507i_January2023_USAC_Clean

Instructions for Completing FCC Form 507

Connect America Fund Line Count Report

FCC Form 507 OMB Control No. 3060-0233

Estimated Average Burden Hours Per Response: 6.00 Hours

Instructions for Completing

Connect America Fund Line Count Report

FCC Form 507

* * * * *

NOTICE: Section 54.903(a)(1) of the Federal Communications Commission's rules requires all rate-of-return telecommunications carriers to provide line count information related to Connect America Fund support to USAC, the universal service Administrator. This information must be submitted on March 31^st of each year. Carriers that receive A-CAM, A-CAM II, Alaska Plan and CAF BLS support are required to file annual line counts on FCC Form 507, essential for monitoring and analyzing high-cost universal service programs. Carriers that are CAF BLS recipients may update on a quarterly basis. This collection of information stems from the Commission's authority under Section 254 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C. §254.

We have estimated that each response to this collection of information will take, on average, 6.00 hours. Our estimate includes the time to read the instructions, look through existing records, gather and maintain the required data, and actually complete and review the form or response. If you have any comments on this estimate, or how we can improve the collection and reduce the burden it causes you, please write to the Federal Communications Commission, AMD-PERM, Paperwork Reduction Project (3060-0233), Washington, D.C. 20554. We also will accept your comments via the Internet if you send them to PRA@fcc.gov. Please DO NOT SEND COMPLETED DATA COLLECTION FORMS TO THIS ADDRESS.

Remember -- You are not required to respond to a collection of information sponsored by the Federal government, and the government may not conduct or sponsor this collection, unless it displays a currently valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number. This collection has been assigned an OMB control number of 3060-0986.

The Commission is authorized under the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, to collect the information we request in this form. If we believe there may be a violation or potential violation of a statute or a Commission regulation, rule, or order, your form may be referred to the Federal, state, or local agency responsible for investigating, prosecuting, enforcing, or implementing the statute, rule, regulation, or order. In certain cases, the information in your form may be disclosed to the Department of Justice, court, or other adjudicative body when (a) the Commission; (b) any employee of the Commission; or (c) the United States government, is a party to a proceeding before the body or has an interest in the proceeding.

If you do not provide the information we request on this form, you are not eligible to receive support under the Connect America Fund BLS Mechanism, 47.C.F.R. § 54.903.

The foregoing Notice is required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, P.L. No. 104-13, 44 U.S.C. § 3501, et seq.

Specific Instructions

1. Introduction and Background.

In the MAG Order (FCC 01-304), the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) modified its rules to reform the interstate access charge and universal service support system for incumbent local exchange carriers (LECs) subject to rate-of-return regulation. In the Rate-of-Return Reform Order (FCC 16-33), the FCC adopted technical rule changes to support the provision of broadband service to consumers in areas with high loop-related costs, without regard to whether the loops are also used for traditional voice services. The FCC appointed the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) as Administrator of this universal service support mechanism.

2. The Carrier or the Carrier’s Agent May File This Form.

You may choose to complete FCC Form 507 and submit it to USAC. Alternatively, you may choose to designate an agent to file FCC Form 507 on your behalf. Please note that, if you choose to designate an agent to complete and submit FCC Form 507 on your behalf, an authorized officer or employee of your company must advise USAC of the identity of your agent and certify that the actual line count data provided to your authorized agent is accurate to the best of his/her knowledge. Your authorized agent must: (1) certify that he/she is authorized to submit the information on behalf of the reporting carrier; (2) certify that the line count data provided on the form is based on actual line count data received from the reporting carrier; (3) certify that the information on the form is accurate to the best of the agent’s knowledge; and (4) provide copies of the line count filing to the reporting carrier within 15 days. Specific instructions for complying with these steps are set forth below in Section X. Certifications.

3. Line Count Information.

All rate-of-return incumbent carriers must file their line counts by customer class for each study area in which they serve. 47 C.F.R. § 54.903(a)(1). The line count data collected on FCC Form 507 must be reported in the following categories:

• Number of residential and single-line business access lines in service;

• Number of multi-line business access lines in service;

• Consumer Broadband-only lines in service and,

• Total number of lines in service.

4. When Must Rate-of-Return Incumbent Carriers File Line Count Reports?

Pursuant to the December 2018 Rate-of-Return Reform Order, rate-of-return carriers receiving CAF-BLS, A-CAM, A-CAM II and Alaska Plan support must, on March 31^st of each year, file line counts as of the prior December 31^st. In addition, rate-of-return carriers receiving CAF-BLS may file voluntary updates on the schedule set forth in section 54.1306 of the Commission’s rules. 47 C.F.R. § 54.903(a)(1),(2).

