Public Information Collections Approved by Office of Management and Budget

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

Public Information Collections Approved by Office of Management

and Budget

March 24, 1998.

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.: 3060-0823.

Expiration Date: 09/30/98.

Title: Pay Telephone Reclassification Memorandum Opinion and Order,

CC Docket No. 96-128.

Form No.: N/A.

Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities.

Estimated Annual Burden: 400 respondents; 111.7 hours per response

(avg.); 44,700 total annual burden hours.

Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost Burden: $0.

Frequency of Response: On occasion, monthly, quarterly, annually,

one-time.

Description: In the Payphone Orders, the Commission 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 establish 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 by 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 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 local

exchange carriers (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. (No. of

respondents: 400; hours per response: 35 hours; total annual burden:

14,000 hours.) 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. (No. of

respondents: 400; hours per response: 35 hours; total annual burden

14,000 hours.) 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. (No. of respondents: 400; hours

per response: 24 hours; total annual burden: 9600 hours.) d. LECs must

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

and when it is to be 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

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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. (No. of

respondents: 400; hours per response: 16 hours; total annual burden:

6400 hours.) 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.

(No. of respondents: 20; hours per response: 35 hours; total annual

burden: 700 hours.) The information disclosure rules and policies

governing the payphone industry to implement Section 276 of the Act

will ensure the payment of 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. The Bureau has reviewed

several methods of identifying payphone calls and determined that among

them, FLEX ANI is the most flexible and has the added capability of

providing a number of additional coding digits, in real-time, that can

uniquely identify a call as coming from a payphone. FLEX ANI is,

therefore, the best method. Obligation to respond: required.

OMB Control No.: 3060-0512.

Expiration Date: 09/30/98.

Title: The ARMIS Annual Summary Report.

Form No.: FCC Report 43-01.

Respondents: Businesses or other for profit entities.

Estimated Annual Burden: 150 respondents; 220 hours per response

(avg.); 33,000 total annual burden hours.

Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost Burden: $0.

Frequency of Response: Annually.

Description: The ARMIS Annual Summary Report contains financial and

operating data and is used to monitor the local exchange carrier

industry and to perform routine analyses of costs and revenues on

behalf of the Commission. Obligation to respond: Mandatory.

OMB Control No.: 3060-0395.

Expiration Date: 09/30/98.

Title: Automated Reporting and Management Information Systems

(ARMIS)--Sections 43.21 and 43.22.

Form No.: FCC Reports 43-02, 43-03, 43-05.

Respondents: Business or other for profit.

Estimated Annual Burden: 50 respondents; 1252.7 hours per response

(avg.); 62,637 total annual hours.

Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost Burden: $0.

Frequency of Response: Annually.

Description: FCC Report 43-02 contains company-wide data for each

account specified in the Uniform System of Accounts (USOA). It provides

the annual operating results of the carriers' activities for every

account in the USOA. (No. of respondents: 50; hours per response: 960

hours; total annual burden: 48,000 hours). FCC Report 43-05 collects

data at the study area level and holding company level and is designed

to capture trends in service quality under price cap regulation. It

provides service quality information in the areas of interexchange

access service installation and repair intervals, local service

installation and repair intervals, trunk blockage and total switch

downtime for price cap companies. (No. of respondents: 12; hours per

response: 849 hours; total annual burden: 10,197.4 hours). FCC Report

43-07 is designed to capture trends in telephone industry

infrastructure development under price cap regulation. It provides

switch deployment and capabilities data. (No. of respondents: 8; hours

per response: 550 hours; total annual burden: 4400 hours). Obligation

to comply: Mandatory.

OMB Control No.: 3060-0513.

Expiration Date: 09/30/98.

Title: ARMIS Joint Cost Report.

Form No.: FCC Report 43-03.

Respondents: Business or other for profit.

Estimated Annual Burden: 150 respondents; 200 hours per response

(avg.); 30,000 total annual hours.

Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping: $0.

Frequency of Response: Annually.

Description: The Joint Cost Report is needed to administer our

joint cost rules (Part 64) and to analyze the regulated and

nonregulated cost and revenue allocations by study area in order to

prevent cross-subsidization of nonregulated operations by the regulated

operations.

OMB Control No.: 3060-0511.

Expiration Date: 09/30/98.

Title: ARMIS Access Report.

Form No.: FCC Report 43-04.

