Justification for Non-Substantive Change Request

November 7, 2018

Federal Communications Commission

Explanation of Non-Substantive Changes to OMB Control Numbers: 3060-0298, 3060-0400, 3060-1247, 3060-0770:

• Tariffs (Other than Tariff Review Plan)

• Tariff Review Plan (TRPs)

• Uniform System of Accounts

• Section 61.49, Price Cap Performance Review for Local Exchange Carriers, CC Docket 94-1, FCC 99-206 (New Services), Business Data Services in an Internet Protocol Environment et al.

Purpose of this Submission: This submission is being made as a non-substantive change request to OMB for existing information collections pursuant to 44 U.S.C. § 3507.

Summary of Proposed Updates:

• Part 61, Tariffs (Other than Tariff Review Plan), OMB Control No. 3060-0298: Incumbent local exchange carriers (incumbent LECs)—a group that includes rate-of-return carriers as well as price cap carriers—file with the Commission tariffs that set forth the rates and terms of service under this information collection. As a result of the rule changes, rate-of-return carriers electing incentive regulation for their business data services (BDS) will continue to file tariffs for their lower speed TDM-based BDS but they will be less burdensome, non-cost-based tariffs similar to those price cap carriers file, which are covered by the existing information collection.

Detariffing. The rule changes also allow electing carriers to detariff their packet-based BDS, higher speed TDM-based BDS, and lower speed TDM-based end user channel terminations in study areas deemed competitive. The rule changes require electing carriers to detariff these services after 36 months. The detariffing filing will occur as part of a carrier’s final annual access tariff filing for the relevant BDS, a filing which is covered by the existing information collection.

• Part 61, Tariff Review Plan (TRP), OMB Control No. 3060-0400: Incumbent LECs file with the Commission standardized Tariff Review Plans (TRPs) that set forth the supporting material for rate-of-return carriers’ and price cap carriers’ rates in their interstate access service tariffs covered by this information collection. For rate-of-return carriers, this material includes cost-of-service information. As a result of the rule changes, carriers electing incentive regulation will continue to file TRPs, but will file less burdensome, non-cost-based TRPs similar to those filed by price cap carriers, which also are covered by the existing information collection. The rule changes also allow certain rate-of-return carriers that previously froze their federal/state separations category relationships to unfreeze and update those category relationships. These carriers will file cost-based TRPs as part of setting their initial incentive regulation rates and thereafter will file non-cost-based TRPs.

• Part 32, Uniform System of Accounts, OMB Control No. 3060-1247: The Commission requires telephone companies to use a uniform system of accounts (USOA) which is covered by the existing information collection. As a result of the rule changes, electing carriers that choose to use generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) instead of the USOA are relieved of virtually all of the filing and record keeping requirements of the USOA with the sole exception of the same data provisioning requirements for the calculation of pole attachment rates as price cap carriers, which are covered by the existing information collection.

• Section 61.49, Price Cap Performance Review for Local Exchange Carriers, CC Docket 94-1, FCC 99-206 (New Services), OMB Control No. 3060-0770: Section 61.49 sets forth the supporting information that must accompany various types of price cap tariff filings, including above-band filings and filings that incorporate new services into price caps. Under the rule changes, electing carriers convert their lower speed TDM-based BDS to incentive regulation, which allows them to make the same type of streamlined filings for new services as price cap carriers, which are covered by the existing information collection.

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