[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 5 (Tuesday, January 8, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 889-892]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-377]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION


Public Information Collections Approved by Office of Management 
and Budget

December 21, 2001.
    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.: 3060-0056.
    Expiration Date: December 31, 2004.
    Title: Part 68--Connection of Terminal Equipment to the Telephone 
Network.
    Form No.: N/A.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit; Individuals or 
household.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 54,369 respondents; .10 minutes--24 hours 
per respondent; 2.1 hours per response (avg.); 117,959 total annual 
burden hours.
    Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost Burden: 
$2,705,000.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion; Recordkeeping; Third Party 
Disclosure.
    Description: In the Telecommunications Act of 1996 (1996 Act), 
Congress directed the Commission to review its rules every even-
numbered year and repeal or modify those found to be no longer in the 
public interest. Consistent with the directive of Congress, in the year 
2000, the Commission undertook its second comprehensive biennial review 
of the Commission's rules to eliminate regulations that are no longer 
necessary because the public interest can be better served through 
reliance on market forces. In a Report and Order issued in CC Docket 
No. 99-216, Biennial Regulatory Review of Part 68 of the Commission's 
Rules and Regulations, released December 21, 2000 (Order), the 
Commission completely eliminate significant portions of Part 68 of our 
rules governing the connection of customer premises equipment (terminal 
equipment) to the public switched telephone network and privatize the 
standards development and terminal equipment approval processes. 
Specifically, in the Commission transferred responsibility for 
developing technical criteria to Standards Development Organizations 
(SDOs) that are accredited by the American National Standards Institute 
(ANSI), and the responsibility for compiling and publishing all 
standards ultimately adopted as technical criteria for terminal 
equipment to the Administrative Council for Terminal Attachments 
(Administrative Council). The Commission maintains its rules' broad 
principles, including a proscription against causing any of four harms 
to the public switched telephone network by the direct connection of 
terminal equipment. Once the Administrative Council publishes the 
technical criteria, the Commission shall presume the criteria to be 
valid for the prevention of the harms to the public switched telephone 
network by terminal equipment interconnection, subject to de novo 
review by petition to this Commission. Conformance with the technical 
criteria will be considered a demonstration of compliance with the 
Commission's rules prohibiting terminal equipment from harming the 
public switched telephone network. Terminal equipment manufacturers 
either will submit their products to telecommunications certification 
bodies (TCBs) for certification of conformity with the technical 
criteria (instead of submitting them for registration with the 
Commission), or they will use the Commission's Supplier's Declaration 
of Conformity (SDoC) process to show conformity with the technical 
criteria. This process will be more efficient and responsive to the 
needs of all segments of the industry, and remove the Commission from a 
role where governmental involvement is no longer necessary or in the 
public interest. Following is a summary of the collections contained in 
the Order and 47 CFR part 68. See the Order and 47 CFR part 68 for 
additional information. a. Administrative Council for Terminal 
Attachment's Requirements--Currently, under rule 68.102 manufacturers 
must register terminal equipment. FCC Form 730 is no longer required to 
be used to obtain registration of telephone equipment pursuant to part 
68 of the Commission's rules, but applicants may be required to file 
information with Telecommunications Certification Bodies or with the 
Administrative Council for Terminal Attachments. The Commission has 
ceased accepting applications for registration of part 68 equipment and 
transferred responsibility for establishing and maintaining the 
database of approved equipment to the Administrative Council. While 
continued collection of the information formerly required by FCC Form 
730 is permitted, the Commission only requires that the database 
contain sufficient information for providers of telecommunications, 
this Commission and the U.S. Customs Service to carry out their 
functions. (No. of respondents: 2400; hours per response: 24 hours; 
total annual burden: 57,600 hours). b. Section 68.106--Notification to 
Provider of Wireline Telecommunications--Section 68.106 requires 
customers connecting terminal equipment or protective circuitry to the 
public switched telephone network shall, upon request of the provider 
of wireline telecommunications inform the provider of wireline

[[Page 890]]

telecommunications of the particular line(s) to which such connection 
is made, and any other information required to be placed on that 
terminal equipment pursuant to Section 68.354. Customers connecting 
systems assembled of combinations of individually-approved terminal 
equipment and protective circuitry shall provide, upon the request of 
the provider of wireline telecommunications, provide the information 
delineated in Section 68.106(b)(i)-(iv). Customers who intend to 
connect premises wiring other than fully protected premises wiring to 
the public switched telephone network shall, in addition to the 
requirements in Section 68.106(b), give notice to the provider of 
wireline telecommunications in accordance with Section 68.215(e). (No. 
