FCC Form 477 Public Notice DA-13-1805A1

PUBLIC NOTICE
Federal Communications Commission
th
445 12 St., S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20554

News Media Information 202 / 418-0500
Internet: http://www.fcc.gov
TTY: 1-888-835-5322

DA 13-1805
Released: August 26, 2013
WIRELINE COMPETITION BUREAU RELEASES DATA SPECIFICATION
FOR FORM 477 DATA COLLECTION
WC Docket No. 11-10
On June 27, 2013, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) released a Report and
Order modernizing and improving its collection of data on broadband and voice services through FCC
Form 477 (Form 477).1 The Commission stated in the Order that the Wireline Competition Bureau
(Bureau) would release a data specification that reflects the changes necessary to implement the Order.2
The attached specification fulfills this directive and provides more detailed information on the data that
filers will need to submit pursuant to the revised Form 477.
The attached data specification provides direction to filers on the data they will be required to
submit in accordance with the rule changes adopted in the Order. The specification provides an overview
of each section of the data collection and lists each field that filers will need to fill out online or include in
their data upload for each section. It also includes information on the required format of the data and a
sample entry for each record.
The modifications to the Form 477 data collection adopted in the Order are subject to approval by
the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995
(PRA), Public Law 104-13.3 The Bureau will submit information on the rule changes and the revised
collection to OMB for review under section 3507(d) of the PRA. OMB, the general public, and other
federal agencies will be invited to comment on the new and modified information collection requirements
from the Order at that time.
The Bureau will announce the specific filing deadlines and other procedures for submitting Form
477 under the revised rules in a subsequent Public Notice. Until the rule changes in the Order are
implemented, providers should continue to submit Form 477 data as required under the existing rules .4
1

Modernizing the FCC Form 477 Data Program, WC Docket No. 11-10, Report and Order, 28 FCC Rcd 9887
(2013) (Order).
2

Id. at 9897, para. 21.

3

Id. at 9926, para. 89.

4

Because implementation is contingent upon approval by OMB in accordance with the PRA, as well as system
upgrades to the Form 477 filing interface, we cannot provide a precise implementation date at this time. However,
as indicated in the Order, we anticipate that our first collection of deployment data on Form 477 will take place in
September 2014, for data as of June 30, 2014. Id. at 9899, para. 25.

Additional information on the Form 477 data collection can be found on the Commission’s Form
477 webpage at http://transition.fcc.gov/form477/. You can also contact the Form 477 staff in the
Industry Analysis and Technology Division, Wireline Competition Bureau, by calling (202) 418-0940,
(202) 418-0484 (tty). For additional information about this data specification, please contact Ken Lynch
at (202) 418-7356 or Kenneth.Lynch@fcc.gov, or Chelsea Fallon at (202) 418-7991 or
Chelsea.Fallon@fcc.gov.
- FCC -

2

APPENDIX
Form 477 Data Specification
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.

Filer Identification
Fixed Broadband Deployment
Mobile Wireless Broadband Deployment
Mobile Wireless Broadband Service Availability
Mobile Wireless Voice Deployment
Fixed Broadband Subscription
Mobile Wireless Broadband Subscription
Mobile Local Telephone Subscription
Local Exchange Telephone Subscription
Interconnected VoIP Subscription
Voice Telephone Subscription Detail

Appendix: Codes
1. Filer Identification
Record Format for Filer Identification Data
Field

Description

Type

Example

FRN

Provider FCC Registration Number

Integer

8402202

Study Area Codes

USAC-issued 6-digit study area code(s) covered by the filing (if filing entity is
an ETC)

Text

579999,578888

Filer 499 IDs

USAC-issued 6-digit 499 IDs of operations entirely or partially covered by
this filing

Text

899999

Provider Name

Provider Name

Text

ABC Co.

Operations

ILEC or Non-ILEC Operations

Text

Non-ILEC

Holding Company /
Common Control
Name

Name of holding company or common control

Text

Superfone, Inc.

URL

Provider’s website address

Text

www.superfone.com

Emergency
Operations Contact
Name

Name of the person who can be contacted for information on network status in
case of a natural disaster or other emergency

Text

Alex Bell

Emergency
Operations Contact
Phone Number

Phone number of the person who can be contacted for information on network
status in case of a natural disaster or other emergency

Text

202-418-0940

Emergency
Operations Contact
Phone Number,
Extension

Phone number extension of the person who can be contacted for information
on network status in case of a natural disaster or other emergency

Text

040

Emergency
Operations Contact
Email Address

Email Address of the person who can be contacted for information on network
status in case of a natural disaster or other emergency

