Accelerating Wireline Broadband Deployment by Removing Barriers to Infrastructure Investment, 66147-66148 [2018-27833]
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Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 246 / Wednesday, December 26, 2018 / Rules and Regulations
Estimated Time per Response: 0.5–4.5
hours.
Frequency of Response: On occasion
reporting requirements; recordkeeping;
third party disclosure requirements.
Obligation to Respond: Required to
obtain or retain benefits. Statutory
authority is contained in 47 U.S.C. 222
and 251.
Total Annual Burden: 575,448 hours.
Total Annual Cost: No cost(s).
Privacy Act Impact Assessment: No
impact(s).
Nature and Extent of Confidentiality:
The Commission is not requesting that
the respondents submit confidential
information to the FCC. Respondents
may, however, request confidential
treatment for information they believe to
be confidential under 47 CFR 0.459 of
the Commission’s rules.
Needs and Uses: The Commission is
not requesting that the respondents
submit confidential information to the
FCC. Respondents may, however,
request confidential treatment for
information they believe to be
confidential under 47 CFR 0.459 of the
Commission’s rules.
Needs and Uses: Section 251 of the
Communications Act of 1934, as
amended, 47 U.S.C. 251, is designed to
accelerate private sector development
and deployment of telecommunications
technologies and services by spurring
competition. Section 222(e) is also
designed to spur competition by
prescribing requirements for the sharing
of subscriber list information. These
information collection requirements are
designed to help implement certain
provisions of sections 222(e) and 251,
and to eliminate operational barriers to
competition in the telecommunications
services market. Specifically, these
information collection requirements
will be used to implement (1) local
exchange carriers’ (‘‘LECs’’) obligations
to provide their competitors with
dialing parity and non-discriminatory
access to certain services and
functionalities; (2) incumbent local
exchange carriers’ (‘‘ILECs’’) duty to
make network information disclosures;
and (3) numbering administration. The
revisions to this collection relate to
changes in one of many components of
the currently approved collection—
specifically, certain reporting,
recordkeeping and/or third-party
disclosure requirements under section
251(c)(5). In November 2017, the
Commission adopted new rules
concerning certain information
collection requirements implemented
under section 251(c)(5) of the Act,
pertaining to network change
disclosures. Most of the changes to
those rules applied specifically to a
VerDate Sep<11>2014
16:56 Dec 21, 2018
Jkt 247001
certain subset of network change
disclosures, namely notices of planned
copper retirements. In addition, the
changes removed a rule that prohibits
incumbent LECs from engaging in useful
advanced coordination with entities
affected by network changes. In June
2018, the Commission revised its
network change disclosure rules to (1)
revise the types of network changes that
trigger an incumbent LEC’s public
notice obligation, and (2) extend the
force majeure provisions applicable to
copper retirements to all types of
network changes. The changes are
aimed at removing unnecessary
regulatory barriers to the deployment of
high-speed broadband networks. The
Commission estimates that these
revisions do not result in any change to
the total annual burden hours or any
additional outlays of funds for hiring
outside contractors or procuring
equipment as the changes eliminate
notices that are subsumed by notice
obligations that remain in force or
simply codify procedures available to a
small number of incumbent LECs by
waiver orders.
Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene Dortch,
Secretary, Office of the Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2018–27834 Filed 12–21–18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712–01–P
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS
COMMISSION
47 CFR Part 63
[WC Docket No. 17–84; FCC 18–74]
Accelerating Wireline Broadband
Deployment by Removing Barriers to
Infrastructure Investment
Federal Communications
Commission.
ACTION: Final rule; announcement of
effective date.
AGENCY:
In this document, the
Commission announces that the Office
of Management and Budget (OMB) has
approved, for a period of three years, the
information collection associated with
the Commission’s discontinuance rules.
This document is consistent with the
Accelerating Wireline Broadband
Deployment by Removing Barriers to
Infrastructure Investment Second Report
and Order, FCC 18–74, which stated
that the Commission would publish a
document in the Federal Register
announcing the effective date of those
rules.
