[Federal Register: January 14, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 9)] [Notices] [Page 2493-2494] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr14ja99-66] ======================================================================= ----------------------------------------------------------------------- FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION Public Information Collections Approved by Office of Management and Budget January 7, 1999. 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.: 3060-0875. Expiration Date: 06/30/99. Title: Long-Term Portability Cost Classification Proceeding, CC Docket No. 95-116, MO&O, RM 8535 and Telephone Number Portability, CC Docket No. 95-116, 3rd R&O. Form No.: N/A. Respondents: Business or other for-profit; Estimated Annual Burden: 67 respondents; 85.5 hours per response (avg.); 5729 total annual burden hours for all collections. Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost Burden: $0. Frequency of Response: On occasion. Description: In the Third Report and Order, the Commission implements, for long-term number portability costs, the statutory requirement that all telecommunications carriers bear the costs of number portability on a competitively neutral basis, as set forth in Section 251(e)(2) of the Telecommunications Act of 1996. In the Third Report and Order, the Commission determined that all carriers would bear and recover their own carrier-specific costs directly related to providing number portability. For incumbent local exchange carriers (LECs) that wish to recover their carrier-specific costs directly related to providing long-term number portability, the Third Report and Order requires them to use a federally tariffed, monthly number- portability charge that will apply to end users for no longer than five years. In addition, the Third Report and Order delegated authority to the Common Carrier Bureau to determine appropriate methods for apportioning joint costs among portability and nonportability services, and to issue any orders to provide guidance for incumbent LECs before they file their tariffs and cost support. The Common Carrier Bureau's Cost Classification Order requires incumbent LECs to include many details in their cost support that are unique to the number portability proceeding. For instance, incumbent LECs must demonstrate that any incremental overhead costs claimed in their cost support are actually new costs incremental to and resulting from the provision of long-term number portability. The incumbent LECs' end-user charge will begin no earlier than February 1, 1999. To obtain an effective date for their end-user charges of February 1, 1999, incumbent LECs may file their tariffs and cost support information by January 15, 1999. Incumbent LECs that want to recover their carrier-specific costs directly related to providing long-term number portability from their end users will file federal end-user charge tariffs and cost support with the Commission. As part of the tariff proceeding, the Commission will collect detailed information on the incumbent LECs' cost support for the tariffs. The Commission will use this information to ensure that the end-user charge recovers the incumbent LECs' costs of implementing and providing number portability in a competitively neutral manner. Incumbent LECs will file the tariffs and cost support for their end- user charge electronically. The Commission has established a program of mandatory electronic filing of tariffs and associated documents by LECs. These carriers must file tariffs and associated documents electronically in accordance with the requirements established by the Bureau. Obligation to respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. OMB Control No.: 3060-0877. Expiration Date: 07/31/99. Title: 1999 Central Office Code Utilization Survey (COCUS). Form No.: N/A. Respondents: Business or other for-profit; Estimated Annual Burden: 2900 respondents; 9 hours per response (avg.); 26,100 total annual burden hours for all collections. Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost Burden: $0. Frequency of Response: On occasion. Description: In the past, the administration of the telecommunications numbering resource in the United States was performed by AT&T, and later by Bellcore. The Telecommunications Act of 1996 gave the Commission exclusive jurisdiction over those portions of the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) which pertain to the United States. The Act also provided that the Commission could delegate this jurisdiction to states or other entities. The Commission has, in fact, delegated the administration of the NANP to a neutral administrator, Lockheed Martin IMS. Historically, the administrator collected data regarding the use of the telecommunications numbering resource through a form called the Central Office Code Utilization Survey (COCUS). Lockheed Martin IMS is planning to send out the first COCUS since it assumed its duties as the NANP administrator. The North American Numbering Plan (NANP) is currently experiencing an unprecedented amount of growth of area codes. Adding area codes imposes costs not only on the telecommunications industry, but also on consumers. The proposed COCUS seeks information not only on the number of central office codes assigned to carriers, but also on the amount of individual numbers assigned to consumers from the central office codes. This information will assist the Commission in determining methods to help alleviate some of the costs associated with the addition of new area codes. Authority: 47 U.S.C. 251(e)(1). The increasing strain on the NANP, as evidenced through the rapid increase in the rate of introduction of new area codes, requires that the Commission take an active role in seeking solutions to slow the rate of number exhaust. The information collected will be used to better inform the Commission of the scope of the number exhaust problem, and which solutions may provide the greatest impact in different areas of the [[Page 2494]] country. Obligation to respond: Voluntary. Public reporting burden for the collections 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 Evaluation and Records Management, Washington, DC 20554. Federal Communications Commission. Magalie Roman Salas, Secretary. [FR Doc. 99-836 Filed 1-13-99; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6712-01-P