[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 98 (Thursday, May 21, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27967-27969]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-13562]
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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
[CC Docket No. 96-45; DA 98-580]
Program To Monitor Impacts of Universal Service Support
Mechanisms
AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: On April 24, 1998, the Common Carrier Bureau issued a Public
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Notice to solicit comment on its proposed program to monitor the
impacts of universal service support mechanisms and to issue reports
documenting the results of that monitoring program. Previously, on May
8, 1997, the Commission released a Report and Order implementing
section 254 of the Communications Act, as amended, and creating a new
set of universal service support mechanisms. The Public Notice
describes a monitoring program, developed in consultation with the
states, and that will enable the public, the Commission, and other
policy makers to assess and evaluate the new universal service support
mechanisms.
DATES: Comments to the Public Notice are due on or before May 26, 1998.
Reply comments are due on or before June 10, 1998.
ADDRESSES: Comments and reply comments should be sent to the Office of
the Secretary, Federal Communications Commission, 1919 M Street, N.W.,
Suite 222, Washington, D.C. 20554, with a copy to Scott Bergmann of the
Common Carrier Bureau, Federal Communications Commission, 2033 M
Street, N.W., Suite 500, Washington, D.C. 20554. Parties should also
file one copy of any documents filed in this docket with the
Commission's copy contractor, International Transcription Services,
Inc. (ITS), 1231 20th St., NW, Washington, DC 20036, (202) 857-3800.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Thomas J. Beers, Deputy Chief of the
Industry Analysis Division, Common Carrier Bureau, at (202) 418-0952,
or Scott K. Bergmann, Industry Analysis Division, Common Carrier
Bureau, at (202) 418-7102.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a summary of the Bureau's Public
Notice released April 24, 1998 (DA 98-580). The full text of this
Public Notice is available for inspection and copying during normal
business hours in the FCC Reference Center, Room 239, 1919 M Street,
Washington, D.C. 20554. The complete text also may be purchased from
the Commission's copy contractor, International Transcription Service,
Inc. (202) 857-3800, 1231 20th St., NW, Washington, DC 20036.
Summary of The Public Notice
1. On May 8, 1997, the Commission released a Report and Order,
Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service, CC Docket No. 96-45,
FCC 97-157, (62 FR 32862, June 17, 1997) (hereafter Universal Service
Order), implementing section 254 of the Communications Act, as amended,
(47 U.S.C. Section 151 et seq.) and creating a new set of universal
service support mechanisms. In the Universal Service Order, the
Commission also decided to create a new program to monitor the
universal service support mechanisms and to issue reports documenting
the results of that monitoring program at least once a year. The
Commission delegated responsibility for creating this monitoring
program and for compiling the Monitoring Reports to the Common Carrier
Bureau (Bureau), in consultation with the state staff of the Universal
Service Joint Board. This Public Notice seeks comment on the proposed
monitoring program.
2. The Commission instructed the Bureau to issue publicly available
Monitoring Reports that are based on information provided by the
administrator of the universal service support mechanisms to the
Commission relating to the determination and amounts of payments made
and monies received with respect to the universal service support
mechanisms. With this guidance, the Commission delegated to the Bureau
discretion over the exact content and timing of the Monitoring Reports.
This Public Notice describes a monitoring program that we have
developed in consultation with the states and that will enable the
public, the Commission, and other policy makers, to assess and evaluate
the new universal service support mechanisms. We issue this Public
Notice to seek comment, particularly from those states, industry
participants, and other members of the public not actively involved in
CC Docket 96-45, on the proposed monitoring program. We note that, with
some exceptions described below, the data included in the proposed
Monitoring Reports are obtained pursuant to existing information
collections, and thus impose no new reporting requirements on carriers,
states, or any person other than the universal service administrator.
I. Background
3. In the 1996 Act, Congress adopted new section 254 of the
Communications Act, as amended, and articulated a new statutory basis
for federal universal service support mechanisms. Section 254 directs
the Commission and states to establish support mechanisms to ensure the
delivery of affordable telecommunications service to all Americans,
including low-income consumers, eligible schools and libraries, and
rural health care providers. The Commission, in the Universal Service
Order, set forth a plan to meet all of the statutory requirements and
to implement a universal service support system that will be
sustainable over time.
II. Proposal
4. The new monitoring program will document and assess three
aspects of the new universal service support mechanisms: (1) the
contribution of support to the universal service support mechanisms;
(2) the disbursement of support through the explicit universal service
support mechanisms; and, (3) various measures of the impacts of the
universal service support mechanisms. With respect to contributions, we
propose to receive and report data on the monies collected by the
administrator and to analyze the revenue data on which those
contributions are based. This information will provide one measure of
the overall size of the universal service support mechanisms.
Similarly, with respect to disbursements, we propose to receive and
report data on the monies distributed by the administrator and to
analyze the various data (concerning, for example, costs to provide
service in high cost areas, participation in low-income assistance
plans, and provision of services through the new schools and libraries
and rural health care support mechanisms) obtained by the administrator
in the course of making disbursements. Finally, we propose to collect
and report data on a number of measures (e.g., rates, penetration,
usage, quality of service, and infrastructure), as a means of
evaluating the effectiveness and efficiency of the universal service
support mechanisms.
