[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 12 (Thursday, January 18, 2018)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 2563-2564]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-00760]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

47 CFR Part 63

[GN Docket No. 13-5, RM-11358; WC Docket No. 13-3; FCC 16-90]


Technology Transitions, USTelecom Petition for Declaratory Ruling 
That Incumbent Local Exchange Carriers Are Non-Dominant in the 
Provision of Switched Access Services, Policies and Rules Governing 
Retirement of Copper Loops by Incumbent Local Exchange Carriers and 
Special Access for Price Cap Local Exchange Carriers

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 
discontinuance rules. This document is consistent with the Technology 
Transitions Declaratory Ruling, Second Report and Order, and Order on 
Reconsideration, FCC 16-90, which stated that the Commission would 
publish a document in the Federal Register announcing the effective 
date of those rules.

DATES:  The amendments to 47 CFR 63.71(a) introductory text, (b), (g), 
and (i) published at 81 FR 62632, September 12, 2016, are effective on 
January 18, 2018.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michele Levy Berlove, Attorney 
Advisor, Wireline Competition Bureau, at (202) 418-1477, or by email at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:  This document announces that, on January 5, 
2018, OMB approved, for a period of three years, the information 
collection requirements relating to certain of the discontinuance rules 
contained in the Commission's Technology Transitions Declaratory 
Ruling, Second Report and Order, and Order on Reconsideration, FCC 16-
90, published at 81 FR 62632, September 12, 2016, as specified above.
    The OMB Control Number is 3060-0149. The Commission publishes this 
document as an announcement of the effective date of 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 Nicole Ongele, Federal Communications 
Commission, Room A-C620, 445 12th Street SW, Washington, DC 20554. 
Please include the OMB Control Number, 3060-0149, 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 final OMB 
approval on January 5, 2018, for the information collection 
requirements contained in the modifications to the Commission's rules 
in 47 CFR part 63. 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 3060-0149.
    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: 3060-0149.
    OMB Approval Date: January 5, 2018.
    OMB Expiration Date: January 31, 2021.
    Title: Part 63, Application and Supplemental Information 
Requirements; Technology Transitions et al., GN Docket No. 13-5 et al.
    Form Number: N/A.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities.
    Number of Respondents and Responses: 60 respondents; 60 responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: 6 hours.
    Frequency of Response: One-time reporting requirement and third-
party disclosure requirements.
    Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. 
Statutory authority for this collection of information is contained in 
47 U.S.C. 214 and 402 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended.
    Total Annual Burden: 360 hours.
    Total Annual Cost: No cost(s).
    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.
    Privacy Act: No impact(s).
    Needs and Uses: The Commission is seeking Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) approval for a revision to a currently approved 
collection. Section 214 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 
requires that a carrier first obtain FCC authorization either to (1) 
construct, operate, or engage in transmission over a line of 
communications, or (2) discontinue, reduce or impair service over a 
line of communications. Part 63 of title 47 of the Code of Federal 
Regulations (CFR) implements Section 214. Part 63 also implements 
provisions of the Cable Communications Policy Act of 1984 pertaining to 
video which was approved under this OMB Control Number 3060-0149. In 
2009, the Commission modified Part 63 to extend to providers of 
interconnected Voice of internet Protocol (VoIP) service the 
discontinuance obligations that apply to domestic non-dominant 
telecommunications carriers under Section 214 of the Communications Act 
of 1934, as amended. In 2014, the Commission adopted improved 
administrative filing procedures for domestic transfers of control, 
domestic discontinuances and notices of network changes, and among 
other adjustments, modified Part 63 to require electronic filing for 
applications for authorization

[[Page 2564]]

to discontinue, reduce, or impair service under section 214(a) of the 
Act. In July 2016, the Commission revised certain section 214(a) 
discontinuance procedures. To reduce burdens on carriers, the 
Commission revised its rules to: (1) Allow carriers to provide notice 
via email or other alternative methods to offer additional options to 
customers, and (2) provide for streamlined treatment of applications to 
discontinue services for which the carrier has had no existing 
customers or reasonable requests for service during the previous 180 
days. It also addressed a gap in the Commission's rules by making a 
competitive LEC's application for discontinuance deemed granted on the 
effective date of any copper retirement that made the discontinuance 
unavoidable. The Commission further concluded that applicants must 
provide notice of discontinuance applications to federally-recognized 
Tribal Nations. The Commission estimates that there will be only 
minimal impact on the annual burden hours associated with 
discontinuance applications as a result of these revisions. 
Specifically, the Commission estimates that carriers will need no more 
than one additional hour per application for purposes of determining 
which, if any, Tribal Nations are located in the service areas to be 
affected by the planned discontinuance and providing such notice. The 
estimated number of respondents, responses, and burden hours associated 
with this collection differ from those set forth in the 60-day notice 
published on October 28, 2016 (81 FR 75054), which covered additional 
section 214(a) discontinuance rules adopted in 2016 that will now be 
addressed separately. As a result, the burden hours herein are 
substantially reduced from those contained in the 60-day notice.

Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene H. Dortch,
Secretary, Office of the Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2018-00760 Filed 1-17-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6712-01-P