of respondents: 50,000; hours per response: .05 hours; total annual 
burden: 2500 hours). c. Section 68.108, Notification of Incidence of 
Harm--Section 68.108 requires that providers of wireline 
telecommunications notify the customer that temporary discontinuance of 
service may be required should terminal equipment, inside wiring, plugs 
and jacks, or protective circuitry cause harm to the public switched 
telephone network or should the provider reasonably determinate that 
such harm is imminent. (No. of respondents: 7500; hours per response: 
0.5 hours; total annual burden: 750 hours). d. Section 68.110, 
Disclosure of Technical Information--Section 68.110(a) requires 
provider of wireline telecommunications to provide, upon request, 
technical information concerning interface parameters not specified by 
the technical criteria published by the Administrative Council for 
Terminal Attachments that are needed to permit terminal equipment to 
operate in a manner compatible with the communications facilities of a 
provider of wireline telecommunications. Section 68.110(b) requires 
that a provider of wireline telecommunications give the customer 
adequate notice in writing if changes can be reasonably expected to 
render any customer's terminal equipment incompatible with the 
communications facilities of the provider of wireline 
telecommunications, or require modification or alteration of such 
terminal equipment, or otherwise materially affect its use or 
performance. (No. of respondents: 40; hours per response: .50 hours; 
total annual burden: 20 hours). Section 68.110(c) requires provider of 
wireline telecommunications to provide building owners with all 
available information regarding carrier-installed wiring on the 
customer's side of the demarcation point, including copies of existing 
schematic diagrams and service records. (No. of respondents: 200, with 
1200 responses; hours per response: 1 hours; total annual burden: 1200 
hours). e. Section 68.215, Notarized Affidavit--Section 68.215 requires 
that a notarized affidavit and one copy thereof be prepared by the 
installation supervisor in advance of each operation associated with 
the installation, connection, reconfiguration and removal of other than 
fully-protected premises wiring (except when accomplished functionally 
using a cross-connect panel), except when involved with removal of the 
entire premises communications systems using such wiring. The affidavit 
and its copy must contain the information specified in 47 CFR 
68.215(e)(1)-(9). (No. of respondents: 7500; hours per response: .50 
hours; total annual burden: 3750 hours). f. Section 68.218, Compliance 
Warrants--Section 68.218 requires that the responsible party warrants 
that each unit of equipment marketed under such authorization will 
comply with all applicable rules and regulations of part 68 and with 
the applicable technical criteria of the Administrative Council for 
Terminal Attachments. (No. of respondents: 974, with 2350 responses; 
hours per response: .5 hours; total annual burden: 1175 hours).
