[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 236 (Thursday, December 8, 2011)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 76623-76624]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-31519]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

47 CFR Parts 61 and 69

[WC Docket Nos. 10-90, 07-135, 05-337, 03-109; GN Docket No. 09-51, CC 
Docket Nos. 01-92, 96-45, WT Docket No. 10-208, FCC 11-161]


Connect America Fund; Developing a Unified Intercarrier 
Compensation Regime

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Final rule; announcement of effective date.

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SUMMARY: In this document, the Commission announces that the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) has approved, for a period of three years, 
the information collection associated with the Commission's Connect 
America Fund, Report and Order (Order)'s access stimulation rules. This 
notice is consistent with the Order, which stated that the Commission 
would publish a document in the Federal Register announcing the 
effective date of those rules. The Commission received OMB pre-approval 
for the proposed requirements on April 19, 2011 and final approval for 
the final requirements on December 1, 2011. Therefore, the information 
collection requirements were adopted as proposed.

DATES: The amendments to 47 CFR 61.3, 61.26, 61.39, and 69.3 published 
at 76 FR 73830, November 29, 2011, are effective December 29, 2011.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John Hunter, Pricing Policy Division, 
Wireline Competition Bureau, at (202) 418-1520, or email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This document announces that, on April 19, 
2011 (preapproval) and on December 1, 2011 (final approval), OMB 
approved, for a period of three years, the information collection 
requirements relating to the access stimulation rules contained in the 
Commission's Order, FCC 11-161, published at 76 FR 73830, November 29, 
2011. The OMB Control Number is 3060-0298. The Commission publishes 
this notice as an announcement of the effective date of

[[Page 76624]]

the rules. If you have any comments on the burden estimates listed 
below, or how the Commission can improve the collections and reduce any 
burdens caused thereby, please contact Cathy Williams, Federal 
Communications Commission, Room 1-C823, 445 12th Street SW., 
Washington, DC 20554. Please include the OMB Control Number, 3060-0298, 
in your correspondence. The Commission will also accept your comments 
via email at [email protected].
    To request materials in accessible formats for people with 
disabilities (Braille, large print, electronic files, audio format), 
send an email to [email protected] or call the Consumer and Governmental 
Affairs Bureau at (202) 418-0530 (voice), (202) 418-0432 (TTY).

Synopsis

    As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 
3507), the FCC is notifying the public that it received OMB pre-
approval on April 19, 2011, for the information collection requirements 
contained in the proposed modifications to the Commission's rules in 47 
CFR parts 61 and 69.
    Under 5 CFR part 1320, an agency may not conduct or sponsor a 
collection of information unless it displays a current, 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 current, valid OMB Control Number. The OMB 
Control Number is 3060-0298.
    The foregoing notice is required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 
1995, Public Law 104-13, October 1, 1995, and 44 U.S.C. 3507.
    The total annual reporting burdens and costs for the respondents 
are as follows:
    OMB Control Number: 3060-0298.
    OMB Approval Dates: April 19, 2011 and December 1, 2011.
    OMB Expiration Date: June 30, 2014.
    Title: Part 61, Tariffs (Other than Tariff Review Plan).
    Form Number: N/A.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities.
    Number of Respondents and Responses: 630 respondents; 1,210 
responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: 50 hours.
    Frequency of Response: One-time, biennial and on-occasion reporting 
requirements.
    Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. The 
statutory authority for this information collection is contained in 
sections 1-5, 201-205, 208, 251-271, 403, 502, and 503 of the 
Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C. 151-155, 201-205, 
208, 251-271, 403, 502 and 503.
    Total Annual Burden: 63,000 hours.
    Total Annual Cost: $986,150.
    Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: An assurance of 
confidentiality is not offered because this information collection does 
not require the collection of personally identifiable information (PII) 
from individuals.
    Needs and Uses: Sections 201, 202, 203, 204 and 205 of the 
Communications Act of 1934, (``Act'') as amended, 47 U.S.C. 201, 202, 
203, 204 and 205, require that common carriers establish just and 
reasonable charges, practices and regulations which must be filed with 
the Commission which is required to determine whether such schedules 
are just, reasonable and not unduly discriminatory. On November 18, 
2011, the Commission released the Order, FCC 11-161, published at 76 FR 
73830, November 29, 2011, adopting final rules--containing information 
collection requirements--designed to address arbitrage activities known 
as access stimulation. The rules generally require competitive carriers 
and rate-of-return incumbent local exchange carriers (LECs) to refile 
their interstate switched access tariffs at lower rates if the 
following two conditions are met: (1) A LEC has a revenue sharing 
agreement and (2) the LEC either (a) has a three-to-one ratio of 
terminating-to-originating traffic in any month or (b) experiences more 
than a 100 percent increase in traffic volume in any month measured 
against the same month during the previous year.

Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene H. Dortch,
Secretary, Office of the Secretary, Office of Managing Director.
[FR Doc. 2011-31519 Filed 12-7-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P