Estimated Annual Burden: 150 respondents; 1,150 hours per response

(avg.); 172,500 total annual hours.

Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost Burden: $0.

Frequency of Response: Annually.

Description: The Access Report is needed to administer the results

of the FCC's jurisdictional separations and access charge procedures in

order to analyze revenue requirements, joint cost allocations,

jurisdictional separations and access charges. Obligation to comply:

Mandatory.

OMB Control No.: 3060-0763.

Expiration Date: 09/30/98.

Title: The ARMIS Customer Satisfaction Report.

Form No.: FCC Report 43-06.

Respondents: Businesses or other for profit entities.

Estimated Annual Burden: 8 respondents; 7200 hours per response

(avg.); 5,760 total annual burden hours.

Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost Burden: $0.

Frequency of Response: Annually.

Description: The Customer Satisfaction Report collects data from

carrier surveys designed to capture trends in service quality.

Obligation to comply: Mandatory.

OMB Control No.: 3060-0496.

Title: The ARMIS Operating Data Report.

Form No.: FCC Report 43-08.

Respondents: Businesses or other for profit entities.

Estimated Annual Burden: 50 respondents; 160 hours per response

(avg.); 8,000 total annual burden hours.

Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost Burden: $0.

Frequency of Response: Annually.

Description: The ARMIS Operating Data Report consists of

statistical schedules which are needed by the Commission to monitor

network growth, usage, and reliability. Obligation to comply:

Mandatory.

ARMIS was implemented to facilitate the timely and efficient

analysis of revenue requirements and rate of return, to provide an

improved basis for audits and other oversight functions, and to enhance

the Commission's ability to quantify the effects of alternative policy.

The information contained in the reports provides the necessary detail

to enable the Commission to fulfill its regulatory responsibilities.

Automated reporting of these data greatly enhances

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the Commission's ability to process and analyze the extensive amounts

of data it needs to administer its rules. All the reports have been

updated to reflect the new expiration date. Copies of the updated

reports may be obtained from Barbara Van Hagen of the Accounting and

Audits Division at 2000 L Street, N.W., Washington, D.C., Room 812.

Call 202-418-0849.

OMB Control No.: 3060-0439.

Expiration Date: 03/31/2001.

Title: Regulations Concerning Indecent Communications By Telephone.

Form No.: N/A.

Respondents: Business or other for profit entities.

Estimated Annual Burden: 10,200 respondents; .16 hours per response

(avg). 1,632 total annual burden hours.

Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost Burden: $0.

Frequency of Response: On occasion.

Description: Section 223 of the Communications Act of 1934, as

amended, 47 U.S.C. Section 223, as amended by the Appropriations Act of

1990, Public Law 101-166, Sections 521, 103 Stat. 1192 (November 21,

1989), imposes fines and penalties on those who knowingly use the

telephone to make obscene or indecent communications for commercial

purposes. The fines and penalties are applicable to those who use the

telephone, or permit their telephone to be used, for obscene

communications to any person and to those who use the telephone for

indecent communications to persons under 18 years of age or to adults

without their consent. Section 223 requires telephone companies, to the

extent technically feasible, to prohibit access to indecent

communications from the telephone of a subscriber who has not

previously requested access. 47 C.F.R. 64.201 implements the statute.

The rules and regulations establish defenses to prosecution where the

defendant restricts access to the prohibited indecent communications to

persons 18 years of age or older by complying with the Commission's

procedures. Section 64.201 contains several information collection

requirements including: (1) A requirement that certain common carriers

block access to indecent messages unless the subscriber seeks access

from the common carrier (telephone company) in writing (no. of

respondents: 10,000; hours per response: 10 minutes; total annual

burden: 1600 hours); (2) a requirement that adult message service

providers notify their carriers of the nature of their programming (no.

of respondents: 100; hours per response: 10 minutes; total annual

burden: 16, hours); and (3) a requirement that a provider of adult

message services request that their carriers identify it as such in

bills to its subscribers (no. of respondents: 100; hours per response:

10 minutes; total annual burden: 16 hours). The information

requirements are imposed on carriers, adult message service providers

and those who solicit their services to ensure that minors are denied

access to material deemed indecent. If the information collections were

not imposed the Commission would not be able to carry out its

responsibilities as mandated in Section 223 of the Act. Obligation to

respond: required.

Public reporting burden for the collections 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.

Magalie Roman Salas,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 98-8153 Filed 3-26-98; 8:45 am]

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