[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 116 (Monday, June 17, 2019)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 27973-27974]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-12749]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

47 CFR Part 54

[WC Docket Nos. 10-90, 14-58, 07-135, CC Docket No. 01-92; FCC 18-29]


Connect America Fund, ETC Annual Reports and Certifications, 
Establishing Just and Reasonable Rates for Local Exchange Carriers, 
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 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 Rate-of-Return Order, FCC 18-29. This document is 
consistent with the Rate-of-Return 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 amendment to Sec.  54.313(f)(4) published at 83 FR 18951, 
May 1, 2018, is effective June 17, 2019.

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 1, 2019, which were 
approved by OMB on June 10, 2019. The information collection 
requirements are contained in the Commission's Rate-of-Return Order, 
FCC 18-29 published at 83 FR 18951, May 1, 2018. The OMB Control Number 
is 3060-0986. The Commission publishes this document as an announcement 
of the effective date of the rules published May 1, 2018. 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 June 10, 2019, for the information collection requirements 
contained in 47 CFR 54.313(f)(4) published at 83 FR 18951, May 1, 2018. 
Under 5 CFR 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: June 10, 2019.
    OMB Expiration Date: June 30, 2022.
    Title: High-Cost Universal Service Support.
    Form Number: FCC Form 481 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; 11,977 
responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: 0.1-15 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: 51,080 hours.
    Total Annual Cost: No Cost.
    Privacy Act Impact Assessment: No impact(s).
    Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: The Commission notes that the 
Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) must preserve the 
confidentiality of all data obtained from respondents and contributors 
to the universal service support program mechanism; must not use the 
data except for purposes of administering the universal service 
program; must not use the data except for purposes of administering the 
universal support program; and must not disclose data in company-
specific form unless directed to do so by the Commission. Parties may 
submit confidential information in relation pursuant to a protective 
order. Also, respondents may request materials or information submitted 
to the Commission or to the Administrator believed confidential to be 
withheld from public inspection under 47 CFR 0.459 of the FCC's rules.
    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; 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,

[[Page 27974]]

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); 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); Connect America Fund; ETC 
Annual Reports and Certifications, WC Docket Nos. 10-90, 14-58, Report 
and Order, 32 FCC Rcd 5944 (2017). 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, in the 2018 Rate-of-Return Order, the Commission 
adopted a rule requiring rate-of-return ETCs receiving high-cost 
universal service support to identify on their annual FCC Form 481 
their cost consultants and cost consulting firm, or other third-party, 
if any, used to prepare financial and operations data disclosures used 
to calculate high-cost support for their submissions to the National 
Exchange Carrier Association, USAC, or the Commission. Connect America 
Fund et al., WC Docket No. 10-90 et al., Report and Order, Third Order 
on Reconsideration, and Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, FCC 18-29, at 
19-20, para. 42 (Mar. 23, 2018) (2018 Rate-of-Return Order). See also 
47 CFR 54.313(f)(4).
    The Commission therefore revises this information collection, as 
well as Form 481 and its accompanying instructions, to reflect this new 
requirement. 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.
Katura Jackson,
Federal Register Liaison Officer, Office of the Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2019-12749 Filed 6-14-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6712-01-P