[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 137 (Tuesday, July 17, 2018)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 33139-33140]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-15171]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

47 CFR Part 54

[WC Docket No. 10-90, 16-271; FCC 16-115]


Connect America Fund, Connect America Fund--Alaska Plan

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Final rule; announcement of effective date.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: In this document, the Federal Communications Commission 
(Commission) announces that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
has approved, for a period of three years, an information collection 
associated with the rules for the Connect America Fund contained in the 
Commission's Connect America Fund--Alaska Plan Order, FCC 16-115. This 
document is consistent with the Connect America Fund--Alaska Plan 
Order, which stated that the Commission would publish a document in the 
Federal Register announcing the effective date of the new information 
collection requirements.

DATES: The amendments regarding Sec. Sec.  54.313(f)(1)(i), 
54.313(f)(3) and 54.313(l) published at 81 FR 69696, October 7, 2016, 
are effective July 17, 2018.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Alexander Minard, Wireline Competition 
Bureau at (202) 418-7400 or TTY (202) 418-0484. For additional 
information concerning the Paperwork Reduction Act information 
collection requirements contact Nicole Ongele at (202) 418-2991 or via 
email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Commission submitted revised information 
collection requirements for review and approval by OMB, as required by 
the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, on May 30, 2018, which were 
approved by OMB on July 2, 2018. The information collection 
requirements are contained in the Commission's Connect America Fund--
Alaska Plan Order, FCC 16-115, published at 81 FR 69696, October 7, 
2016. The OMB Control Number is 3060-0986. The Commission publishes 
this document as an announcement of the effective date of the rules 
published October 7, 2016. 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 1-A620, 445 12th 
Street SW, Washington, DC 20554. Please include the OMB Control Number, 
3060-0986, 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 Commission is notifying the public that it received OMB 
approval on July 2, 2018, for the information collection requirements 
contained in 47 CFR 54.313(f)(1)(i), 54.313(f)(3) and 54.313(l), 
published at 81 FR 69696, October 7, 2016. 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 3060-0986.
    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: 3060-0986.
    OMB Approval Date: July 2, 2018.
    OMB Expiration Date: July 31, 2021.
    Title: High-Cost Universal Service Support.
    Form Number: FCC Form 481, FCC Form 505, FCC Form 507, FCC Form 
508, FCC Form 509 and FCC Form 525.
    Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit, not-for-profit 
institutions and state, local or tribal government.
    Number of Respondents and Responses: 1,877 respondents; 14,335 
responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: 0.5-15 hours.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion, quarterly and annual reporting 
requirements, recordkeeping requirement and third party disclosure 
requirement.
    Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. 
Statutory authority for this information collection is contained in 47 
U.S.C. 151-154, 155, 201-206, 214, 218-220, 251, 252, 254, 256, 303(r), 
332, 403, 405, 410, and 1302.
    Total Annual Burden: 63,486 hours.
    Total Annual Cost: No Cost.
    Privacy Act Impact Assessment: No impact(s).
    Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: The Commission notes that 
USAC must preserve the confidentiality of all data obtained from 
respondents; must not use the data except for purposes of administering 
the universal service programs; and must not disclose data in company-
specific form unless directed to do so by the Commission. Privately-
held rate-of-return carriers may file the financial information they 
disclose in FCC Form 481 pursuant to a protective order.
    Needs and Uses: On November 18, 2011, the Commission adopted an 
order reforming its high-cost universal service support mechanisms. 
Connect America Fund; A National Broadband Plan for Our Future; 
Establish Just and Reasonable Rates for Local Exchange Carriers; High-
Cost Universal Service Support; Developing a Unified Intercarrier 
Compensation Regime;

[[Page 33140]]

Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service; Lifeline and Link-Up; 
Universal Service Reform--Mobility Fund, 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, Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, 26 
FCC Rcd 17663 (2011) (USF/ICC Transformation Order), and the Commission 
and Wireline Competition Bureau have since adopted a number of orders 
that implement the USF/ICC Transformation Order; see also Connect 
America Fund et al., WC Docket No. 10-90 et al., Third Order on 
Reconsideration, 27 FCC Rcd 5622 (2012); Connect America Fund et al., 
WC Docket No. 10-90 et al., Order, 27 FCC Rcd 605 (Wireline Comp. Bur. 
2012); Connect America Fund et al., WC Docket No. 10-90 et al., Fifth 
Order on Reconsideration, 27 FCC Rcd 14549 (2012); Connect America Fund 
et al., WC Docket No. 10-90 et al., Order, 28 FCC Rcd 2051 (Wireline 
Comp. Bur. 2013); Connect America Fund et al., WC Docket No. 10-90 et 
al., Order, 28 FCC Rcd 7227 (Wireline Comp. Bur. 2013); Connect America 
Fund, WC Docket No. 10-90, Report and Order, 28 FCC Rcd 7766 (Wireline 
Comp. Bur. 2013); Connect America Fund, WC Docket No. 10-90, Report and 
Order, 28 FCC Rcd 7211 (Wireline Comp. Bur. 2013); Connect America 
Fund, WC Docket No. 10-90, Report and Order, 28 FCC Rcd 10488 (Wireline 
Comp. Bur. 2013); Connect America Fund et al., WC Docket No. 10-90 et 
al., Report and Order, Order and Order on Reconsideration and Further 
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, 31 FCC Rcd 3087 (2016). The Commission 
has received OMB approval for most of the information collections 
required by these orders. At a later date, the Commission plans to 
submit additional revisions for OMB review to address other reforms 
adopted in the orders (e.g., 47 CFR 54.313(a)(6)).
    More recently, on August 23, 2016, the Commission adopted the 
Alaska Plan Order. See Connect America Fund et al., WC Docket Nos. 10-
90, 16-271; WT Docket No. 10-208, Report and Order and Further Notice 
of Proposed Rulemaking, 31 FCC Rcd 10139 (2016) (Alaska Plan Order). In 
that order, the Commission adopted a plan for providing Alaskan rate-
of-return carriers and competitive eligible telecommunications carriers 
(ETCs) the option to obtain a fixed level of funding for a defined term 
in exchange for committing to deployment obligations that are tailored 
to each Alaskan carrier's circumstances. ETCs receiving support 
pursuant to the Alaska Plan must comply with the Commission's existing 
high-cost reporting and oversight mechanisms, with certain exceptions 
and modifications.
    On July 7, 2017, the Commission adopted the ETC Reporting 
Streamlining Order. See Connect America Fund; ETC Annual Reports and 
Certifications, WC Docket Nos. 10-90, 14-58, Report and Order, 32 FCC 
Rcd 5944 (2017) (ETC Reporting Streamlining Order). In that order, the 
Commission streamlined the annual reporting requirements for ETCs by 
eliminating rules duplicative of other reporting requirements or that 
are no longer necessary.
    Further, since the previous filing deadline associated with this 
collection, changing circumstances have made filing certain information 
no longer necessary or required under the rules. For instance, the 
final Connect America Phase I incremental support deployment deadlines 
were in early 2017, so there are no longer any reporting obligations 
associated with that support.
    Moreover, because the Connect America Phase II challenge process 
has ended, the Commission removed Form 505 from this collection. The 
Commission also moved FCC Form 507, FCC Form 508, FCC Form 509 and the 
accompanying instructions to information collection 3060-0233.
    The Commission therefore revises this information collection, as 
well as Form 481 and its accompanying instructions, to reflect these 
new or modified requirements. The Commission also implemented a number 
of non-substantive changes to the Form 481 and accompanying 
instructions. Any increased burdens for particular reporting 
requirements are associated with ETCs newly subject to those 
requirements as a condition of receiving high-cost support.

Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene Dortch,
Secretary, Office of the Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2018-15171 Filed 7-16-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6712-01-P