Information Collection(s) Being Reviewed by the Federal Communications Commission, Comments Requested, 40475-40476 [2013-16143]

Agencies

• FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 129 (Friday, July 5, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40475-40476]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-16143]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION


Information Collection(s) Being Reviewed by the Federal 
Communications Commission, Comments Requested

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Notice; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: As part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork burden 
and as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 
3501--3520), the Federal Communications Commission invites the general 
public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment 
on the following information collection(s). Comments are requested 
concerning: whether the proposed collection of information is necessary 
for the proper performance of the functions of the Commission, 
including whether the information shall have practical utility; the 
accuracy of the Commission's burden estimate; ways to enhance the 
quality, utility, and clarity of the information collected; ways to 
minimize the burden of the collection of information on the 
respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology; and ways to further reduce the 
information burden for small business concerns with fewer than 25 
employees.
    The FCC may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information 
unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. No person 
shall be subject to any penalty for failing to comply with a collection 
of information subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) that does 
not display a valid OMB control number.

DATES: Written Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) comments should be 
submitted on or before September 3, 2013. If you anticipate that you 
will be submitting PRA comments, but find it difficult to do so within 
the period of time allowed by this notice, you should advise the FCC 
contact listed below as soon as possible.

ADDRESSES: Submit your PRA questions to Judith B. Herman, Federal 
Communications Commission. To submit your PRA comments by email send 
them to: PRA@fcc.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Judith B. Herman, Office of Managing 
Director, (202) 418-0214.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    OMB Control Number: 3060-0806.
    Title: Universal Service--Schools and Libraries Universal Service 
Program, FCC Forms 470 and 471.
    Form Numbers: FCC Forms 470 and 471.
    Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities, not-for-profit 
institutions and state, local or tribal government.
    Number of Respondents: 82,000 respondents; 82,000 responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: Three hours to complete FCC Form 470 
and four hours to complete FCC Form 471. Additionally, one-half hour 
(.5 hours) for each form for the five year recordkeeping requirement.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion and annual reporting 
requirements, recordkeeping requirement and third party disclosure 
requirement.
    Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. 
Statutory authority for this information collection is contained in 47 
U.S.C. 151-154, 201-205, 218-220, 254, 303(r), 403 and 405 of the 
Communications Act of 1934, as amended.
    Total Annual Burden: 334,000 hours.
    Total Annual Cost: N/A.
    Privacy Impact Assessment: N/A.
    Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: The Commission is not 
requesting that respondents submit confidential information to the 
Commission. If the applicant requests confidential treatment of their 
information, they may request confidential treatment under 47 CFR 0.459 
of the Commission's rules.
    Needs and Uses: The Commission will submit this information 
collection after this comment period to obtain the full, three year 
clearance from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The 
Commission is requesting OMB approval for a revision to this 
information collection.
    This submission proposes revisions to the FCC Form 470 and 
instructions and FCC Form 471 and instructions. The Commission is 
revising this collection in an effort to simplify the application 
process and to better collect information related to the broadband 
services being ordered by schools and libraries under the E-rate 
program. We propose collapsing the telecommunications

[[Page 40476]]

services and Internet access categories into one category of service on 
the FCC Form 470 to simplify the application process. We also propose 
eliminating outdated questions that were originally designed to 
determine the impact of services and create new questions that will 
better gauge the technology and speed related to E-rate applicants' 
Internet and broadband connectivity. Specifically, Block 2 of the FCC 
Form 471, Impact of Service Ordered for Schools and Libraries from this 
Form 471, will be eliminated and questions asking about broadband and 
other connectivity services will be added to Block 5 for each funding 
request. The FCC Form 471 is also revised to allow applicants to 
indicate whether they are a federal entity. Further, in the 
Commission's attempt to reduce the number of active information 
collections, the Commission will incorporate the information collection 
requirements in OMB Control No. 3060-0774 into to this collection so it 
can be removed from the OMB inventory.
    The Commission requests a total hourly burden change for FCC Forms 
470 and 471 from 325,000 burden hours to 334,000 burden hours, which is 
an increase of 9,000 burden hours. The adjustment reflects updated 
information received from the Universal Service Administrative Company, 
the administrator of the schools and libraries universal service 
support program, and is based on actual participation in the program. 
Specifically, for the FCC Form 470, the Commission estimates that the 
number of respondents has remained the same at 35,000 based on the 
number of forms submitted for funding years 2012 and 2013 reported by 
USAC. For the FCC Form 471, the Commission estimates that the number of 
respondents has increased from 45,000 to 47,000 based on the increased 
number of submitted FCC Forms 471 in funding years 2012 and 2013 as 
reported by USAC.
    The two FCC forms serve the functions of the Universal Service 
Schools and Libraries Support Mechanism, 47 U.S.C. 254 of the 
Communications Act of 1934, as amended. They are used at the point 
where services provided to the program are implemented, or are about to 
be implemented, and are a necessary prerequisite to the distribution of 
payments under the program.
    Applicants in the E-rate program must submit an FCC Form 470 with a 
description of the services needed to USAC, which administers the fund. 
The information from the FCC Form 470 is then posted on USAC's Web site 
for all potential competing service providers to review. After waiting 
28 days, the applicant can enter into an agreement for services. See 47 
CFR 54.504(b). Applicants and consultants completing the FCC Form 470 
must provide basic information on the form, including contact 
information and demographic information to assist in the processing of 
the application.
    The FCC Form 471 must be filed each year by all E-rate applicants. 
Once a school or library has complied with the Commission's competitive 
bidding requirements and entered into an agreement for eligible 
services, it must file an FCC Form 471 application to notify USAC of 
the services that have been ordered, the service providers with whom 
the applicant has entered into an agreement, and an estimate of the 
funds needed to cover the discounts to be given for eligible services. 
See 47 CFR 54.504(c). Applicants must now provide their FCC 
Registration Number. See 47 CFR 1.8002 and 1.8003.
    Besides basic information about the applicant or consultant filling 
out the form, the form gathers information about the broadband services 
that the school or library is currently using to help USAC determine 
the technological needs of the E-rate program. Since economically 
disadvantaged schools and rural schools receive a greater share of E-
rate program funding, the form also contains a discount calculation 
worksheet for certifying the percentage of students eligible in that 
school for the national school lunch program (or other acceptable 
indicators of economic disadvantage determined by the Commission). See 
47 CFR 54.505(b)(1). Similarly, libraries must make certifications 
about students eligible for national school lunch programs in nearby 
areas. See 47 CFR 54.505(b)(2). Since rural schools and libraries 
receive slightly more funding than urban participants, the FCC Form 471 
requires applicant's demographic location. See 47 CFR 54.505(b)(3).
    All of the requirements contained in this information collection 
are necessary to implement the congressional mandates regarding No 
Child Left Behind as well as the schools and libraries universal 
service support program process.

Federal Communications Commission.
Gloria J. Miles,
Federal Register Liaison, Office of the Secretary, Office of Managing 
Director.
[FR Doc. 2013-16143 Filed 7-3-13; 8:45 am]
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