Today, the Wireline Competition Bureau’s (“Bureau”) Public Notice seeking comments on proposed revisions to the annual and quarterly universal service Telecommunications Reporting Worksheets, Forms 499-A and 499-Q respectively, and the accompanying instructions, was published in the Federal Register. Accordingly, comments will be due on January 11, 2013. The Bureau has not solicited reply comments.
Importantly, the proposed changes include modifications responsive to the FCC’s recent Carrier’s Carrier Rule Clarification Order (FCC 12-134) such as deleting the instruction advising wholesale carriers to rely upon the FCC’s online database to determine a reseller customer’s Universal Service Fund (“USF”) contribution status. Other changes relate to the use of traffic studies, subscriber line charges, access charges, successor liability and a number of definitions in the instructions.
The redlined forms and instructions are available at:
Form 499-A ; Form 499-A Instructions
Form 499-Q ; Form 499-Q Instructions
Clients who are interested in filing comments or with questions about this Advisory should contact the Attorney assigned to their accounts.
