Information Collection Being Submitted for Review and Approval to Office of Management and Budget, 72397-72398 [2024-19909]

Agencies

• FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 172 (Thursday, September 5, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 72397-72398]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-19909]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[OMB 3060-0678; FR ID 242488]


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.''

DATES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed 
information collection should be submitted on or before October 7, 
2024.

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

[[Page 72398]]

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: 3060-0678.
    Title: Part 25 of the Federal Communications Commission's Rules 
Governing the Licensing of, and Spectrum Usage by, Commercial Earth 
Stations and Space Stations.
    FCC Form Number: FCC Form 312 (Main Form and Schedules A, B, and 
S), FCC Form 312-R.
    Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Businesses or other for-profit entities, not-for-
profit institutions.
    Number of Respondents and Responses: 3,535 respondents and 3,587 
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. 
Statutory authority for this information collection is contained in 47 
U.S.C. 151, 154(i), 157, 301, 303, 307, 308, 309, and 310.
    Total Annual Burden: 27,620 hours.
    Total Annual Cost: $4,154,267.
    Needs and Uses: The Commission requests that the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) approve a revision of the information 
collection titled ``Part 25 of the Federal Communications Commission's 
Rules Governing the Licensing of, and Spectrum Usage by, Commercial 
Earth Stations and Space Stations'' under OMB Control No. 3060-0678 as 
a result of a Report and Order (89 FR 34148) adopting a framework to 
offer supplemental coverage from space (SCS). SCS is a crucial 
component of the Commission's vision for a ``single network future,'' 
in which satellite and terrestrial networks work seamlessly together to 
provide coverage that neither network can achieve on its own, and will 
enable consumers in areas not covered by terrestrial networks to be 
connected using their existing devices via satellite-based 
communications. In order to ensure that prospective SCS operators will 
be able to comply with the applicable rules, that the public interest 
will be served by granting their applications, and that harmful 
interference will be avoided to the greatest extent possible 
thereafter, the Commission seeks approval to collect the following 
information to confirm that satellite service operators who seek to 
enter lease agreements with terrestrial service providers to offer 
supplemental coverage from space (SCS) do so in compliance with the 
rules that govern SCS operations.
    Specifically, the Commission adopted requirements in its part 25 
rules that parties who seek to provide SCS must submit a new or 
modified FCC Form 312 with the following certifications: that they have 
submitted a lease notification; that the space station licensee or 
grantee of market access will provide SCS in the geographic area 
covered by the licenses held by its terrestrial partner(s); and that 
SCS earth stations will qualify as licensed by rule stations under the 
Commission's part 25 rules. An applicants must also describe its SCS 
proposal in detail in its FCC Form 312 (Main Form and Schedule S), with 
a brief description of the coverage areas that will be served, 
domestically and internationally, and include a list of the file and 
identification numbers associated with the relevant leasing 
notification(s) under the Commission's part 1 rules. This revised 
information collection is designed to allow Commission staff to carry 
out its statutory duties to regulate satellite communications in the 
public interest; namely, to ensure that prospective providers of SCS 
will operate in compliance with the applicable regulatory framework. 
The Commission will use this information to assess applicants' 
qualifications, and to conclude whether, and under what conditions, 
grant of an authorization to provide SCS will serve the public 
interest. This collection will thereby enable the Commission to monitor 
and enforce the entry criteria that SCS providers must satisfy, and 
which are designed to minimize the possibility of harmful interference.
    Finally, the collection will play a critical role in the 
Commission's effort to review and track leasing arrangements that will 
result in entities providing SCS.

Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene Dortch,
Secretary, Office of the Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2024-19909 Filed 9-4-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P