Information Collections Being Submitted for Review and Approval to Office of Management and Budget, 22664-22666 [2021-08978]

Agencies

• FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 81 (Thursday, April 29, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22664-22666]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-08978]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[OMB 3060-XXXX; 3060-XXXX; FRS 23676]


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 June 1, 2021.

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-XXXX.
    Title: FCC Authorization for Radio Service Authorization; Wireless 
Telecommunications Bureau; Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau, 
FCC Form 601-2.0.
    Form Number: FCC Form 601-2.0.

[[Page 22665]]

    Type of Review: New collection.
    Respondents: Individual and households, Business or other for-
profit entities, state, local, or tribal government, and not for profit 
institutions.
    Number of Respondents: 24 respondents; 176 responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: 0.5 hours.
    Frequency of Response: Recordkeeping requirement; third party 
disclosure requirement, on occasion reporting requirement and periodic 
reporting requirement.
    Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. 
Statutory authority for these collections are contained in 47 U.S.C. 
151, 152, 155(c), 158, 201, 202, 208, 214, 301, 302a, 303, 307, 308, 
309, 310, 311, 314, 316, 319, 324, 332, and 333 of the Communications 
Act of 1934.
    Total Annual Burden: 88 hours.
    Total Annual Cost: $18,150.
    Privacy Impact Assessment: Yes.
    Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: In general, there is no need 
for confidentiality with this collection of information.
    Needs and Uses: The Commission is submitting a request to the 
Office of Budget and Management (OMB) for approval of the FCC Form 601-
2.0, a new data collection that will gradually replace the FCC Form 601 
(3060-0798). The Commission is implementing a new electronic licensing 
system called Universal Licensing System 2.0 (ULS 2.0) to replace the 
current Universal Licensing System (ULS). Services will gradually be 
moved to the new ULS 2.0, beginning with market-based Special Temporary 
Authority (STA) applications.
    The burden hours and costs associated with market-based STAs will 
now be a part of the ULS 2.0 system and FCC Form 601-2.0. The FCC Form 
601-2.0 will be a consolidated electronic data collection for market-
based and site-based licensing for wireless telecommunications 
services, including public safety, which will be filed through the 
Commission's modernized Universal Licensing System 2.0 (ULS-2.0).
    This form will gradually replace the FCC Form 601 (3060-0798) as 
services are moved from legacy ULS to ULS 2.0. The substance of and 
wording of the FCC Form 601 data collection will remain the same in the 
new system. The data collected in ULS 2.0 consists of administrative, 
technical, and other information needed for licensing if wireless radio 
services. Once fully implemented, this system will be used to submit 
all Wireless Services applications along with any supporting 
documentation. The application purposes include: Applying for a new 
license (including STA's) modifying or renewing an existing license, 
cancelling a license, submitting required notifications, requesting an 
extension of time to satisfy construction requirements, and requesting 
an administrative update to an existing license (such as mailing 
address change). Applicants can also amend or withdraw applications 
while they are pending in ULS.2.0. The data collected in ULS 2.0 
includes the FCC Registration Number (FRN), which serves as a ``common 
link'' for all filings an entity has with the FCC. The Debt Collection 
Improvement Act of 1996 requires entities filing with the Commission to 
use an FRN. ULS 2.0 data records may include information about 
individuals or households, e.g., personally identifiable information or 
PII, and the use(s) and disclosure of this information are governed by 
the requirements of a system of records notice or ``SORN'', FCC/WTB-1, 
``Wireless Services Licensing Records.'' There are no additional 
impacts under the Privacy Act.
    OMB Control Number: 3060-XXXX.
    Title: Legacy Support Usage Flexibility Certification.
    Form Number: N/A.
    Type of Review: New information collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities, not-for-profit 
institutions, and state, local or tribal governments.
    Number of Respondents and Responses: Up to 110 respondents and 110 
responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: 1.75 hours.
    Frequency of Response: One-time reporting requirement.
    Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. 
Statutory authority for this information collection is contained in 47 
U.S.C. 154, 254 and 303(r).
    Total Annual Burden: 193 hours.
    Total Annual Cost: $16,500.
    Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: The information collected 
under this collection will be made publicly available. However, to the 
extent that a respondent seeks to have certain information collected in 
response to this information collection withheld from public 
inspection, the respondent may request confidential treatment pursuant 
to 47 CFR 0.459 of the Commission's rules, 47 CFR Section 0.459.
    Privacy Act Impact Assessment: No impact(s).
    Needs and Uses: A request for approval of this new information 
collection 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 November 18, 2011, the Commission released the USF/ICC 
Transformation Order (FCC 11-161) in which it comprehensively reformed 
and modernized the universal service and intercarrier compensation 
systems to ensure that robust, affordable voice and broadband service, 
both fixed and mobile, are available to Americans throughout the 
nation. In the USF/ICC Transformation Order, the Commission, among 
other things, adopted a requirement that all ETCs offer broadband 
service in their supported area that meets certain basic performance 
requirements and report regularly on associated performance measures as 
a condition of receiving federal high-cost universal service support.
    On October 27, 2020, the Commission adopted the 5G Fund Report and 
Order (FCC 20-150) in which it, among other things, helped to complete 
the reform of the high-cost program begun in the USF/ICC Transformation 
Order by adopting additional public interest obligations and 
performance requirements for legacy high-cost support recipients, whose 
broadband-specific public interest obligations for mobile wireless 
services were not previously detailed.
    The public interest obligations adopted in the 5G Fund Report and 
Order for each competitive eligible telecommunications carrier (ETC) 
receiving legacy high-cost support for mobile wireless services require 
that such a carrier (1) use an increasing percentage of its legacy 
support toward the deployment, maintenance, and operation of voice and 
broadband networks that support 5G meeting the adopted performance 
requirements within its subsidized service area(s), and (2) meet 
specific 5G broadband service deployment coverage requirements and 
service deployment milestone deadlines that take into consideration the 
amount of legacy support the carrier receives. With respect to the 
requirement to use an increasing percentage of its legacy support 
toward the deployment, maintenance, and operation of voice and 
broadband networks that support5G, the rules adopted in the 5G Fund 
Report and Order specify that each legacy support recipient must use at 
least one-third of the legacy support it receives in 2021, at least 
two-thirds of the legacy support it receives in 2022,

