Under the recently passed Martha Wright-Reed Just and Reasonable Communications Act, the FCC delegated and authorized the Wireline Competition Bureau and Office of Economics and Analytics to update its most recent data collection, the Third Mandatory Data Collection, with data on all incarcerated people’s communication services (IPCS) from all providers subject to the FCC’s authority. After seeking comment on the new update proposals, the WCB and OEA have adopted instructions, a reporting template, and a certification form to implement the 2023 Mandatory Data Collection. The data collection is limited to the 2022 calendar year and the cost reporting and cost allocation from the Third Mandatory Data Collection are adopted for use, with only minor modifications to the instructions.
Providers must allocate their investments and expenses among audio and video IPCS, safety and security measures, and various types of ancillary services and describe in detail each video service they provided in 2022 and each transmission technology used to provide each type of video service. All providers must submit audited financial statements for 2022 and must be prepared to justify the accuracy and reliability of any data they report regarding costs incurred by facilities. Provider responses are due for data collection by October 31, 2023.