In sum, the following schedule governs rate-of-return incumbent carriers’ submission of line counts:

Carrier	Filing Due Date for Line	Information	Mandatory or Voluntary
All Rate-of-Return Incumbent Carriers	3/31 of each year	Lines served as of 12/31 of the preceding year	Mandatory
CAF BLS Recipients Only	7/31 of each year	Lines served as of 12/31 of the current year	Optional
CAF BLS Recipients Only	9/30 of each year	Lines served as of 3/31 of the current year	Optional
CAF BLS Recipients Only	12/31 of each year	Lines served as of 6/30 of the current year	Optional

5. Reporting Transferred Lines.

All line count reports must update any lines that you acquired from another carrier and the identity of the carrier from whom you acquired the lines, if the acquired lines were not included in your most recent previous line count report. 47 C.F.R. § 54.902.

The lines that are transferred as a result of a transfer of exchanges from one rate-of-return carrier to another rate-of-return carrier may be reported and incorporated in the next quarterly line count filing. 47 C.F.R. § 54.902(a)(1). If you, the acquiring carrier, do not file a quarterly update of your line counts, you will not receive CAF-BLS for the acquired lines during the transition period (i.e., the period from the filing of the updated line counts until the end of the funding year). All post-transaction CAF-BLS shall be subject to true-up by USAC. 47 C.F.R. §§ 54.902(a)(1), (a)(3).

Absent further action by the Commission, the lines that are transferred as a result of a transfer of exchanges from a price cap carrier to a rate-of-return carrier may not be incorporated into the rate- of-return carrier’s existing study areas and may not be reported in the next quarterly line count filing. 47 C.F.R. § 54.902(b)(1).

6. Specific Instructions for Completing This Form.

Rate-of-return incumbent carriers should complete the Line Count Data Collection for Rate-of-

Return Carriers worksheet. Carriers are no longer required to report lines based on disaggregation zones.

Block 1 - Contact Information.

Row 1, Carrier Study Area Code: Provide your six-digit numerical code assigned by the National Exchange Carrier Association (NECA) for the study area in which you serve.

4

Row 2, Carrier Study Area Name: Provide the standard name that you use to identify your study area.

Row 3, Service Provider Identification Number: Provide the nine-digit Service Provider Identification Number (SPIN) that USAC has assigned to you. If you do not know your SPIN, please contact the High Cost Low Income Customer Service Center for assistance (HCLI).

Row 4, Data As Of: Provide the month, day, and year as of which the data is reported. For example, you would enter 12/31/2018 for your line count data that is reported in the March 31, 2019 line count filing because the report contains lines served as of December 31, 2018.

Row 5, Contact Name: Provide the name of the person that USAC should contact to discuss any questions concerning the information that you submitted in this form.

Row 6, Contact Telephone Number: Provide the telephone number (including area code) of the person that you identified in Row 6.

Row 7, Email address: Provide the email address of the person that you identified in Row 5.

Block 2 - Line Counts.

Row 8, Residential and Single-Line Business Access Lines in Service: Identify your total number of residential and single-line business access lines in service. Your residential/single-line business lines reported may include single and non-primary residential lines, single-line business lines, basic rate interface (BRI) integrated services digital network (ISDN) service, and other related residence class lines.

In the column entitled No. of Acquired Lines, you should separately report the number of residential and single-line business access lines that you acquired from another carrier, and that you have not included on your most recent, previously filed line count form.

Row 9, Multi-Line Business Access Lines in Service: Identify your total number of multi-line business access lines in service. Multi-line business class lines reported may include multi-line business, Centrex, PRI ISDN, and other related business class lines. Such lines include all business class lines assessed the end user common line charge pursuant to 47 C.F.R. § 69.104. Pursuant to

§§ 69.104(p) and (q), you should include in your multi-line business access line count five (5) lines for each PRI ISDN service arrangement that you offer in your study area.

In the column entitled No. of Acquired Lines, you should separately report the number of multi-line business access lines in service that you acquired from another carrier, and that you have not included on your most recent, previously filed line count form.

Row 10, Consumer Broadband-Only Lines in Service: Identify your total number of consumer broadband-only lines in service. Consumer broadband-only lines reported include lines assessed the Consumer Broadband-Only Loop rate charged pursuant to §69.132 (or would have been assessed had such a rate been in effect).