    g. Section 68.324, Supplier's Declaration of Conformity--Section 
68.324(a)(1)-(6) lists the information that each responsible party must 
include in the Supplier's Declaration of Conformity. (No. of 
respondents: 974, with 2350 responses; hour per response: 20 hours; 
total annual burden: 47,000 hours). h. Section 68.326, Retention of 
Records--Section 68.326 requires that responsible party for a 
Supplier's Declaration of Conformity maintains records containing the 
information specified in Section 68.326(a)(1)-(4) for at least ten 
years after the manufacture of said equipment has been permanently 
discontinued, or until the conclusion of an investigation or a 
proceeding, if the responsible party is officially notified prior to 
the expiration of such ten year period that an investigation or any 
other administrative proceeding involving its equipment has been 
instituted, whichever is later. See 47 CFR 68.326. (No. of respondents: 
974, with 2350 responses; hours per response: .5 hours; total annual 
burden: 1175 hours). i. Section 68.346, Description of Testing 
Facilities--Section 68.346 requires that each responsible party for 
equipment that is subject to a Supplier's Declaration of Conformity 
compiles and retains a description of the measurement facilities 
employed for testing the equipment. The description shall contain the 
information required by the Administrative Council for Terminal 
Attachments. See 47 CFR Section 68.346. (No. of respondents: 974, with 
2350 responses; hours per response: .25 hours; total annual burden: 587 
hours). j. Section 68.354, Numbering and Labeling Requirements--Section 
68.354 requires that terminal equipment and protective circuitry that 
is subject to a Supplier's Declaration of Conformity or that is 
certified by a Telecommunications Certification Body have labels in a 
place and manner required by the Administrative Council for Terminal 
Attachments. Terminal equipment labels shall include an identification 
numbering system in a manner required by the Administrative Council for 
Terminal Attachments. FCC numbering and labeling requirements existing 
prior to the effective date of these rules shall remain unchanged until 
the Administrative Council for Terminal Attachments publishes its 
numbering and labeling requirements. See 47 CFR 68.354. See also 47 CFR 
68.612. (No. of respondents: 974, with 2350 responses: .25 hours; total 
annual burden: 587 hours). k. Sections 68.400--68.417, Complaints. A 
complaint must be in writing and contain the information specified in 
Section 68.400(a)-(d). (No. of respondents: 5; hours per response: 20 
hours; total annual burden: 20 hours). l. Section 68.418, Designation 
of Agents for Service--Pursuant to Section 68.418, every responsible 
party of equipment approved pursuant to part 68 must designate and 
identify one or more agents upon whom service may be made of all 
notices, inquiries, orders, decisions, and other pronouncements of the 
Commission in any matter before the Commission. See 47 CFR Section 
68.418. (No. of respondents: 974, with 2350 responses: hours per 
response: .1 hour; total annual burden: 235 hours). m. Section 68.419, 
Answers to Informal complaints--Section 68.419 requires that any 
responsible party to whom the Commission or the Consumer Information 
Bureau directs an informal complaint file an answer within the time 
specified by the Commission or the Consumer Information Bureau, as 
required by in Section 68.419(a)-(e). (No. of respondents: 5; hours per 
response: 20 hours; total annual burden: 100 hours). n. Section 68.604, 
Requirements for submitting technical criteria--Any SDO that submits

[[Page 891]]

standards to the Administrative Council for Terminal Attachments for 
publication as technical criteria shall certify to the Administrative 
Council for Terminal Attachments the information found in Section 
68.604(c)(1)-(3). See 47 CFR Section 68.604. (No. of respondents: 5, 
with 10 responses; hours per burden: 5 hours; total annual burden: 5 
hours). o. Section 68.610, Database of Terminal Equipment--Section 
68.610 requires that the Administrative Council for Terminal 
Attachments operates and maintains a database of all approved terminal 
equipment. (No. of respondents: 974, with 2350 responses; hours per 
response: .5 hours; total annual burden: 1175 hours). To ensure that 
consumers, providers of telecommunications, the Administrative Council, 
TCBs, and the Commission are able to trace products to the party 
responsible for placing terminal equipment on the market, it is 
essential to require manufacturers and suppliers to provide the 
information specified in the Order and 47 CFR part 68. Authority: 47 
U.S.C. 151-154; 47 U.S.C. 201-205; 47 U.S.C. 303. Obligation to 
respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits.
    OMB Control No.: 3060-0972.
