Legacy High-Cost Support
Recipient Initial Report of Current Service Offerings
New
collection (Request for a new OMB Control Number)
No
Regular
06/07/2021
Requested
Previously Approved
36 Months From Approved
110
0
1,760
0
0
0
The Federal Communications Commission
(Commission) requests approval from the Office of Management and
Budget (OMB) for a new, one-time information collection requirement
necessary to implement recently-adopted requirements for
competitive eligible telecommunications carriers (ETCs) receiving
legacy high-cost support for mobile wireless services. Under this
new, one-time information collection, the Commission will collect
from each competitive ETC receiving legacy high-cost support for
mobile wireless services an initial report of its current service
offerings in each of its subsidized service areas detailing how it
is using legacy support. On November 18, 2011, the Commission
released the USF/ICC Transformation Order (FCC 11-161) in which it
comprehensively reformed and modernized the universal service and
intercarrier compensation systems to ensure that robust, affordable
voice and broadband service, both fixed and mobile, are available
to Americans throughout the nation. In the USF/ICC Transformation
Order, the Commission, among other things, adopted a requirement
that all ETCs offer broadband service in their supported area that
meets certain basic performance requirements and report regularly
on associated performance measures as a condition of receiving
federal high-cost universal service support. On October 27, 2020,
the Commission adopted the 5G Fund Report and Order (FCC 20-150) in
which it, among other things, helped to complete the reform of the
high-cost program begun in the USF/ICC Transformation Order by
adopting additional public interest obligations and performance
requirements for legacy high-cost support recipients, whose
broadband-specific public interest obligations for mobile wireless
services were not previously detailed. The public interest
obligations adopted in the 5G Fund Report and Order for each
competitive ETC receiving legacy high-cost support for mobile
wireless services require that such competitive ETC (1) use an
increasing percentage of its legacy support toward the deployment,
maintenance, and operation of voice and broadband networks that
support 5G meeting the adopted performance requirements within its
subsidized service area(s), and (2) meet specific 5G broadband
service deployment coverage requirements and service deployment
milestone deadlines that take into consideration the amount of
legacy support the carrier receives. In order to gain a complete
understanding of the current service offerings of each competitive
ETC receiving legacy high-cost support for mobile wireless
services, the Commission adopted rules that require each such
competitive ETC to file an initial report containing information
and certifications about its current mobile service offerings in
each of its subsidized service areas and how it is using its legacy
support, whether it is offering mobile services in its subsidized
service areas at rates that are reasonably comparable to rates
charged in urban areas, and whether it has availed itself of the
geographic flexibility granted by the Commission concerning its use
of support within any other designated service area(s) for which it
or an affiliated competitive ETC receives legacy support. See 47
CFR §§ 54.313(p), 54.322(g), (h).
This is a new information
collection resulting in a program change increase of 110 annual
respondents, 110 annual responses, and 1,760 annual burden
hours.
$0
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
Valerie Barrish 202
418-0354
No
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that
the collection of information encompassed by this request complies
with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR
1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding
the proposed collection of information, that the certification
covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a
benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control
number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of
these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked
and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.