5. As a general matter, we seek comment on the proposals set forth
in this Public Notice, including the organization, format, and content
of individual sections of the Monitoring Report. In particular, we
invite parties to address proposed additions to, or modifications of,
sections included in the previous Monitoring Reports, as well as the
proposed elimination of certain sections. We invite commenters to
identify any additional information that they believe should be
provided in the Monitoring Reports, and request that they explain why
it would be in the public interest to add such information to the
Monitoring Reports.
6. As we implement the new Monitoring Reports, we note that the
Commission has delegated to the Bureau the authority to administer the
monitoring program. Thus, the Bureau may change the content or timing
of the Monitoring Reports if it is necessary or desirable to do so. In
order to allow parties to submit, or review, materials and comments
concerning the monitoring program at any time, we
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have created a separate Bureau file number (CCB-IAD File No. 98-101)
for all pleadings concerning the monitoring program.
7. In addition, we seek comment on whether we should supplement the
Monitoring Report data on federal mechanisms with corresponding data on
state universal service mechanisms. One of the Commission's fundamental
goals in the Universal Service Order was to ``create sustainable and
harmonious federal and state methods of continuously fulfilling
universal service goals'' in cooperation with the Universal Service
Joint Board. If we were to include data on state universal service
support mechanisms in the Monitoring Reports, they would present a more
comprehensive picture of the impact of both federal and state universal
service support mechanisms on the industry and customers, materially
enhancing the usefulness of the monitoring program. We note, however,
that the federal universal service mechanisms are designed to address
that portion of the cost of providing telecommunications services that
is attributable to interstate service. Accordingly, and in light of
these universal service goals, we seek comment on whether it would be
appropriate, useful, and feasible to include state data in the
Monitoring Reports.
8. Given the close relationship between the Commission's previous
universal service support mechanisms and those new support mechanisms
outlined in the Universal Service Order, we propose to adopt the
structure and content of the past Monitoring Reports, i.e., those
issued in CC Docket 87-339, with modifications described herein. The
new Monitoring Reports, proposed in the Public Notice, contain eleven
sections, each described in the Public Notice. To address certain new
aspects of the universal service support mechanisms, we propose to add
four sections to the Monitoring Report. These new sections would report
data on: (1) contributions to the universal service support mechanisms
and accompanying industry revenue information; (2) the new rural health
care mechanism; (3) the new schools and libraries mechanism; and (4)
quality of service.
III. Procedural Issues
9. Procedures for Filing. Interested parties may file comments in
CC Docket No. 96-45 not later than May 26, 1998. Reply comments may be
filed not later than June 10, 1998. All filings should refer to the
pleadings as Program to Monitor Impacts of Universal Service Support
Mechanisms, CC Docket 96-45, CCB-IAD File No. 98-101. One original and
four copies of all comments must be sent to Magalie Roman Salas,
Secretary, Federal Communications Commission, 1919 M Street, NW.,
Washington, D.C. 20554. Two copies should also be sent to Ms. Terry
Conway, Industry Analysis Division, Common Carrier Bureau, 2033 M
Street, NW., Suite 500, Washington, D.C. 20554. Copies of documents
filed with the Commission may be obtained from the International
Transcription Service (ITS), 1231 20th Street, NW., Suite 140,
Washington, D.C. 20036, (202) 857-3800. Documents are also available
for review and copying at the Reference Center, Room 239, 1919 M
Street, NW., Washington, D.C., Monday, from 9:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and
Tuesday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., (202) 418-0270.
10. This proceeding is a non-restricted proceeding. See 47 CFR
1.1200(a), 1.1206. Accordingly, ex parte presentations are permitted,
provided that they are disclosed in conformance with the Commission's
ex parte rules.
11. Paperwork Reduction Act. We note that substantially all of the
data included in the proposed Monitoring Reports is obtained pursuant
to existing information collections that have previously been approved
by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), pursuant to the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law No. 104-13. We tentatively conclude
that certain proposals in this Public Notice might be subject to
approval by the OMB, pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act, since
they might impose new or modified collection requirements. Our analysis
indicates that the following proposals may require OMB approval: (1)
any collection of voluntarily submitted data from states concerning
state universal service mechanisms (See paragraph 9 of the Public
Notice); (2) any expansion of the Commission's local rate survey (See
paragraphs 37-38 of the Public Notice); and (3) collection of certain
usage data (See paragraph 43-45 of the Public Notice). All other
proposals associated with the program either require responses from
fewer than ten parties or are continuations of requirements that
already have OMB approval. We invite the general public to comment on
the new or modified information collections. Comments should address:
(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 collection of information on respondents,
including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of
information technology.
Federal Communications Commission.
Peyton L. Wynns,
Chief, Industry Analysis Division.
[FR Doc. 98-13562 Filed 5-20-98; 8:45 am]
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