    Expiration Date: June 30, 2002.
    Title: Multi-Association Group (MAG) Plan for Regulation of 
Interstate Services of Non-Price Cap Incumbent Local Exchange Carriers 
(LECs) Subject to Rate-of-Return Regulation.
    Form No.: N/A.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 8059 respondents; 4.8 hours per response 
(avg.); 38,760 total annual burden hours.
    Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost Burden: $228,000.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion; Quarterly; Annually; One-time; 
Third Party Disclosure.
    Description: In the Second Report and Order in CC Docket Nos. 00-
256, Fifteenth Report and Order in CC Docket No. 96-45, and Report and 
Order in CC Docket Nos. 98-77 and 98-166 (Report and Order), consistent 
with the recommendation of the Federal-State Joint Board on Universal 
Service, the Commission modifies its rules to reform the interstate 
access charge and universal service support system for incumbent local 
exchange carriers (LECs) subject to rate of return regulation. Below 
are summaries of the collections imposed on telecommunications carriers 
based on rules adopted in the Report and Order: a. Projected Revenue 
Requirements: In order to enable the Administrator to calculate per-
line amounts of Interstate Common Line Support, rate-of-return carriers 
other than average schedule companies shall report to the Administrator 
their projected common line revenue requirement for each study area in 
which they operate. (No. of respondents: 769; hours per response: 2 
hours; total annual burden: 1538 hours). In order to enable the 
Administrator to begin distributing Interstate Common Line Support to 
carriers on July 1, 2002, rate-of-return carriers will be required to 
submit to the Administrator projected common line revenue requirements 
for July 1, 2002, to June 30, 2003, by March 31, 2002. Consistent with 
carrier access tariff filing obligations and NECA's current procedures 
for the filing of revenue requirements by members of the carrier common 
line pool, the Commission will permit carriers to submit to the 
Administrator corrections of their projected common line revenue 
requirements until April 10, 2002. After April 10, 2002, any 
corrections to projected common line revenue requirements shall be made 
in the form of true ups, described below, using actual cost data. Rate-
of-return carriers will be required to submit to the Administrator 
projected common line revenue requirements for subsequent years on the 
same schedule. (No. of respondents: 531; hours per response: 2 hours; 
total annual burden: 1062 hours). b. True Ups: On July 31st of each 
year, rate-of-return carriers will be required to submit actual 
interstate common line cost data to the Administrator for the preceding 
calendar year. The first date for filing actual cost data shall be July 
31, 2003. The Administrator shall adjust a rate-of-return carrier's 
monthly per-line Interstate Common Line support in the following 
calendar year (i.e., January 1, 2004 through December 31, 2004) to the 
extent of any difference between the carrier's projected common line 
revenue requirement and its actual cost data. Because the July 1, 2003, 
filing will only include cost data for the first six months that 
Interstate Common Line Support is available (July 1, 2002, through 
December 31, 2002), trued-up support amounts distributed in the 
calendar year 2004 will be based on a pro-rated share of the 2002 
annual cost data (i.e., 50 percent of the 2002 actual costs will be 
attributed to the final six months of 2002). Trued-up support amounts 
distributed in subsequent calendar years will be based on complete 
funding year cost data. (No. of respondents: 769; hours per response: 4 
hours; total annual burden: 3076 hours). In order to provide rate-of-
return carriers with opportunities to true up support amounts on a more 
frequent basis, the Commission will permit carriers to file updated 
cost data with the Administrator on a quarterly basis. Quarterly true 
ups will enable carriers that experience unforeseen costs to qualify 
for increased Interstate Common Line Support amounts. Quarterly true 
ups also will reduce risks associated with receiving Interstate Common 
Line Support based on a projected common line revenue requirement. 