Row 11, Total Number of Lines in Service in Study Area: Enter the total of rows 8, 9, and 10 here.

Row 12, Name of Carrier From Which Lines Were Acquired, If Applicable: If you reported any information in the column entitled No. of Acquired Lines, you should also report the name of the carrier from which you acquired the lines.

Row 13, Study Area Code From Which Lines Were Acquired, If Applicable: If you reported any information in the column entitled No. of Acquired Lines, you should also report the study area code of the carrier from which you acquired the lines.

7. Certifications.

You must submit certifications with the signature of an authorized person with the FCC Form 507. If you are filing FCC Form 507 on your own behalf, you must complete the reporting carrier certification page. If you are authorizing an agent to file FCC Form 507 on your behalf, on the other hand, you must complete the top portion of the agent certification page. Once you have completed the top portion of the agent certification page, your authorized agent must complete the bottom portion of the agent certification page.

Carriers submitting FCC Form 507 on their own behalf. If you are filing FCC Form 507 on your own behalf, an authorized officer or employee of your company must complete the reporting carrier certification page of FCC Form 507. By completing the reporting carrier certification page, the officer or employee of the reporting carrier is certifying that: (1) he/she is an officer or an employee of the reporting carrier; (2) his/her responsibilities include ensuring the accuracy of the actual line count data reported on the form; and (3) the information reported on the form is accurate to the best of his/her knowledge. The certification must be signed by an authorized officer or employee of the company and must be submitted to USAC along with the line count report on the worksheet of FCC Form 507.

Carriers authorizing an agent to file FCC Form 507 on their behalf. If you are authorizing an agent to file FCC Form 507 on your behalf, you, as the reporting carrier, must complete the top portion of the agent certification page of FCC Form 507. By completing the agent authorization section, the officer or employee of your company is certifying that: (1) the agent identified on the agent certification is authorized to submit the actual line count data to USAC on your behalf; (2) he/she is an officer or employee of the reporting carrier; (3) his/her responsibilities include ensuring the accuracy of the actual line count data provided to the authorized agent; and (4) the actual line count data provided to the authorized agent is accurate to the best of his/her knowledge. The certification must be signed by an authorized officer or employee of the company. You will then provide the certification with the signature of the authorized person to your authorized agent.

Your authorized agent is responsible for completing the bottom portion of the agent certification page of FCC Form 507. By completing the agent certification section, the authorized agent is certifying that: (1) he/she is authorized to submit the information on your behalf; (2) the line count data provided on the form is based on actual line count data received from you (the reporting carrier); (3) the information provided on the form is accurate to the best of the agent’s knowledge; and (4) the authorized agent will provide copies of the line count filing to you within 15 days. The certification must be signed by the authorized agent or an employee of the authorized agent.

Certifications with the signatures of the authorized persons, as well as all of the information requested on FCC Form 507 for Rate-of-Return Carriers must be received by USAC in accordance with the filing dates on page 4 of these instructions.

Please remember that, if the form is submitted electronically in Excel 97 or above, the certifications with the signatures of the authorized persons still must be received by USAC by the due dates.

8. Request for Confidential Treatment of Filed Data.

You may request confidential treatment of some or all of the data filed to qualify for Connect America Fund-Broadband Loop Support by complying with the requirements set forth in 47 C.F.R.

§ 0.459.

9. Where to File Completed Forms.

If you are a rate-of-return incumbent carrier, you must submit this form in accordance with the schedule noted above, for each study area in which you operate.

You are encouraged to submit the form electronically via email at hcfilings@usac.org.

The form must be received at the address listed below by the due date. If you are unable to submit the completed form in electronic format, please submit your paper copies to the same address.

U.S. Mail, Overnight, or Expedited Mail/Courier Services: USAC

Customer Operations 700 12^th Street, NW

Suite 900

Washington, DC 20005

(844) 357-0408

10. If You Have Questions.

Please consult the USAC Web site, https://www.usac.org/high-cost/resources/forms-and-filing-deadlines/ for important information and updates.

You may submit questions via e-mail to HCQuestions@usac.org

You may telephone USAC’s HC Customer Service Center at (844) 357-0408 (toll-free).

When submitting any inquiry to USAC’s HC Customer Service Center, whether by telephone or e-mail , please provide the name of the person submitting the inquiry and the company on whose behalf the inquiry is submitted, the person’s telephone number, e-mail address, and please describe your inquiry as specifically as possible.

Revised January 2023