[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 146 (Tuesday, July 29, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43933-43934]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-17346]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION


Notice of Public Information Collection(s) Being Submitted for 
Review to the Office of Management and Budget, Comments Requested

July 22, 2008.
SUMMARY: As part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork burden 
and as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 
3501-3520), the Federal Communications Commission invites the general 
public and other Federal agencies to comment on the following 
information collection(s). 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, and 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 collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology. An agency may not conduct or 
sponsor a collection of information unless it displays a currently 
valid OMB 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 that does not display a valid OMB control 
number.

DATES: Written PRA comments should be submitted on or before August 28, 
2008. If you anticipate that you will be submitting PRA comments, but 
find it difficult to do so within the period of time allowed by this 
notice, you should advise the FCC contact listed below as soon as 
possible.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments to Nicholas A. Fraser, Office of 
Management and Budget (e-mail address: [email protected]), and to the 
Federal Communications Commission's PRA mailbox (e-mail address: 
[email protected]). Include in the emails the OMB control number of the 
collection as shown in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section below or, 
if there is no OMB control number, the Title as shown in the 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section. If you are unable to submit your 
comments by e-mail contact the person listed below to make alternate 
arrangements.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information contact 
Leslie F. Smith via e-mail at [email protected] or at (202) 418-0217. To view 
or obtain a copy of an information collection request (ICR) submitted 
to OMB: (1) Go to this OMB/GSA Web page: http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain, (2) look for the section of the Web page called ``Currently 
Under Review,'' (3) click on the downward-pointing arrow in the 
``Select Agency'' box below the ``Currently Under Review'' heading, (4) 
select ``Federal Communications Commission'' from the list of agencies 
presented in the ``Select Agency'' box, (5) click the ``Submit'' button 
to the right of the ``Select Agency'' box, and (6) when the list of FCC 
ICRs currently under review appears, look for the OMB control number of 
the ICR you want to view (or its title if there is no OMB control 
number) and then click on the ICR Reference Number. A copy of the FCC 
submission to OMB will be displayed.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    OMB Control Number: 3060-0395.
    Title: The ARMIS USOA Report (ARMIS Report 43-02); the ARMIS 
Service Quality Report (ARMIS Report 43-05); and the ARMIS 
Infrastructure Report (ARMIS Report 43-07). Report Numbers.
    Form Number: FCC Reports 43-02, 43-05 and 43-07.
    Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit.
    Number of Respondents and Responses: 47 respondents; 61 responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: 319.14 hours.
    Obligation to Respond: Mandatory--The ARMIS reporting requirements 
were established by the Commission in 1987 to facilitate the timely and 
efficient analysis of carrier operating costs and rates 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 proposals. Additional ARMIS Reports were added in 
1991 and 1992. Incumbent LECs must submit the ARMIS reports to the 
Commission annually on or before April 1. See Reporting Requirements of 
Certain Class A and Tier I Telephone Companies (Parts 31, 43, 67 and 69 
of the FCC's Rules), Order, 2 FCC Rcd 5770 (1987), modified on recon, 3 
FCC Rcd 6375 (1988) (ARMIS Order). Also, see 47 CFR Part 43, Section 
43.21.
    Frequency of Response: Annual reporting requirements.
    Total Annual Burden: 19,468 hours.
    Total Annual Cost: $0.00.
    Privacy Act Impact Assessment: No impacts.

[[Page 43934]]

