[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 126 (Thursday, June 29, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40093-40097]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-16525]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION


Public Information Collections Approved by Office of Management 
and Budget

June 23, 2000.
    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.: 3060-0943
    Expiration Date: 12/31/2000
    Title: 47 CFR Section 54.809, Carrier Certification
    Form No.: N/A
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 27 respondents; 1.5 hours per response 
(avg.).; 40.5 total annual burden hours.
    Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost Burden: $0.

[[Page 40094]]

    Frequency of Response: Annually.
    Description: Section 54.809 of the Commission's rules requires each 
price cap or competitive local exchange carrier that wishes to receive 
universal service support to file an annual certification with the 
Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) and the Commission. The 
certification must state that the carrier will use its interstate 
access universal service support only for the provision, maintenance, 
and upgrading of facilities and service for which the support is 
intended. The Commission and USAC will use the certifications to ensure 
that carriers comply with section 254(e) of the Telecommunications Act 
by using the interstate access universal service support only for the 
provision, maintenance, and upgrading of facilities and service for 
which the support is intended. Obligation to respond: Required to 
obtain or retain benefits.
    OMB Control No.: 3060-0463
    Expiration Date: 06/30/2003
    Title: Telecommunications Services for Individuals with Hearing and 
Speech Disabilities and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, 47 
CFR Part 64 (Sections 64.601-64.605).
    Form No.: N/A.
    Respondents: Business or other for profit; State, Local or Tribal 
Government.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 5052 respondents; 5.31 hours per response 
(avg). 26,832 total annual burden hours.
    Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost Burden: $0.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion; Annually; Every five years; 
Recordkeeping; Third Party Disclosure.
    Description: In a Report and Order issued in CC Docket 98-67, 
released March 6, 2000, the Commission amended the rules governing the 
delivery of telecommunications relay services (TRS) to expand the kinds 
of relay services available to consumers and to improve the quality of 
relay services. The Commission clarified some of the requirements in an 
Order on Reconsideration issued in CC Docket 98-67, released June 5, 
2000. Title IV of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), 
which is codified at section 225 of the Communications Act of 1934, as 
amended requires the Commission to ensure that TRS is available, to the 
extent possible and in the most efficient manner, to individuals with 
hearing and speech disabilities in the United States. Section 225 
defines relay service to be a telephone transmission service that 
provides the ability for an individual with a hearing or speech 
disability to engage in communication by wire or radio with a hearing 
individual in a manner functionally equivalent to someone without such 
a disability. Section 225 requires the Commission to ensure that 
interstate and intrastate relay services are available throughout the 
country and to establish regulations to ensure the quality of relay 
service. To fulfill this mandate, the Commission first issued rules in 
1991. The rules are found at 47 CFR 64.601-64.605. Following are the 
information collection requirements contained in the rules approved by 
OMB.
    Section 64.604(c)(1) requires states to maintain a log of consumer 
complaints including all complaints about TRS in the state, whether 
filed with the TRS provider or the State, and must retain the log until 
the next application for certification is granted. The log shall 
include, at a minimum, the date the complaint was filed, the nature of 
the complaint, the date of resolution, and an explanation of the 
