On August 1, 2019, the Commission adopted a Report and Order, FCC 19-79, in WC Docket Nos. 19-195 and 11-10 (attached). The Order makes targeted changes to the existing Form 477 data collection to reduce reporting burdens for all filers and incorporate new technologies.The Order adopts the 5G-NR (New Radio) technology standards developed by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) with Release 15 and requires providers to submit 5G deployment data that meet the specifications of Release 15 (or any successor release that may be adopted by the Commission’s Bureaus). These changes are necessary because the deployment data collected on Form 477 are no longer sufficient for targeting universal service funds. The actions to improve the Form 477 data collection will also increase the usefulness of the information to the Commission, Congress, the industry, and the public. The Order reduces the burden on broadband providers by removing the requirement that facilities-based providers submit separate coverage maps depicting their broadband network coverage areas for each transmission technology and each frequency band. It also modifies the requirement that mobile broadband providers report coverage information for each technology deployed in their networks by reducing the number of categories from nine to four. The Order also eliminates the requirement that facilities-based providers submit a list of census tracts in which the provider advertises its mobile wireless broadband service and in which the service is available to actual and potential subscribers. Finally, the Order removes the requirement that fixed providers offering business/enterprise/government services to report the maximum downstream and upstream contractual or guaranteed data throughput rate (committed information rate) available in each reported census block. Please see the non-substantive change request justification for the reason behind this change request submission to the Office of Management and Budget.
The latest form for Local Telephone Competition and Broadband Reporting, Report and Order, FCC Form 477 (WC Docket No. 19-195, WC Docket No. 11-10, FCC 19-79) expires 2023-03-31 and can be found here.
Federal Enterprise Architecture: General Government - Central Records & Statistical Mgt