In order to analyze the status of competition in California, the Public Utilities Commission has a new annual reporting obligation for providers who are required to submit FCC 477 reports.  Those 477 filers who are registered or certificated in California are now required to submit data in California by April 28, 2017, that is based, in part, on the data in the FCC 477 filing.  There are few differences:

• Results submitted in .xlsx format rather than .csv
• Subscription data reported at Census Block level rather than tract level
• No state-level voice characteristics required for Local and VoIP
• Results to be uploaded to an FTP site
• Each record to include FRN and DBA
• Facilities based mobile subscriber data reported by Census Tract rather than state
• New worksheet to collect fixed wireless tower characteristics
• Option to make contact information available to potential purchasers

As with the 477 report, only facilities based broadband providers need to file.  Voice providers file subscription data whether or not they own the last mile.  For wireline voice locations, providers are to report total switched access lines and total consumer grade switched access lines.  VoIP providers report total interconnected VoIP subscribers, total interconnected VoIP over-the-top subscribers, total consumer-grade interconnected VoIP not over-the-top subscribers, and total consumer-grade interconnected VoIP subscribers.

Your FCC 477 source data can be reformatted to yield subscription counts at the block level or you can submit your service addresses to California and they will format it.  Keep in mind that counts by block disclose less sensitive information than service addresses.  In either case, reporting subscription data (rather than deployment) at the block level is more disclosive than required by the FCC.  Your filing employee or vendor should insure that the data will be treated as confidential upon filing and into the foreseeable future.

This report will be an annual requirement.  After this year it will be due on April 1.  The date this year was postponed due the technical issues that delayed the FCC 477 filing.  You can refer to the December 1, 2016, Order in California Investigation 15-11-007, Decision 16-12-025 for more background.

This report also replaces the Broadband portion of the California Cable providers’ annual report (DIVCA) and is not voluntary.

Data for clients of TMI's FCC 477 data processing services are easily converted to the California required format. Click on the image below to receive more information about TMI FCC Form 477support services and how we can assist with California Broadband and Voice Reporting.

TMI files this new California Report for TMI Compliance Reporting clients at no additional charge. Click on the button below to learn more about our Compliance Reporting Services.