Text

Econtact@fcc.gov

Data Contact Name

Name of the person who prepared the submitted data

Text

John Pender

Data Contact Phone
Number

Phone number of the person who prepared the submitted data

Text

202-418-0940

3

Data Contact Phone
Number, Extension

Phone number extension of the person who prepared the submitted data

Text

040

Data Contact Email
Address

Email Address of the person who prepared the submitted data

Text

Dcontact@fcc.gov

Certifying Official
Name

Official (corporate officer, managing partner, or sole proprietor) whose
signature certifies that he/she has examined the information contained in this
Form 477 and that, to the best of his/her knowledge, information and belief, all
statements of fact contained in this Form 477 are true and correct

Text

Jane Anderson

Job title of certifying official

Text

Sole Proprietor

Phone number of the certifying official

Text

202-418-0940

Data Contact Phone
Number, Extension

Phone number extension of the certifying official

Text

040

Certifying Official
Email Address

Email address of the certifying official

Text

Cofficial@fcc.gov

Non-disclosure

Indicate whether you request non-disclosure of some or all of the information
in this submission because you believe that this information is privileged and
confidential and public disclosure of such information would likely cause
substantial harm to the competitive position of the filer.

Y/N

N

Certifying Official
Title
Certifying Official
Phone Number

4

2. Fixed Broadband Deployment
Each facilities-based provider of fixed broadband connections to end users shall provide a list, uploaded
as a delimited, plain text file, of all census blocks in which broadband service is available to end users in
the provider’s service area, along with the associated service characteristics identified below.
For purposes of this data collection, a provider of fixed broadband connections to end user locations is
considered “facilities-based” if any of the following conditions are met: (1) it owns the portion of the
physical facility that terminates at the end user location; (2) it obtains unbundled network elements
(UNEs), special access lines, or other leased facilities that terminate at the end user location and
provisions/equips them as broadband, or (3) it provisions/equips a broadband wireless channel to the end
user location over licensed or unlicensed spectrum. “Broadband connections” are wired “lines” or fixed
wireless “channels” that enable the end user to receive information from and/or send information to the
Internet at information transfer rates exceeding 200 Kbps in at least one direction. A broadband “end
user” is a residential, business, institutional, or government entity that uses broadband services for its own
purposes and does not resell such services to other entities or incorporate such services into retail Internetaccess services. Fixed broadband service is “available” in a census block if the provider does, or could,
within a typical service interval (7 to 10 business days) without an extraordinary commitment of
resources, provision two-way data transmission to and from the Internet with advertised speeds exceeding
200 Kbps in at least one direction to end users in the block.
Record Format for Fixed Broadband Deployment Data
Field

Description

Type

Example

Block

15-digit FIPS Code for the census block (see note 1 below)

Text

110010062021037

DBA Name

Name of the entity customers could contact to purchase service in
this block with the characteristics below

Text

CableTown

Technology of
Transmission

Category of technology for the provision of Internet access service
(see note 3 below and Codes, Table 1)

Integer

41

Consumer

Mass market / consumer broadband service is available in this block
(1=Yes; 0=No)

Integer

1

Float

7

Float

1.5

Integer

1

Maximum Advertised
Downstream Bandwidth,
Consumer
Maximum Advertised
Upstream Bandwidth,
Consumer
Business/Government

For mass market / consumer broadband services, the maximum
advertised downstream bandwidth available in the census block in
Mbps
For mass market / consumer broadband services, the maximum
advertised upstream bandwidth that is offered with the above
maximum advertised downstream bandwidth available in the census
block in Mbps
Business / enterprise / government broadband service is available in
this block (1=Yes; 0=No)

Maximum Contractual
Downstream Bandwidth
(Business/Government)

For business / government broadband services, the maximum
downstream contractual or guaranteed data throughput rate available
in the census block in Mbps

Float

7

Maximum Contractual
Upstream Bandwidth
(Business/Government)

For business / government broadband services, the maximum
upstream contractual or guaranteed data throughput rate offered with
the above maximum downstream contractual or guaranteed data
throughput rate available in the census block in Mbps

Float

3

Fixed Broadband Deployment Record Format Details:
1. Block – Each census block must be identified using the 2010 block identifier from the 2010
TIGER/Line Block State-based Shapefile or Block County-based Shapefile. The block identifier
is a concatenation of Census 2010 state FIPS code, Census 2010 county FIPS code, Census 2010
5

census tract code and Census 2010 tabulation block number. Please see the 2010 TIGER/Line
Shapefiles Technical Documentation, Chapter 5, Part 5.2 at http://www.census.gov/geo/mapsdata/data/pdfs/tiger/tgrshp2010/TGRSHP10SF1CH5.pdf for more information.
2. Any variation in Block, DBA name, or Technology of Transmission necessitates the creation of
a new record. For example, if a provider indicates that broadband service is available in a
particular census block via two technologies, then the data should contain two records for that
census block. Records should be unique by Block, DBA name, and Technology of
Transmission.
3. Technology of Transmission – For reporting the technology of transmission, report the
technology used by the portion of the connection that would terminate at the end-user location. If
different technologies could be used in the two directions of information transfer (“downstream”
and “upstream”), report the connection in the technology category for the downstream direction.
The technology of transmission should be entered as an integer based on the reference found in
Codes, Table 1.

