On December 5, 2014, the Federal Communications Commission once again updated its Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about its Special Access Data Collection. See our blogs dated 10/21/14, 11/5/14, 11/17/14 and 11/25/14. As before, the document does not indicate what changed. To assist our clients, we again compared the documents and identified the items below as “new.” We’ve included the name of the FAQ section that changed as well as the number of the specific new question(s).
As a reminder, the FCC recently extended the filing deadline for some filers. For entities required to file a streamlined certification only, the due date remains December 15, 2014. For large businesses with more than 1,500 employees as measured at the parent company level, the due date is January 29, 2015. For other entities required to provide data and information in response to the data collection (i.e., entities with 1,500 or fewer 
employees) the due date is February 27, 2015.
The following are the new questions added December 5, 2014.
Competitive Provider Questions (Section II.A)
7. Do I have to provide a map showing all fiber routes or just fiber routes in price cap
areas? (Question II.A.5)
You only need to provide a map showing fiber routes in the price cap areas of your service
area.
8. Am I required to provide a map showing middle-mile and/or last-mile fiber routes?
(Question II.A.5)
Competitive Providers that are not cable system operators are required to report last-mile
and middle-mile fiber routes. Competitive Providers that are cable system operators on the
other hand do not have to report last-mile fiber routes, only middle-mile fiber routes.
In addition to the FAQs, the FCC also released an updated Special Access Data Collection System Guide (Versions 1.1) and new Data Collection For Special Access Proceeding Instructions.
