Notice2024-19911
Information Collection Being Submitted for Review and Approval to Office of Management and Budget
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
September 5, 2024
Issuing agencies
Federal Communications Commission
Abstract
As part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork burdens, as required by the Paperwork Reduction 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. Pursuant to the Small Business Paperwork Relief Act of 2002, the FCC seeks specific comment on how it might "further reduce the information collection burden for small business concerns with fewer than 25 employees." The Commission may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 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 OMB control number.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 172 (Thursday, September 5, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 172 (Thursday, September 5, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 72399-72401]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-19911]
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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
[OMB 3060-0233; FR ID 242032]
Information Collection Being Submitted for Review and Approval to
Office of Management and Budget
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,
as required by the Paperwork Reduction 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. Pursuant to the Small Business
Paperwork Relief Act of 2002, the FCC seeks specific comment on how it
might ``further reduce the information collection burden for small
business concerns with fewer than 25 employees.'' The Commission may
not conduct or sponsor a collection of information unless it displays a
currently valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 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 OMB control number.
DATES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed
information collection should be submitted on or before October 7,
2024.
ADDRESSES: Comments should be sent to <a href="http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain">www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain</a>. Find this particular information collection by selecting
``Currently under 30-day Review--Open for Public Comments'' or by using
the search function. Your comment must be submitted into
<a href="http://www.reginfo.gov">www.reginfo.gov</a> per the above instructions for it to be considered. In
addition to submitting in <a href="http://www.reginfo.gov">www.reginfo.gov</a> also send a copy of your
comment on the proposed information collection to Nicole Ongele, FCC,
via email to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#d585879495b3b6b6fbb2baa3"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="beeeecfffed8dddd90d9d1c8">[email protected]</span></a> and to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#e1af88828e8d84cfae8f86848d84a1878282cf868e97"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="efa1868c80838ac1a081888a838aaf898c8cc1888099">[email protected]</span></a>. Include in the
[[Page 72400]]
comments the OMB control number as shown in the SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION below.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information or copies
of the information collection, contact Nicole Ongele at (202) 418-2991.
To view a copy of this information collection request (ICR) submitted
to OMB: (1) go to the web page <a href="http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain">http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain</a>, (2) look for the section of the web page called ``Currently
Under Review,'' (3) click on the downward-pointing arrow in the
``Select Agency'' box below the ``Currently Under Review'' heading, (4)
select ``Federal Communications Commission'' from the list of agencies
presented in the ``Select Agency'' box, (5) click the ``Submit'' button
to the right of the ``Select Agency'' box, (6) when the list of FCC
ICRs currently under review appears, look for the Title of this ICR and
then click on the ICR Reference Number. A copy of the FCC submission to
OMB will be displayed.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: As part of its continuing effort to reduce
paperwork burdens, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of
1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520), the FCC invited the general public and
other Federal Agencies to take this opportunity to comment on the
following information collection. 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 estimates; (c) ways to enhance the quality,
utility, and 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 collection techniques or
other forms of information technology. Pursuant to the Small Business
Paperwork Relief Act of 2002, Public Law 107-198, see 44 U.S.C.
3506(c)(4), the FCC seeks specific comment on how it might ``further
reduce the information collection burden for small business concerns
with fewer than 25 employees.''
OMB Control Number: 3060-0233.
Title: Part 54--Rate-of-Return Carrier Universal Service Reporting
Requirements; Waiver of Local Exchange Carrier Study Area Boundary
Changes.
Form Number: FCC Form 507, FCC Form 508 and FCC Form 509.
Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
Respondents: Business or other for-profit.
Number of Respondents and Responses: 1,098 respondents; 3,627
responses.
Estimated Time per Response: 1-22 hours.
Frequency of Response: Annual reporting requirements.
Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits.
Statutory authority for this information collection is contained in 47
U.S.C. 151-154, 214, 218-220, 221(c), 254, and 303(r).
Total Annual Burden: 34,404 hours.
Total Annual Cost: No Cost.
