PUBLIC NOTICE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION 1919 M STREET N.W. WASHINGTON, D.C. 20554 _________________________________________________________________ _______ //$TRANSMITTED FOR FCC RECORD ONLY//$ DA 95-2054 INTERNATIONAL BUREAU SEEKS COMMENT ON DRAFT MANUAL FOR FILING SECTION 43.82 CIRCUIT DATA CC Dkt. No. 93-157 Released: September 28, 1995 Informal Comments Due: October 18, 1995 Public meeting: October 24, 1995 INTRODUCTION 1. The International Bureau is seeking informal comments on a Draft Manual for filing international circuit status data required by Section 43.82 of the Code of Federal Regulations. On August 9, 1995, the Commission adopted a Report and Order that, among other things, reduced the filing frequency for international circuit status reports from monthly to annually and directed the Bureau to prepare a manual on filing the reports. (See 10 FCC Rcd 8605 (1995)). The Draft Manual has been prepared, and we encourage informal comments regarding the content of the Draft Manual on or before October 18, 1995. 2. To this end, the Bureau has placed the Draft Manual on the Commission's Internet Database for inspection and accept informal comments by mail, fax or via the Internet. Copies of the Draft Manual also will be available for inspection and copying at the Commission's offices or from the Commission's copy contractor. The Bureau also will hold a public meeting on October 24, 1995, at the Commission's offices in Washington D.C. All interested parties are invited to participate. SUMMARY OF MANUAL 3. The Draft Manual uses many of the same definitions and concepts as the Manual for Filing 43.61 Data that was adopted by the Commission in 1992. That Manual was updated in 1995. 4. International facilities-based carriers are required to report total circuits by service and by type of facility on a country-by-country basis. Carriers must file the total number of 64 KB/s and 3 or 4 KHz bearer circuits held at year end and the number of circuits derived by digital circuit multiplication equipment. Circuits are not categorized according to how the customer actually uses them, but rather by the service offered to the customer at year end. A single circuit shall be reported only once, regardless of how many services it was used to provide. Carriers must report circuits separately by the following facility types: Submarine Cable, Satellite, and Terrestrial. If a circuit is ordinarily used to provide more than one service, then it should be reported under the predominant service category. The Draft Manual uses the same service categories and service codes specified in the Manual for Filing 43.61 Data. 5. All circuits available for use, but not in use as of December 31, should be reported as idle circuits. Circuits that were taken out of service but that were still available for service should be reported as idle circuits. Circuits that would be available with the addition of multiplexing or other circuit terminating equipment not installed as of December 31 should not be reported. 6. As noted above, carriers are required to provide the actual number of circuits and also the number of derived voice circuits as of December 31 of the year for which data are being reported. The Draft Manual uses the same conversion as specified in the Manual for Filing 43.61 Data. 7. Section 43.82 (a) directs carriers to file year end circuit reports by March 31 of the following year. By filing the Circuit Status Report for year-end 1995, the nondominant facilities-based carriers will satisfy the requirement in Section 63.15(b) of the Commission's Rules requiring that nondominant carriers file semi- annual circuit addition reports because information contained in the semi-annual circuit addition reports will be derivable from the annual circuit status reports. Nondominant facilities-based carriers are exempt from filing the Section 63.15(b) semi-annual circuit addition reports. 8. Carriers are required to file both paper copies of their reports and data on 3 1/2" floppy disks in a standardized format. The record formats are the same as the private line record formats specified in the Manual for Filing 43.61 Data, except that the billing code field is replaced with a facility code field. PROCEDURES FOR INFORMAL COMMENTS 9. The Bureau has created a World Wide Web site at http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/International/Informal/4382drft.wp. For individuals who wish to access the file electronically, but do not have access to the World Wide Web, the Draft Manual can be accessed by anonymous ftp from ftp.fcc.gov at the following location: /pub/Bureaus/International/Informal/4382drft.wp. The entire Draft Manual has been placed on that site. Copies of the Draft Manual and the informal comments will be available for inspection and copying in the International Bureau's Public Reference Room, FCC, Room 100, 2000 M Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20554. Copies of the Draft Manual also may be obtained for a fee from the Commission's contractor for public service records duplication: International Transcription Services , Inc. (ITS), 2100 M Street, N.W., Suite 140, Washington, D.C. 20037, at (202) 857-3800. 10. The Bureau also invites interested parties to submit informal comments on the Draft Manual on or before October 18, 1995, to Shannon Coombs of the Administrative Office, International Bureau, via the Internet at scoombs@fcc.gov (Subject Circuit Status Report) or by fax at 202-418-2818. Informal comments also may be mailed or delivered to Shannon Coombs, Administrative Office, International Bureau, FCC, Room 812C, 2000 M Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20554. Copies of mailed or delivered submissions also should be sent to James Lande, Industry Analysis Division, Common Carrier Bureau, FCC, Room 530-G, 1919 M Street, N.W., Bob Gosse, International Bureau, FCC, Room 832, 2000 M Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20554, and to ITS, 2100 M Street, N.W., Suite 140, Washington, D.C. 20037. 11. The Bureau will hold a public meeting for interested parties on October 24, 1995, at 10:00 in the Commission Meeting Room, Room 856, at 1919 M Street N.W., Washington, D.C. Those interested parties wishing to speak should reserve time, up to 10 minutes per speaker, on or before October 18, 1995, by corresponding with Ms. Coombs of the International Bureau at 2000 M Street N.W., Room 812C, Washington, D.C. 20554, or to Ms. Coombs via fax at 202-418-2818 or via the Internet to Ms. Coombs at scoombs@fcc.gov (Subject Circuit Status Report). - FCC -