Information Collection Being Submitted for Review and Approval to the Office of Management and Budget, 71999-72000 [2014-28496]

Agencies

• FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 233 (Thursday, December 4, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 71999-72000]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-28496]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[OMB 3060-1030]


Information Collection Being Submitted for Review and Approval to 
the Office of Management and Budget

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: As part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork burdens, 
and as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 
3501-3520), the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) 
invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this 
opportunity to comment on the following information collections. 
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 collection burden on 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 PRA that does not display a valid OMB 
control number.

DATES: Written comments should be submitted on or before January 5, 
2015. If you anticipate that you will be submitting comments, but find 
it difficult to do so within the period of time allowed by this notice, 
you should advise the contacts below as soon as possible.

ADDRESSES: Direct all PRA comments to Nicholas A. Fraser, OMB, via 
email Nicholas_A._Fraser@omb.eop.gov; and to Cathy Williams, FCC, via 
email PRA@fcc.gov and to Cathy.Williams@fcc.gov. Include in the 
comments the OMB control number as shown in the Supplementary 
Information section below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information or copies 
of the information collection, contact Cathy Williams at (202) 418-
2918. To view a copy of this information collection request (ICR) 
submitted to OMB: (1) Go to the Web page https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain, (2) look for the section of the Web page called ``Currently 
Under Review,'' (3) click on the downward-pointing arrow in the 
``Select Agency'' box below the ``Currently Under Review'' heading, (4) 
select ``Federal Communications Commission'' from the list of agencies 
presented in the ``Select Agency'' box, (5) click the ``Submit'' button 
to the right of the ``Select Agency'' box, (6) when the list of FCC 
ICRs currently under review appears, look for the OMB control number of 
this ICR and then click on the ICR Reference Number. A copy of the FCC 
submission to OMB will be displayed.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    OMB Control Number: 3060-1030.
    Title: Service Rules for Advanced Wireless Services (AWS) in the 
1.7 GHz and 2.1 GHz Bands.
    Form Number: N/A.
    Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities; state, local, 
or tribal government; Federal Government and not for profit 
institutions.
    Number of Respondents: 393 respondents; 83,505 responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: 0.25 to 5 hours.
    Frequency of Response: Annual, semi-annual, one time, and on 
occasion reporting requirements, recordkeeping requirement, third-party 
disclosure requirements, and every ten years reporting requirements.
    Obligation To Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. The 
statutory authority for this collection is contained in sections 1, 2, 
4(i), 201, 301, 302, 303, 307, 308, 309, 310, 316, 319, 324, 332, and 
333 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, and sections 6003, 
6004, and 6401 of the Middle Class Tax Relief Act of 2012, Public Law 
112-96, 126 Stat. 156, 47 U.S.C. 151, 152, 154(i), 201, 301, 302(a), 
303, 307, 308, 309, 310, 316, 319, 324, 332, 333, 1403, 1404, and 1451.
    Total Annual Burden: 24,417 hours.
    Total Annual Cost: $508,120.
    Privacy Impact Assessment: No impact(s).
    Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: There is no need for 
confidentiality with this collection of information.
    Needs and Uses: The Commission seeks the Office of Management and 
Budget (``OMB'') approval for a revision to obtain the full three-year 
clearance for the requirements described below. We are revising the 
estimates of the currently approved information collections primarily 
to reflect the issuance of the AWS-3 Report and Order, FCC 14-31, whose 
information collection requirements for new spectrum bands would 
increase the number of respondents, responses, hourly burden, and 
annual costs associated with these bands. We are also updating prior 
estimates for other related spectrum bands. The following information 
collection requirements by AWS-3 applicants are not effective until 
approved by the Office of Management and Budget and apply to the 
following rule sections:
    Section 27.14(k) and (s)--set forth performance requirements for 
AWS-3 licensees. Section 27.14(s) requires AWS-3 licensees to offer 
service to 40 percent of the population of their license areas within 
six years of licensing, and to 75 percent of the population within 12 
years (accelerated to 10 years if the interim performance requirement 
is not met). These performance timeframes are different from those for 
AWS-4 due to the longer initial AWS-3 license terms (12 years versus 10 
years for AWS-4). Section 27.14(k) requires AWS-3 licensees to 
demonstrate compliance with the performance requirements by filing 
construction notifications with the Commission within 15 days of the 
expiration of the applicable benchmark, certifying whether they meet 
the applicable performance requirements, and including a description 
and