6

3. Mobile Wireless Broadband Deployment
We require that facilities-based providers of mobile wireless broadband service submit polygons in an
ESRI shapefile format depicting their broadband network coverage areas. For purposes of this data
collection, a mobile wireless broadband provider is considered “facilities-based” if it provides service to a
mobile wireless broadband subscriber using the provider’s own facilities and spectrum for which it holds
a license that it manages, or for which it has obtained the right to use via a spectrum leasing arrangement.
In addition, a mobile wireless broadband network is one that allows end users to receive information from
and send information to the Internet from a mobile device at information transfer rates exceeding 200
Kbps in at least one direction.
Mobile wireless broadband providers should submit polygons in an ESRI shapefile format representing
geographic coverage nationwide (including U.S. territories) for each transmission technology (e.g., EVDO, WCDMA, HSPA+, LTE, WiMAX – see Table 3, codes 80-88 for a complete list) deployed in each
frequency band (e.g., 700 MHz, Cellular, AWS, PCS, BRS/EBS – see Table 4 for a complete list). The
data associated with each polygon should indicate the minimum advertised upload and download data
speeds associated with that network technology in that frequency band, and the coverage area polygon
should depict the boundaries where, according to providers, users should expect to receive those
advertised speeds. If a provider advertises different minimum upload and download speeds in different
areas of the country using the same technology and frequency band (e.g., HSPA+ on AWS spectrum),
then the provider should submit separate polygons showing the coverage area for each speed. A variation
in technology, frequency band, or speed would require the submission of a separate polygon. If a
provider does not advertise the minimum upload and/or download data speeds, the provider must indicate
the minimum upload/download data speeds that users should expect to receive within the polygon
depicting the geographic coverage area of the deployed technology in the given frequency band.
Given that the requested frequency band and speed parameters of the shapefiles may be used for internal
network planning purposes, we will afford filers the opportunity to request confidential treatment of those
elements of their coverage information. We plan, however, to make the coverage areas by technology
and by an aggregated range of speeds available to the public.

Record Format for Mobile Wireless Broadband Deployment Data
Field

Description

Type

Example

DBA Name

Name of the entity customers could contact to purchase service in this
area with the characteristics below

Text

Eastern Wireless

Technology of
Transmission

Category of technology for the provision of service (see Codes, Table 3)

Integer

81

Spectrum Used

Code for spectrum used for the provision of service (see Codes, Table 4)

Integer

91

Minimum Advertised
Downstream
Bandwidth

The minimum advertised downstream bandwidth available in the census
block in Mbps

Float

3

Minimum Advertised
Upstream Bandwidth

The minimum advertised upstream bandwidth that is offered with the
above minimum advertised downstream bandwidth available in the
census block in Mbps

Float

0.768

Mobile Wireless Broadband Deployment Details:
1. All map areas must be closed, non-overlapping polygons with a single, unique identifier.
7

2. Any variation in any of the required fields necessitates the creation of a separate polygon showing
the relevant coverage.
3. The shapefile must have an assigned projection with an accompanying .prj file.
4. The shapefile must use unprojected (geographic) WGS84 geographic coordinate system.
5. The coverage boundaries should have a resolution of 100 meters (approximately three arcseconds) or better. An arc-second represents the distance of latitude or longitude traversed on the
earth's surface while traveling one second (1/3600th of a degree). See
http://www.esri.com/news/arcuser/0400/wdside.html. Three arc-seconds is a common resolution
of terrain databases. See USGS Standards for Digital Elevation Models, Part 1-General, at 1-2, 14, http://nationalmap.gov/standards/pdf/1DEM0897.PDF.]
6. The shapefile should be submitted as a WinZip archive.
7. In addition to the shapefile, each zip must include metadata or a plain text “readme” file that
contains a comprehensive explanation of the methodology employed to generate the map layer
including any necessary assumptions and an assessment of the accuracy of the finished product.

