[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 8 (Thursday, January 11, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1916-1917]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-00379]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[OMB 3060-1046; FR ID 196008]


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

[[Page 1917]]

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.

DATES: Written PRA comments should be submitted on or before March 11, 
2024. 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: 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.
    OMB Control Number: 3060-1046.
    Title: Part 64, Modernization of Payphone Compensation Rules, et 
al., WC Docket No. 17-141, et al.
    Form Number: N/A.
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit.
    Number of Respondents and Responses: 216 respondents; 1,456 
responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: 0.50-122 hours.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion, one-time, and quarterly 
reporting requirements; third party disclosure requirements; and 
recordkeeping 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 and 276.
    Total Annual Burden: 22,524 hours.
    Total Annual Cost: No cost.
    Needs and Uses: Section 276 of the Communications Act, as amended 
(the Act), requires that the Federal Communications Commission 
(Commission or FCC) establish rules ensuring that payphone service 
providers or PSPs are ``fairly compensated'' for each and every 
completed payphone-originated call. The Commission's Payphone 
Compensation Rules satisfy section 276 by identifying the party liable 
for compensation and establishing a mechanism for PSPs to be paid. A 
2003 Report and Order (FCC 03-235) established detailed rules (Payphone 
Compensation Rules) ensuring that payphone service providers or PSPs 
are ``fairly compensated'' for each and every completed payphone-
originated call pursuant to section 276 of the Communications Act, as 
amended (the Act), which the Commission revised in a 2018 Report and 
Order (FCC 18-21). The Payphone Compensation Rules satisfy section 276 
by identifying the party liable for compensation and establishing a 
mechanism for PSPs to be paid. The Payphone Compensation Rules: (1) 
place liability to compensate PSPs for payphone-originated calls on the 
facilities-based long distance carriers or switch-based resellers 
(SBRs) from whose switches such calls are completed; (2) define these 
responsible carriers as ``Completing Carriers'' and require them to 
develop their own system of tracking calls to completion; (3) require 
Completing Carriers to file with PSPs a quarterly report and also 
submit an attestation by a company official, including but not limited 
to the chief financial officer (CFO), that the payment amount for that 
quarter is accurate and is based on 100% of all completed calls; (4) 
require quarterly reporting obligations for other facilities-based long 
distance carriers in the call path, if any, and define these carriers 
as ``Intermediate Carriers;'' and (5) give parties flexibility to agree 
to alternative compensation arrangements (ACA) so that small Completing 
Carriers may avoid the expense of instituting a tracking system. The 
revisions adopted in the 2018 Report and Order significantly decreased 
the paperwork burden on carriers.

Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene Dortch,
Secretary, Office of the Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2024-00379 Filed 1-10-24; 8:45 am]
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