resolution. Summaries of logs must be submitted annually to the 
Commission. (No. of respondents: 52 respondents; hours per response: 2 
hours; total annual burden: 104 hours). Pursuant to Section 
64.604(c)(2) states must submit to the Commission a contact person or 
office for TRS consumer information and complaints about intrastate 
TRS. Providers of interstate TRS must submit to the Commission a 
contact person or office for TRS consumer information and complaints 
about the provider's service. This submission must include, at a 
minimum, the name and address of the office that receives complaints, 
grievances, inquiries and suggestions, voice and TTY telephone numbers, 
fax number, e-mail address, and physical address to which 
correspondence should be sent. (No. of respondents: 52 respondents; 
hours per response: 1 hour; total annual burden: 52 hours). Pursuant to 
47 CFR 64.604(b)(2) TRS providers must answer 85% of all relay calls 
within 10 seconds by a CA prepared to place the TRS call at the time. 
The calculation of whether a provider is in compliance with the ``85-10 
rule'' must be performed on at least a daily basis. (No. of 
respondents: 31 respondents; hours per response: 365 hours; total 
annual burden: 11,315 hours). Pursuant to 47 CFR 64.604(a)(2), STS CAs 
may retain information from a particular call in order to facilitate 
the completion of consecutive calls, at the request of the user. The CA 
may retain the information only for as long as it takes to complete the 
subsequent calls. Relay providers must offer STS users the option to 
maintain at the relay center a list of names and telephone numbers 
which the STS users call. When the STS users requests one of these 
names, the CA must repeat the name and state the telephone number to 
the STS users. See 47 CFR 64.604(a)(7). Pursuant to Section 
64.604(b)(6), relay providers shall electronically capture recorded 
messages and retain them for the length of the call. See 47 CFR 
64.604(b)(6). (No. of respondents: 31; hours per response: 1 hour; 
total annual burden: 31 hours). 47 CFR 64.604(c)(3) requires carriers, 
through publications in their directories, periodic billing inserts, 
placement of TRS instructions in telephone directories, through 
directory assistance services, and incorporation of TTY numbers in 
telephone directories, shall assure that callers in their service areas 
are aware of the availability and use of all forms of TRS. (No. of 
respondents: 5,000 respondents: hours per response: 1 hour; total 
annual burden: 5,000 hours). 47 CFR 64.604(c)(iii)(5)(C) requires TRS 
providers to provide the administrator with true and adequate data 
necessary to determine TRS fund revenue requirements and payments. TRS 
providers must provide the following: total TRS minutes of use, total 
interstate TRS minutes of use, total TRS operating expenses and total 
TRS investment in general accordance with Part 32 and other historical 
or projected information reasonably requested by the administrator for 
purposes of computing payments and revenue requirements. (No. of 
respondents: 13; hours per response: 3 hours; total annual burden; 39 
hours). Pursuant to 47 CFR 64.604(c)(iii)(5)(E), in addition to the 
data required under paragraph (c)(5)(ii)(C) all TRS providers, 
including providers who are not interexchange carriers, local exchange 
carriers, or certified state relay providers, must submit reports of 
interstate TRS minutes of use to the administrator in order to receive 
payments. TRS providers receiving payments shall file a form prescribed 
by the administrator. (No. of respondents: 13; hours per response: 4 
hours; total annual burden: 52 hours). 47 CFR 64.604(c)(iii)(5)(F) 
lists TRS providers who are eligible for receiving payments from the 
TRS fund. These providers must notify the administrator of their intent 
to participate in the TRS Fund thirty days prior to submitting reports 
of TRS interstate minutes of use in order to receive payment 
settlements for interstate TRS. Failure to file may exclude the TRS 
provider from eligibility for the year. (See 47 CFR 
64.604(c)(iii)(5)(G)). Payments will only be made to eligible TRS 
providers operating in compliance with the mandatory minimum standards 
set forth