8

4. Mobile Wireless Broadband Service Availability
Each facilities-based provider of mobile wireless broadband service to end users shall provide a list –
uploaded as a delimited, plain text file – of all census tracts in which broadband service is advertised and
available to actual and potential subscribers. These data are necessary to determine mobile wireless
broadband service availability in cases where a provider’s mobile network deployment footprint (as
described in Section 3) differs from its facilities-based service footprint, that is, where service is
advertised and available to actual and potential subscribers.
Record Format for Mobile Wireless Broadband Service Availability Data
Field

Description

Type

Example

Tract

11-digit FIPS Code for the census tract (see note 1 below)

Text

11001006202

DBA Name

Name of the entity advertising and making service available to actual
and potential subscribers in this tract

Text

Eastern Wireless

Mobile Wireless Broadband Service Availability Details:
1. Tract – Each census tract must be identified using the 2010 tract identifier from the 2010
TIGER/Line Census Tract State-based Shapefile or Census Tract County-based Shapefile. The
tract identifier is a concatenation of Census 2010 state FIPS code, Census 2010 county FIPS code
and Census 2010 census tract code. Please see the 2010 TIGER/Line Shapefiles Technical
Documentation, Chapter 5, Part 5.4 at http://www.census.gov/geo/mapsdata/data/pdfs/tiger/tgrshp2010/TGRSHP10SF1CH5.pdf for more information.
2. Filers should indicate that service is available if the provider is advertising and actively making
mobile broadband service available to actual and potential subscribers anywhere in the tract. If a
provider offers network coverage in a tract only to provide service for its customers roaming or
traveling to the tract from another location, then the provider should not indicate that service is
marketed and sold in the tract.
3. Any variation in Tract or DBA Name necessitates the creation of a new record. For example, if
a provider indicates that broadband service is marketed in a particular tract under two unique
DBA names, then the data should contain two records for that tract. Records should be unique by
Tract and DBA Name.

9

5. Mobile Wireless Voice Deployment
Facilities-based providers of mobile wireless voice service to end users should provide polygons in an
ESRI shapefile format depicting their network coverage areas representing commercially-available
mobile voice service. The polygons should reflect where users should expect to be able to make,
maintain and receive voice calls. A filer should submit a separate polygon for each technology that it
uses to provide mobile voice coverage (e.g., GSM, CDMA, HSPA, LTE) and should indicate which
frequency bands it uses to provide voice service using that technology, according to the instructions
below. A mobile wireless voice service provider is considered “facilities-based” if it serves a subscriber
using the provider’s own facilities and spectrum for which it holds a license that it manages, or for which
it has obtained the right to use via a spectrum leasing arrangement.
Record Format for Mobile Wireless Voice Deployment Data
Field

Description

Type

Example

DBA Name

Name of the entity customers could contact to purchase service in this
area with the characteristics below

Text

Eastern
Wireless

Technology of
Transmission

Category of technology for the provision of service (see Codes, Table 3)

Integer

84

Spectrum Used

Code for spectrum used for the provision of service (see Codes, Table 4
and note 7 below)

Integer

91

Mobile Voice Deployment Details:
1. All map areas must be closed, non-overlapping polygons with a single, unique identifier.
2. Any variation in any of the required fields necessitates the creation of a separate coverage
polygon.
3. The shapefile must have an assigned projection with an accompanying .prj file.
4. The shapefile must use unprojected (geographic) WGS84 geographic coordinate system.
5. The coverage boundaries should have a resolution of 100 meters (approximately three arcseconds) or better. An arc-second represents the distance of latitude or longitude traversed on the
earth's surface while traveling one second (1/3600th of a degree). See
http://www.esri.com/news/arcuser/0400/wdside.html. Three arc-seconds is a common resolution
of terrain databases. See USGS Standards for Digital Elevation Models, Part 1-General, at 1-2, 14, http://nationalmap.gov/standards/pdf/1DEM0897.PDF.
6. The shapefile should be submitted as a WinZip archive.
7. Spectrum – Spectrum Used should be entered as an integer based on the coding scheme shown in
Codes, Table 4.
8. In addition to the shapefile, each zip file should include metadata or a plain text “readme” file that
contains a comprehensive explanation of the methodology employed to generate the map layer
including any necessary assumptions and an assessment of the accuracy of the finished product.

