65856 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 246 / Friday, December 21, 2001 / Rules and Regulations

* * * * *

[FR Doc. 01–31496 Filed 12–20–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6560–50–S

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS

COMMISSION

47 CFR Part 36

Federal-State Joint Board on Universal

Service

AGENCY: Federal Communications

Commission.

ACTION: Correcting amendment.

SUMMARY: This document contains

corrections to the final regulations in

the Fourteenth Report and Order, which

were published in the Federal Register

of Tuesday, June 5, 2001, 66 FR 30080.

Specifically, this correction revises the

language in section 36.605(c)(3)(ii) to

make it clear.

DATES: Effective January 22, 2002.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Greg

Guice, Attorney, Common Carrier

Bureau, Accounting Policy Division,

(202) 418–0095.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a

summary of the Commission’s TwentyThird Order on Reconsideration in CC

Docket No. 96–45 released on July 11,

2001. The full text of this document is

available for public inspection during

regular business hours in the FCC

Reference Center, Room CY–A257, 445

Twelfth Street, S.W., Washington, D.C.,

20554.

I. Introduction

1. In this document, the Commission

makes a correction to section

36.605(c)(3)(ii) of its rules adopted in

the Fourteenth Report and Order, 66 FR

30080, June 5, 2001. The correction

concerns the calculation of safety net

additive support in the years following

qualification for such support and is

necessary to make the rule consistent

with the text of the underlying order.

Specifically, this correction revises the

language in section 36.605(c)(3)(ii) to

make it clear that rural telephone

companies receive the lesser of either:

(1) the sum of capped support and the

safety net additive support in each year

or (2) uncapped support in each year

when the cap is not triggered.

Need for Correction

As published, the final regulations

contain errors which may prove to be

misleading and need to be clarified.

List of Subjects in 47 CFR Part 36

Communications common carriers,

Telephone.

Federal Communications Commission.

Magalie Roman Salas,

Secretary.

Accordingly, 47 CFR part 36 is

corrected by making the following

correcting amendment:

PART 36—JURISDICTIONAL

SEPARATIONS

1. The authority citation for part 36

continues to read as follows:

Authority: 47 U.S.C. §§ 151–154, 201–205,

218–220, 254, 303(r), 403, 405, and 410.

2. Section 36.605(c)(3)(ii) is revised to

read as follows:

§ 36.605 Calculation of safety net additive.

* * * * *

(c) * * *

(3) * * *

(ii) Continue to pay safety net additive

support in any of the four succeeding

years in which the total carrier loop

expense adjustment is limited by the

provisions of § 36.603. Safety net

additive support in the succeeding four

years shall be the lesser of:

(A) The sum of capped support and

the safety net additive support received

in the qualifying year;

or

(B) The rural telephone company’s

uncapped support.

* * * * *

[FR Doc. 01–31364 Filed 12–20–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6712–01–P

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS

COMMISSION

47 CFR Part 54

[CC Docket No. 96–45; FCC 01–321]

Federal-State Joint Board on Universal

Service; Petition for Reconsideration

Filed by the United States Telecom

Association

AGENCY: Federal Communications

Commission.

ACTION: Final rule, denial.

SUMMARY: In this document, the

Commission denies the request of the

United States Telecom Association to

reconsider portions of the Contribution

Interval Order modifying the

methodology used to assess

contributions that carriers make to the

federal universal service support

mechanisms.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Richard D. Smith, Attorney, Common

Carrier Bureau, Accounting Policy

Division, (202) 418–7400.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a

summary of the Commission’s Order on

Reconsideration in CC Docket No. 96–45

released on November 6, 2001. The full

text of this document is available for

public inspection during regular

business hours in the FCC Reference

Center, Room CY–A257, 445 Twelfth

Street, S.W., Washington, D.C., 20554.

I. Introduction

1. In this Order on Reconsideration,

we deny the request of the United States

Telecom Association (USTA) to

reconsider portions of the Contribution

Interval Order, 66 FR 16145, March 23,

2001, modifying the methodology used

to assess contributions that carriers

make to the federal universal service

support mechanisms. Specifically, we

deny USTA’s request to reconsider the

imposition of additional filing

requirements and the method of

calculating contributions from carriers

that either under-report or over-report

quarterly revenue. In so doing, we

affirm our prior conclusion that the

provision of sufficient and

competitively neutral funding for the

universal service support mechanisms

depends on the timely submission of

accurate revenue information from

contributors.

II. Discussion

2. We deny the request of USTA to

reconsider portions of the Contribution

Interval Order. We find that USTA has

raised no new issues or facts to

persuade us to reconsider the decisions

made in the Contribution Interval Order.

Specifically, we conclude that the

accurate submission of quarterly

revenue data is essential to ensure that

sufficient contributions are made to the

federal universal service support

mechanisms on a competitively neutral

basis. The Commission carefully

considered the implications of imposing

additional reporting requirements on

carriers in the Contribution Interval

Order and concluded that such

requirements were necessary. In

addition, we conclude that the method

adopted by the Commission of

calculating contributions from carriers

that under-report or over-report

revenues provides an appropriate

incentive for carriers to accurately

report quarterly revenues to USAC.

3. Reporting Requirements. We deny

USTA’s request to reconsider the

Commission’s decision to increase

carriers’ reporting requirements. USTA’s

petition raises no new arguments that

would convince us to reconsider the

conclusion that the benefits of

substantially reducing the contribution

interval outweigh any increased