[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 249 (Wednesday, December 29, 1999)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 72956]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-33767]
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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
47 CFR Parts 36 and 54
[CC Docket No. 96-45; FCC 99-306]
Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service
AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.
ACTION: Final rule; announcement of effective date.
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SUMMARY: This document announces the effective date of the rules
governing its existing support mechanism to ensure that support for
rural carriers is not substantially changed when non-rural carriers are
removed from that mechanism and transitioned to the new forward-looking
support mechanism. The document was published in the Federal Register
on December 1, 1999. Some of the rules contained information collection
requirements.
DATES: The amendments to 47 CFR 36.611(h), 36.612, 54.307(b), (c),
54.309(c), 54.311(c), and 54.313 published at 64 FR 67416 (December 1,
1999) became effective on December 15, 1999.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jack Zinman, Attorney, Common Carrier
Bureau, Accounting Policy Division, (202) 418-7400.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On October 21, 1999, the Commission adopted
an order adopting a new specific and predictable forward-looking
mechanism that will provide sufficient support to enable affordable,
reasonably comparable intrastate rates for customers served by non-
rural carriers. That document also addressed specific methodological
issues relating to the calculation of forward-looking support,
including the area over which costs should be averaged; the level of
the national benchmark; the amount of support to be provided for costs
above the national benchmark; the elimination of the state share
requirement; and the targeting of the statewide support amount. A
summary was published in the Federal Register. See 64 FR 67416,
December 1, 1999. Some of the rules contained information collection
requirements. We stated that the ``rules contain information
collections that have not been approved by the Office of Management and
Budget (OMB). The Commission will publish a document in the Federal
Register announcing the effective date of these rules.'' The
information collections were approved by OMB on December 2, 1999. See
OMB Nos. 3060-0233, 3060-0774 and 3060-0894. This publication satisfies
our statement that the Commission would publish a document announcing
the effective date of the rules. It also modifies the rules governing
our existing support mechanism to ensure that support for rural
carriers is not substantially changed when non-rural carriers are
removed from that mechanism and transitioned to the new forward-looking
support mechanism.
List of Subjects
47 CFR Part 36
Reporting and recordkeeping requirements, Telephone.
47 CFR Part 54
Universal service.
Federal Communications Commission.
William F. Caton,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 99-33767 Filed 12-28-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-U