FCC Releases PN Seeking Comment on Proposed Changes to Forms 499-A & 499-Q

On July 15, 2022, the Wireline Competition Bureau (“Bureau”) released a Public Notice (“PN”) seeking comment on proposed revisions to: (1) the 2023 annual Telecommunications Reporting Worksheet, FCC Form 499-A (“Form 499-A”) and accompanying instructions (“Form 499-A Instructions”) to report 2022 revenues, and (2) the 2023 quarterly Telecommunications Reporting Worksheet, FCC Form 499-Q (“Form 499-Q”) and accompanying instructions (“Form 499-Q Instructions”) to report projected 2023 collected revenues on a quarterly basis.  For all the documents, the Bureau updated the dates appropriately for the current year and made a non-substantive changes, such as correcting typos, spacing, fonts, and other minor changes.  The following substantive changes were made to the instructions:

  • 2023 FCC Form 499-A Instructions – Clarifications:
    • Page 11 is updated to clarify that each affiliate and subsidiary entity should identify their ultimate controlling parent or entity, or provide a common identifier for all affiliated filers.
    • Page 19 is updated to remove the requirement to provide a fax number.
    • Page 26 is updated consistent with a recent Bureau order clarifying that incumbent LECs without a subscriber line charge should identify the interstate portion of fixed local exchange service revenues in column (d) of the appropriate line 404.1-404.5.
    • Page 29 is updated to clarify that amounts received from the federal USF support mechanism should be attributed as either interstate or international revenues, as appropriate.
    • Page 39 is updated to clarify that the reseller safe harbor procedures require an active Filer 499 ID to meet the “reasonable expectation” standard.
  • 2023 FCC Form 499-Q Instructions:
    • Circularity Factor Update: The circularity factor will be adjusted and updated in the Form 499-Q instructions based upon the quarterly contribution factors subsequent to the Fourth Quarter 2022 contribution factor announcement.

A redline of the 2023 Form 499-A can be found in Appendix A and a redline of the Form 499-A instructions can be found in Appendix B.  A redline of the 2023 Form 499-Q can be found in Appendix C and a redline of the Form 499-Q instructions can be found in Appendix D.

Comments are due on or before August 15, 2022.

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