Information Collections Being Submitted for Review and Approval to Office of Management and Budget, 56603-56605 [2020-20113]

Agencies

• FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 178 (Monday, September 14, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56603-56605]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-20113]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[OMB 3060-0161, 3060-0685, 3060-1070, 3060-1272; FRS 17063]


Information Collections Being Submitted for Review and Approval 
to 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, 
as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, the Federal 
Communications Commission (FCC or the Commission) invites the general 
public and other Federal Agencies to take this opportunity to comment 
on the following information collection. Pursuant to the Small Business 
Paperwork Relief Act of 2002, the FCC seeks specific comment on how it 
can further reduce the information collection burden for small business 
concerns with fewer than 25 employees.

DATES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed 
information collection should be submitted on or before October 14, 
2020.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be sent to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Find this particular information collection by selecting 
``Currently under 30-day Review--Open for Public Comments'' or by using 
the search function. Your comment must be submitted into 
www.reginfo.gov per the above instructions for it to be considered. In 
addition to submitting in www.reginfo.gov also send a copy of your 
comment on the proposed information collection to Cathy Williams, FCC, 
via email to [email protected] and to [email protected]. Include in the 
comments the OMB control number as shown in the SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION 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 Title of this ICR and 
then click on the ICR Reference Number. A copy of the FCC submission to 
OMB will be displayed.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Commission 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.
    As part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork burdens, as 
required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501-
3520), the FCC invited the general public and other Federal Agencies to 
take this opportunity to comment on the following information 
collection. Comments are requested concerning: (a) 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; (b) the accuracy of the Commission's 
burden estimates; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity 
of the information collected; and (d) 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. Pursuant to the Small Business Paperwork Relief Act of 
2002, Public Law 107-198, see 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(4), the FCC seeks 
specific comment on how it might ``further reduce the information 
collection burden for small business concerns with fewer than 25 
employees.''

    OMB Control Number: 3060-0161.
    Title: Section 73.61, AM Directional Antenna Field Strength 
Measurements.
    Form Number: N/A.
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Business and other for-profit entities.
    Number of Respondents and Responses: 2,268 respondents and 2,268 
responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: 4-50 hours.
    Frequency of Response: Recordkeeping requirement.
    Total Annual Burden: 36,020 hours.
    Total Annual Cost: None.
    Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. The 
statutory authority for this collection of information is contained in 
Sections

[[Page 56604]]

154(i) and 303 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended.
    Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: There is no need for 
confidentiality with this collection of information.
    Privacy Impact Assessment: No impact(s).
    Needs and Uses: The information collection requirements contained 
in 47 CFR 73.61 require that each AM station using directional antennas 
to make field strength measurement as often as necessary to ensure 
proper directional antenna system operation. Stations not having 
approved sampling systems make field strength measurements every three 
months. Stations with approved sampling systems must take field 
strength measurements as often as necessary. Also, all AM stations 
using directional signals must take partial proofs of performance as 
often as necessary. The FCC staff used the data in field inspections/
investigations. AM licensees with directional antennas use the data to 
ensure that adequate interference protection is maintained between 
stations and to ensure proper operation of antennas.

    OMB Control Number: 3060-0685.
    Title: Updating Maximum Permitted Rates for Regulated Services and 
Equipment, FCC Form 1210; Annual Updating of Maximum Permitted Rates 
for Regulated Cable Services, FCC Form 1240.
    Form Number: FCC Form 1210 and FCC Form 1240.
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities; State, Local or 
Tribal Government.
    Number of Respondents and Responses: 3,400 respondents; 5,350 
responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: 1 hour to 15 hours.
    Frequency of Response: Annual reporting requirement; Quarterly 
reporting requirement; Third party disclosure requirement.
    Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. The 
statutory authority for this collection is contained in 4(i) and 623 of 
Communications Act of 1934, as amended.
    Total Annual Burden: 44,800 hours.
    Total Annual Cost: $3,196,875.
    Privacy Act Impact Assessment: No impact(s).
    Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: There is no need for 
confidentiality with this collection of information.
    Needs and Uses: Cable operators use FCC Form 1210 to file for 
adjustments in maximum permitted rates for regulated services to 
reflect external costs. Regulated cable operators submit this form to 
local franchising authorities.
    FCC Form 1240 is filed by cable operators seeking to adjust maximum 
permitted rates for regulated cable services to reflect changes in 
external costs.
    Cable operators submit Form 1240 to their respective local 
franchising authorities (``LFAs'') to justify rates for the basic 
service tier and related equipment or with the Commission (in 
situations where the Commission has assumed jurisdiction).