Carriers wishing to submit cost data on a quarterly basis will file 
such data in accordance with the schedule provided in section 36.612 of 
the rules. (No. of respondents: 100; hours per response: 2 hours; total 
annual burden: 200 hours).
    c. Line Counts: Consistent with rules adopted in the Rural Task 
Force Order, rate-of-return carriers will file their line counts, by 
disaggregation zone and customer class, in accordance with the schedule 
in sections 36.611 and 36.612 of our rules. Line count data for rural 
rate-of-return carrier study areas in which a competitive eligible 
telecommunications carrier has not begun providing service will be 
filed on an annual basis. Line count data will be filed on a regular 
quarterly basis upon competitive entry in rural rate-of-return carrier 
study areas. (No. of respondents: 1300; hours per response 6 hours: 
total annual burden: 7800 hours). Competitive eligible 
telecommunications carriers will file their line counts, by 
disaggregation zone and customer class on a quarterly basis, in 
accordance with the schedule in section 54.307 of our rules. (No. of 
respondents: 10; hours per response: 6 hours; total annual burden: 60 
hours). d. Disaggregation Plans: Consistent with section 254 of the 
Act, we conclude that the plan for the geographic disaggregation and 
targeting of portable high-cost universal service support below the 
study area level recently adopted in the Rural Task Force Order will 
also apply to Interstate Common Line Support. To ensure the portability 
and predictability of support, rate-of-return carriers that elect to 
disaggregate and target support will be required to submit maps to the 
Administrator in which the boundaries of the designated disaggregation 
zones are clearly specified. The Administrator will make such maps 
available for public inspection by competitors and other interested 
parties. When submitting information in support of Path Three self-
certification, incumbent carriers must provide the Administrator with 
publicly available information that allows competitors to verify and 
reproduce the algorithm used to determine zone support levels (Self-

[[Page 892]]

Certification of Disaggregation Plan). Similarly, carriers electing 
Path One must submit to the Administrator a copy of certifications to a 
state commission or appropriate regulatory authority that they will not 
disaggregate and target support (Notification to State of Change in 
Disaggregation Methodology). Carriers selecting Path Two must submit a 
copy to the Administrator of the order by the state commission or 
appropriate regulatory authority approving the disaggregation plan 
submitted, along with a copy of the disaggregation plan itself 
(Targeting Plan to State). The Commission extends until May 15, 2002, 
the date by which carriers will be required to select a disaggregation 
path for high-cost loop, LTS, LSS, and Interstate Common Line Support 
mechanisms. (No. of respondents: 100; hours per response: 1 hour; total 
annual burden 100 hours) e. Section 254(e) Certifications: Section 
254(e) provides that a carrier receiving universal service support must 
use that support ``only for the provision, maintenance, and upgrading 
of facilities and service for which the support is intended.'' In the 
Rural Task Force Order, the Commission sets forth rules requiring a 
state that wishes to receive federal universal service high-cost 
support for rural carriers within its territory to file a certification 
with the Commission stating that all federal high-cost funds flowing to 
rural carriers in such state will be used in a manner consistent with 
section 254(e). In addition, in the Interstate Access Support Order, 
the Commission adopted certification rules for the receipt of 
interstate access support. In the Rural Task Force Order, the 
Commission addressed federal universal service support for intrastate 
rates and the Commission required states to file a certification of 
section 254(e) compliance with the Commission because states have 
jurisdiction over rates for intrastate services. In this Order, the 
Commission addresses federal support for interstate rates, a matter 
over which the Commission has jurisdiction. Thus, to ensure that 
carriers receiving Interstate Common Line Support and LTS will use that 
support in a manner consistent with section 254(e), the Commission 
shall require carriers seeking such support to file a certification 
with the Commission and the Administrator. This requirement is 
consistent with rules adopted in the Interstate Access Support Order. 
This certification requirement will be applicable to rate-of-return 
carriers and eligible telecommunications carriers seeking support from 
our Interstate Common Line Support mechanism. The certification shall 
be filed with the Commission and the Administrator on March 31, 2002, 
at the same time a carrier files its first set of line count data with 
the Administrator. Such certification shall be filed in CC Docket No. 