DATES: The amendments to 47 CFR
63.71(f), (h), (k) introductory text, (k)(1)
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00071
Fmt 4700
Sfmt 4700
66147
and (3), and (l), published at 83 FR
31659, July 9, 2018, are effective on
December 26, 2018.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Michele Levy Berlove, Special Counsel,
Wireline Competition Bureau, at (202)
418–1477, or by email at
Michele.Berlove@fcc.gov.
For additional information concerning
the Paperwork Reduction Act
information collection requirements,
contact Nicole Ongele at (202) 418–2991
or nicole.ongele@fcc.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This
document announces that, on December
6, 2018, OMB approved, for a period of
three years, the information collection
requirements relating to certain
discontinuance rules contained in the
Commission’s Accelerating Wireline
Broadband Deployment by Removing
Barriers to Infrastructure Investment
Second Report and Order, FCC 18–74,
published at 83 FR 31659, July 9, 2018,
as specified above.
The OMB Control Number is 3060–
0149. The Commission publishes this
document as an announcement of the
effective date of the rules. If you have
any comments on the burden estimates
listed below, or how the Commission
can improve the collections and reduce
any burdens caused thereby, please
contact Nicole Ongele, Federal
Communications Commission, Room 1–
A620, 445 12th Street SW, Washington,
DC 20554. Please include the OMB
Control Number, 3060–0149, in your
correspondence. The Commission will
also accept your comments via email at
PRA@fcc.gov.
To request materials in accessible
formats for people with disabilities
(Braille, large print, electronic files,
audio format), send an email to fcc504@
fcc.gov or call the Consumer and
Governmental Affairs Bureau at (202)
418–0530 (voice), (202) 418–0432
(TTY).
Synopsis
As required by the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3507),
the FCC is notifying the public that it
received final OMB approval on
December 6, 2018, for the information
collection requirements contained in the
modifications to the Commission’s rules
in 47 CFR part 63.
Under 5 CFR part 1320, an agency
may not conduct or sponsor a collection
of information unless it displays a
current, valid OMB Control Number.
No person shall be subject to any
penalty for failing to comply with a
collection of information subject to the
Paperwork Reduction Act that does not
display a current, valid OMB Control
E:\FR\FM\26DER1.SGM
26DER1
amozie on DSK3GDR082PROD with RULES
66148
Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 246 / Wednesday, December 26, 2018 / Rules and Regulations
Number. The OMB Control Number is
3060–0149.
The foregoing notice is required by
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995,
Public Law 104–13, October 1, 1995,
and 44 U.S.C. 3507.
The total annual reporting burdens
and costs for the respondents are as
follows:
OMB Control Number: 3060–0149.
OMB Approval Date: December 6,
2018.
OMB Expiration Date: December 31,
2021.
Title: Part 63, Accelerating Wireline
Broadband Deployment by Removing
Barriers to Infrastructure Investment,
WC Docket No. 17–84, FCC 18–74.
Form Number: N/A.
Respondents: Business or other forprofit entities.
Number of Respondents and
Responses: 80 respondents; 88
responses.
Estimated Time per Response: 6–63
hours.
Frequency of Response: One-time
reporting requirement and third-party
disclosure requirements.
Obligation to Respond: Required to
obtain or retain benefits. Statutory
authority for this collection of
information is contained in 47 U.S.C.
Sections 214 and 402 of the
Communications Act of 1934, as
amended.
Total Annual Burden: 1,086 hours.
Total Annual Cost: $27,900.
Privacy Act Impact Assessment: No
impact(s).
Nature and Extent of Confidentiality:
The Commission is not requesting that
the respondents submit confidential
information to the FCC. Respondents
may, however, request confidential
treatment for information they believe to
be confidential under 47 CFR 0.459 of
the Commission’s rules.
Needs and Uses: The Commission is
seeking Office of Management and
Budget (OMB) approval for a revision of
a currently approved collection to OMB.
