARMIS reports. The information contained in the ARMIS 
Reports provide the necessary detail to enable the Commission to 
fulfill its regulatory responsibilities. Automated reporting of these 
data greatly enhances the Commissions ability to process and analyze 
the extensive amounts of data that are needed to administer its rules. 
It facilities the timely and efficient analyses of revenue 
requirements, rates of return and price caps, and provides an improved 
basis for auditing and other oversight functions. It also enhances the 
Commission's ability to quantify the effects of policy proposals. 
Obligation to comply: Mandatory.

    OMB Control No.: 3060-0847.
    Expiration Date: 10/31/2001.
    Title: 1998 Biennial Regulatory Review, Review of Accounting and 
Cost Allocation Requirements--CC Docket No. 98-81.
    Respondents: Business or other for profit.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 276 respondents; 1092 hours per response 
(avg.); 2,415,568 total annual burden hours.
    Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost Burden: $1200.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion, Annual.
    Description: Section 220 of the Communications Act of 1934, as 
amended, 47 U.S.C. 220, allows the Commission, in its discretion, to 
prescribe the forms of any and all accounts, records, and memoranda to 
be kept by carriers subject to this Act, including the accounts, 
records and memoranda of the movement of traffic, as well as of the 
receipts and expenditures of moneys. Section 11 of the Communications 
Act of 1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C. 161, requires the Commission, in 
every even-numbered year beginning in 1998, to review its regulations 
applicable to providers of telecommunications services to determine 
whether the regulations are no longer in the public interest due to 
meaningful economic competition between providers of such service and 
whether such regulations should be repealed or modified. Section 11 
further instructs the Commission to repeal or modify any regulation it 
determines to be no longer necessary in the public interest. On June 
17, 1998, the Commission released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in CC 
Docket No. 98-81, proposing to modify its accounting and cost 
allocation rules as part of the biennial review process. Specifically, 
the Commission proposed (1) to raise the threshold significantly for 
required Class A accounting, thus allowing mid-sized carriers currently 
required to use Class A accounts to use the more streamlined Class B 
accounts; (2) to establish less burdensome cost allocation manual 
(``CAM'') procedures for the mid-sized incumbent local exchange 
carriers (``LECs'') and to reduce the frequency with which independent 
audits of the cost allocations based upon the CAMs are required; and 
(3) to make certain changes to our Uniform System of Accounts 
(``USOA'') to reduce accounting requirements and to eliminate or 
consolidate accounts. The proposals contained in the NPRM have been 
approved by OMB. Following is a listing of the collections that will be 
affected by the proposals contained in the NPRM along with the 
estimated burden hours.
    a. Part 32--Uniform Systems of Accounts (recordkeeping and 
reporting requirements)--The Uniform System of Accounts is a historical 
financial accounting system which reports the results of operational 
and financial events in a manner which enables both management and 
regulators to assess these results within a specified accounting 
period. Subject respondents are telecommunications companies. The 
Commission for accounting purposes has classified companies into two 
classes in Part 32, namely Class A and Class B companies. Class A 
carriers are those entities having annual revenues from regulatory 
telecommunications operations of $100,000,000 or more. Class B carriers 
are those entities having annual revenues from regulated 
telecommunications operations of less than $100,000,000. (No. of 
respondents: 239; estimated time per response: 10,034.5 hours; total 
annual burden: 2,398,268 hours).
    b. Computer III Remand Proceeding: BOC Safeguards and Tier 1 LEC 
Safeguards and Implementation of Further Cost Allocation Uniformity. 
Pursuant to Section 64.901, carriers are required to separate their 
regulated costs from nonregulated costs using the attributable cost 
method of accounting. Carriers must follow the principles described in 
Section 64.901. Carriers subject to 47 CFR 64.901 are also subject to 
the provisions of 47 CFR 32.23 and 32.27. Section 64.903(a), as amended 
by the Telecommunications Act of 1996, requires local exchange carriers 
with annual operating revenues equal to or above the indexed revenue 
threshold as defined in 47 CFR Section 32.9000 to file a cost 
allocation manual, containing the information specified in Section 
64.903(a)(1)-(6). Section 64-903(b) requires that carriers update their 
cost allocation manuals annually, except that changes to the cost 
apportionment table and the description of time reporting procedures 
must be filed at least 15 days before the carrier plans to implement 
the changes. Proposed changes in the description of time reporting 
procedures, the statement concerning affiliate transactions, and the 
cost apportionment table must be accompanied by a statement quantifying 
the impact of each change on regulated operations. Changes in the 
description of time reporting procedures and the statement concerning 
affiliate transactions must be quantified in $100,000 increments at the 
account level. Changes in the cost apportionment table must be 
quantified in $100,000 increments at the cost pool level. Moreover, 
filing of cost allocation

[[Page 57694]]

manuals and occasional updates are subject to the uniform format and 
standard procedures specified in RAO letter 19. The Commission proposes 
to, among other things, eliminate or modify some of the information 
required in the CAMs for mid-sized incumbent LECs. (No. of respondents: 
18; estimated time per response: 300 hours (about two filings per 
respondent); total annual burden: 10,800 hours).
    c. Annual Auditor's Certification--Section 64.904--Independent 
auditors must evaluate the results of the carrier's cost allocation 
manuals in light of the requirements of the manuals as well as the 
Commission's joint cost rules and rules and regulations including 47 
CFR 32.23, 32.27, 64.901 and 64.903 in force as of the date of the 
auditor's report. Independent auditors must follow all of the ten 
standards of generally accepted auditing standards (GAAS) in preparing 
the required reports. The Commission proposes to, among other things, 
to relax the audit requirement for mid-sized incumbent LECs. (No. of 
respondents: 19; estimated time per response: 500; total annual burden: 
6500 hours). The proposed information collection requirements will 
provide the necessary information to enable this Commission to fulfill 
its regulatory responsibilities. These proposed accounts and 
recordkeeping requirements are intended to achieve the following goals: 
(1) to facilitate uniform reporting among ILECs; and (2) to ensure that 
regulated ratepayers do not bear the costs of ILECs' competitive 
activities. If the proposals are adopted, the Commission will realize a 
burden reduction of 633,500 hours. Obligation to comply: 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. 98-28769 Filed 10-27-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P