DA 19-696
Released:  July 24, 2019

URBAN RATE SURVEY TIMELINE FOR 2020 

WC Docket No. 10-90

The Office of Economics and Analytics (OEA), in consultation with the Wireline Competition Bureau (WCB), hereby initiates the urban rate survey for 2020. In April 2013, the WCB adopted an Order setting the form and content for the annual survey of urban rates for fixed voice and fixed broadband residential services.  Connect America Fund, WC Docket No. 10-90, Order, 28 FCC Rcd 4242 (WCB and WTB 2013).  Although the voice survey will not ask about non-recurring charges, taxes, surcharges, and TRS charges, we reserve the right to collect this information at a future date.  The survey will however request information about non-recurring charges for broadband services.    
  The information collected in this survey will be used to develop voice and broadband reasonable comparability benchmarks that will be in place in 2020.  
To obtain this year’s samples, we will be collecting the rates offered by a random sample of providers of fixed services identified using December 2018 FCC Form 477 data.  We will collect separate samples for fixed voice and fixed broadband services with up to 500 urban Census tracts in each.  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 Thursday, July 25, 2019.  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 Monday, August 26, 2019.    
Additional information on the urban rate survey, including the orders referenced in this Public Notice, can be found on the Commission’s urban rate survey webpage at https://www.fcc.gov/general/urban-rate-survey-data-resources.  
For questions about the urban rate survey, please contact Craig Stroup in the Industry Analysis Division of the Office of Economics and Analytics at UrbanRateSurvey@fcc.gov or (202) 418-0989.  For additional information about this Public Notice, please contact Suzanne Yelen at Suzanne.Yelen@fcc.gov or (202) 418-0626.

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