The Commission will submit this
information collection after this 60-day
comment period. Section 214 of the
Communications Act of 1934, as
amended, requires that a carrier must
first obtain FCC authorization either to
(1) construct, operate, or engage in
transmission over a line of
communications; or (2) discontinue,
reduce or impair service over a line of
communications. Part 63 of title 47 of
the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR)
implements Section 214. Part 63 also
implements provisions of the Cable
Communications Policy Act of 1984
pertaining to video which was approved
under this OMB Control Number 3060–
VerDate Sep<11>2014
16:56 Dec 21, 2018
Jkt 247001
0149. In 2009, the Commission modified
part 63 to extend to providers of
interconnected Voice of internet
Protocol (VoIP) service the
discontinuance obligations that apply to
domestic non-dominant
telecommunications carriers under
Section 214 of the Communications Act
of 1934, as amended. In 2014, the
Commission adopted improved
administrative filing procedures for
domestic transfers of control, domestic
discontinuances and notices of network
changes, and among other adjustments,
modified part 63 to require electronic
filing for applications for authorization
to discontinue, reduce, or impair service
under section 214(a) of the Act. In July
2016, the Commission concluded that
applicants seeking to discontinue a
legacy time division multiplexing
(TDM)-based voice service as part of a
transition to a new technology, whether
internet Protocol (IP), wireless, or
another type (technology transition
discontinuance application) must
demonstrate that an adequate
replacement for the legacy service exists
in order to be eligible for streamlined
treatment and revised part 63
accordingly. The Commission
concluded that an applicant for a
technology transition discontinuance
may demonstrate that a service is an
adequate replacement for a legacy voice
service by certifying or showing that one
or more replacement service(s) offers all
of the following: (i) Substantially similar
levels of network infrastructure and
service quality as the applicant service;
(ii) compliance with existing federal
and/or industry standards required to
ensure that critical applications such as
911, network security, and applications
for individuals with disabilities remain
available; and (iii) interoperability and
compatibility with an enumerated list of
applications and functionalities
determined to be key to consumers and
competitors (the ‘‘adequate replacement
test’’).
In June 2018, the Commission further
modified the rules applicable to section
214(a) discontinuance applications.
First, all carriers, whether dominant or
non-dominant, that seek approval to
grandfather data services below speeds
of 25 Mbps download speed and 3 Mbps
upload speed are now subject to a
uniform reduced public comment
period of 10 days and an automatic
grant period of 25 days. Second, all
carriers, whether dominant or nondominant, seeking authorization to
discontinue data services below speeds
of 25 Mbps download speed and 3 Mbps
upload speed that have previously been
grandfathered for a period of at least 180
PO 00000
Frm 00072
Fmt 4700
Sfmt 9990
days are subject to a uniform reduced
public comment period of 10 days and
an automatic grant period of 31 days,
provided they submit a statement as
part of their discontinuance application
that they have received Commission
authority to grandfather the services at
issue at least 180 days prior to the filing
of the discontinuance application. This
statement must reference the file
number of the prior Commission
authorization to grandfather the services
the carrier now seeks to permanently
discontinue. Third, carriers are no
longer required to file an application to
discontinue, reduce, or impair any
service for which it has had no
customers and no request for service for
at least a 30-day period immediately
preceding the discontinuance. Fourth,
all carriers, whether dominant or nondominant, that seek approval to
discontinue legacy voice service can
obtain further streamlined processing
with a public comment period of 15
days and an automatic grant period of
31 days, provided (1) they offer a standalone interconnected VoIP service
throughout the service area, and (2) at
least one alternative stand-alone,
facilities-based voice service is available
from an unaffiliated provider
throughout the affected service area (the
‘‘alternative options test’’). Finally, all
carriers, whether dominant or nondominant, that seek approval to
grandfather legacy voice service are now
subject to a uniform reduced public
comment period of 10 days and an
automatic grant period of 25 days. The
Commission estimates that it will
receive three fewer section 214(a)
discontinuance applications annually in
light of the Commission’s forbearance
from applying its section 214(a)
discontinuance requirements to services
for which the carrier has had no
customers and no reasonable requests
for service during the preceding 30-day
period. The Commission also
anticipates that the number of
respondents and responses under the
adequate replacement test will likely
decrease from 5 and 25, respectively, to
2 and 10, respectively. The remaining
15 responses previously attributable to
the adequate replacement test will likely
proceed pursuant to the less rigorous
alternative options test. The
Commission estimates that the total
annual burden of the entire collection,
as revised, is reduced from 1,923 hours
to 1,086 hours.
Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene Dortch,
Secretary, Office of the Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2018–27833 Filed 12–21–18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712–01–P
E:\FR\FM\26DER1.SGM
26DER1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 246 (Wednesday, December 26, 2018)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 66147-66148]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-27833]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
47 CFR Part 63
[WC Docket No. 17-84; FCC 18-74]
Accelerating Wireline Broadband Deployment by Removing Barriers
to Infrastructure Investment
AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.
ACTION: Final rule; announcement of effective date.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: In this document, the Commission announces that the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) has approved, for a period of three years,
the information collection associated with the Commission's
discontinuance rules. This document is consistent with the Accelerating
Wireline Broadband Deployment by Removing Barriers to Infrastructure
Investment Second Report and Order, FCC 18-74, which stated that the
Commission would publish a document in the Federal Register announcing
the effective date of those rules.
DATES: The amendments to 47 CFR 63.71(f), (h), (k) introductory text,
(k)(1) and (3), and (l), published at 83 FR 31659, July 9, 2018, are
effective on December 26, 2018.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michele Levy Berlove, Special Counsel,
Wireline Competition Bureau, at (202) 418-1477, or by email at
Michele.Berlove@fcc.gov.
For additional information concerning the Paperwork Reduction Act
information collection requirements, contact Nicole Ongele at (202)
418-2991 or nicole.ongele@fcc.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This document announces that, on December 6,
2018, OMB approved, for a period of three years, the information
collection requirements relating to certain discontinuance rules
contained in the Commission's Accelerating Wireline Broadband
Deployment by Removing Barriers to Infrastructure Investment Second
Report and Order, FCC 18-74, published at 83 FR 31659, July 9, 2018, as
specified above.
The OMB Control Number is 3060-0149. The Commission publishes this
document as an announcement of the effective date of the rules. If you
have any comments on the burden estimates listed below, or how the
Commission can improve the collections and reduce any burdens caused
thereby, please contact Nicole Ongele, Federal Communications
Commission, Room 1-A620, 445 12th Street SW, Washington, DC 20554.
Please include the OMB Control Number, 3060-0149, in your
correspondence. The Commission will also accept your comments via email
at PRA@fcc.gov.
To request materials in accessible formats for people with
disabilities (Braille, large print, electronic files, audio format),
send an email to fcc504@fcc.gov or call the Consumer and Governmental
Affairs Bureau at (202) 418-0530 (voice), (202) 418-0432 (TTY).
Synopsis
As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C.
3507), the FCC is notifying the public that it received final OMB
approval on December 6, 2018, for the information collection
requirements contained in the modifications to the Commission's rules
in 47 CFR part 63.
Under 5 CFR part 1320, an agency may not conduct or sponsor a
collection of information unless it displays a current, valid OMB
Control Number.
No person shall be subject to any penalty for failing to comply
with a collection of information subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act
that does not display a current, valid OMB Control
[[Page 66148]]
Number. The OMB Control Number is 3060-0149.
The foregoing notice is required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of
1995, Public Law 104-13, October 1, 1995, and 44 U.S.C. 3507.
The total annual reporting burdens and costs for the respondents
are as follows:
OMB Control Number: 3060-0149.
OMB Approval Date: December 6, 2018.
OMB Expiration Date: December 31, 2021.
Title: Part 63, Accelerating Wireline Broadband Deployment by
Removing Barriers to Infrastructure Investment, WC Docket No. 17-84,
FCC 18-74.
Form Number: N/A.
Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities.
Number of Respondents and Responses: 80 respondents; 88 responses.
Estimated Time per Response: 6-63 hours.
Frequency of Response: One-time reporting requirement and third-
party disclosure requirements.
Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits.
Statutory authority for this collection of information is contained in
47 U.S.C. Sections 214 and 402 of the Communications Act of 1934, as
amended.
Total Annual Burden: 1,086 hours.
Total Annual Cost: $27,900.
Privacy Act Impact Assessment: No impact(s).
Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: The Commission is not
requesting that the respondents submit confidential information to the
FCC. Respondents may, however, request confidential treatment for
information they believe to be confidential under 47 CFR 0.459 of the
Commission's rules.