    OMB Control Number: 3060-1070.
    Title: Allocation and Service Rules for the 71-76 GHz, 81-86 GHz, 
and 92-95 GHz Bands.
    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 Government.
    Number of Respondents: 852 respondents; 11,342 responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: 0.25 to 1.5 hours.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion reporting requirement, 
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(i), 303(f) and (r), 309, 316, and 332 of the 
Communications Act of 1934, as amended.
    Total Annual Burden: 12,039 hours.
    Total Annual Cost: $200,000.
    Privacy Impact Assessment: No impact(s).
    Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: There is no need for 
confidentiality. The Commission has not granted assurances of 
confidentially to those parties submitting the information. In those 
cases where a respondent believes information requires confidentiality, 
the respondent can request confidential treatment and the Commission 
will afford such confidentiality for 20 days, after which the 
information will be available to the public.
    Needs and Uses: The Commission is seeking an extension of this 
information collection in order to obtain the full three-year approval 
from OMB. There are no program changes to the reporting, recordkeeping 
and/or third-party disclosure requirements, but we are revising 
estimates based on the reduction of database managers, and the increase 
of renewals of the nationwide licensees. The recordkeeping, reporting, 
and third-party disclosure requirements will be used by the Commission 
to verify licensee compliance with the Commission rules and 
regulations, and to ensure that licensees continue to fulfill their 
statutory responsibilities in accordance with the Communications Act of 
1934. The Commission's rules promote the private sector development and 
use of 71-76 GHz, 81-86 GHz, and 92-95 GHz bands (70/80/90 GHz bands). 
Such information has been used in the past and will continue to be used 
to minimize interference, verify that applicants are legally and 
technically qualified to hold license, and to determine compliance with 
Commission rules.

    OMB Control Number: 3060-1272.
    Title: 3.7 GHz Band Space Station Operator Accelerated Relocation 
Elections and Transition Plans; 3.7 GHz Band Incumbent Earth Station 
Lump Sum Payment Elections.
    Form Number: N/A.
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved information 
collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for profit entities.
    Number of Respondents: 3,010 respondents; 3,010 responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: 16 hours per eligible space station 
accelerated relocation election; 80-600 hours per eligible space 
station transition plan; 32 hours per incumbent earth station lump sum 
payment election.
    Frequency of Response: One-time reporting requirement.
    Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or maintain benefits. 
Statutory authority for this information collection is contained in 
sections 1, 2, 4(i), 4(j), 5(c), 201, 302, 303, 304, 307(e), and 309 of 
the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C. 151, 152, 154(i), 
154(j), 155(c), 201, 302, 303, 304, 307(e), 309.
    Total Annual Burden: 109,680 hours.
    Total Annual Costs: $900,000.
    Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: The information collected 
under this collection will be made publicly available, however, to the 
extent information submitted pursuant to this information collection is 
determined to be confidential, it will be protected by the Commission. 
If a respondent seeks to have information collected pursuant to this 
information collection withheld from public inspection, the respondent 
may request confidential treatment pursuant to section 0.459 of the 
Commission's rules for such information. See 47 CFR 0.459.
    Privacy Act Impact Assessment: No impact(s).

[[Page 56605]]

