PUBLIC NOTICE Federal Communications Commission 445 12th St., S.W. Washington, D.C. 20554 News Media Information 202 / 418-0500 Internet: http://www.fcc.gov TTY: 1-888-835-5322 DA 14-1544 Released: October 27, 2014 WIRELINE COMPETITION BUREAU ANNOUNCES TIMELINE FOR COMPLETION OF 2015 URBAN RATES SURVEY WC Docket No. 10-90 The Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau) will shortly be initiating the urban rate survey for 2015. The information collected in this survey will be used, among other things, to develop voice and broadband benchmarks that will be in place in 2015. On April 3, 2013, the Bureau adopted an Order setting the form and content for the annual survey of urban rates for fixed voice and fixed broadband residential services, as required by the USF/ICC Transformation Order.1 The Bureau completed the first survey in January 2014 and based on our experience has determined that certain changes are appropriate. For the 2015 survey, the Bureau has removed all questions regarding non-recurring charges on both the voice and broadband surveys and a question about taxes, surcharges, and TRS charges on the voice survey.2 To obtain statistically valid samples, the Bureau will be collecting the rates offered by providers of fixed services identified using the most recent FCC Form 477 data in up to 500 urban Census tracts. There will be separate samples for fixed voice and fixed broadband services. Because some providers serve many urban Census tracts, these providers may receive surveys for multiple Census tracts. Notifications that a provider is required to complete a survey will be sent via email to each selected provider’s FCC Form 477 contact person and certifying official on or around October 28, 2014. The survey consists of an online reporting form which will be accessible only to the selected providers. The email notification will provide detailed information on how to access and complete the survey online report form and how to obtain technical assistance. Completed surveys will be due on November 26, 2014. Additional information on the urban rates survey, including the orders referenced in this Public Notice, can be found on the Commission’s urban rate survey webpage at http://www.fcc.gov/encyclopedia/urban-rate-survey-data. Specific questions regarding the urban rates survey should be sent to UrbanRateSurvey@fcc.gov. You can also contact the Industry Analysis and Technology Division, Wireline Competition Bureau, by calling (202) 418-0940, (202) 418-0484 (tty). For additional information about this Public Notice, please contact Suzanne Yelen at (202) 418- 0626 or Suzanne.Yelen@fcc.gov. - FCC - 1 See Connect America Fund et al., WC Docket No. 10-90 et al., Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, 26 FCC Rcd 17663, 17705-06, para. 109 (2011), aff’d 753 F.3d 1015 (10th Cir. 2014). 2 Although we will not be collecting non-recurring charge and tax information this year, we may need to collect this information again in a future survey.