Supporting Statement 3060-0292_final version

Section 69.605, Reporting and Distribution of Pool 3060-0292

Access Revenues – Part 69 Access Charges February 2022

SUPPORTING STATEMENT

This collection is being submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for approval to extend an existing collection. There is no change in the reporting, recordkeeping and/or third-party disclosure requirements.

A. Justification:

1. Part 69 of the Commission’s rules and regulations establishes the rules for access charges for interstate or foreign access provided by telephone companies on or after January 1, 1984. Part 69 essentially consists of rules or the procedures for the computation of access charges which are not information collections as defined by 5 C.F.R. 1320. Any reporting or disclosure occurs in connection with particular tariff filings and other reporting requirements with the FCC, National Exchange Carrier Association (NECA), or state commissions or with records maintained in accordance to the Uniform System of Accounts (USOA). OMB approval of tariff filings and USOA records required by the FCC is contained under OMB approval numbers 3060-0298, 3060-0400, and 3060-1247.¹ Information collections contained in Part 69 as defined by 5 CFR 1320 are as follows:

Section 69.3 requires the biennial or annual submission of access charge tariffs. The access charge tariff filing requirement is approved by OMB under OMB control numbers 3060-0400 and 3060-0298.

Section 69.605 requires that access revenues and cost data shall be reported by participants in association tariffs to the association for computation of monthly pool revenues distributions. The association shall submit a report on or before February 1 of each calendar year describing the association’s cost study review process for the preceding calendar year as well as the results of that process. For any revisions to the cost study results made or recommended by the association that would change the respective carrier’s calculated annual common line or traffic sensitive revenue requirement by ten percent or more, the report shall include the following information: 1) name of the carrier; 2) a detailed description of the revisions; 3) the amount of the revisions; 4) the impact of the revisions on the carrier’s calculated common line and traffic sensitive revenue requirements; and 5) the carrier’s total annual common line and traffic sensitive revenue requirement.

This information collection does not affect individuals or households; thus, there are no impacts under the Privacy Act.

Statutory authority for this information collection is pursuant to sections: 47 U.S.C. §§ 154, 201, 202, 203, 205, 218 and 403 unless otherwise noted.

2. The information is used to compute charges in tariffs for access service (or origination and termination) and to compute revenue pool distributions. Neither process could be implemented without the information.

3. The rules do not prescribe the information technology that is to be used. Part 69 does not contain any provision that would preclude the use of improved technology.

4. The information is not duplicated elsewhere. There is no similar information already available.

5. The burden has been minimized for all respondents as much as possible. The collections do not involve small businesses as defined by the Regulatory Flexibility Act. Because of the nature of local exchange and access services, the Commission concluded that small telephone companies are dominant in their fields of operation and therefore are not small entities as defined by the Regulatory Flexibility Act.

6. The information is used to compute charges in tariffs for access service (or origination and termination) and to compute revenue pool distributions. Neither process could be implemented without the information.

7. Part 69 does not contain any collection requirements known to be inconsistent with 5 CFR 1320. 6.

8. The Commission published a notice in the Federal Register as required by 5 C.F.R. 1320.8(d) on November 26, 2021 (86 FR 67466). No PRA comments were received.

9. The Commission does not anticipate providing any payment or gift to respondents.

10. There is no need for confidentiality.

11. The collections do not involve questions of a sensitive nature.

12. The following represents the estimates of hour burden of the collections of information.

Section 69.605: Monthly Reporting Requirement and Third Party Data Disclosure Requirement for Participants in Association Tariffs

1. Number of Respondents: 731 respondents.

2. Frequency of Response: Monthly reporting and third-party disclosure requirements.

3. Annual burden per respondent: .75 hours (45 minutes) (including disclosure of data). Total annual burden: 731 respondents x .75 hours per response x 12 monthly reports = 6,579 hours.

4. Total estimate of annualized “in-house” cost to respondents for the hour burdens for collection of information: $361,845.

5. Explanation of calculation: We multiplied the estimated number of respondents by annual hour burden by hourly pay rate of $55 to obtain an estimate of annualized cost for the information collection. (731 x 12 filings x .75 x $55 = $361,845).

Annual Reporting Requirement for Nation Exchange Carrier Association (NECA)

1. Number of Respondents: 1.

2. Frequency of Response: Annual (1 per year).

3. Annual burden per respondent: 1 hour. Total annual burden: 1 x 1 hour per response = 1 hour.

4. Total estimate of annualized cost to respondent for the hour burdens for collection of information: $55.

Explanation of calculation: We multiplied the number of respondents by annual hour burden by hourly pay rate of $55 to obtain an estimate of annualized cost for the information collection. (1 x 1 filing x 1 hour x $55) = $55.

Total Respondents: 731+1 = 732

Total Annual Responses: 8,772 + 1 = 8,773

Total In-House Costs to the Respondent: $361,845 + $55 = $361,900

Total Annual Burden: 6,580 hours. (6,579 hours for participants in association tariffs + 1 hour for NECA = 6,580 hours.)

13. Cost to the Respondent: There are no outside costs to the respondent with this information collection.

14. There are no annualized costs to the Federal government since the collection of information will be processed by NECA.

15. There are no adjustments or program changes since the last submission to OMB.

16. There are no plans for publication of the results.

17. The Commission does not intend to seek approval not to display the expiration date for OMB approval of the information collection.

18. There are no exceptions to the Certification Statement.

B. Collections of Information Employing Statistical Methods:

The Commission does not anticipate that the collection of information will employ statistical methods.

1 OMB Control Number 3060-0370, which was listed in the prior Supporting Statement, was terminated. OMB Control Number 3060-1247 is the current collection relating to compliance burdens imposed by the USOA.

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