[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 165 (Tuesday, August 26, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Page 45254]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-22549]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[CC Docket No. 87-313, FCC 97-168]


Policy Concerning Rates for Dominant Carriers

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: On May 30, 1997, the Commission released a Memorandum Opinion 
and Order (``Order'') establishing sufficient reporting requirements 
for incumbent local exchange carriers (ILEC's) to enable the Commission 
and the industry to monitor the service quality provided to ILEC's 
competitors. In the Order, we addressed the issues raised in the 
petitions filed by TCA, ICA, CFA and the ILECs. We also make 
modifications to our service quality and infrastructure reporting 
requirements consistent with the provisions of the Telecommunications 
Act of 1996 (``1996 Act'').

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Janice Jamison, Attorney/Advisor, 
Accounting and Audits Division, Common Carrier Bureau, (202) 418-2290.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 1996 Act requires that ``quality 
services should be available at just, reasonable and affordable 
rates.'' It also requires ILEC's to make available quality services to 
competing local exchange carriers (CLECs) without discrimination and 
with reasonable access to ILEC networks. Section 259 of the Act directs 
ILECs to make available, under certain conditions, public switched 
network infrastructure and other capabilities to qualifying carriers 
that are providing universal service outside the providing ILEC's 
telephone exchange. Additionally, Section 259 of the 1996 Act directs 
ILEC's to make available, under certain conditions, public switched 
network infrastructure and other capabilities to qualifying carriers 
that are providing universal service outside the area in which the ILEC 
providing the support operates. The Commission recognizes that local 
competition will begin through interconnection, resale, and 
infrastructure sharing. These methods involve facilities and services 
that ILEC's will provide to their competitors. For competition to 
flourish, there must be assurances that competitors receive the same 
level of service quality and facility maintenance that an incumbent 
carrier provides itself. A primary objective of this proceeding is to 
establish sufficient reporting requirements for ILEC's to enable the 
Commission and the industry to monitor the service quality provided to 
ILECs' competitors. Prior to the enactment of the 1996 Act, the Common 
Carrier Bureau (``Bureau'') released the Service Quality Modifications 
Order. In that Order, the Bureau deferred decisions about whether to 
modify the Automated Reporting Management Information System 
(``ARMIS'') reports that the Commission has used to monitor service 
quality of, and infrastructure development by, mandatory price cap 
carriers. Specifically, the Order deferred decisions on the 
modifications to ARMIS Reports 43-05, 43-06, and 43-07.
    ARMIS is an automated system developed in 1987 for collecting 
common carrier financial and operating information. Additional reports 
were added to the ARMIS system in 1991 specifically to monitor service 
quality and network infrastructure development under price cap 
regulation. Today, ARMIS consists of ten reports. Two of these ARMIS 
reports, the Service Quality Quarterly Report 43-05 and the Service 
Quality Semi-annual Report 43-06, originally filed four times a year 
have become annual filings as required by section 402(b)(2)(B) of the 
1996 Act. As modified the ARMIS Service Quality Report (43-05) collects 
data designed to capture trends in service quality under price cap 
regulation and improves and standardizes reporting requirements for 
this purpose. The ARMIS Service Quality Report (43-06) collects data 
designed to capture trends in service quality under price cap 
regulation. The ARMIS Report (43-07) collects data designed to capture 
trends in telephone industry infrastructure development under price cap 
regulation.

Federal Communications Commission.
William F. Caton,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 97-22549 Filed 8-25-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P