10

6. Fixed Broadband Subscription
Each facilities-based provider of fixed broadband connections to end users shall provide a list of census
tracts in which broadband service is provided to end users, along with the associated service
characteristics identified below.
For the purposes of this data collection, a provider of broadband connections to end-user locations is
considered “facilities-based” if any of the following conditions are met: (1) it owns the portion of the
physical facility that terminates at the end user location; (2) it obtains unbundled network elements
(UNEs), special access lines, or other leased facilities that terminate at the end user location and
provisions/equips them as broadband, or (3) it provisions/equips a broadband wireless channel to the end
user location over licensed or unlicensed spectrum. “Broadband connections” are wired “lines” or fixed
wireless “channels” that enable the end user to receive information from and/or send information to the
Internet at information transfer rates exceeding 200 Kbps in at least one direction. A broadband “end
user” is a residential, business, institutional, or government entity that uses broadband services for its own
purposes and does not resell such services to other entities or incorporate such services into retail Internetaccess services.
Report connections to end users that you (including affiliates) equipped to enable the end user to receive
information from and/or send information to the Internet at information transfer rates exceeding 200 Kbps
in at least one direction. Report only in-service connections. The end user’s Internet access service may
be provided by you (including affiliates) or by an unaffiliated entity. Categorize the connection based on
the technology employed by the part of the connection that terminates at the end user location. (Do not
report anywhere in Form 477 any high-capacity connections between two locations of the same end user
customer, ISP or communications carrier).
Record Format for Fixed Broadband Subscription Data
Field

Description

Type

Example

Tract
Technology of
Transmission
Downstream Bandwidth
Upstream Bandwidth

11-digit FIPS Code for the census tract (see note 1 below)

Text

11001006202

Category of technology for the provision of service (see Codes, Table 2)

Integer

1

Downstream bandwidth of the service as sold in Mbps
Upstream bandwidth of the service as sold in Mbps
Number of connections in this census tract for this combination of technology
code, upstream bandwidth and downstream bandwidth
Number of connections in this census tract for this combination of technology
code, upstream bandwidth and downstream bandwidth provided in consumergrade service plans

Float
Float

3
1.5

Integer

100

Integer

57

Connections
Consumer Connections

Fixed Broadband Subscription Details:
1. Tract – Each census tract must be identified using the 2010 tract identifier from the 2010
TIGER/Line Census Tract State-based Shapefile or Census Tract County-based Shapefile. The
tract identifier is a concatenation of Census 2010 state FIPS code, Census 2010 county FIPS code
and Census 2010 census tract code. Please see the 2010 TIGER/Line Shapefiles Technical
Documentation, Chapter 5, Part 5.4 at http://www.census.gov/geo/mapsdata/data/pdfs/tiger/tgrshp2010/TGRSHP10SF1CH5.pdf for more information.
2. Records should be unique by Tract, Technology of Transmission, Downstream Bandwidth
and Upstream Bandwidth. For example, if a provider has broadband connections in service in a
11

particular census tract via two technologies, then the data should contain two records for that
census tract.
3. Technology of Transmission – For reporting the technology of transmission, report the
technology used by the portion of the connection that would terminate at the end-user location. If
different technologies could be used in the two directions of information transfer (“downstream”
and “upstream”), report the connection in the technology category for the downstream direction.
The technology of transmission should be entered as an integer based on the reference found in
Codes, Table 2.

12

7. Mobile Wireless Broadband Subscription
Report the number of subscribers whose device and subscription permit them to access the lawful Internet
content of their choice at information transfer rates exceeding 200 Kbps in at least one direction. For
purposes of this part, providers must exclude subscribers whose choice of content is restricted to only
customized-for-mobile content, and exclude subscribers whose subscription does not include, either in a
bundle or as a feature added to a voice subscription, a data plan providing the ability to transfer, on a
monthly basis, either a specified or an unlimited amount of data to and from the Internet. Filers should
include directly-billed subscribers, pre-paid subscribers, and subscribers served via resellers.
Record Format for Mobile Wireless Broadband Subscription Data – Bandwidths by State
Field

Description

Type

Example

State

2-digit FIPS Code for the state (see note 1 below)

Text

01

Downstream Bandwidth

Downstream bandwidth of the service as sold in Mbps

Float

3

Upstream Bandwidth

Upstream bandwidth of the service as sold in Mbps
Subscribers whose billing address is in this state and whose device
and subscription permit the subscriber to access the lawful Internet
content of the subscriber’s choice at information transfer rates
exceeding 200 Kbps in at least one direction

Float

0.768

Integer

100

Integer

57

Subscribers

Subscribers, Consumer

Of the total number of subscribers, the number that are not billed to a
corporate, non-corporate business, government or institutional
customer account

Mobile Wireless Broadband Subscription Details:
1. State – Each state must be identified using the 2010 state identifier from the 2010 TIGER/Line
State and Equivalent Entity Nation-based Shapefile or State and Equivalent Entity State-based
Shapefile. Please see the 2010 TIGER/Line Shapefiles Technical Documentation, Chapter 5, Part
5.17 at http://www.census.gov/geo/mapsdata/data/pdfs/tiger/tgrshp2010/TGRSHP10SF1CH5.pdf for more information.
2. Records should be unique by State, Downstream Bandwidth and Upstream Bandwidth. For
example, if a provider has mobile wireless broadband connections in service in a particular state
at two different downstream bandwidths, then the data should contain two records for that state.