Needs and Uses: The Commission is seeking Office of Management and
Budget (OMB) approval for a revision of a currently approved collection
to OMB. The Commission will submit this information collection after
this 60-day comment period. Section 214 of the Communications Act of
1934, as amended, requires that a carrier must first obtain FCC
authorization either to (1) construct, operate, or engage in
transmission over a line of communications; or (2) discontinue, reduce
or impair service over a line of communications. Part 63 of title 47 of
the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) implements Section 214. Part 63
also implements provisions of the Cable Communications Policy Act of
1984 pertaining to video which was approved under this OMB Control
Number 3060-0149. In 2009, the Commission modified part 63 to extend to
providers of interconnected Voice of internet Protocol (VoIP) service
the discontinuance obligations that apply to domestic non-dominant
telecommunications carriers under Section 214 of the Communications Act
of 1934, as amended. In 2014, the Commission adopted improved
administrative filing procedures for domestic transfers of control,
domestic discontinuances and notices of network changes, and among
other adjustments, modified part 63 to require electronic filing for
applications for authorization to discontinue, reduce, or impair
service under section 214(a) of the Act. In July 2016, the Commission
concluded that applicants seeking to discontinue a legacy time division
multiplexing (TDM)-based voice service as part of a transition to a new
technology, whether internet Protocol (IP), wireless, or another type
(technology transition discontinuance application) must demonstrate
that an adequate replacement for the legacy service exists in order to
be eligible for streamlined treatment and revised part 63 accordingly.
The Commission concluded that an applicant for a technology transition
discontinuance may demonstrate that a service is an adequate
replacement for a legacy voice service by certifying or showing that
one or more replacement service(s) offers all of the following: (i)
Substantially similar levels of network infrastructure and service
quality as the applicant service; (ii) compliance with existing federal
and/or industry standards required to ensure that critical applications
such as 911, network security, and applications for individuals with
disabilities remain available; and (iii) interoperability and
compatibility with an enumerated list of applications and
functionalities determined to be key to consumers and competitors (the
``adequate replacement test'').
In June 2018, the Commission further modified the rules applicable
to section 214(a) discontinuance applications. First, all carriers,
whether dominant or non-dominant, that seek approval to grandfather
data services below speeds of 25 Mbps download speed and 3 Mbps upload
speed are now subject to a uniform reduced public comment period of 10
days and an automatic grant period of 25 days. Second, all carriers,
whether dominant or non-dominant, seeking authorization to discontinue
data services below speeds of 25 Mbps download speed and 3 Mbps upload
speed that have previously been grandfathered for a period of at least
180 days are subject to a uniform reduced public comment period of 10
days and an automatic grant period of 31 days, provided they submit a
statement as part of their discontinuance application that they have
received Commission authority to grandfather the services at issue at
least 180 days prior to the filing of the discontinuance application.
This statement must reference the file number of the prior Commission
authorization to grandfather the services the carrier now seeks to
permanently discontinue. Third, carriers are no longer required to file
an application to discontinue, reduce, or impair any service for which
it has had no customers and no request for service for at least a 30-
day period immediately preceding the discontinuance. Fourth, all
carriers, whether dominant or non-dominant, that seek approval to
discontinue legacy voice service can obtain further streamlined
processing with a public comment period of 15 days and an automatic
grant period of 31 days, provided (1) they offer a stand-alone
interconnected VoIP service throughout the service area, and (2) at
least one alternative stand-alone, facilities-based voice service is
available from an unaffiliated provider throughout the affected service
area (the ``alternative options test''). Finally, all carriers, whether
dominant or non-dominant, that seek approval to grandfather legacy
voice service are now subject to a uniform reduced public comment
period of 10 days and an automatic grant period of 25 days. The
Commission estimates that it will receive three fewer section 214(a)
discontinuance applications annually in light of the Commission's
forbearance from applying its section 214(a) discontinuance
requirements to services for which the carrier has had no customers and
no reasonable requests for service during the preceding 30-day period.
The Commission also anticipates that the number of respondents and
responses under the adequate replacement test will likely decrease from
5 and 25, respectively, to 2 and 10, respectively. The remaining 15
responses previously attributable to the adequate replacement test will
likely proceed pursuant to the less rigorous alternative options test.
The Commission estimates that the total annual burden of the entire
collection, as revised, is reduced from 1,923 hours to 1,086 hours.
Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene Dortch,
Secretary, Office of the Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2018-27833 Filed 12-21-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P
