Notice of Public Information Collection(s) submitted to OMB for Review and Approval

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

Notice of Public Information Collection(s) submitted to OMB for

Review and Approval

September 23, 1998.

SUMMARY: The Federal Communications Commission, as part of its

continuing effort to reduce paperwork burden invites the general public

and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on the

following information collection(s), as required by the Paperwork

Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13. An agency 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

Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) that does not display a valid control

number. Comments are requested concerning: (a) 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; (b) the accuracy of the Commission's

burden estimate; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, clarity of

the information collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the

collection of information on the respondents, including the use of

automated information techniques or other forms of information

technology.

DATES: Written comments should be submitted on or before October 30,

1998. If you anticipate that you will be submitting comments, but find

it difficult to do so within the period of

[[Page 52269]]

time allowed by this notice, you should advise the contact listed below

as soon as possible.

ADDRESSES: Direct all comments to Les Smith, Federal Communications,

Room 234, 1919 M St., N.W., Washington, DC 20554 or via internet to

[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information or copies

of the information collections contact Les Smith at 202-418-0217 or via

internet at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

OMB Approval Number: 3060-0823.

Title: Pay Telephone Reclassification Memorandum Opinion and Order,

CC Docket No. 96-28.

Form Number: N/A.

Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.

Respondents: Business and other for-profit entities.

Number of Respondents: 400.

Estimated Time Per Response: 2-35 hours/request.

Frequency of Response: Recordkeeping. Annual, quarterly, monthly,

one time, and on occasion reporting requirements; Third party

disclosure.

Total Annual Burden: 44,700 hours.

Cost to Respondents: $480,000 ($600 filing fee/submission).

Needs and Uses: In the Payphone Orders, the FCC adopted new rules

and policies governing the payphone industry to implement Section 276

of the Telecommunications Act of 1996. Those rules and policies in part

established a plan to ensure fair compensation for ``each and every

completed intrastate and interstate call using [a] payphone.''

Specifically, the Commission established a plan to ensure that payphone

service providers (PSPs) were compensated for certain noncoin calls

originated from their payphones. As part of this plan, the Commission

required that by October 7, 1997, LECs provide payphone-specific coding

digits to PSPs, and that PSPs provide those digits from their payphones

to IXCs. The provision of payphone-specific coding digits is a

prerequisite to payphone per-call compensation payments to IXCs to PSPs

for subscriber 800 and access code calls. The Common Carrier Bureau, on

its own motion, subsequently provided a waiver until March 9, 1998, for

those payphones for which the necessary coding digits were not provided

to identify calls. In a Memorandum Opinion and Order (MO&O) (released

March 9, 1998), we clarify the requirements established in the Payphone

Orders for the provision for payphone-specific coding digits and for

tariffs that LECs must file pursuant to the Payphone Orders. We also

grant a waiver of Part 69 of the Commission's rules so that local

exchange carriers (LECs) can establish rate elements to recover the

costs of implementing FLEX-ANI to provide payphone-specific coding

digits for per-call compensation. The Commission in the Memorandum

Opinion and Order, therefore, is effecting the following collections of

information made in regard to information disclosures required in the

Payphone Orders to implement Section 276 of the Act. The collection

requirements are as follows: (a) LEC Tariff to provide FLEX ANI to

IXCs: The MO&O requires that LECs implement FLEX ANI to comply with the

requirements set forth in the Payphone Orders. LECs must provide to

IXCs through their interstate tariffs, FLEX ANI service so that IXCs

can identify which calls come from a payphone. LECs (and PSPs) must

provide FLEX ANI to IXCs without charge for the limited purpose of per-

call compensation, and accordingly, LECs providing FLEX ANI must revise

their interstate tariffs to reflect FLEX ANI as a nonchargeable option

to IXCs no later than March 30, 1998, to be effective no later than

April 15, 1998, in those areas that it is available. (b) LEC Tariff to

recover costs: LECs must file a tariff to establish a rate element in

their interstate tariffs to recover their costs from PSPs for providing

payphone-specific coding digits to IXCs. This tariff must reflect the

costs of implementing FLEX ANI to provide payphone-specific coding

digits for payphone compensation, and provide for recovery of such

costs over a reasonable time period through a monthly recurring flat-

rate charge. LECs must provide cost support information for the rate

elements they propose. The Bureau will review these LEC rate element

tariff filings, the reasonableness of the costs, and the recovery

period. LECs will recover their costs over an amortization period of no

more than ten years. The rate element charges will discontinue when the

LEC has recovered its cost. (c) LECs must provide IXCs information on

payphones that provide payphone-specific coding digits for smart and

dumb payphones: LECs must provide IXCs information on the number and

location of smart and dumb payphones providing payphone-specific coding

digits, as well as the number of those that are not. (d) LECs must

provide IXCs and PSPs information on where FLEX ANI is available now

and when it is scheduled in the future: Within 30 days of the release

of the MO&O, LECs should be prepared to provide IXCs, upon request,

information regarding their plans to implement FLEX ANI by end office.

LECs must provide IXCs and PSPs information on payphones that provide

payphone-specific coding digits on end offices where FLEX ANI is

available, and where it is not, on a monthly basis. Pursuant to the

waivers in this order, LECs must also inform IXCs and PSPs proposed

dates for its availability. (e) For a waiver granted to small or

midsize LECs, a cost analysis must be provided, upon request: In the

MO&O, the Bureau grants a waiver to midsize and small LECs that will be

unable to recover the costs of implementing FLEX ANI in a reasonable

time period. LECs must make this evaluation within 30 days of the

release of the MO&O. The LEC must then notify IXCs that they will not

be implementing FLEX ANI pursuant to this waiver, and provide the

number of dumb payphones providing the ``27'' coding digit and the

number of smart phones for which payphone-specific coding digits are

unavailable. A LEC delaying the implementation of FLEX ANI pursuant to

this waiver provision, must be prepared to provide its analysis, if

requested by the Commission. The information disclosure rules and

policies governing the payphone industry to implement Section 276 of

the Act will ensure the payment of the per-call compensation by

implementing a method for LECs to provide information to IXCs to

identify calls, for each and every call made from a payphone.

Federal Communications Commission.

Magalie Roman Salas,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 98-26148 Filed 9-29-98; 8:45 am]

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