[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 25 (Monday, February 8, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6078-6082]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-2862]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION


Public Information Collections Approved by Office of Management 
and Budget

January 28, 1999.
    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.: 3060-0774.
    Expiration Date: 01/31/2002.

[[Page 6079]]

    Title: Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service--CC Docket 
No. 96-45, 47 CFR 36.611-36.612 and 47 CFR Part 54
    Form No.: N/A.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit, individuals or 
households; not-for-profit institutions; state, local or tribal 
government.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 5,565,451 respondents; .32 hours per 
response (avg.); 1,785,570 total annual burden hours for all 
collections.
    Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost Burden: $0.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion; annually; one-time; every five 
years; recordkeeping requirements; third party disclosures.
    Description: Congress directed the Commission to implement a new 
set of universal service support mechanisms that are explicit and 
sufficient to advance the universal service principles enumerated in 
Section 254 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 and such other 
principles as the Commission believes are necessary and appropriate for 
the protection of the public interest, convenience and necessity, and 
are consistent with the Act. In the various Orders issued in CC Docket 
No. 96-45, the Commission adopted rules that are designed to implement 
the universal service provisions of section 254. Specifically, the 
Orders address: (1) Universal service principles; (2) services eligible 
for support; (3) affordability; (4) carriers eligible for universal 
service support; (5) support mechanisms for rural, insular, and high 
cost areas; (6) support for low-income consumers; (7) support for 
schools, libraries, and health care providers; (8) interstate 
subscriber for schools, libraries, and health care providers; (8) 
interstate subscriber line charge and common line cost recovery; and 
(9) administration of support mechanisms. The reporting and 
recordkeeping requirements contained in CC Docket No. 96-45 are 
designed to implement Section 254. The requirements are necessary to 
ensure the integrity of the program. All the collections are necessary 
to implement the congressional mandate for universal service. The 
reporting and recordkeeping requirements are necessary to verify that 
the carriers and other respondents are eligible to receive universal 
service support. Obligation to respond: Mandatory.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                           Total annual
   Rule section/title (47 CFR)      Hours per  response       burden
------------------------------------------------------------------------
a. 36.611(a) & 36.612--Submission  20                             26,800
 and Updating information to NECA.
b. 54.101(c)--Demonstration of     50                                100
 exceptional circumstances for
 toll-limitation grace period.
c. 54.201(a)(2)--Submission of     4                                 400
 eligibility criteria.
d. 54.201(b)(c)--Submission of     1                               3,400
 eligibility criteria.
e. 54.201(d)(2)--Advertisement of  50                             65,000
 services & charges.
f. 54.205(a)--Advance notice of    .5                                 50
 relinquishment of universal
 service.
g. 54.207(c)(1)--Submission of     125                             6,250
 proposal for redefining a rural
 service area.
h. 54.307(b)--Reporting of         2.5 (avg.)                      4,100
 expenses & number of lines
 served..
i. 54.401(b)(1)-(2)--Submission    2                                 100
 of disconnection waiver request.
j. 54.401(d)--Lifeline             1                               1,300
 certification to the
 Administrator.
k. 54.407(c)--Lifeline             80                            104,000
 recordkeeping.
l. 54.409(a)-(b)--Consumer         5 min.                        440,000
 qualification for Lifeline.
m. 54.409(b)--Consumer             5 min.                         44,000
 notification of Lifeline
 discontinuance.
n. 54.413(b)--Link Up              80                            104,000
 recordkeeping.
o. 54.501(d)(4) & 54.516--Schools  41( avg.)                     372,000
 & Libraries recordkeeping.
p. 54.504(b)-(c), 54.507(d) &      2                             100,000
 54.509(a)--Description of
 services requested &
 certification.
q. 54.519--State                   4                                 200
 telecommunications networks.
r. 54.601(b)(4) & 54.609(b)--      100                           340,000
 Calculating support for health
 care providers.
s. 54.601(b)(3) & 54.619--Shared   21 (avg.)                     160,000
 facility record-keeping.
t. 54.607(b)(1)-(2)--Submission    3                                 150
 of proposed rural rate.
u. 54.603(b)(1), 54.615(c)-(d) &   1                              11,000
 54.623(d)--Description of
 services requested and
 certification.
v. 54.619(d)--Submission of rural  40                                 40
 health care report.
w. 54.701(f)(1) & (f)(2)--         40                                 40
 Submission of annual report &
 CAM.
x. 54.701(g)--Submission of        10                                 40
 quarterly report.
y. 54.707--Submission of state     .25                               850
 commission designation.
z. Obligation to notify            1                               1,700
 underlying carrier.
aa. Demonstration of reasonable    1                                  50
 steps.
                                                         ---------------
    Total Annual Burden Hours....  .....................       1,785,570
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    All the collections are necessary to implement the congressional 
mandate for universal service. The reporting and recordkeeping 
requirements are necessary to verify that the carriers and other 
respondents are eligible to receive universal service support.
    OMB Control No.: 3060-0760.
    Expiration Date: 12/31/2001.
    Title: Access Charge Reform--CC Docket No. 96-262 (First Report and 
Order), Second Order on Reconsideration and Memorandum Opinion and 
Order, and Third Report and Order.
    Form No.: N/A.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 13-14 respondents; 2-300 hours per 
response (avg.); 1,796,916 total annual burden hours for all 
collections.
    Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost Burden: $23,400 
($600 filing fee).
    Frequency of Response: On occasion; third party disclosure.
    Description: 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.