Needs and Uses: In order to determine which carriers are entitled
to universal service support, all rate-of-return regulated (rate-of-
return) incumbent local exchange carriers (LECs) must provide the
National Exchange Carrier Association (NECA) with the loop cost and
loop count data required by section 54.1305 for each of its study areas
and, if applicable, for each wire center as that term is defined in 47
CFR part 54. See 47 CFR 54.1305, 54.5. The loop cost and loop count
information is to be filed annually with NECA by July 31st of each
year. See 47 CFR 54.1305. Pursuant to section 54.1307, the information
filed on July 31st of each year will be used to calculate universal
service support for each study area and is filed by NECA with the
Commission on October 1 of each year. See 47 CFR 54.1307. An incumbent
LEC is defined as a carrier that meets the definition of ``incumbent
local exchange carrier'' in section 51.5 of the Commission's rules. See
47 CFR 51.5.
In March 2016, the Commission adopted the Rate-of-Return Reform
Order to continue modernizing the universal service support mechanisms
for rate-of-return carriers. Connect America Fund et al., Report and
Order et al., 31 FCC Rcd 3087 (2016) (Rate-of-Return Reform Order). The
Rate-of-Return Reform Order replaced the Interstate Common Line Support
(ICLS) mechanism with the Connect America Fund--Broadband Loop Support
(CAF-BLS) mechanism. Id. at 3117-57, paras. 80-187. While ICLS
supported only lines used to provide traditional voice service
(including voice service bundled with broadband service), CAF-BLS also
supports consumer broadband-only loops. Id. at 3157-62, paras. 188-204.
For the purposes of calculating and monitoring CAF-BLS, rate-of-return
carriers that receive CAF-BLS must file common line and consumer
broadband-only loop counts on FCC Form 507, forecasted common line and
consumer broadband-only loop costs and revenues on FCC Form 508, and
actual common line and consumer broadband-only loop costs and revenues
on FCC Form 509. See 47 CFR 54.903(a).
In December 2018, the Commission adopted the December 2018 Rate-of-
Return Reform Order to require rate-of-return carriers that receive
Alternative Connect American Model (A-CAM) or Alaska Plan support to
file line count data on FCC Form 507 as a condition of high-cost
support. Connect America Fund et al., WC Docket No. 10-90 et al.,
Report and Order, Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and Order on
Reconsideration, 33 FCC Rcd 11893 (2018) (2018 Rate-of-Return Reform
Order). Historically, all rate-of-return carriers that received CAF-BLS
or, prior to that, ICLS, were required to file line count data on FCC
Form 507 as a condition of that support but Rate-of-return carriers
that had elected to receive A-CAM I, A-CAM II, or Alaska Plan instead
were not. Id. at 11937, para. 148. In order to restore a data set that
the Commission relied on to evaluate the effectiveness of its high-cost
universal service programs, the Commission revised its rules in that
Order to require all rate-of-return carriers to file that data. See id.
at 11937, para. 51. While carriers receiving CAF-BLS must file the line
count data on March 31 for line counts as of the prior December 31, the
A-CAM I, A-CAM II, and Alaska Plan carriers will be required to file on
July 1 of each year to coincide with other existing requirements in OMB
Control No. 3060-0986. 47 CFR 54.903(a)(1), 54.313(f)(5).
On October 20, 2023, the Commission made changes to rate-of-return
reporting rules by eliminating optional unseparated loop cost data
quarterly updates. Connect America Fund et al., WC Docket No. 10-90 et
al. WT Docket No. 10-208, Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and Report and
Order, FCC 23-87 at 79-80, paras. 181-82 (Oct. 20, 2023). In addition,
the Commission amended section 36.4 of the Commission's rules, 47 CFR
36.4, to require local exchange carriers seeking a change in study area
boundaries to submit a petition for waiver of these boundary changes
notwithstanding any prior exemptions from such waiver requests
including, but not limited to, when a company is combining previously
unserved territory with one of its study areas or a holding company is
consolidating existing study areas within the same state. See id. at
176-180, paras. 77-79. The Commission therefore proposes to revise this
information collection.
[[Page 72401]]
Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene Dortch,
Secretary, Office of the Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2024-19911 Filed 9-4-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P
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