[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 53 (Friday, March 20, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11947-11948]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-6132]


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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

March 17, 2009.
SUMMARY: The Federal Communications Commission, as part of its 
continuing effort to reduce paperwork burden invites the general public 
and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on the 
following information collection(s), as required by the Paperwork 
Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 3501-3520. An agency may not 
conduct or sponsor a collection of information unless it displays a 
currently valid control number. No person shall be subject to any 
penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information subject 
to the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) that does not display a valid 
control number. Comments are requested concerning (a) whether the 
proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper 
performance of the functions of the Commission, including whether the 
information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the 
Commission's burden estimate; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, 
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.

DATES: Written PRA comments should be submitted on or before April 20, 
2009. 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: Direct all PRA comments to Nicholas A. Fraser, Office of 
Management and Budget, (202) 395-

[[Page 11948]]

5887, or via fax at 202-395-5167 or via Internet at [email protected] and to [email protected], Federal 
Communications Commission, or an e-mail to [email protected]. To view a copy 
of this information collection request (ICR) submitted to OMB: (1) Go 
to the Web page http://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 title of this ICR (or its OMB 
Control Number, if there is one) and then click on the ICR Reference 
Number to view detailed information about this ICR.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information or copies 
of the information collection(s), contact Judith B. Herman at 202-418-
0214 or via the Internet at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    OMB Control Number: 3060-0986.
    Title: Competitive Carrier Line Count Report, WC Docket No. 05-337, 
CC Docket No. 96-45.
    Form Number: FCC Form 525.
    Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for profit and not-for-profit 
institutions.
    Number of Respondents and Responses: 1,923 respondents; 5,458 
responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: .5-6 hours.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion, quarterly, and annual reporting 
requirements.
    Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits.
    Total Annual Burden: 27,328 hours.
    Annual Cost Burden: $1,093,120.00.
    Privacy Act Impact Assessment: No impact.
    Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: The Commission is not 
requesting that the respondents submit confidential information to the 
FCC. Respondents may, however, request confidential treatment for 
information they believe to be confidential under 47 CFR 0.459 of the 
Commission's rules.
    Needs and Uses: This collection is being submitted as a revision to 
a currently approved collection. In April 2008, the Commission adopted 
an order that capped total annual competitive eligible 
telecommunications carrier (ETC) universal service high-cost support 
for each state at the level of support that competitive ETCs in that 
state were eligible to receive during March 2008 on an annualized 
basis. The Commission also adopted two limited exceptions from the 
application of the interim cap. First, a competitive ETC will not be 
subject to the interim cap to the extent it files cost data 
demonstrating that its costs meet the support threshold in the same 
manner as the incumbent local exchange carrier. The Commission plans to 
submit an additional revision to OMB at a later date seeking approval 
to collect competitive ETCs' cost data. Second, the Commission also 
created a limited exception for competitive ETCs serving tribal lands 
or Alaska Native regions (covered location). High-Cost Universal 
Service Support; Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service, WC 
Docket No. 05-337, CC Docket No. 96-45, FCC 08-122. Competitive ETCs 
opting into the exception for Tribal lands or Alaska Native regions 
would have to file line counts on FCC Form 525 separately for covered 
and non-covered locations. Most competitive ETCs that serve these 
locations already have separate study area codes for the covered 
location, and this requirement will not increase their burden. A small 
number of competitive ETCs, however, may need to make a one time 
request for additional study area codes. Thereafter, these carriers 
will have to file an additional Form 525 for each additional study area 
code. Additionally, each competitive ETC opting into this exception 
will be required to file, each time it files line count data, a 
certification that the lines reflected in a particular filing are 
within a covered location. The competitive ETCs also will be required 
to maintain records showing how they determined that the lines were in 
a covered location. The Commission will not amend FCC Form 525 to 
incorporate the information requests related to this limited exception 
to the interim cap on high-cost support. The Commission has reviewed 
the information collection and has revised the estimates that are 
detailed in the supporting statement. Additionally, the Commission is 
revising the collection to incorporate the reporting requirements of 
OMB 3060-0793 for the self-certification as a rural carrier requirement 
into this collection under OMB Control Number 3060-0986. The self-
certification for rural carriers is rarely filed with the Commission, 
therefore, its incorporation into OMB 3060-0986 will ease the 
Commission's administrative burden for complying with information 
collection requirements. Upon OMB approval of this revision, the 
Commission will voluntarily discontinue OMB Control Number 3060-0793 
and retain this one for OMB's inventory.

Marlene H. Dortch,
Secretary, Federal Communications Commission.
[FR Doc. E9-6132 Filed 3-19-09; 8:45 am]
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