[[Page 6080]]

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's) 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. (No. of respondents: 13; hours per 
response: 137,986 hours; total annual burden: 1,793,818 hours). b. 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. (No. of respondents: 
13; hours per response: 8 hours; total annual burden: 104 hours). c. 
Tariff Filings: The Commission requires the filing of various tariffs. 
(No. of respondents: 13; hours per response: 58; total annual burden: 
754 hours). d. 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. (No. of respondents: 14; 
hours per response: 160 hours; total annual burden: 2240 hours). 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. Obligation to respond: Mandatory.
    OMB Control No.: 3060-0519.
    Expiration Date: 12/31/2001.
    Title: Rules and Regulations Implementing the Telephone Consumer 
Protection Act of 1991--CC Docket No. 92-60.
    Form No.: N/A.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 30,000 respondents; 31.2 hours per 
response (avg.); 936,000 total annual burden hours for all collections.
    Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost Burden: $0.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion.
    Description: In CC Docket No. 92-60, the FCC implemented final 
rules pursuant to the requirements of the Telephone Consumer Protection 
Act of 1991, Public Law 102-243, Dec. 20, 1991 (TCPA) which added 
Section 227 to the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, to restrict 
the use of automatic telephone dialing systems, artificial or 
prerecorded messages, facsimile machines or other devices to send 
unsolicited advertisements. The rules require that telephone solicitors 
maintain and use company-specific lists of residential subscribers who 
request not to receive further telephone calls (company-specific do-
not-call lists), thereby affording consumers the choice of which 
solicitors also are required to have a written policy for maintaining 
do-not-call lists, and are responsible for informing and training their 
personnel the existence and use of such lists. The rules require that 
those making telephone solicitations identify themselves to called 
parties, and that basis identifying information also be included in 
telephone facsimile transactions. The Commission believes that these 
rules are the best means of preventing unwanted telephone 
solicitations.
    OMB Control No.: 3060-0536.
    Expiration Date: 01/31/2000.
    Title: Rules and Requirements for Telecommunications Relay Services 
(TRS) Interstate Cost Recovery.
    Form No.: FCC Form 431.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 5000 respondents; 3.1 hours per response 
(avg.); 15,593 total annual burden hours for all collections.
    Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost Burden:  $0.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion; annually; third party 
disclosure.
    Description: Title IV of the Americans with Disabilities Act, 
Public Law 101-336, Section 401, 104 Stat. 327, 366-69 (codified at 47 
U.S.C. Section 225 requires the Federal Communications Commission to 
ensure that telecommunications relay services are available to persons 
with hearing and speech disabilities in the United States. Among other 
things, the Commission is required by 47 U.S.C. 225(d)(3) to enact and 
oversee a shared-funding mechanism (TRS Fund) for recovering the costs 
of providing TRS. The Commission's regulations concerning the TRS fund 
are codified at 47 CFR 64.604(c)(4). Pursuant to these regulations, the 
National Exchange Carrier Association (NECA) has been appointed 
Administrator of the TRS Fund. The Commission's rules require all 
carriers providing interstate telecommunication services to contribute 
to the TRS Fund on an annual basis. Contributions are the product of 
the carrier's gross interstate revenues for the previous year and a 
contribution factor determined annually by the Commission. The 
collected contributions are used to compensate TRS providers for the 
costs of providing interstate TRS service. The Commission releases an 
order each year approving the contribution factor, payment rate, and 
TRS Fund Worksheet for the following year. Accordingly, on December 2, 
1998, the Commission's Common Carrier Bureau, acting under delegated 
authority, released an order approving the contribution factor for the 
April 1999 through March 2000 contribution period and the 1999 TRS Fund 
worksheet (FCC Form 431). All carriers providing interstate 
telecommunications service must file this worksheet. A public notice 
will be issued to announce the availability of the 1999 FCC Form 431. 
(No. of respondents: 5000; hours per response: 2 hours; total annual 
burden: 10,000 hours). Section 64.604(c)(2) requires that carriers 
publicize the availability and use of TRS in their service areas. 
Publications may be made through the carriers' directories, periodic 
billing inserts, placement of TRS instructions in telephone 
directories, through directory assistance services, and through 
incorporation of TTY numbers in telephone directories. (No. of 
respondents: 5000; hours per response: 1 hour; total annual burden: 
5000 hours). c. TRS providers must provide the administrator with true 
and accurate data to be used to compute payments. According to Section 
64.604(c)(4)(iii)(C), the providers must submit the following: total 
TRS minutes of use, total interstate TRS minutes of use, total TRS 
operating expenses and total TRS investment in general accordance with 
47 CFR Part 32, and other historical or projected information 
reasonably requested by the administrator for purposes of computing 
payments and

