[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 14 (Thursday, January 22, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3232-3233]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-00942]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[OMB 3060-0400]


Information Collection Being Reviewed by the Federal 
Communications Commission

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: As part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork burdens, 
and as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 
3501-3520), the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or the 
Commission) invites the general public and other Federal agencies to 
take this opportunity to comment on the following information 
collection. Comments are requested concerning: 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; the accuracy of the Commission's burden 
estimate; ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information collected; 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; and 
ways to further reduce the information collection burden on small 
business concerns with fewer than 25 employees.
    The FCC 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 PRA that does not display a valid Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) control number.

DATES: Written PRA comments should be submitted on or before March 23, 
2015. If you anticipate that you will be submitting comments, but find 
it difficult to do so within the period of time allowed by this notice, 
you should advise the contact listed below as soon as possible.

ADDRESSES: Direct all PRA comments to Nicole Ongele, FCC, via email 
[email protected] and to [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information about the 
information collection, contact Nicole Ongele at (202) 418-2991.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    OMB Control Number: 3060-0400.

[[Page 3233]]

    Title: Part 61, Tariff Review Plan (TRP).
    Form Number: N/A.
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities.
    Number of Respondents: 2,840 respondents; 8,554 responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: 0.5 hours to 53 hours.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion, annual, biennial, and one time 
reporting requirements.
    Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. 
Statutory authority for this information collection is contained in 47 
U.S.C. Sections 201, 202, 203, and 251(b)(5) of the Communications Act 
of 1934, as amended.
    Total Annual Burden: 121,656 hours.
    Total Annual Cost: No cost.
    Privacy Impact Assessment: No impact.
    Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: Respondents are not being 
asked to submit confidential information to the Commission. If the 
Commission requests respondents to submit information which respondents 
believe are confidential, respondents may request confidential 
treatment of such information under 47 CFR 0.459 of the Commission's 
rules.
    Needs and Uses: On November 18, 2011, the Commission released the 
USF/ICC Transformation Order, FCC 11-61 and the Second Order on 
Reconsideration, FCC 12-47, released on April 25, 2012, required 
incumbent and competitive local exchange carriers to submit supporting 
documentation as part of their Tariff Review Plans (TRPs).
    Certain local exchange carriers are required to submit a biennial 
or annual TRP in partial fulfillment of cost support material required 
by 47 CFR part 61. Sections 201, 202, and 203 of the Communications Act 
of 1934, as amended, require common carriers to establish joint and 
reasonable charges, practices, and regulations for their interstate 
telecommunications services provided. For services that are still 
covered under Section 203, tariff schedules containing charges, rates, 
rules, and regulations must be filed with the Commission. If the FCC 
takes no action within the notice period, then the filing becomes 
effective. The Commission is granted broad authority to require the 
submission of data showing the value of property used to provide the 
services, some of which are automatically required by its rules and 
some of which can be required through individual requests. All filings 
that become effective are considered legal but only those filed 
pursuant to Section 204(a)(3) of the Act are deemed lawful.
    For services that are detariffed, no tariffs are filed at the FCC 
and determination of reasonableness and any unreasonable discrimination 
is generally addressed through the complaint process. Incumbent local 
exchange carriers (ILECs) can make a voluntary filing at any time, but 
are required to update rates annually or biennially. See 47 CFR Section 
69.3.
    Among other reforms, the Commission developed the TRP to minimize 
reporting burdens on reporting ILECs. TRPs set forth the summary 
material ILECs file to support revisions to the rates in their 
interstate access service tariffs. For those services still requiring 
cost support, TRPs assist the Commission in determining whether ILEC 
access charges are just and reasonable as required under the 
Communications Act of 1934, as amended.
    The Commission also minimized reporting burdens by developing 
incentive-based regulation (price caps), which simplifies the process 
of determining the reasonableness of rates and rate structures for 
ILECs subject to price caps. Supporting material requirements for price 
cap ILECs having 50,000 or fewer access lines do not have to file any 
supporting material unless requested to do so. Price cap carriers can 
elect to be subject to Title I versus Title II of the Act for certain 
forms of internet access in order to offer their internet service on a 
detariffed basis pursuant to private contracts. Rate-of-return ILECs 
can choose to charge from tariffed to detariffed for the same internet 
services, but are subject to Title II regulation. Through forbearance, 
the Commission has allowed those LECs whose petition has been granted 
to choose mandatory detariffing of certain broadband and packet 
services.

Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene H. Dortch,
Secretary, Office of the Secretary, Office of the Managing Director.
[FR Doc. 2015-00942 Filed 1-21-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P