[[Page 40095]]

in section 64.604. (No. of respondents: 13; hours per response: .166 
hours; total annual burden: 2.16 hours). 47 CFR 64.604(c)(6)(v)(3) 
requires TRS providers to file with the Commission a statement 
designating an agent or agents whose principal responsibility will be 
to receive all complaints, inquiries, orders, decisions, and notices 
and other pronouncements forwarded by the Commission. Such designation 
shall include a name or department designation, business address, 
telephone number (voice and TTY), facsimile number and, if available, 
internet e-mail address. (No. of respondents: 32; hours per response: 
.50 hours; total annual burden: 16 hours). 47 CFR 64.604(c)(7) requires 
that all future contracts between the TRS administrator and the TRS 
vendor shall provide for the transfer of TRS customer profile data from 
the outgoing TRS vendor to the incoming TRS vendor. Such data must be 
disclosed in usable form at least 60 days prior to the provider's last 
day of service provision. (No. of respondents: 31 respondents; hours 
per response: 1 hour; total annual burden: 31 hours). 47 CFR 
64.604(c)(6) establishes complaint procedures for TRS. The Commission 
modified its TRS complaints procedures by adopting informal complaint 
process for TRS complaints. The principal objective of the informal 
mechanism is to afford consumers and affected companies non-adversarial 
opportunities to resolve issues or concerns without expending the time, 
effort and money typically associated with our formal adjudicatory 
proceedings. The Commission retains its existing TRS complaint 
procedures as an option for consumers desiring formal adjudication of a 
complaint. (No. of respondents: 22; hours per response 5 hours; total 
annual burden: 110 hours). 47 CFR 64.605 describes the state 
certification procedures by which states may apply to assert 
jurisdiction over the provisions of intrastate TRS. States desiring to 
establish such jurisdiction are required to submit to the Commission 
documentation describing the program and the procedures and remedies 
available for enforcing any requirements imposed by that state program. 
The request must be submitted in narrative form, by the office of the 
governor or other delegated executive office of the state empowered to 
provide TRS. States applying for certification must submit 
documentation which: (1) Establishes that they meet or exceed all 
operational, technical, and functional minimum standards contained in 
Section 64.604; (2) establishes that the program makes available 
adequate procedures and remedies for enforcing the requirements of the 
state program; and (3) where a state program exceeds the mandatory 
minimum standards, the state must establish that its program in no way 
conflicts with federal law. Initial TRS certifications were issued on 
July 26, 1993. State certification remains in effect for five years, 
unless the certification is suspended or revoked (see 47 CFR 64.605). 
One year prior to the expiration of certification, a state may apply 
for renewal of its certification. (No. of respondents: 50; hours per 
response: 160 hours; total annual burden: 8000 hours). States are 
required to send written notification of substantive changes within 60 
days of when they occur. A substantive change includes the replacement 
of the state program's TRS vendor, the opening of the state program to 
allow multiple vendors, any change in the underlying state statutes or 
regulations governing the state TRS program, and any change in the 
state program's current technology to provide TRS. (No. of respondents: 
52; hours per response: 40 hours; total annual burden: 2080 hours). All 
the collections of information are promulgated pursuant to section 225 
of the ADA which requires that the Commission ensures that 
telecommunications relay services are available to persons with hearing 
and speech disabilities in the United States. Information submitted to 
notify the Commission of substantive change to a certified state 
program will be used to determine whether the program is still 
certifiable under federal requirements. Also, as a condition of 
certification, the Commission will review the information submitted to 
notify the Commission of state's complaint procedures. These 
submissions address the concerns from TRS users that state programs are 
not providing sufficient information to consumers on their complaint 
and grievance options. The information submitted in the complaint logs 
will substantially help consumers and the Commission monitor the 
service quality of the relay service providers and the effectiveness of 
the state TRS programs by enabling the Commission to begin a dialogue 
with a particular state on particular issues or problems and enabling 
states to communicate with one another to learn how similar complaints 
have been resolved by other states. Obligation to respond: Mandatory.
    OMB Control No.: 3060-0370
    Expiration Date: 06/30/2003
    Title: Part 32--Uniform System of Accounts for Telecommunications 
Companies
    Form No.: N/A
    Respondents: Business or other for profit.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 239 respondents; 9540 hours per response 
(avg.); 2,280,080 total annual burden hours.
    Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost Burden: $0.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion; Recordkeeping.
    Description: The Uniform System of Accounts is a historical 
financial accounting system which reports the results of operational 
and financial events in a manner which enables both management and 
regulators to assess these results within a specified accounting 
period. Subject respondents are telecommunications companies. Entities 
having annual revenues from regulatory telecommunications operations of 
less than $100 million are designated as Class B and are subject to a 
less detailed accounting system than those designated as Class A 
companies. Section 220 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended 
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 this Act, including the accounts, records and memoranda of the 
movement of traffic, as well as of the receipts and expenditures of 
moneys. Section 219(b) authorizes the Commission by general or special 
orders to require any carrier subject to this Act to file monthly 
reports of earnings and expenses and to file periodical and/or special 
reports concerning any matters with respect to which the Commission is 
authorized or required by law to act. The information recorded in Part 
32 accounts is used by the Commission to ensure that carriers meet a 
host of regulatory reporting requirements that depend on the consistent 
and accurate recordkeeping and reporting of accounting information. 
Obligation to respond: Mandatory.
    OMB Control No.: 3060-0168
    Expiration Date: 06/30/2003
    Title: Reports of Proposed Changes in Depreciation Rates--Section 
43.43.
    Form No.: N/A
    Respondents: Businesses or other for profit.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 10 respondents; 4000 hours per response 
(avg.); 40,000 total annual burden hours.
    Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost Burden: $0.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion; Recordkeeping.
    Description: Section 220(b) of the Communications Act of 1934, as 
amended, states that the Commission may prescribe depreciation charges 
for

[[Page 40096]]

