Prepare Now for Upcoming March 1 Deadlines

JSI Staff Available to Assist with Requirements

JSI reminds its clients of several important March 1, 2016, filing deadlines. These deadlines affect wireline, wireless and VoIP telephone providers and video/cable companies.

FCC Form 477
FCC Form 477, Local Telephone Competition and Broadband Reporting, for data as of December 31, 2015, must be submitted by March 1 via the FCC’s online filing system. Reporting is required for all:

• Facilities-based providers of broadband connections to end-user locations
• Wired or fixed-wireless local exchange telephone service providers
• Interconnected VoIP service providers
• Facilities-based providers of mobile telephony and mobile broadband service

For assistance with Form 477 reporting, contact Marty Kluh in JSI’s Maryland office at 301-459-7590.

If you have revised previously filed Form 477s to correct errors found when reviewing the A-CAM, JSI recommends that you file a letter with the FCC requesting that the revised data be incorporated into the A-CAM. Please contact your cost consultant if you would like our assistance in preparing and filing such a letter.

Semi-Annual Copyright
Video/cable operators must submit their cable copyright statements of account forms and royalty payments for the second half of calendar year 2015 to the Library of Congress Copyright Office by March 1. All cable copyright royalty fees must be made via electronic funds transfer.

Video/cable providers should note that semi-annual gross receipts of $527,600 or more for the July 1-December 31, 2015, accounting period must be reported on the SA3 Long Form and require detailed reporting of distant signal carriage. If you have completed SA1-2 Short Form statements in the past and are approaching this threshold, you should review your channel lineup as the carriage of distant signals significantly affects your copyright royalty fee calculation. If you completed the SA3 Long Form in the past but have revised your channel lineup for broadcast stations, please make sure that these revisions are noted on the SA3 Long Form.

If you have questions about any of this information or would like JSI’s assistance with your copyright filing, contact Kim Waldvogel in JSI’s Maryland office at 301-459-7590.

Annual CPNI Certifications and Accompanying Statements
All telecommunications carriers and interconnected VoIP providers must file their Customer Proprietary Network Information (CPNI) certifications and accompanying compliance statements with the FCC before March 1. This filing accounts for the company’s CPNI compliance for calendar year 2015.

JSI reminds clients that all affiliated telecom providers, such as long-distance, wireless companies and VoIP providers, must file the certification. This includes companies that offer service to end users. Carriers with affiliate providers can continue to include their affiliates in a single CPNI compliance certification.

If you would like JSI’s assistance in preparing or filing your CPNI certification or have any questions regarding the CPNI rules, please contact Kim Waldvogel or John Kuykendall in JSI’s Maryland office at 301-459-7590.

Source: JSI e-Lert