Information Collection Being Submitted for Review and Approval to Office of Management and Budget, 57857-57859 [2020-20383]

Agencies

• FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 180 (Wednesday, September 16, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57857-57859]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-20383]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[OMB 3060-XXXX; FRS 17065]


Information Collection 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 
might ``further reduce the information collection burden for small 
business concerns with fewer than 25 employees.'' 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.

DATES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed 
information collection should be submitted on or before October 16, 
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 Nicole Ongele, 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 Nicole Ongele at (202) 418-2991. 
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: 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

[[Page 57858]]

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-XXXX.
    Title: Connect America Fund--Eligible Locations Adjustment Process 
(ELAP).
    Form Number: N/A.
    Type of Review: New information collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities, not-for-profit 
institutions, individuals or households, and state, local or tribal 
governments.
    Number of Respondents and Responses: 296 unique respondents; 962 
responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: 2-40 hours.
    Frequency of Response: One-time requirement.
    Obligation to Respond: Voluntary. Statutory authority for this 
information collection is contained in 47 U.S.C. 151-154, 254.
    Total Annual Burden: 10,804 hours.
    Total Annual Cost: No cost.
    Privacy Act Impact Assessment: Some of the requirements contained 
in this information collection affect individuals or households, and 
thus, there are impacts under the Privacy Act. As required by the 
Privacy Act of 1974, as amended, 5 U.S.C. 552a, the Commission will 
create a system of records notice (SORN) to cover the collection, 
storage, maintenance, and disposal (when appropriate) of any personally 
identifiable information that the Commission may collect as part of the 
information collection.
    Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: The information submitted in 
the ELAP Map will be made public. We intend to keep other information 
confidential to the extent permitted by law. Also, as noted in this 
document, this collection contains information that affects individuals 
or households, and thus, there are impacts under the Privacy Act. As 
required by the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended, 5 U.S.C. 552a, the 
Commission will create a SORN to cover the collection, storage, 
maintenance, and disposal (when appropriate) of any personally 
identifiable information that the Commission may collect as part of the 
information collection. USAC must preserve the confidentiality of all 
personally identifiable information, must not use the information 
except for purposes of administering the Universal Service Fund, and 
must not disclose such information unless directed to do so by the 
Commission. See ELAP Order, 34 FCC Rcd 10395, 10412-14, paras. 50-56. 
If the Commission requests information that the respondents believe is 
confidential, respondents may request confidential treatment of such 
information under section 0.459 of the Commission's rules.
    Needs and Uses: This information collection addresses the 
requirements of a process (the eligible locations adjustment process 
(ELAP)) that facilitates the post-auction review of certain CAF Phase 
II Auction support recipients' defined deployment obligations (and 
associated support), on a state-by-state basis, in situations where the 
number of eligible locations within a state is less than the number of 
funded locations. Connect America Fund, WC Docket Nos. 10-90 et al., 
Order on Reconsideration, 33 FCC Rcd 1380, 1390-92, paras. 23-28 (2018) 
(Phase II Auction Reconsideration Order); Connect America Fund, WC 
Docket No. 10-90, Order, 34 FCC Rcd 10395 (WCB 2019) (adopting rules 
and requirements necessary to implement this process, consistent with 
the parameters set forth in the Phase II Auction Reconsideration Order 
and prior Commission guidance for adjusting defined deployment 
obligations) (ELAP Order). CAF Phase II Auction support recipients' 
participation in this process is voluntary.
    ELAP requires the one-time collection of location information for 
all eligible locations within the state where the participant is 
seeking an adjustment to its defined deployment obligation. Eligible 
locations include every location qualifying for support (qualifying 
locations) and may include additional locations within eligible areas 
of the state that the participant will reserve as part of its defined 
deployment obligations, even if such locations cannot be identified as 
qualifying at the time of the ELAP process (prospective locations). The 
total number of eligible locations reported by the participant cannot 
exceed the participant's defined deployment obligation for the state.
    Participants must also submit a description of its methods for 
identifying all locations qualifying for support, as well as some 
supporting evidence, such as copies of public records, aerial 
photography, location information for non-eligible locations, or 
similar evidence. Participants must certify the truth and accuracy of 
this information.
    The Bureau will announce which participants have met their prima 
facie evidentiary standard, and the Universal Service Administrative 
Company (USAC) will then use certain location information (address, 
geocoordinates, number of units) filed by these participants to 
populate a publicly available map (public ELAP Map).
    Other interested parties deemed eligible to participate in ELAP 
(stakeholders) may then challenge the accuracy and completeness of any 
relevant participant's eligible location information. To file such a 
challenge, stakeholders must submit alternative location information 
(of the same kind and in the same format as required of the 
participant), a brief description of the methods used to identify the 
location as an eligible location, and supporting evidence. Stakeholders 
include government entities (state, local, and Tribal) as well as 
individuals or non-governmental entities with a legitimate and 
verifiable interest in ensuring broadband service in the relevant 
areas. Such stakeholders cannot hold a controlling interest in a 
competitor of the relevant participant(s).
    The Bureau will use a third-party commercial verifier to confirm 
the eligibility of stakeholders who challenge a participant's location 
information. The Bureau will also separately gather certain limited 
information about these stakeholders (e.g., name and contact 
information).
    All ELAP information will be filed and maintained in a new module 
within the High-Cost Universal Service Broadband Portal (HUBB) (OMB 
Control No. 3060-1228). The module will permit centralization and 
controlled access to ELAP information as well as maintenance of such 
information.
    The module will incorporate several features like those required 
for reporting deployed location information in the HUBB. Specifically, 
the module will have an automated validation system that will generate 
error messages when the location information submitted by ELAP parties 
fails to meet reporting parameters (such as redundancies, required file 
type) as specified in the ELAP Order. Participants and stakeholders 
will be able to pre-file information and correct, update, add, or 
delete information prior to their respective filing deadline. The 
module will have integrated instructions and guidance for submitting 
information. To the extent practicable, the module will generate 
notices where correction, supplementation, or redaction of information 
is necessary.
    Unlike deployed location information collected pursuant to OMB 
Control No. 3060-1228, all ELAP information, including the description 
of methods and supporting documentation as well as location data, 
except the location data published in the public ELAP Map, will

[[Page 57859]]

be treated as presumptively confidential.

Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene Dortch,
Secretary, Office of the Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2020-20383 Filed 9-15-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P