Public Information Collections Approved by Office of Management and Budget

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

Public Information Collections Approved by Office of Management

and Budget

July 2, 1997.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has received Office of

Management and Budget (OMB) approval for the following public

information collections pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act of

1995, Public Law 104-13. An agency may not conduct or sponsor and a

person is not required to respond to a collection of information unless

it displays a currently valid control number. For further information

contact Shoko B. Hair, Federal Communications Commission, (202) 418-

1379.

Federal Communications Commission

OMB Control No.: 3060-0770.

Expiration Date: 06/30/2000.

Title: Price Cap Performance Review for Local Exchange Carriers--CC

Docket No. 94-1.

Form No.: N/A.

Estimated Annual Burden: 13 respondents; 10 hours per response

(avg.); 130 total annual burden hours for all collections.

Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost Burden: $0.

Frequency of Response: On occasion.

Description: In the Third Report and Order in CC Docket 94-1, the

Commission is modifying its filing requirement for incumbent price cap

Local Exchange Carriers (LECs) who propose to offer new switched access

services. We no longer require an incumbent LEC to introduce a new

service by filing a waiver under Part 69 of the Commission's rules.

Instead, incumbent LECs will be able to file a petition for the new

service based on a public interest standard. After the first incumbent

LEC has satisfied the public interest requirement for establishing new

rate elements for a new switched access service, other incumbent price

cap LECs can file petitions seeking authority to introduce identical

rate elements for identical new services, and their petitions will be

reviewed within ten days. The Commission also eliminates the lower

service band indices. By doing so, an incumbent price cap LEC no longer

has to file a waiver to set its rates below the lower service band

indices, but may instead simply adjust its rates downward. The

information collected would be submitted to the Commission by an

incumbent LEC for use in determining whether it is in the public

interest for the incumbent LEC to offer a proposed new switched access

service. Your response is required to obtain or retain benefits.

OMB Control No.: 3060-0756.

Expiration Date: 06/30/2000.

Title: Procedural Requirements and Policies for Commission

Processing Bell Operating Company Applications for the Provision of In-

Region, interLATA Services Under Section 271 of the Communications Act.

Form No.: N/A.

Estimated Annual Burden: 75 respondents; 242 hours per response

(avg.); 18,160 total annual burden hours for all collections.

Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost Burden: $0.

Frequency of Response: On occasion.

Description: In a Public Notice (FCC 96-469), the Commission

establishes various procedural requirements and policies relating to

the Commission's policies of Bell Operating Company (BOC) applications

to provide in-region, interLATA services pursuant to section 271 of the

Communications Act of 1934, as amended. Section 271 provides for

applications on a state by state basis. BOCs must file applications

which provide information on which the applicant intends to rely in

order to satisfy the requirements of section 271. The applications will

contain two parts, which include: (1) a stand-alone document entitled

Brief in Support of Application by [Bell company name] for Provision of

In-region, InterLATA Services in [State name] and (2) any supporting

documentation. The Brief in Support will contain a concise summary of

substantive arguments presented in the Brief, a statement identifying

all of the agreements that the applicant has entered into pursuant to

negotiations and/or arbitration under section 252, a statement

identifying how the applicant meets the requirements of section

271(c)(1), a statement summarizing the status and findings of the

relevant State proceedings (if any) examining the applicant's

compliance with section 271, a statement describing the efforts the

applicant has made to meet with likely objectors to narrow the issues

in dispute, and all factual and legal arguments that the three

requirements of section 271(d)(3) have been met. The supporting

documentation will contain, at a minimum, the complete public record of

the relevant State proceedings (if any) examining the applicant's

compliance with section 271, records of interconnection agreements,

affidavits, etc. The requirements of section 272(c)(2) will be met with

this supporting documentation. (Number of respondents: 7; annual hour

burden per respondent: 120 hours per application (approximately 7

applications per respondent); total annual burden: 5880 hours). State

regulatory commission will file written consultations relating to the

applications not later than approximately 20 days after the issuance of

an Initial Public Notice establishing specific due dates for various

filings. (Number of respondents: 49 annual hour burden per respondent:

120 hours; total annual burden: 5880). Interested third parties may

file comments on the applications not later than approximately 20 days

after the issuance of the Initial Public Notice. (Number of

respondents: 75; annual hour burden per respondent: 20 total annual

burden: 1500). The Department of Justice will file written

consultations relating to the applications not later than approximately

35 days after the issuance of the Initial Public Notice. (Number of

respondents: 1; annual hour burden per respondent 100 hours per state;

total annual burden is 4900). All of the requirements would be used to

ensure that BOCs have complied with their obligations under the

Communications Act of 1934, as amended, before being authorized to

provide in-region, interLATA services pursuant to section 271. Your

response is mandatory.