13

8. Mobile Local Telephone Subscription
Report mobile voice telephony subscribers in each state that you served over your own facilities. Include
directly billed subscribers, pre-paid subscribers, and subscribers served via resellers. Count a subscriber
as a mobile handset or other revenue-generating active voice unit that has a unique phone number and that
can place and receive calls from the public switched telephone network.
A mobile telephony service is a real-time, two-way voice service that is interconnected with the public
switched network using an in-network switching facility that enables the provider to reuse frequencies
and accomplish seamless handoff of subscriber calls. A mobile telephony service provider is considered
“facilities-based” if it serves a subscriber using the provider’s own facilities and spectrum for which it
holds a license that it manages, or for which it has obtained the right to use via a spectrum leasing
arrangement.
Record Format for Mobile Local Telephone Subscription Data
Field

Description

Type

Example

State

2-digit FIPS Code for the state (see note 1 below)

Text

01

Subscribers

Mobile voice telephony subscribers in service and served over your
own facilities

Integer

8201

Direct Subscribers

Of the total number of mobile voice telephony subscribers, the
number that are directly billed or pre-paid

Integer

8001

Mobile Wireless Telephone Subscription Details:
State – Each state must be identified using the 2010 state identifier from the 2010 TIGER/Line
State and Equivalent Entity Nation-based Shapefile or State and Equivalent Entity State-based
Shapefile. Please see the 2010 TIGER/Line Shapefiles Technical Documentation, Chapter 5, Part
5.17 at http://www.census.gov/geo/mapsdata/data/pdfs/tiger/tgrshp2010/TGRSHP10SF1CH5.pdf for more information.

14

9. Local Exchange Telephone Subscription
Report lines or wireless channels (hereafter, “lines”) in this state that you (including affiliates) use to
provide local exchange or exchange access services that allow end users to originate and/or terminate
local telephone calls on the public switched network, whether used by the end user for voice telephone
calls or for other types of calls carried over the public switched network (for example, lines used for
facsimile equipment or lines used occasionally or exclusively for “dial-up” connection to the Internet).
Do not report lines not yet in service, lines used for interoffice trunking, company official lines, or lines
used for special access service. Do not report any lines that connect two locations of the same end user
customer, ISP, or communications carrier. Where you are already reporting the portion of a circuit
between the end user and your switching center, do not separately count the portion of that circuit
between your switching center and a circuit switched, Internet protocol, or ATM network, irrespective of
whether you multiplexed the circuit onto a higher-capacity facility between your switching center and that
network.
Record Format for Local Exchange Telephone Subscription Data
Field

Description

Type

Example

State

State FIPS Code

Text

11

Local Exchange Telephone: Voice-grade equivalent lines and voice-grade equivalent wireless channels provided to Other Providers
VGEs, Wholesale

Voice-grade equivalent lines you provided to unaffiliated communications
carriers under resale arrangements including, among others, commercial
agreements that replaced UNE-P and resold services such as local exchange,
Centrex, and channelized special access

Integer

1

Wholesale, UNE-L

Lines you provided to unaffiliated communications carriers under any UNE
loop arrangement where you did not also provide UNE switching for the line
(Do not convert UNEs to VGEs)

Integer

50

Local Exchange Telephone: Voice-grade equivalent lines and voice-grade equivalent wireless channels provided to End Users
VGEs, End User,
Total

Voice-grade equivalent lines and voice-grade equivalent wireless channels in
service to your (including affiliates) end-user customers

Integer

1000

VGEs, End User,
Bundled

Voice-grade equivalent lines and voice-grade equivalent wireless channels in
service that are bundled with a broadband service that can be used to access
the Internet

Integer

0

VGEs, End User,
Consumer & No
PIC

Voice-grade equivalent lines and voice-grade equivalent wireless channels in
service to your (including affiliates) end-user customers taking consumergrade services AND for which you (including affiliates) are NOT the
presubscribed interstate long distance carrier.

