[Federal Register: December 29, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 249)]
[Rules and Regulations]               
[Page 72956]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr29de99-26]                         

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

47 CFR Parts 36 and 54

[CC Docket No. 96-45; FCC 99-306]

 
Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Final rule; announcement of effective date.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: This document announces the effective date of the rules 
governing its existing support mechanism to ensure that support for 
rural carriers is not substantially changed when non-rural carriers are 
removed from that mechanism and transitioned to the new forward-looking 
support mechanism. The document was published in the Federal Register 
on December 1, 1999. Some of the rules contained information collection 
requirements.

DATES: The amendments to 47 CFR 36.611(h), 36.612, 54.307(b), (c), 
54.309(c), 54.311(c), and 54.313 published at 64 FR 67416 (December 1, 
1999) became effective on December 15, 1999.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jack Zinman, Attorney, Common Carrier 
Bureau, Accounting Policy Division, (202) 418-7400.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On October 21, 1999, the Commission adopted 
an order adopting a new specific and predictable forward-looking 
mechanism that will provide sufficient support to enable affordable, 
reasonably comparable intrastate rates for customers served by non-
rural carriers. That document also addressed specific methodological 
issues relating to the calculation of forward-looking support, 
including the area over which costs should be averaged; the level of 
the national benchmark; the amount of support to be provided for costs 
above the national benchmark; the elimination of the state share 
requirement; and the targeting of the statewide support amount. A 
summary was published in the Federal Register. See 64 FR 67416, 
December 1, 1999. Some of the rules contained information collection 
requirements. We stated that the ``rules contain information 
collections that have not been approved by the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB). The Commission will publish a document in the Federal 
Register announcing the effective date of these rules.'' The 
information collections were approved by OMB on December 2, 1999. See 
OMB Nos. 3060-0233, 3060-0774 and 3060-0894. This publication satisfies 
our statement that the Commission would publish a document announcing 
the effective date of the rules. It also modifies the rules governing 
our existing support mechanism to ensure that support for rural 
carriers is not substantially changed when non-rural carriers are 
removed from that mechanism and transitioned to the new forward-looking 
support mechanism.

List of Subjects

47 CFR Part 36

    Reporting and recordkeeping requirements, Telephone.

47 CFR Part 54

    Universal service.

Federal Communications Commission.
William F. Caton,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 99-33767 Filed 12-28-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-U