OMB Control No.: 3060-0774.

Expiration Date: 09/30/97.

Title: Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service--CC Docket

No. 96-45, 47 CFR Sections 36.611-36.612 and 47 CFR Part 54.

Form No.: N/A.

Estimated Annual Burden: 5,565,451 respondents; 3.1 hours per

response (avg.); 1,784,220 total annual burden hours for all

collections.

Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost Burden: $0.

[[Page 36513]]

Frequency of Response: On occasion, annually, one-time

requirements.

Description: Congress directed the Commission to implement a new

set of universal service support mechanisms that are explicit and

sufficient to advance the universal service principles enumerated in

Section 254 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 and such other

principles as the Commission believes are necessary and appropriate for

the protection of the public interest, convenience and necessity, and

are consistent with the Act. In the Report and Order issued in CC

Docket No. 96-45, the Commission adopts rules that are designed to

implement the universal service provisions of section 254.

Specifically, the Order addresses: (1) universal service principles;

(2) services eligible for support; (3) affordability; (4) carriers

eligible for universal service support; (5) support mechanisms for

rural, insular, and high cost areas; (6) support for low-income

consumers; (7) support for schools, libraries, and health care

providers; (8) interstate subscriber line charge and common line cost

recovery; and (9) administration of support mechanisms. The reporting

and recordkeeping requirements contained in CC Docket No. 96-45 are

designed to implement Section 254 and are listed below. The reporting

and recordkeeping requirements are necessary to ensure the integrity of

the program. All the collections are necessary to implement the

congressional mandate for universal service. The reporting and

recordkeeping requirements are necessary to verify that the carriers

and other respondents are eligible to receive universal service

support. Your response is mandatory.

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

Hours Total

Rule Section/Title (47 CFR Section) per annual

response burden

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

a. 36.611(a) and 36.612--Submission and Updating

information to NECA............................... 20 26,800

b. 54.101(c)--Demonstration of exceptional

circumstances for toll-limitation grace period.... 50 100

c. 54.201(b)(c)--Submission of eligibility criteria 1 3,400

d. 54.201(d)(2)--Advertisement of services and

charges........................................... 50 65,000

e. 54.205(a)--Advance notice of relinquishment of

universal service................................. .5 50

f. 54.207(c)(1)--Submission of proposal for

redefining a rural service area................... 125 6,250

g. 54.307(b)--Reporting of expenses and number of

lines served...................................... \1\ 2.5 4,100

h. 54.401(b) (1)-(2)--Submission of disconnection

waiver request.................................... 2 100

i. 54.401(d)--Lifeline certification to the

Administrator..................................... 1 1,300

j. 54.407(c)--Lifeline recordkeeping............... 80 104,000

k. 54.409 (a)-(b)--Consumer qualification for

Lifeline.......................................... \2\ 5 440,000

l. 54.409(b)--Consumer notification of Lifeline

discontinuance.................................... \2\ 5 44,000

m. 54.413(b)--Link Up recordkeeping................ 80 104,000

n. 54.501(d)(4) and 54.516--Schools & Libraries

recordkeeping..................................... \1\ 41 372,000

o. 54.504 (b)-(c), 54.507(d) and 54.509(a)--

Description of services requested & certification. 2 100,000

p. 54.601(b)(4) and 54.609(b)--Calculating support

for health care providers......................... 100 340,000

q. 54.601(b)(3) and 54.619--Shared facility record-

keeping........................................... \1\ 21 160,000

r. 54.607(b) (1)-(2)--Submission of proposed rural

rate.............................................. 3 150

s. 54.603(b)(1), 54.615 (c)-(d) and 54.623(d)--

Description of services requested and

certification..................................... 1 12,000

t. 54.619(d)--Submission of rural health care

report............................................ 40 40

u. 54.701(f)(1) and (f)(2)--Submission of annual

report and CAM.................................... 40 40

v. 54.701(g)--Submission of quarterly report....... 10 40

w. 54.707--Submission of state commission

designation....................................... .25 850

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

\1\ Average. \2\ Minutes.

Public reporting burden for the collection of information is as

noted above. Send comments regarding the burden estimate or any other

aspect of the collections of information, including suggestions for

reducing the burden to Performance Evaluation and Records Management,

Washington, D.C. 20554.

Federal Communications Commission.

William F. Caton,

Acting Secretary.

[FR Doc. 97-17889 Filed 7-7-97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6712-01-U