    Nature of Extent of Confidentiality: This collection addresses 
information of a confidential nature for two of these reports. 
Respondents have requested and filed for confidential treatment of 
information they believe should be withheld from public inspection 
under 47 CFR Section 0.459 of the Commission's rules.
    Needs and Uses: 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. In this report, we are adjusting the number 
of carriers filing the 43-02 ARMIS report from 28 respondents to 26 to 
reflect the sale of two respondents. We are also increasing the burden 
hours to reflect the Commission's requirement in its Report and Order 
and Memorandum Opinion and Order (MOO) released August 31, 2007. The 
Commission required AT&T, Qwest, and Verizon to include the imputation 
charges it debits to account 5280 accompanied by an explanatory 
footnote for each line item identifying the amount imputed in three 
ARMIS report filings. The MOO required this information in FCC Reports 
43-01, ARMIS Annual Summary Report; 43-02, ARMIS USOA Report; and, 43-
03, ARMIS Joint Cost Report.
    ARMIS Report 43-05 collects data at the study 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. We are 
adjusting the number of respondents submitting the 43-05 from 15 to 14 
to reflect the merger of two respondents and the spin-off of their 
landline business.
    ARMIS Report 43-07 is designed to capture trends in telephone 
industry infrastructure development under price cap regulation. It 
provides switch deployment and capabilities data. The information is 
also part of the data necessary to support the Commission's audit and 
other oversight functions. The data provide the necessary detail to 
enable the Commission to fulfill its regulatory responsibility. There 
are no changes to the ARMIS Report 43-07.

    OMB Control Number: 3060-0410.
    Title: Forecast of Investment Usage Report, FCC Report 495A; and 
Actual Usage of Investment Report. Report Number, FCC Reports 495B.
    Form Numbers: FCC Reports 495-A and 495-B.
    Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit.
    Number of Respondents and Responses: 70 respondents; 140 responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: 40 hours.
    Obligation to Respond: Mandatory--The ARMIS reporting requirements 
were established by the Commission in 1987 to facilitate the timely and 
efficient analysis of carrier operating costs and rates 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 proposals. Additional ARMIS Reports were added in 
1991 and 1992. Incumbent LECs must submit the ARMIS reports to the 
Commission annually on or before April 1. See Reporting Requirements of 
Certain Class A and Tier I Telephone Companies (Parts 31, 43, 67 and 69 
of the FCC's Rules), Order, 2 FCC Rcd 5770 (1987), modified on recon, 3 
FCC Rcd 6375 (1988) (ARMIS Order). Also, see 47 CFR Part 43, Section 
43.21.
    Frequency of Response: Annual reporting requirement.
    Total Annual Burden: 5,600 hours.
    Total Annual Cost: $0.00.
    Privacy Act Impact Assessment: No impacts.
    Nature of Extent of Confidentiality: This collection addresses 
information of a confidential nature. Respondents have requested and 
filed for confidential treatment of information they believe should be 
withheld from public inspection under 47 CFR Section 0.459 of the 
Commission's rules.
    Needs and Uses: The 495A Report provides the forecast and resulting 
investment allocation incorporated in a carrier's cost support for its 
access tariff. The 495B Report enables the Commission's staff to 
monitor actual and forecasted investment use. These reports help ensure 
that the regulated operations of the carriers do not subsidize the 
nonregulated operations of those same carriers. This information is 
also a part of the data necessary to support the Commission's audit and 
other oversight functions. The data provide the necessary detail to 
enable the Commission to fulfill it regulatory responsibility. There 
are no changes to the ARMIS Reports 495A and 495B.
    On April 24, 2008, the Commission granted AT&T's and BellSouth's 
petitions for forbearance from, among other things, certain ARMIS 
reporting requirements, conditioned upon Commission approval of an AT&T 
compliance plan describing how it will continue to fulfill its 
statutory and regulatory obligations and the conditions of the order. 
See Petition of AT&T Inc. for Forbearance Under 47 U.S.C. 160 From 
Enforcement of Certain of the Commission's Cost Assignment Rules; 
Petition of AT&T Inc. for Forbearance Under 47 U.S.C. 160 From 
Enforcement of Certain of the Commission's Cost Assignment Rules, FCC 
08-120 (rel. April 24, 2008). As a result, upon approval of the 
compliance plan, AT&T and BellSouth no longer will be required to file 
ARMIS Report 43-04, and FCC Forms 492, 495A and 495B. Id. at para.. 12 
n.36. Subsequently, on May 23, 2008, Verizon and Qwest requested that 
the Commission grant the same forbearance to them. The Commission has 
sought comment on that request, with comments filed June 26, 2008, and 
replies filed July 7, 2008. See Comment Dates Set On Request of Verizon 
and Qwest to Extend Forbearance Relief from Cost Assignment Rules, DA 
08-1361 (rel. June 6, 2008).

Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene H. Dortch,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E8-17346 Filed 7-28-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P