6712-01
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
[OMB 3060-0233; FR ID 227902]
Information Collection Being Reviewed by the Federal Communications Commission
AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.
ACTION: Notice and request for comments.
SUMMARY: As part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork burdens, and as required by the
Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or the
Commission) invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on
the following information collection. Comments are requested concerning: whether the proposed
collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Commission,
including whether the information shall have practical utility; the accuracy of the Commission's burden
estimate; ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information collected; ways to minimize
the burden of the collection of information on the respondents, including the use of automated collection
techniques or other forms of information technology; and ways to further reduce the information
collection burden on small business concerns with fewer than 25 employees.
DATES: Written PRA comments should be submitted on or before [INSERT DATE 60 DAYS AFTER
DATE OF PUBLICATION IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER]. If you anticipate that you will be
submitting comments, but find it difficult to do so within the period of time allowed by this notice, you
should advise the contact listed below as soon as possible.
ADDRESSES: Direct all PRA comments to Nicole Ongele, FCC, via email PRA@fcc.gov and to
nicole.ongele@fcc.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information about the information
collection, contact Nicole Ongele, (202) 418-2991.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
The FCC may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid

control number. No person shall be subject to any penalty for failing to comply with a collection of
information subject to the PRA that does not display a valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
control number.
OMB Control Number: 3060-0233.
Title: Part 54—Rate-of-Return Carrier Universal Service Reporting Requirements; Waiver of Local
Exchange Carrier Study Area Boundary Changes
Form Number: FCC Form 507, FCC Form 508 and FCC Form 509.
Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
Respondents: Business or other for-profit.
Number of Respondents and Responses: 1,098 respondents; 3,627 responses.
Estimated Time per Response: 1-22 hours.
Frequency of Response: Annual reporting requirements.
Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. Statutory authority for this information
collection is contained in 47 U.S.C. 151-154, 214, 218-220, 221(c), 254, and 303(r).
Total Annual Burden: 34,404 hours.
Total Annual Cost: No Cost.
Needs and Uses: In order to determine which carriers are entitled to universal service support, all rate-ofreturn regulated (rate-of-return) incumbent local exchange carriers (LECs) must provide the National
Exchange Carrier Association (NECA) with the loop cost and loop count data required by section 54.1305
for each of its study areas and, if applicable, for each wire center as that term is defined in 47 CFR part
54. See 47 CFR 54.1305, 54.5. The loop cost and loop count information is to be filed annually with
NECA by July 31st of each year. See 47 CFR 54.1305. Pursuant to section 54.1307, the information filed
on July 31st of each year will be used to calculate universal service support for each study area and is
filed by NECA with the Commission on October 1 of each year. See 47 CFR 54.1307. An incumbent
LEC is defined as a carrier that meets the definition of “incumbent local exchange carrier” in section 51.5
of the Commission’s rules. See 47 CFR 51.5.
In March 2016, the Commission adopted the Rate-of-Return Reform Order to continue modernizing the
universal service support mechanisms for rate-of-return carriers. Connect America Fund et al., Report and

Order et al., 31 FCC Rcd 3087 (2016) (Rate-of-Return Reform Order). The Rate-of-Return Reform Order
replaced the Interstate Common Line Support (ICLS) mechanism with the Connect America Fund—
Broadband Loop Support (CAF-BLS) mechanism. Id. at 3117-57, paras. 80-187. While ICLS supported
only lines used to provide traditional voice service (including voice service bundled with broadband
service), CAF-BLS also supports consumer broadband-only loops. Id. at 3157-62, paras. 188-204. For the
purposes of calculating and monitoring CAF-BLS, rate-of-return carriers that receive CAF-BLS must file
common line and consumer broadband-only loop counts on FCC Form 507, forecasted common line and
consumer broadband-only loop costs and revenues on FCC Form 508, and actual common line and
consumer broadband-only loop costs and revenues on FCC Form 509. See 47 CFR 54.903(a).
In December 2018, the Commission adopted the December 2018 Rate-of-Return Reform Order to require
rate-of-return carriers that receive Alternative Connect American Model (A-CAM) or Alaska Plan support
to file line count data on FCC Form 507 as a condition of high-cost support. Connect America Fund et al.,
WC Docket No. 10-90 et al., Report and Order, Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and Order on
Reconsideration, 33 FCC Rcd 11893 (2018) (2018 Rate-of-Return Reform Order). Historically, all rateof-return carriers that received CAF-BLS or, prior to that, ICLS, were required to file line count data on
FCC Form 507 as a condition of that support but Rate-of-return carriers that had elected to receive ACAM I, A-CAM II, or Alaska Plan instead were not. Id. at 11937, para. 148. In order to restore a data set
that the Commission relied on to evaluate the effectiveness of its high-cost universal service programs,
the Commission revised its rules in that Order to require all rate-of-return carriers to file that data. See id.
at 11937, para. 51. While carriers receiving CAF-BLS must file the line count data on March 31 for line
counts as of the prior December 31, the A-CAM I, A-CAM II, and Alaska Plan carriers will be required to
file on July 1 of each year to coincide with other existing requirements in OMB Control No. 3060-0986.
47 CFR 54.903(a)(1), 54.313(f)(5).
On October 20, 2023, the Commission made changes to rate-of-return reporting rules by eliminating
optional unseparated loop cost data quarterly updates. Connect America Fund et al., WC Docket No. 1090 et al. WT Docket No. 10-208, Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and Report and Order, FCC 23-87 at
79-80, paras. 181-82 (Oct. 20, 2023). In addition, the Commission amended section 36.4 of the
Commission’s rules, 47 CFR 36.4, to require local exchange carriers seeking a change in study area

boundaries to submit a petition for waiver of these boundary changes notwithstanding any prior
exemptions from such waiver requests including, but not limited to, when a company is combining
previously unserved territory with one of its study areas or a holding company is consolidating existing
study areas within the same state. See id. at 176-180, paras. 77-79. The Commission therefore proposes to
revise this information collection.
Federal Communications Commission.
Katura Jackson,
Federal Register Liaison Officer.

[FR Doc. 2024-13986 Filed: 6/25/2024 8:45 am; Publication Date: 6/26/2024]