the subject carriers. Section 219 of the Act requires annual and other 
reports from the carriers. Section 43.43 of the Commission's Rules 
establishes the reporting requirements for the 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 section 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 moneys. In CC Docket No. 98-137, released 
December 30, 1999, the Commission streamlined the depreciation 
requirements for price cap incumbent local exchange carriers. For 
example, carriers will be required to file four summary exhibits, along 
with the underlying data used to generate them, and must provide the 
depreciation factors (i.e., life, salvage, curve shape, depreciation 
reserve) required to verify the calculation of the carriers' 
depreciation reserve. Mid-sized carriers are no longer required to file 
theoretical reserve studies. Certain price cap incumbent LECs in 
certain instances may request a waiver of the depreciation prescription 
process. The Commission also issued a Further Notice of Proposed 
Rulemaking in which it solicited public comment on additional changes 
to the depreciation requirements that could be eliminated for price-cap 
carriers in a manner that serves the public interest. The information 
filed is used by the Commission to establish proper depreciation rates 
to be charged by the carriers, pursuant to section 220(b) of the Act. 
The information serves as the basis for depreciation analyses made by 
the Common Carrier Bureau in establishing the depreciation rates. 
Obligation to respond: Mandatory.
    OMB Control No.: 3060-0734
    Expiration Date: 06/30/2003
    Title: Accounting Safeguards, CC Docket No. 96-150 (47 USC Sections 
260, 271-276 and 47 CFR Sections 53.209, 53.211 and 53.213)
    Form No.: SEC 10-K
    Respondents: Businesses or other for profit.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 27 respondents; 6391 hours per response 
(avg.); 172,560 total annual burden hours.
    Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost Burden: $632,500.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion; Biennially; Annually; 
Recordkeeping; Third Party Disclosure.
    Description: In a Report and Order issued in CC Docket No. 96-150, 
the Commission addressed the accounting safeguards necessary to satisfy 
the requirements of Sections 260 and 271 through 276 of the 
Telecommunications Act of 1996. The Report and Order prescribed the way 
incumbent local exchange carriers (ILECs), including the Bell Operating 
Companies (BOCs), must account for transactions with affiliates 
involving, and allocate costs incurred in the provision of, both 
regulated telecommunications services and nonregulated services, 
including telemessaging, interLATA telecommunications and information 
services, telecommunications equipment and CPE manufacturing and 
others. The Commission concluded that when an electronic publishing 
separated affiliate already files a Form 10-K with the SEC, the 
separated affiliate may file the same Form 10-K with the Commission 
within 90 days after the end of the separated affiliate's fiscal year 
to satisfy section 274(f) of the 1996 Act. For each separated affiliate 
not subject to the SEC's Form 10-K requirement, the Commission 
concludes that the separated affiliate must also file a Form 10-K 
following the same filing requirements. In CC Docket No. 98-81, 
released June 30, 1999, the Commission modified the holding in the 
Report and Order and concluded that the information contained in the 
limited version of the SEC Form 10-K, with certain modifications, is 
sufficient to enable the Commission to monitor electronic publishing 
affiliates' compliance with the section 274 requirements. The 
Commission modified the limited Form 10-K filing requirements to 
exclude Item 5 and include Item 10. The required information enables 
the Commission to ensure that the subscribers to regulated 
telecommunications services to not bear the costs of these new 
nonregulated services and that transactions between affiliates and 
carriers will be at prices that do not ultimately result in unfair 
rates being charged to ratepayers. Obligation to respond: Mandatory.
    OMB Control No.: 3060-0395
    Expiration Date: 6/30/2003
    Title: The ARMIS USOA Report; The ARMIS Service Quality Report; and 
The ARMIS Infrastructure Report.
    Form Nos.: FCC 43-02; FCC 43-05; FCC 43-07.
    Respondents: Business or other for profit.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 50 respondents; 587.3 hours per response 
(avg.).; 29,366 total annual burden hours.
    Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost Burden: $0.
    Frequency of Response: Annually.
    Description: The USOA Report provides the annual results of the 
carriers' activities for each account of the Uniform System of 
Accounts. (No. of respondents: 50 respondents; hours per response: 
295.4 hours; total annual burden: 14,770 hours). The Service Quality 
Report 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. (Recordkeeping requirement--
No. of respondents: 12; hours per response: 844 hours; total annual 
hours: 10,128 hours. Reporting requirement: No. of respondents: 12; 
hours per response: 5.7 hours; total annual burden: 68.4 hours). The 
Infrastructure Report provides switch deployment and capabilities data. 
(No. of respondents: 8; hours per response: 550 hours; total annual 
burden: 4400 hours). Section 220 of the Communications Act of 1934, as 
amended, allows the Commission, at its discretion, to prescribe the 
forms of any and all accounts, records and memoranda to be kept by 
carriers subject to this Act, including the accounts, records and 
memoranda of the movement of traffic, as well as the receipts and 
expenditures of moneys. Section 219(b) authorizes the Commission by a 
general or special order to require any carrier subject to this Act to 
file monthly reports concerning any matters for which the Commission is 
authorized, or required by law, to act. The information collected in 
the reports provides the necessary detail to enable this Commission to 
fulfill its regulatory responsibilities. Automated reporting of these 
data greatly enhances the Commission's ability to process and analyze 
the extensive amounts of data it needs to administer its rules. ARMIS 
facilities the timely and efficient analysis of revenue requirements, 
rates of return and price caps, and provides an improved basis for 
auditing and other oversight functions. It also enhances the 
Commission's ability to quantify the effects of policy proposals. 
Obligation to respond: Mandatory. 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

[[Page 40097]]

Evaluation and Records Management, Washington, DC 20554.

Federal Communications Commission.
Magalie Roman Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 00-16525 Filed 6-28-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P