[[Page 22666]]

and all of the legacy support in 2023 and beyond for these purposes.
    To address a concern that budgets and deployment plans for 2021 are 
largely complete, which could make it difficult for some competitive 
ETCs to achieve the 2021 support usage requirement, the Commission 
adopted a rule that affords such competitive ETCs the flexibility to 
use less than one-third of their legacy support in 2021 and make up for 
any shortfall in 2021 by proportionally increasing the requirement in 
2022 (above the two-thirds of its support the competitive ETC is 
required to spend on 5G in that year). See 47 CFR 54.322(c)(4).
    In order to take advantage of this flexibility, a competitive ETC 
receiving legacy support for mobile wireless services must submit a 
certification in which it (1) provides information regarding the 
service area(s) for which it and any affiliated mobile competitive 
ETC(s) receive legacy supportand the annual amount of support they 
receive in each area; (2) indicates the total amount of legacy high-
cost support to be spent on the deployment, maintenance, and operation 
of mobile networks that provide 5G service in calendar year 2021 across 
the identified service areas; and (3) certifies that any 2021 spending 
shortfall will be made up in 2022. Only those competitive ETCs 
receiving legacy high-cost support for mobile wireless services that 
wish to avail themselves of the flexibility concerning their 2021 and 
2022 legacy high-cost support usage requirements will be required to 
respond to this information collection.
    The certification will be used by the Commission to identify how 
much a competitive ETC that chooses to avail itself of the flexibility 
concerning its 2021 and 2022 legacy high-cost support usage 
requirements will spend on 5G in 2021 and the spending shortfall it 
must make up in 2022, and to confirm the competitive ETC's commitment 
to make up its 2021 spending shortfall in 2022 in accordance with its 
certification and the Commission's rules.

Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene Dortch,
Secretary, Office of the Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2021-08978 Filed 4-28-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P