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The Rates & Demand Support Group develops End User charges for all member companies that participate in the Common Line pool, and Switched and Special Access charges for companies that participate in the Traffic Sensitive pool. These charges are filed in the Annual Tariff Filing in June, and are revised as needed. The Group also develops cost support for new service tariff filings, and provides analytical support for access reform proposals. Additionally the Rates & Demand Support Group publishes reports that provide comparisons and analysis of NECA rates.
To support these functions the Rates & Demand Support Group operates several Data Collection and Information Reporting Web Sites Member companies use the data collection sites to provide their demand, cost and revenue data which is the basis for the quantitative analysis and statistical models used by the Rates & Demand Support Group. Member companies use the Infoprmation Reporting sites to view their status, options and industry comparisons.
Data Collection Sites
Quarterly/Annual Line Count Data Request
The purpose of the Quarterly and Annual Line Count Data Request is to collect access line and 1.3 loop counts that NECA will forward to USAC. The Quarterly Line Count Data Request executes in February, September, and December of each year. The Annual Line Count Data Request executes in July of each year.
USAC uses these data to compute per line support levels for the remaining portion of each year’s support period -- July 1st through June 30th.
This data collection is mandatory for all participating members who have competition in their area. Companies without competition can voluntarily submit quarterly line count data to NECA. The USAC website publishes a new file quarterly of all companies who have competition in their area.
Forecast Line Count Data Request
The purpose of the Annual Forecast Line Count Data Request is to collect study area level line counts that NECA will use to set rates for the upcoming July 1st -- June 30th Test Period.
The request is for historical and projected lines for three successive September 30ths -- September 30th of the last year, September 30th of the current year and September 30th of the following year.
End User revenue projections for the Test Period will be forwarded to USAC, which will use the information to compute Interstate Common Line Support (ICLS).
Minutes of Use
At the request of the Federal Communications Commission, NECA collects inter-exchange minutes data from Local Exchange Carriers. The data is collected quarterly using a website accessed by LECs. Each quarter a company representative accesses the website and enters its most recent quarter of data. Also, at this time, the user of the site can revise previous quarters’ data that were entered. The data collected includes minutes of use in aggregate of NECA pool members.
The data is written to a database and reports are produced and submitted to the FCC. Quarterly and annual reports are produced from the data. NECA reviews the data for reasonableness before release and contacts companies if it sees any data abnormalities. NECA’s Tariffs Executive Director reviews and signs the report submitted to the FCC.
Advanced Services Demand Data Request
To support its Annual Tariff Filings, the Rates Group issues the Advanced Services Demand Data Request each year, to study areas listed as NECA's Traffic Sensitive (TS) Pool members. Member companies are requested to provide current and projected demand data for NECA Tariff 5 services such as DSL, DSL Connection Points, Ethernet Transport Service (ETS), High Capacity (DS1 and DS3), ATM, SONET, Frame Relay, and Switched Access Direct Trunked Transport. In addition, member companies are requested to provide the data to capture recent changes in market trends driven by competitors in their study areas. This study is integral to developing special access rates for the upcoming test period. The data collection is typically open from the last week of January through the last week of February each year.
Information Reporting Sites
492 Reporting
As part of it service to Association Members, NECA files the 492 report with the Federal Communications Commission. This report gives the earnings of NECA members as an aggregate pool and shows a rate of return for all the companies. It is a required filing of the FCC. The report is filed twice each year. In even numbered years, NECA files for one year of a monitoring period and in odd numbered years it files for the two year monitoring period used to evaluate the earnings of NECA members by the FCC.
To prepare the report, revenues and expenses of Cost and Average Schedule companies are collected from databases created by NECA Industry Relations. The numbers are processed and appear on the 492 Report prepared by NECA’s Earning Assessment Manger. The Report is circulated for approval and review by NECA upper Management. The final report is signed by NECA’s CFO and then filed with the FCC. A copy also is placed in the NECA library. The FCC makes the information on the report available to whoever wants to view it.
Universal Service Contributor Status and Banded Rates Comparison Reports Website
NECA's USF Contributor Status and FUSC Rate Banding section allows members and their consultants to change their USF contribution status at any time during the year. The website also allows members to opt in or out of FUSC rate banding.
The Banded Rates Comparison Report section is designed to provide pool members with information on band and rate changes for Local Switching, Multiline Business Subscriber Line Charge, Local Transport and Special Access charges, and Federal Universal Service Charge Factor. The reports are, generally, updated annually, one day after the annual access filing date. If there is a mid-year access service filing, the report will also be updated according to the schedule.
Each company can only access its own information. The system allows a holding company to access all its subsidiaries and a consulting company to access all companies with which it has consulting contracts.
In addition to company specific banded rates, the DSL Reference Guide, all banded rates and the complete list of tariff rates are also available from this website.
Local Switching Rate Comparison Report
This report compares a company’s proposed with current Local Switching rates and band placement.
Subscriber Line Charge (SLC) Rate Comparison Report
This report provides subscriber line charge and band assignment for Multiline Business and Residence/Single Line at the company level.
Local Transport and Special Access Rate Comparison Report
This internet-based system provides company specific rates and band placement information for Local Transport and Special Access.
The DSL Reference Guide which displays DSL, ATM-CRS and Ethernet rates are also available from this website.
Federal Universal Surcharge Rate Comparison Report
This system provides FUSC rate change information. It compares the proposed with current FUSC surcharges and MLB FUSC band assignment.
USF Contribution Status Updating System
This system gives a USF contributor the on-line flexibility of selecting a MLB FUSC banding option and notifies NECA managers to prepare for administrative filing of the change on a real time basis. It also gives carriers that want to change their MLB FUSC selections from Banding to No-banding options an ” Opt Out” period two months prior to NECA’s annual access service filing.
All Banded Rates and the Complete List of Tariff Rates
These links provide (1) all banded rates for Local Switching, Subscriber Line, Local Transport and Special Access, and Federal Universal Surcharge, and (2) the complete list of Tariff Rates so one can view not only company specific banded rates but also the entire list of banded rates.
Interstate Rate Comparison Charts
In September of each year, the Rates Group publishes the Interstate Access Rate Comparison Charts, which display comparisons between NECA’s Annual Tariff Filing access rates and rates of the major non-pooling exchange carriers. Following the Annual Filing, non-pooling companies’ rates for End User, Switched Access and Special Access elements are collected from their filed tariff pages. The Charts enable member companies to compare their rates to those in the rest of the industry.
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