[[Page 6081]]

revenue requirements. (No. of respondents: 13; hours per response: 3 
hours; total annual response: 39 hours). d. TRS providers, including 
providers who are not interexchange carriers, local exchange carriers, 
or certified state relay providers, must submit reports of interstate 
TRS minutes of use to the administrator in order to receive payments. 
TRS providers receiving payments shall file a form prescribed by the 
administrator. (No. of respondents: 13; hours per response 4; total 
annual burden: 52 hours). e. Section 64.604(c)(4)(iii)(F) lists TRS 
providers who are eligible for receiving payments from the TRS Fund. 
These providers must notify the administrator of their intent to 
participate in the TRS Fund thirty days prior to submitting reports of 
TRS interstate minutes of use in order to receive payment settlements 
for interstate TRS. (No. of respondents: 13; hours per response: .166 
hours; total annual burden: 2.16 hours). Section 64.604(c)(4)(iii)(H)) 
specifies the reporting, monitoring and filing requirements placed upon 
the Administrator. (No. of respondents: 1; hours per response: 500; 
total annual burden: 500 hours). Information submitted in response to 
the attached rules and requirements is used to administer the TRS Fund. 
Information is used to calculate a national average rate to recover the 
total interstate TRS revenue requirements and to determine the 
appropriate payment due to the TRS providers participating in the 
shared-funding plan. Obligation to respond: Mandatory.
    OMB Control No.: 3060-0391.
    Expiration Date: 12/31/2001.
    Title: Program to Monitor the Impacts of the Universal Service 
Support Mechanisms, CC Docket Nos. 98-202 and 96-45.
    Form No.: N/A.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 859 respondents; 2 hours per response 
(avg.); 1718 total annual burden hours for all collections.
    Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost Burden: $0.
    Frequency of Response: Annually.
    Description: The Commission has a program to monitor the impact of 
the universal service support mechanisms. Among other things, the 
program requires the reporting of information on network usage and 
growth. This information is generally maintained by all companies that 
settle their accounts with NECA on a cost basis. This information is 
collected by NECA. The data collected are: local dial equipment 
minutes, intrastate toll dial equipment minutes, interstate toll dial 
equipment minutes, total dial equipment minutes, interstate dial 
equipment minute factors, originating premium interstate access 
minutes, terminating premium interstate access minutes, total premium 
interstate access minutes, originating non-premium interstate access 
minutes, terminating non-premium interstate access minutes, and total 
non-premium interstate access minutes. The monitoring program is 
necessary for the Commission, the Joint Board, Congress, and the 
general public to assess the impact of the new universal service 
support mechanisms. Obligation to respond: Mandatory.
    OMB Control No.: 3060-0168.
    Expiration Date: 12/31/2001.
    Title: Reports of Proposed Changes in Depreciation Rates--Section 
43.43.
    Form No.: N/A.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 11 respondents; 6000 hours per response 
66,000 (avg.); total annual burden hours for all collections.
    Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost Burden: $0.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion.
