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

October 16, 1998.

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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 November 23,

1998. 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 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: 3060-0168.

Title: Section 43.43, Reports of Proposed Changes in Depreciation

Rates.

Form Number: N/A.

Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.

Respondents: Business and other for-profit entities.

Number of Respondents: 11.

Estimated Time Per Response: 6,000 hours.

Frequency of Response: Recordkeeping; On occasion reporting

requirements.

Total Annual Burden: 66,000 hours.

Cost to Respondents: None.

Needs and Uses: Section 220(b) of the Communications Act of 1934

(the Act), as amended (47 U.S.C. Section 220(b)), states that the FCC

may prescribe depreciation charges for the subject carriers. Section

219 of the Act requires annual and other reports from the carriers.

Section 43.43 of the Commission's Rules (47 C.F.R. Section 43.43)

establishes the reporting requirements for depreciation prescription

purposes. Communication common carriers with annual operating revenues

of $112 million or more that the Commission has found to be dominant

must file information specified in Sec. 43.43 before making any change

in the depreciation rates applicable to their operating plant. Section

220 also allows the Commission, in its discretion, to prescribe the

forms of any and all accounts, records, and memoranda to be kept by

carriers subject to the Act, including the accounts, records, and

memoranda of the movement of traffic, as well as receipts and

expenditures of monies.

The Communication Act, as amended, seeks to develop efficient

competition by opening all telecommunications markets through a pro-

competitive, deregulatory national policy framework. To that end,

Section 11 of the Act requires the Commission, in every even-numbered

year beginning in 1998, to review its regulations applicable to

providers of telecommunications service to determine whether the

regulations are no longer necessary in the public interest as a result

of meaningful economic competition between providers of such service

and whether such regulations should be repealed or modified.

In the attached NPRM, the Commission proposes to reduce or

streamline further our depreciation prescription process by permitting

summary filings and eliminating the prescription of depreciation rates

for incumbent LECs, provided that the carrier uses depreciation factors

that are within the ranges adopted by the Commission, expanding the

prescribed range for the digital switching plant account, and

eliminating salvage from the depreciation process. We also seek comment

on whether we should permit carriers to set their own depreciation

rates if they are willing to waive the automatic low-end adjustment.

These proposed modifications are designed to minimize the reporting

burden on carriers and to provide incumbent LECs with a greater

flexibility to adjust their depreciation rates while allowing the

commission to maintain adequate oversight.

If we remove net salvage from the depreciation process, we should

create a new account 6566, Net cost of removal, to record both salvage

receipts

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and removal costs incurred. We also tentatively conclude that we revise

Secs. 32.3100, Accumulated depreciation, and 32.2000, Instructions for

telecommunications plant accounts, to eliminate the provisions that

salvage and cost removal be recorded in the depreciation reserve

account. We also request comment on whether we should require carriers

to keep subsidiary record categories in Account 6566 for salvage and

cost of removal. If adopted, these proposals may have an impact on OMB

control number 3060-0370. However, at this time we do not believe that

the impact will be significant.

Federal Communications Commission.

Magalie Roman Salas,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 98-28316 Filed 10-21-98; 8:45 am]

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