Integer

100

Integer

500

VGEs, End User,
Consumer & PIC

Voice-grade equivalent lines and voice-grade equivalent wireless channels in
service to your (including affiliates) end-user customers taking consumergrade services AND for which you (including affiliates) are the presubscribed
interstate long distance carrier

VGEs, End User,
Business /
Government & No
PIC

Voice-grade equivalent lines and voice-grade equivalent wireless channels in
service to your (including affiliates) end-user customers taking businessgrade services AND for which you (including affiliates) are NOT the
presubscribed interstate long distance carrier

Integer

50

VGEs, End User,
Business /
Government & PIC

Voice-grade equivalent lines and voice-grade equivalent wireless channels in
service to your (including affiliates) end-user customers taking businessgrade services AND for which you (including affiliates) are the presubscribed
interstate long distance carrier

Integer

350

15

VGEs, End User,
Owned
VGEs, End User,
UNE-L
VGEs, End User,
Resale

Voice-grade equivalent lines and voice-grade equivalent wireless channels in
service provided over your own (including affiliates) local loop facilities or
the equivalent
Voice-grade equivalent lines and voice-grade equivalent wireless channels in
service provided over UNE loops obtained from an unaffiliated carrier
without also obtaining that carrier’s UNE switching for that line
Voice-grade equivalent lines and voice-grade equivalent wireless channels in
service provided by reselling unaffiliated-carrier services including, among
others, commercial agreements that replaced UNE-P and resold services such
as local exchange, Centrex, and channelized special access

Integer

1000

Integer

0

Integer

0

VGEs, End User,
Optical Fiber

Voice-grade equivalent lines and voice-grade equivalent wireless channels in
service provided over optical fiber at the end-user premises

Integer

0

VGEs, End User,
Coax

Voice-grade equivalent lines and voice-grade equivalent wireless channels in
service provided over coaxial cable at the end-user premises

Integer

0

VGEs, End User,
TFW

Voice-grade equivalent lines and voice-grade equivalent wireless channels in
service provided over fixed wireless at the end-user premises

Integer

0

Local Exchange Telephone Subscription Details:
Reporting Channelized Service: Count as one voice-grade equivalent line: traditional analog
POTS lines, Centrex-CO extensions, and Centrex-CU trunks. Count lines based on how they are
charged to the customer rather than how they are physically provisioned. That is, when a
customer is charged for channelized service, report the number of activated, charged-for channels
rather than the theoretical capacity of the line. Examples: Count Basic Rate Integrated (BRI)
Services Digital Network (ISDN) lines as two voice-grade equivalent lines. Count fullychannelized PRI circuits (including PRIs that are used exclusively to provide local connectivity to
“dial-up” ISPs) as 23 voice-grade equivalent lines. But report, for example, 8 voice-grade
equivalent lines if a customer is charged for 8 trunks that happen to be provisioned over a DS1
circuit. If a customer is charged for a fully-channelized DS1 circuit, however, report 24 voicegrade equivalent lines. For Wholesale, UNE-L, however, any high-capacity UNEs should not be
reported in voice-grade equivalents. UNEs should be reported as actual circuit counts.

16

10. Interconnected VoIP Subscription
Interconnected VoIP service is a service that enables real-time, two-way voice communications; requires
a broadband connection from the user’s location; requires Internet-protocol compatible customer premises
equipment; and permits users generally to receive calls that originate on the public switched telephone
network and to terminate calls to the public switched telephone network. See 47 C.F.R. §9.3.
Interconnected VoIP providers should determine location based on the subscriber’s broadband connection
or the subscriber’s “Registered Location” as of the data-collection date. “Registered Location” is the
most recent information obtained by an interconnected VoIP service provider that identifies the physical
location of an end user. See 47 C.F.R. § 9.3 (in the part of the FCC rules setting E911 requirements for
interconnected VoIP).
Record Format for Interconnected VoIP Subscription Data
Field

Description

Type

Example

State

State FIPS Code

Text

11

Interconnected VoIP, Over the Top (OTT) Subscriptions: Service to End Users Provided Without Also Supplying Last-Mile Facilities
VoIP, End User,
OTT

VoIP subscriptions purchased from you (including affiliates) by end users

Integer

0

VoIP, End User,
OTT, Consumer

Consumer-grade VoIP subscriptions purchased from you (including affiliates)
by end users

Integer

0

Interconnected VoIP, All Other Subscriptions: Service to End Users Provided over Last-Mile Facilities Supplied by the Provider
VoIP, End User

VoIP subscriptions purchased from you (including affiliates) by end users

Integer

500

VoIP, End User,
Consumer

VoIP, End User,
Copper

Consumer-grade VoIP subscriptions purchased from you (including affiliates)
by end users
VoIP subscriptions provided by you (including affiliates) to end users where
you also provide that subscriber with a broadband service that can be used to
access the Internet
VoIP subscriptions purchased from you (including affiliates) by end users and
provided over a copper-wire based connection

Integer

450

Integer

410

Integer

0

VoIP, End User,
FTTP

VoIP subscriptions purchased from you (including affiliates) by end users and
provided over a fiber-to-the-premises connection

Integer

0

VoIP, End User,
Cable

VoIP subscriptions purchased from you (including affiliates) by end users and
provided over a cable connection

