Expanding Flexible Use of the 3.7 to 4.2 GHz Band, 17311 [2021-06868]

Agencies

• FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 62 (Friday, April 2, 2021)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 17311]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-06868]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

47 CFR Part 25

[GN Docket Nos. 18-122; FCC 20-22; FRS 18976]


Expanding Flexible Use of the 3.7 to 4.2 GHz Band

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Final rule; announcement of compliance date.

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SUMMARY: In this document, the Commission announces that the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) has approved information collection 
requirements associated with the transition of operations in one 
frequency band to another, adopted in the Federal Communications 
Commission's (Commission) 3.7 GHz Report and Order, FCC 20-22, and that 
compliance with the new rules is now required. This document is 
consistent with the 3.7 GHz Report and Order, FCC 20-22, which states 
that the Commission will publish a document in the Federal Register 
announcing a compliance date for the new rule sections and revise the 
Commission's rules accordingly.

DATES: Compliance with 47 CFR 25.138(a) and (b) and 25.147(a) through 
(c), published at 85 FR 22804 on April 23, 2020, is required on April 
2, 2021.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kerry Murray, Satellite Division, 
International Bureau, at (202) 418-0734 or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This document announces that OMB approved 
the information collection requirements in 47 CFR 25.138(a) and (b) and 
25.147(a) through (c), on March 24, 2021. These rules were adopted in 
the 3.7 GHz Report and Order, FCC 20-22, published at 85 FR 22804 on 
April 23, 2020. The Commission publishes this document as an 
announcement of the compliance date of these new rules.
    If you have any comments on the burden estimates listed below, or 
how the Commission can improve the collections and reduce any burdens 
caused thereby, please contact Cathy Williams, Federal Communications 
Commission, Room 1-C823, 445 12th Street SW, Washington, DC 20554, 
regarding OMB Control Number 3060-0678. Please include the OMB Control 
Number in your correspondence. The Commission will also accept your 
comments via email at [email protected].
    To request materials in accessible formats for people with 
disabilities (Braille, large print, electronic files, audio format), 
send an email to [email protected] or call the Consumer and Governmental 
Affairs Bureau at (202) 418-0530 (voice), (202) 418-0432 (TTY).
    Synopsis: As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 
U.S.C. 3507), the FCC is notifying the public that it received final 
OMB approval on March 24, 2021, for the information collection 
requirements contained in 47 CFR 25.138 and 25.147. Under 5 CFR part 
1320, an agency may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information 
unless it displays a current, 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 that does not 
display a current, valid OMB Control Number. The OMB Control Number for 
the information collection requirements in 47 CFR 25.138 and 25.147, is 
3060-0678. The foregoing notice is required by the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13, October 1, 1995.
    The total annual reporting burdens and costs for the respondents 
are as follows:
    OMB Control Number: 3060-0678.
    OMB Approval Date: March 24, 2021.
    OMB Expiration Date: March 31, 2024.
    Title: Part 25 of the Federal Communications Commission's Rules 
Governing the Licensing of, and Spectrum Usage By, Commercial Earth 
Stations and Space Stations.
    Form Number: FCC Form 312--Schedule A, FCC Form 312--Main, FCC Form 
312--Schedule B, FCC Form 312-R, FCC Form 312-EZ.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities and Not-for-
profit institutions.
    Number of Respondents and Responses: 6,524 respondents; 6,573 
responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: 0.5-80 hours.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion, one time, and annual reporting 
requirements; third-party disclosure requirement; recordkeeping 
requirement.
    Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. The 
Commission has statutory authority for the information collection 
requirements under 47 U.S.C. 154, 301, 302, 303, 307, 309, 310, 319, 
332, 605, and 721.
    Total Annual Burden: 44,988 hours.
    Total Annual Cost: $16,612,586.
    Privacy Impact Assessment: No impact(s).
    Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: There is no need for 
confidentiality pertaining to the information collection requirements 
in this collection, in accordance with the Commission's rules, 47 CFR 
0.459.
    Needs and Uses: On March 3, 2020, the Commission released a Report 
and Order and Order of Proposed Modification, FCC 20-22, GN Docket No. 
18-122, titled ``Expanding Flexible Use of the 3.7 to 4.2 GHz Band.'' 
In this Report and Order and Order of Proposed Modification, the 
Commission updated its rules by reforming the use of the 3.7-4.2 GHz 
band, also known as the C-Band. The new rules repack existing satellite 
operations into the upper 200 megahertz of the band (and reserve a 20 
megahertz guard band), making a significant amount of spectrum--280 
megahertz or more than half of the band--available for flexible use 
throughout the contiguous United States. The relevant rule revisions 
for purposes of this information collection are the addition of 
Sec. Sec.  25.138 and 25.147 of the Commission's rules. In updating 
this information collection, we are not accounting for any changes to 
the number of respondents, burden hours, and annual cost related to 
these rule revisions since the addition of Sec. Sec.  25.138 and 25.147 
set forth rules for transition of operations from one frequency band to 
another.

Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene Dortch,
Secretary, Office of the Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2021-06868 Filed 4-1-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P