Information Collections Being Reviewed by the Federal Communications Commission Under Delegated Authority, 6145-6147 [2019-03232]

Agencies

• FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 38 (Tuesday, February 26, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6145-6147]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-03232]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[OMB 3060-0600 and OMB 3060-0995]


Information Collections Being Reviewed by the Federal 
Communications Commission Under Delegated Authority

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 of 1995 (PRA), 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

[[Page 6146]]

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 Office of Management and Budget 
(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 April 29, 
2019. 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 Cathy Williams, FCC, via email: 
PRA@fcc.gov and to Cathy.Williams@fcc.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information about the 
information collection, contact Cathy Williams at (202) 418-2918.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    OMB Control Number: 3060-0600.
    Title: Application to Participate in an FCC Auction, FCC Form 175.
    Form Number: FCC Form 175.
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities, not-for-profit 
institutions, and state, local or tribal governments.
    Estimated Number of Respondents and Responses: 500 respondents and 
500 responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: 90 minutes.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion reporting requirement.
    Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. 
Statutory authority for this information collection is contained in 
sections 154(i) and 309(j)(5) of the Communications Act, as amended, 47 
U.S.C. 4(i), 309(j)(5), and sections 1.2105, 1.2110, 1.2112 of the 
Commission's rules, 47 CFR 1.2105, 1.2110, 1.2112.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden: 750 hours.
    Total Annual Costs: None.
    Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: Information collected on FCC 
Form 175 is made available for public inspection, and the Commission is 
not requesting that respondents submit confidential information on FCC 
Form 175. Respondents seeking to have information collected on FCC Form 
175 withheld from public inspection may request confidential treatment 
of such information pursuant to section 0.459 of the Commission's 
rules, 47 CFR 0.459.
    Privacy Act Impact Assessment: No impact(s).
    Needs and Uses: A request for extension of this information 
collection (no change in requirements) will be submitted to the Office 
of Management and Budget (OMB) after this 60-day comment period in 
order to obtain the full three year clearance from OMB.
    The Commission's auction rules and related requirements are 
designed to ensure that the competitive bidding process is limited to 
serious qualified applicants, deter possible abuse of the bidding and 
licensing process, and enhance the use of competitive bidding to assign 
Commission licenses in furtherance of the public interest. The 
information collected on FCC Form 175 is used by the Commission to 
determine if an applicant is legally, technically, and financially 
qualified to participate in a Commission auction. Additionally, if an 
applicant applies for status as a particular type of auction 
participant pursuant to Commission rules, the Commission uses 
information collected on FCC Form 175 to determine whether the 
applicant is eligible for the status requested. Commission staff 
reviews the information collected on FCC Form 175 for a particular 
auction as part of the pre-auction process, prior to the auction being 
held. Staff determines whether each applicant satisfies the 
Commission's requirements to participate in the auction and, if 
applicable, is eligible for the status as a particular type of auction 
participant it requested. Without the information collected on FCC Form 
175, the Commission will not be able to determine if an applicant is 
legally, technically, and financially qualified to participate in a 
Commission auction and has complied with the various applicable 
regulatory and statutory auction requirements for such participation. 
The Commission plans to continue to use the FCC Form 175 for its 
upcoming non-reverse spectrum auctions, including the forward auction 
component of any incentive auction, collecting only the information 
necessary for each particular auction.

    OMB Control Number: 3060-0995.
    Title: Section 1.2105(c), Bidding Application and Certification 
Procedures; Sections 1.2105(c) and 1.2205, Prohibition of Certain 
Communications.
    Form Number: N/A.
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities, not-for-profit 
institutions, and state, local or tribal governments.
    Estimated Number of Respondents and Responses: 10 respondents and 
10 responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: 1.5 hours to 2 hours.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion reporting requirement.
    Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. 
Statutory authority for this information collection is contained in 
sections 154(i), 309(j), and 1452(a)(3) of the Communications Act, as 
amended, 47 U.S.C. 4(i), 309(j)(5), 1452(a)(3), and sections 1.2105(c) 
and 1.2205 of the Commission's rules, 47 CFR 1.2105(c), 1.2205.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden: 50 hours.
    Total Annual Costs: $9,000.
    Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: The Commission will take all 
reasonable steps to protect the confidentiality of all Commission-held 
data of a reverse broadcast incentive auction applicant consistent with 
the confidentiality requirements of the Spectrum Act and the 
Commission's rules. See 47 U.S.C. 1452(a)(3); 47 CFR 1.2206. In 
addition, to the extent necessary, auction applicants and other covered 
parties may request confidential treatment pursuant to section 0.459 of 
the Commission's rules, 47 CFR 0.459, for any report of a prohibited 
communication submitted to the Commission that is not already being 
treated as confidential.
    Privacy Act Impact Assessment: No impact(s).
    Needs and Uses: A request for extension of this information 
collection (no change in requirements) will be submitted to the Office 
of Management and Budget (OMB) after this 60-day comment period in 
order to obtain the full three year clearance from OMB.
    The Commission's rules prohibiting certain communications in 
Commission auctions are designed to reinforce existing antitrust laws, 
facilitate detection of collusive conduct, and deter anticompetitive 
behavior, without being so strict as to discourage pro-competitive 
arrangements between auction participants. They also help assure 
participants that the auction process will be fair and objective, and 
not subject to collusion. The information collected under this 
information collection allows the Commission to enforce the prohibition 
on auction applicants and other covered parties by making clear the 
responsibility of parties who receive information that potentially 
violates the rules to promptly report to the Commission. It also 
enables the Commission to ensure that no bidder

[[Page 6147]]

gains an unfair advantage over other bidders in its auctions, thereby 
enhancing the competitiveness and fairness of Commission spectrum 
auctions. The information collected will be reviewed and, if warranted, 
referred to the Commission's Enforcement Bureau for possible 
investigation and administrative action. The Commission may also refer 
allegations of anticompetitive auction conduct to the Department of 
Justice for investigation.

Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene Dortch,
Secretary, Office of the Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2019-03232 Filed 2-25-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6712-01-P