Public Information Collections Approved by Office of Management and Budget

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has received Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval for the following public information collections pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13. An agency may not conduct or sponsor and a person is not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid control number. For further information contact Shoko B. Hair, Federal Communications Commission, (202) 418-1379.

Federal Communications Commission

OMB Control No.: 3060-0927.

Expiration Date: 05/31/2003.

Title: Auditor's Annual Independence and Objectivity Certification.

Form No.: N/A.

Respondents: Business or other for profit.

Estimated Annual Burden: 7 respondents; 10 hours per response (avg). 70 total annual burden hours.

Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost Burden: $0.

Frequency of Response: On occasion; Annually.

Description: The Responsible Accounting Officer Letter (RAO) 28, released December 1, 1999 requires that carriers' independent auditors disclose in writing all relationships between the auditor and its related entities and the carrier and its related entities that in the auditor's professional judgment may reasonably be thought to bear on independence; confirm in writing in its professional judgment it is independent of the carrier; and discuss the auditor's independence. The information will be used to determine whether the auditors are performing their audits independently and unbiased of the carrier they audit. Obligation to respond: Mandatory.

OMB Control No.: 3060-0514.

Expiration Date: 05/31/2003.

Title: Section 43.21(b)—Holding Company Annual Report.

Form No.: N/A.

Respondents: Business or other for-profit.

Estimated Annual Burden: 20 respondents; 1 hour per response (avg.); 20 total annual burden hours.

Estimated Annul Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost Burden: $0.

Frequency of Response: Annually.

Description: The SEC 10K Form is needed from holding companies of communications common carriers to provide the Commission with the data required to fulfill its regulatory responsibilities and by the public in analyzing the industry. Selected information is compiled and published in the Commission's annual common carrier statistical publication. Obligation to respond: Mandatory.

OMB Control No.: 3060-0894.

Expiration Date: 05/31/2003.

Title: Certification Letter Accounting for Receipt of Federal Support, CC Docket Nos. 96-45 and 96-262.

Form No.: N/A.

Respondents: State, Local or Tribal Government.

Estimated Annual Burden: 51 respondents; 3 hours per response (avg.); 153 total annual burden hours.

Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost Burden: $0.

Frequency of Response: On occasion; Annually.

Description: The Commission requires states to certify that carriers within the state had accounted for its receipt of federal support in its rates or otherwise used the support pursuant with Section 254(e). A state may file a supplemental certification for carriers not subject to the state's annual certification. This information will be used to show that federal high-cost support is being provided to the carrier to assist in keeping rates affordable in those subscribers' area. Further, the collection of information will be used to certify that the carriers have accounted for its receipt of federal support in its rates or otherwise used the support for the provision, maintenance, and upgrading of facilities and services for which the support is intended in accordance with section 254(e). Obligation to respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits.

OMB Control No.: 3060-0755.

Expiration Date: 05/31/2003.

Title: 47 CFR Sections 59.1-59.4—Infrastructure Sharing.

Form No.: N/A.

Respondents: Business or other for-profit.

Estimated Annual Burden: 75 respondents; 31 hours per response (avg.); 2325 total annual burden hours.

Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost Burden: $0.

Frequency of Response: On occasion; Third party disclosure.

Description: In CC Docket No. 96-237, the Commission implemented the infrastructure sharing provisions of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended. Section 259 requires incumbent LECs to file any arrangements showing the conditions under which they share infrastructure. See also 47 CFR Section 59.2. (No. of respondents: 75; hours per response: 15; total annual burden: 375 hours). Section 259 also requires incumbent LECs to provide information on deployments of new services and equipment to qualifying carriers. See also 47 CFR Section 59.3 (No. of respondents: 75; hours per response: 24 hours; total annual burden: 1800 hours). The Commission requires incumbent LECs to provide 60-day notices prior to terminating section 259 agreements. See 47 CFR Section 59.2. (No. of respondents: 75; hours per response: 2 hours; total annual burden: 150 hours). The information collected under the requirement that incumbent LECs file any tariffs, contracts or other arrangements for infrastructure sharing would be made available for public inspection. The information collected under the requirement that incumbent LECs provide timely information on planned deployments of new services and equipment would be provided to third parties. The information collected under the requirement that providing incumbent LECs furnish sixty days notice prior to termination of a section 259 sharing agreement would be provided to third parties to protect customers from sudden changes in services. Obligation to respond: Mandatory.

OMB Control No.: 3060-0933.

Expiration Date: 11/30/2000.

Title: Community Broadband Deployment Database Reporting Form.

Form No.: FCC Form 460.

Respondents: Not-for-profit institutions; Federal Government; State, Local or Tribal Government.

Estimated Annual Burden: 30 respondents; .25 hours per response (avg.); 7 total annual burden hours.

Estimated Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost Burden: $0.

Frequency of Response: On occasion.

Description: Pursuant to Section 419(b) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, on October 8, 1999, the FCC convened a Federal-State Joint Conference on Advanced Telecommunications Services to provide a forum for cooperative dialogue and information exchange between and among state and federal jurisdictions regarding the deployment of advanced telecommunications services. As part of this ongoing effort, a searchable on-line database of community broadband demand aggregation and deployment efforts is being established. Respondents will be able to make their submissions electronically to the Commission and the National Regulatory Research Institute (NRRI) Web sites. The information will be used by the Commission to prepare reports that help inform consumers and policy makers at the state and federal levels of the status of deployment of broadband services. We will use this information to better inform our understanding of broadband deployment in conjunction with our Congressionally required Section 706 reports. Obligation to respond: Voluntary.

Public reporting burden for the collection of information is as noted above. Send comments regarding the burden estimate or any other aspect of the collections of information, including suggestions for reducing the burden to Performance Evaluation and Records Management, Washington, DC 20554.