FCC Wants Data on Phone Rates and School Internet Safety
Published Date: 6/24/2025
Notice
Summary
The FCC is asking for approval to keep collecting important info from businesses and schools to make sure phone and internet rates in cities stay fair and to boost cybersecurity in schools and libraries. About 5,850 groups will spend time reporting, but there’s no extra cost. These updates help protect consumers and keep services safe and affordable, with deadlines coming up soon for those involved.
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 2 costs, 0 mixed.
Ensuring Rate Comparability for Rural Areas
The FCC will use the urban rates survey results to help ensure that universal service support recipients offering fixed voice and broadband charge rates that are reasonably comparable to urban areas so consumers in rural, insular, and high-cost areas have meaningful access. This work supports the Commission's comparability requirements tied to universal service funding.
Cybersecurity Pilot Application Burden
Schools, libraries, and other eligible institutions that apply to the FCC Schools and Libraries Cybersecurity Pilot Program must submit multiple forms; the FCC estimates 3,500 respondents and 17,710 responses with a total annual burden of 121,690 hours. Responding is required to obtain or retain benefits; the collection includes form-specific times (e.g., 3 hours for FCC Form 470--Cybersecurity, 14 hours for FCC Form 484) and the FCC reports no monetary cost.
Cybersecurity Pilot Funding and Reporting
The FCC will use the information from the Cybersecurity Pilot Program forms to evaluate applications, select participants, make funding determinations and disburse funds, and to assess whether program performance goals and periodic data reporting requirements are being met. The revision adds a third part to FCC Form 484 so the Commission can evaluate performance goals and the costs and benefits of using universal service funds for K-12 schools and libraries.
Annual Urban Rates Survey Burden
If you are an urban phone or broadband provider chosen to participate, you must complete an annual online survey that takes about 3 hours per response. The FCC expects 2,350 respondents and a total annual burden of 7,050 hours; responding is mandatory under 47 U.S.C. 254(b) and the agency reports no monetary cost to respondents.
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Key Dates
Department and Agencies
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