[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 16 (Wednesday, January 25, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4823-4824]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-01462]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[OMB 3060-0233; FR ID 123311]


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, 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 27, 
2023. 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, (202) 418-2991.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    OMB Control Number: 3060-0233.
    Title: Part 54--Rate-of-Return Carrier Universal Service Reporting 
Requirements.
    Form Number: FCC Form 507, FCC Form 508 and FCC Form 509.
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit.
    Number of Respondents and Responses: 1,095 respondents; 4,044 
responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: 1-22 hours.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion and annual reporting 
requirements.
    Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. 
Statutory authority for this information collection is contained in 47 
U.S.C. 151-154, 214, 218-220, 221(c), 254, and 303(r).
    Total Annual Burden: 43,638 hours.
    Total Annual Cost: No Cost.
    Privacy Act Impact Assessment: No impact(s).
    Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: No assurance of 
confidentiality has been given regarding the information. However, 
respondents may request materials or information submitted to the 
Commission be withheld from public inspection under 47 CFR 0.459 of the 
FCC's rules.
    Needs and Uses: In order to determine which carriers are entitled 
to universal service support, all rate-of-return regulated (rate-of-
return) incumbent local exchange carriers (LECs) must provide the 
National Exchange Carrier Association (NECA) with the loop cost and 
loop count data required by section 54.1305 for each of its study areas 
and, if applicable, for each wire center as that term is defined in 47 
CFR part 54. See 47 CFR 54.1305 and 54.5. The loop cost and loop count 
information is to be filed annually with NECA by July 31st of each 
year, and may be updated occasionally pursuant to section 54.1306. See 
47 CFR 54.1306. Pursuant to section 54.1307, the information filed on 
July 31st of each year will be used to calculate universal service 
support for each study area and is filed by NECA with the Commission on 
October 1 of each year. See 47 CFR 54.1307. An incumbent LEC is defined 
as a carrier that meets the definition of ``incumbent local exchange 
carrier'' in section 51.5 of the Commission's rules. See 47 CFR 51.5.
    In March 2016, the Commission adopted the Rate-of-Return Reform 
Order to continue modernizing the universal service support mechanisms 
for rate-of-return carriers. The Rate-of-Return Reform Order replaced 
the Interstate Common Line Support (ICLS) mechanism with the Connect 
America Fund--Broadband Loop Support (CAF-BLS) mechanism. While ICLS 
supported only lines used to provide traditional voice service 
(including voice service bundled with broadband service), CAF-BLS also 
supports consumer broadband-only loops. In March 2016, the Commission 
adopted the Rate-of-Return Reform Order to continue modernizing the 
universal service support mechanisms for rate-of-return carriers. The 
Rate-of-Return Reform Order

[[Page 4824]]

replaced the Interstate Common Line Support (ICLS) mechanism with the 
Connect America Fund--Broadband Loop Support (CAF-BLS) mechanism. While 
ICLS supported only lines used to provide traditional voice service 
(including voice service bundled with broadband service), CAF-BLS also 
supports consumer broadband-only loops. For the purposes of calculating 
and monitoring CAF-BLS, rate-of-return carriers that receive CAF-BLS 
must file common line and consumer broadband-only loop counts on FCC 
Form 507, forecasted common line and consumer broadband-only loop costs 
and revenues on FCC Form 508, and actual common line and consumer 
broadband-only loop costs and revenues on FCC Form 509. See 47 CFR 
54.903(a).
    In December 2018, the Commission adopted the December 2018 Rate-of-
Return Reform Order to require rate-of-return carriers that receive 
Alternative Connect American Model (A-CAM) or Alaska Plan support to 
file line count data on FCC Form 507 as a condition of high-cost 
support. Historically, all rate-of-return carriers received CAF BLS or, 
prior to that, ICLS, and were required to file line count data on FCC 
Form 507 as a condition of that support. In recent years, some rate-of-
return carriers have elected to receive A-CAM I, A-CAM II, or Alaska 
Plan instead, and those carriers were not required to file line count 
data because the requirement to file applied only to rate-of-return 
carriers receiving CAF BLS. In order to restore a data set that the 
Commission relied on to evaluate the effectiveness of its high-cost 
universal service programs, the Commission revised its rules in that 
Order to require all rate-of-return carriers to file that data. While 
carriers receiving CAF-BLS must file the line count data on March 31 
for line counts as of the prior December 31, the A-CAM I, A-CAM II, and 
Alaska Plan carriers will be required to file on July 1 of each year to 
coincide with other existing requirements in OMB Control No. 3060-0986. 
Connect America Fund et al., WC Docket No. 10-90  Report and Order, 
Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and Order on Reconsideration, 33 
FCC Rcd 11893 (2018) (2018 Rate-of-Return Reform Order). See also 47 
CFR 54.313(f)(5).

Federal Communications Commission.
Katura Jackson,
Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 2023-01462 Filed 1-24-23; 8:45 am]
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