[[Page 72000]]

certification of the areas for which they are providing service. 
Construction notifications must include electronic coverage maps, 
supporting technical documentation, and any other information as the 
Wireless Telecommunications Bureau may prescribe by public notice.
    Section 27.14(s)--requires AWS-3 licensees to make a ``renewal 
showing'' at the time of license renewal--independent of the 
performance requirements--as a condition of renewal. The showing must 
include a detailed description of the applicant's provision of service 
during the entire license period and address: (1) The level and quality 
of service provided by the applicant (e.g., the population served, the 
area served, the number of subscribers, the services offered); (2) the 
date service commenced, whether service was ever interrupted, and the 
duration of any interruption or outage; (3) the extent to which service 
is provided to rural areas; (4) the extent to which service is provided 
to qualifying tribal land as defined in Sec.  1.2110(f)(3)(i); and (5) 
any other factors associated with the level of service to the public.
    Section 27.17(c)--requires that an AWS-3 licensee that permanently 
discontinues service must notify the Commission of the discontinuance 
within 10 days by filing FCC Form 601 or 605 requesting license 
cancellation. It also provides that an authorization will automatically 
terminate, without specific Commission action, if service is 
permanently discontinued, even if a licensee fails to file the required 
form requesting license cancellation. Sections 27.17(a) and (b) define 
permanent discontinuation of service as 180 days during which a 
licensee does not provide service to at least one unaffiliated 
subscriber.
    Section 27.50(d)(3)--requires that a licensee operating an AWS-3 
base or fixed station utilizing a power greater than 1640 watts EIRP or 
1640 watts/MHz EIRP must be coordinated in advance with the following 
licensees authorized to operate within 120 kilometers (75 miles) of the 
base or fixed station: All Broadband Radio Service (BRS) licensees 
authorized in the 2155-2160 MHz band, and all AWS licensees authorized 
to operate on adjacent frequency blocks in the 2110-2180 MHz band.
    Section 27.1131--requires AWS-3 licensees, prior to initiating 
operations from any base or fixed station, to coordinate their 
frequency usage with incumbent co-channel and adjacent-channel fixed 
point-to-point microwave licensees operating in the 2110-2150 MHz and 
2160-2200 MHz bands. If coordination does not resolve potential 
conflicts, an AWS licensee may undertake to relocate the FS stations 
under Part 101, Subpart B of the Commission's rules. Although AWS-1 
licensees have relocated many FS legacy operations, AWS-3 licensees 
will likely have to relocate some remaining incumbents, resulting in 
disclosures described below. Under section 101.79 of the Commission's 
rules, these requirements will sunset ten years after the first AWS 
license is issued in the band.
    Section 27.1132--requires AWS-3 licensees in the 2155-2160/62 MHz 
band to protect BRS stations from interference or to relocate them 
prior to initiating operations. Under section 27.1253 of the 
Commission's rules, these requirements will sunset fifteen years after 
the first AWS license is issued in the band.
    Section 27.1134(c)--requires AWS-3 licensees to coordinate with 
Federal Government incumbents before commencing operations in the 1695-
1710 MHz band. For transmitters operating with a maximum EIRP of 20 
dBm, coordination is required inside 27 specific Protection Zones 
detailed in U.S. note 88 to section 2.106 of the Commission's rules and 
in the 2014 Joint PN. For higher-powered operations, Sec.  27.1134(c) 
and U.S. note 88 to Sec.  2.106 both require coordination nationwide 
unless otherwise specified by FCC rule, order, or notice. The 2014 
Joint PN (see below) refined the nationwide default zone for higher-
power operations by adding 27 Protection Zones (larger than the zones 
for operations up to 20 dBm, to account for the higher power).
    Section 27.1134(f)--requires AWS-3 licensees to coordinate with 
Federal Government incumbents before commencing operations in the 1755-
1780 MHz band. While the default coordination requirement for this band 
is nationwide, the 2014 Joint PN (see below) effectively reduced the 
scope of coordination to specific Protection Zones for many AWS-3 
licensees that limit transmitter power to 20 dBm EIRP.

Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene H. Dortch,
Secretary, Office of the Secretary, Office of the Managing Director.
[FR Doc. 2014-28496 Filed 12-3-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P