96-45 annually thereafter on June 30th. The certification may be filed 
in the form of a letter and must state that the carrier will use its 
Interstate Common Line Support and LTS only for the provision, 
maintenance, and upgrading of facilities and service for which support 
is intended. In the event that a certification is filed untimely, the 
carrier will not become eligible for support until the second calendar 
quarter after the certification is filed. Failure to file a 
certification will preclude a carrier from receiving Interstate Common 
Line Support or LTS. Carriers that fail to abide by their 
certification, or otherwise violate section 254(e), shall be subject to 
enforcement action by the Commission. (No. of respondents: 1300; hours 
per response: 2 hours; total annual burden: 2600 hours). f. Required 
tariff filings: All rate-of-return carriers are required to modify 
their access tariffs to comply with the new Subscriber Line Charge 
(SLC) caps, to become effective on January 1, 2002, and on July 1, 
2002, and July 1, 2003 subject to a cost review study for price cap 
carriers. Rate-of-return carriers also must file tariffs to recover 
through a separate end-user charge the costs of ISDN line ports and 
line ports associated with other services that exceed the costs of a 
line port used for basic analog service. (No. of respondents: 116; 
hours per response: 69.9 hours (avg.); total annual burden: 8110 
hours). g. Optional Line Port Cost Study: Rate-of-return carriers may 
use 30 percent of local switching costs as a proxy in shifting line 
port costs to the common line category, or may conduct a cost study 
based on geographically-averaged costs to be submitted in support of 
the tariff filing relying on the cost study. A carrier may rely on a 
cost study for subsequent tariff filings. (No. of respondents: 12; 
hours per response 40 hours; total annual burden: 480 hours). h. 
Establishment of TIC Caps: NECA is required to establish for carriers 
that participated in the NECA pool during the tariff year ending June 
30, 2001, an individual carrier dollar limit based on its traffic 
volumes and the TIC rate for the twelve-month period ending June 30, 
2001. Each carrier that was not in the pool during the tariff year 
ending on June 30, 2001, must determine its TIC limit and report it to 
NECA for purposes of administering future pool membership changes. (No. 
of respondents: 1186; hours per response: .13 hours; total annual 
burden: 2.6 hours). i. Optional tariff filings: Rate-of-return carriers 
may, at their option, establish the following local switching and 
transport rate elements: a flat charge for dedicated trunk port costs; 
a flat charge for the costs of DS1/voice grade multiplexers associated 
with terminating dedicated trunks at analog switches; a per-minute 
charge for shared trunk ports and any associated DS1/voice grade 
multiplexer costs; a flat charge for the costs of trunk ports used to 
terminate dedicated trunks on the serving wire center side of the 
tandem switch; individual charges for multiplexer costs associated with 
tandem switches; and a per-message call setup charge. (No. of 
respondents: 12; hours per response: 93 hours; total annual burden: 
1116 hours). j. GSF allocation: Beginning July 1, 2002, rate-of-return 
carriers that use general purpose computers to provide non-regulated 
billing and collection services are required to allocate a portion of 
their general purpose computer costs to the billing and collection 
category, which will require them to determine general purpose computer 
investment. Carriers may use the general purpose computer investment 
amount they develop for a period of three years. (No. of respondents: 
600; hours per response: 20 hours; total annual burden: 12,000 hours). 
The Commission will use the information collected to determine whether 
and to what extent non-price cap or rate-of-return carriers providing 
the data are eligible to receive universal service support. The 
Commission will use the tariff data to make sure that rates are just 
and reasonable, as required by section 201(b) of the Act. Obligation to 
respond: Mandatory. Public reporting burden for the collection 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, DC 20554.

Federal Communications Commission.
William F. Caton,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 02-377 Filed 1-7-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P