    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. On February 28, 
2020, in furtherance of the goal of releasing more mid-band spectrum 
into the market to support and enable next-generation wireless 
networks, the Commission adopted a Report and Order, FCC 20-22, (3.7 
GHz Report and Order) in which it reformed the use of the 3.7-4.2 GHz 
band, also known as the C-Band. The 3.7-4.2 GHz band currently is 
allocated in the United States exclusively for non-Federal use on a 
primary basis for Fixed Satellite Service (FSS) and Fixed Service. 
Domestically, space station operators use the 3.7-4.2 GHz band to 
provide downlink signals of various bandwidths to licensed transmit-
receive, registered receive-only, and unregistered receive-only earth 
stations throughout the United States. The 3.7 GHz Report and Order 
calls for the relocation of existing FSS operations in the band into 
the upper 200 megahertz of the band (4.0-4.2 GHz) and making the lower 
280 megahertz (3.7-3.98 GHz) available for flexible-use throughout the 
contiguous United States through a Commission-administered public 
auction of overlay licenses in the 3.7 GHz Service that is scheduled to 
occur later this year, with the 20 megahertz from 3.98-4.0 GHz reserved 
as a guard band.
    The Commission adopted a robust transition schedule to achieve an 
expeditious relocation of FSS operations and ensure that a significant 
amount of spectrum is made available quickly for next-generation 
wireless deployments, while also ensuring effective accommodation of 
relocated incumbent users. The 3.7 GHz Report and Order establishes a 
deadline of December 5, 2025, for full relocation to ensure that all 
FSS operations are cleared in a timely manner, but provides an 
opportunity for accelerated clearing of the band by allowing incumbent 
space station operators, as defined in the 3.7 GHz Report and Order, to 
commit to voluntarily relocate on a two-phased accelerated schedule 
(with additional obligations and incentives for such operators), with a 
Phase I deadline of December 5, 2021, and a Phase II deadline of 
December 5, 2023.
    The Commission concluded in the 3.7 GHz Report and Order that, 
before the public auction of overlay licenses commences, it is 
appropriate for potential bidders to know when they will get access to 
the spectrum in the 3.7-3.98 GHz band that is currently occupied by 
incumbent FSS space station operators and earth stations, as defined in 
the 3.7 GHz Report and Order, and to have an estimate of how much they 
may be required to pay for incumbent relocation costs and accelerated 
relocation payments should they become overlay licensees, as overlay 
licensees are required to pay for the reasonable relocation costs of 
incumbent space station and incumbent earth station operators that are 
required to clear the lower portion of the band.
    Under this information collection, the Commission will collect 
information that will be used by the Commission to determine when, how, 
and at what cost existing operations in the lower portion of the 3.7-
4.2 GHz band will be relocated to the upper portion of the band. 
Specifically, the Commission collect the following information from 
incumbents as adopted in the 3.7 GHz Report and Order:

Accelerated Relocation Elections

    The Commission concluded in the 3.7 GHz Report and Order that 
overlay licensees would only value accelerated relocation if a 
significant majority of incumbents are cleared in a timely manner, and 
therefore determined that at least 80% of accelerated relocation 
payments must be accepted in order for the Commission to accept 
accelerated elections and require overlay licensees to pay accelerated 
relocation payments. The 3.7 GHz Report and Order calls for an eligible 
space station operator, as defined in the 3.7 GHz Report and Order, 
that chooses to commit to clear on the accelerated schedule in exchange 
for accelerated relocation payments to submit a written, public, 
irrevocable accelerated relocation election with the Commission by May 
29, 2020, to permit the Commission to determine whether there are 
sufficient accelerated relocation elections to trigger early relocation 
and in turn provide bidders with adequate certainty regarding the 
clearing date and payment obligations associated with each license well 
in advance of the auction.

Transition Plans

    The 3.7 GHz Report and Order requires each eligible space station 
operator to submit to the Commission by June 12, 2020, and make 
available for public review, a detailed transition plan describing the 
necessary steps and estimated costs for the eligible space station 
operator to complete the transition of existing operations in the lower 
portion of the 3.7-4.2 GHz band to the upper 200 megahertz of the band 
and its individual timeline for doing so consistent with the regular 
relocation deadline or by the accelerated relocation deadlines. An 
eligible space station operator that elects to receive accelerated 
relocation payments is responsible for relocating all of its associated 
incumbent earth stations and must outline the details of such 
relocation in the transition plan (unless an incumbent earth station 
owner elects to receive a lump sum payment and assumes responsibility 
for transitioning its own earth stations). Similarly, an incumbent 
space station operator that does not elect to receive accelerated 
relocation payments but nevertheless plans to assume responsibility for 
relocating its own associated incumbent earth stations must make that 
clear in its transition plan.

Incumbent Earth Station Lump Sum Payment Elections

    The 3.7 GHz Report and Order provides an incumbent earth station 
operator with the option of accepting reimbursement payments for its 
reasonable relocation costs for the transition, or opting out of the 
formal relocation process and accepting a lump sum reimbursement 
payment for all of its incumbent earth stations based on the average, 
estimated costs of relocating all of their incumbent earth stations in 
lieu of actual relocation costs. The 3.7 GHz Report and Order directs 
the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau to announce the lump sum that 
will be available per incumbent earth station as well as the process 
for electing lump sum payments and requires that no later than 30 days 
after this announcement, an incumbent earth station operator that 
wishes to receive a lump sum payment make an irrevocable lump sum 
payment election that will apply to all of its earth stations in the 
contiguous United States.
    This information collection will serve as the starting point for 
planning and managing the process of efficiently and expeditiously 
clearing of the lower portion of the band, so that this spectrum can be 
auctioned for flexible-use service licenses.

Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene Dortch,
Secretary, Office of the Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2020-20113 Filed 9-11-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P