The Federal Communications Commission today took steps to streamline and eliminate certain international reporting requirements. Specifically, the Commission proposes to eliminate the annual Traffic and Revenue Reports, and seeks comment on whether there are ways to further streamline the Circuit Capacity Reports. The Commission believes these reports may no longer be necessary in their current form.    

The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) adopted today proposes to eliminate the Traffic and Revenue Report as the costs of the data collection – which are significant for both filers and the Commission – now exceed the benefits of the information. Providers of international telecommunications services are required to file annual reports detailing their traffic and revenue for international voice services, international miscellaneous services, and international private lines. International telecommunications service providers spend almost 15,000 hours each year preparing these reports.  Given the competitive nature of the international telecommunications sector, the NPRM seeks comment on ways to minimize regulatory burdens while retaining the ability to collect information that would address specific instances of anticompetitive conduct on U.S.-international routes.

The NPRM also seeks comment on streamlining and improving the reporting requirements for the Commission’s Circuit Capacity Reports. Providers of international telecommunications services are required to file annual reports identifying submarine cable, satellite, and terrestrial capacity between the United States and foreign countries.  The proposal asks whether alternatives or substitutes for the Commission’s data are available, whether there are ways to reduce reporting burdens and seeks comment on resolving discrepancies between capacity reported by cable operators and capacity reported by cable capacity holders.

To accommodate continued skyrocketing demand for mobile broadband, the revisions adopted today will allow providers to use Cellular spectrum to provide mobile broadband service to the public more efficiently, reduce barriers to innovation and investment and ease administrative burdens.  At the same time, the rules will continue to safeguard public safety operations. 

Specific reforms adopted today include: 

·         Power Reform: The Commission will facilitate broadband technologies by changing its technical rules to permit Cellular licensees to transmit the same amount of power across the spectrum band, whether they are deploying a legacy (narrow bandwidth) technology or modern (wider bandwidth) technology like LTE.

·         Co-existence with Public Safety: The Commission will continue to ensure co-existence of Cellular and neighboring public safety systems by retaining Cellular-specific interference resolution rules and procedures and by engaging stakeholders via a public forum.

·         Consistent Treatment with Similar Spectrum Bands: The Commission will treat Cellular spectrum consistently with other similar commercial wireless spectrum bands by conforming rules related to power measurement, out of band emissions, field strength, and discontinuance of operations.

·         Unnecessary rules/burdens: The Commission will eliminate unnecessary rules and burdens related to application filings, domestic and international coordination, and comparative renewal.

In addition, the Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking proposes to eliminate unnecessary rules and burdens related to records retention, operators and control points, and employment reports, and seeks comment on whether to simplify and consolidate the rules for Cellular and other commercial wireless services.

Source: FCC media announcement