Agencies and Commissions July 2, 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Enforcement Bureau (the ``Bureau'') debars Mr. Rafael G. Adame from the schools and libraries universal service support mechanism (or ``E-Rate Program'') for a period of three years based on his conviction of wire fraud in connection with his participation in the program. The Bureau takes this action to protect the E-Rate Program from waste, fraud and abuse.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is required to publish notice of permit applications received to conduct activities regulated under the Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978. NSF has published regulations under the Antarctic Conservation Act at Title 45 Part 670 of the Code of Federal Regulations. This is the required notice of permit applications received.

The NRC has recently submitted to OMB for review the following proposal for the collection of information under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35). The NRC hereby informs potential respondents that an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and that a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. The NRC published a Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period on this information collection on March 31, 2008. 1. Type of submission, new, revision, or extension: Extension. 2. The title of the information collection: NRC Form 354, ``Data Report on Spouse.'' 3. Current OMB approval number: 3150-0026. 4. The form number if applicable: NRC Form 354. 5. How often the collection is required: On occasion. 6. Who will be required or asked to report: NRC contractors, licensees, applicants and others (e.g. intervenor's) who marry or cohabitate after completing the Personnel Security Forms, or after having been granted an NRC access authorization or employment clearance. 7. An estimate of the number of annual responses: 60. 8. The estimated number of annual respondents: 60. 9. An estimate of the total number of hours needed annually to complete the requirement or request: 12 hours (0.2 hours per response). 10. Abstract: NRC Form 354 must be completed by NRC contractors, licensees, and applicants who marry or cohabitate after completing the Personnel Security Forms, or after having been granted an NRC access authorization or employment clearance. Form 354 identifies the respondent, the marriage, and data on the spouse and spouse's parents. This information permits the NRC to make initial security determinations and to assure there is no increased risk to the common defense and security. A copy of the final supporting statement may be viewed free of charge at the NRC Public Document Room, One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Room O-1 F21, Rockville, MD 20852. OMB clearance requests are available at the NRC worldwide web site: https:// www.nrc.gov/public-involve/doc-comment/omb/. The document will be available on the NRC home page site for 60 days after the signature date of this notice. Comments and questions should be directed to the OMB reviewer listed below by August 1, 2008. Comments received after this date will be considered if it is practical to do so, but assurance of consideration cannot be given to comments received after this date. Nathan J. Frey, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (3150-0026), NEOB-10202, Office of Management and Budget, Washington, DC 20503. Comments can also be e-mailed to Nathan_J._Frey@omb.eop.gov or submitted by telephone at (202) 395-7345. The NRC Clearance Officer is Margaret A. Janney, (301) 415-7245.

In this Order, the Commission takes action to rein in the explosive growth in high-cost universal service support disbursements. As recommended by the Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service, the Commission adopts an interim, emergency cap on the amount of high- cost support that competitive eligible telecommunications carriers (ETCs) may receive. Specifically, as of the effective date of this Order, total annual competitive ETC support for each state will be capped at the level of support that competitive ETCs in that state were eligible to receive during March 2008 on an annualized basis. The Commission also adopts two limited exceptions from the specific application of the interim cap. The interim cap will remain in place only until the Commission adopts comprehensive high-cost universal service reform. In addition, the Commission resolves most of the petitions for ETC designation currently pending before the Commission.

In the Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (FNPRM), the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) seeks comment on modifications to the FCC Form 477 data collection to collect additional data on broadband service subscriptions. These changes will greatly improve the ability of the Commission to understand the extent of broadband deployment, and will enable the Commission to continue to develop and maintain appropriate broadband policies, in particular to carry out its obligation under section 706 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 to ``determine whether advanced telecommunications capability is being deployed to all Americans in a reasonable and timely fashion.''

In the Report and Order (Order), the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) amends the FCC Form 477 data collection in several respects to collect additional data on broadband service subscriptions. The Commission modifies Form 477 to require broadband providers to report the number of broadband connections in service in individual Census Tracts. The Commission adopts a voluntary household self-reporting system, and will recommend to the Census Bureau that the American Community Survey questionnaire be modified to gather information about broadband availability and subscription in households. The Commission adopts three additional changes to FCC Form 477. First, the Commission requires providers to report broadband service speed data in conjunction with subscriber counts according to new categories for download and upload speeds. These new speed tiers will better identify services that support advanced applications. Second, the Commission amends reporting requirements for mobile wireless broadband providers to require them to report the number of subscribers whose data plans allow them to browse the Internet and access the Internet content of their choice. Finally, the Commission requires providers of interconnected Voice over Internet Protocol (interconnected VoIP) service to report subscribership information on Form 477.