Integer

500

VoIP, End User,
Wireless

VoIP subscriptions purchased from you (including affiliates) by end users and
provided over terrestrial or satellite-based wireless connection

Integer

0

VoIP, End User,
Other

VoIP subscriptions purchased from you (including affiliates) by end users and
provided over some other type of connection

Integer

0

VoIP, End User,
Bundled

17

11. Voice Telephone Subscription Detail
In addition to state-level reporting of local exchange lines in service and / or VoIP subscriptions sold,
providers or local exchange telephone services and / or interconnected VoIP services should report
subscriber counts by census tract and provide an estimate of the share of lines and / or subscriptions sold
in each tract that are provided under consumer-grade service plans.
Record Format for Voice Telephone Subscription Detail Data
Field

Description

Type

Example

Tract

11-digit FIPS Code for the census tract (see note 1 below)

Text

11001006202

VoIP Indicator

Data in this record represent counts of: 0=VGEs (for local exchange
services) or 1=VoIP subscriptions

Integer

0

VGEs or Subscriptions

Voice-grade equivalent lines and voice-grade equivalent wireless
channels in service OR VoIP subscriptions

Integer

100

Consumer VGEs or
Subscriptions

Number of VGEs or subscriptions that are provided in consumergrade service plans

Integer

100

Voice Telephone Subscription Details:
1. Tract – Each census tract must be identified using the 2010 tract identifier from the 2010
TIGER/Line Census Tract State-based Shapefile or Census Tract County-based Shapefile. The
tract identifier is a concatenation of Census 2010 state FIPS code, Census 2010 county FIPS code
and Census 2010 census tract code. Please see the 2010 TIGER/Line Shapefiles Technical
Documentation, Chapter 5, Part 5.4 at http://www.census.gov/geo/mapsdata/data/pdfs/tiger/tgrshp2010/TGRSHP10SF1CH5.pdf for more information.
2. Records should be unique by Tract and VoIP Indicator. For example, if a provider has voice
telephone connections in service in a particular tract via two technologies, then the data should
contain two records for that tract.

18

Appendix: Codes
Table 1: Technology of Transmission Codes for Deployment of Fixed Services
Technology Code

Description

Details

10

Asymmetric xDSL

11

ADSL2

Asymmetric xDSL other than ADSL2 and
VDSL
For example: ADSL2, ADSL2+

12

VDSL

For example: VHDSL, VDSL2

20

Symmetric xDSL

30

Other Copper Wireline

40

Cable Modem

41

Cable Modem – DOCSIS 1, 1.1, and 2.0

42

Cable Modem – DOCSIS 3.0

50

Optical Carrier/Fiber to the End User

60

Satellite

70

Terrestrial Fixed Wireless

90

Electric Power Line

0

All Other

All copper-wire based technologies other
than xDSL (Ethernet over copper and T-1
are examples)
Cable modem other than DOCSIS 1, 1.1, 2.0,
and 3.0

Fiber to the home or business end user (does
not include “fiber to the curb”)

Any specific technology not listed above

Table 2: Technology of Transmission Codes for Subscription to Fixed Services
Technology Code

Description

10

Asymmetric xDSL

20

Symmetric xDSL

30

Other Copper Wireline

40

Cable Modem

50

Optical Carrier/Fiber to the End User

60

Satellite

70

Terrestrial Fixed Wireless

90

Electric Power Line

0

All Other

Details

All copper-wire based technologies other
than xDSL (Ethernet over copper and T-1
are examples)
Fiber to the home or business end user (does
not include “fiber to the curb”)

Any specific technology not listed above

Table 3: Technology of Transmission Codes for Mobile Wireless Services
Technology Code

Description

Details

80

Terrestrial Mobile Wireless – WCDMA/UMTS/HSPA

81

Terrestrial Mobile Wireless – HSPA+

82

Terrestrial Mobile Wireless – EVDO/EVDO Rev A

83

Terrestrial Mobile Wireless – LTE

84

Terrestrial Mobile Wireless – WiMAX

85

Terrestrial Mobile Wireless – CDMA

86

Terrestrial Mobile Wireless – GSM

87

Terrestrial Mobile Wireless – Analog

88

Terrestrial Mobile Wireless – Other

19

Table 4: Spectrum Codes
Code
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100

Spectrum Band
700 MHz Band
Cellular Band
Specialized Mobile Radio (SMR) Band
Advanced Wireless Services (AWS) Band
Broadband Personal Communications Service (PCS) Band
Wireless Communications Service (WCS) Band
Broadband Radio Service/Educational Broadband Service Band
Satellite (e.g. L-band, Big LEO, Little LEO, 2 GHz)
Unlicensed (including broadcast television “white spaces”) Bands
600 MHz
Other

20