    Description: Section 220(b) of the Communications Act of 1934 (the 
Act), as amended, (47 U.S.C. Section 220(b)), states that the 
Commission may prescribe depreciation charges for the subject carriers. 
Section 219 of the Act requires annual and other reports from the 
carriers. Section 43.43 of the Commission's Rules (47 CFR Section 
43.43) establishes the reporting requirements for depreciation 
prescription purposes. Communication common carriers with annual 
operating revenues of $112 million or more that the Commission has 
found to be dominant must file information specified in Section 43.43 
before making any change in the depreciation rates applicable to their 
operating plant. Section 220 also 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 the Act, including the 
accounts, records and memoranda of the movement of traffic, as well as 
receipts and expenditures of moneys. The Communications Act, as 
amended, seeks to develop efficient competition by opening all 
telecommunications markets through a pro-competitive, deregulatory 
national policy framework. To that end, Section 11 of the Act 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 necessary in 
the public interest as a result of meaningful economic competition 
between providers of such service and whether such regulations should 
be repealed or modified. In the CC Docket No. 137, adopted 7/22/98; 
released 10/14/98, the Commission proposes to reduce or streamline 
further our depreciation prescription process by permitting, among 
other things, summary filings and eliminating the prescription of 
depreciation rates for incumbent LECs, provided that the carrier uses 
depreciation factors that are within the ranges adopted by the 
Commission, expanding the prescribed range for the digital switching 
plant account, and eliminating salvage from the depreciation process. 
These proposed modifications are designed to minimize the reporting 
burden on carriers and to provide incumbent LECs with a greater 
flexibility to adjust their depreciation rates while allowing the 
Commission to maintain adequate oversight. If we remove net salvage 
from the depreciation process, we should create a new account 6566, Net 
cost of removal, to record both salvage receipts and removal costs 
incurred. We also tentatively conclude that we should revise Sections 
32.3100, Accumulated depreciation, and 32.2000, Instructions for 
telecommunications plant accounts, to eliminate the provisions that 
salvage and cost of removal be recorded in the depreciation reserve 
account. We also requested comment on whether we should require 
carriers to keep subsidiary record categories in Account 6566 for 
salvage and cost of removal. The information filed will be used by the 
Commission to establish proper depreciation rates to be charged by the 
carriers, pursuant to Section 220(b) of the Act. The information serves 
as the basis for depreciation analyses made by the Common Carrier 
Bureau in establishing the aforementioned rates. Without this 
information, the validity of the carriers' depreciation policies could 
not be ascertained. The proposals contained in CC Docket No. 98-137 
have been approved by OMB. Obligation to respond: required to obtain or 
retain benefits.
    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.


[[Page 6082]]


Federal Communications Commission.
Magalie Roman Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 99-2862 Filed 2-5-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P