Information Collection Being Submitted for Review and Approval to Office of Management and Budget, 96243-96245 [2024-28385]
Download as PDF
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 233 / Wednesday, December 4, 2024 / Notices
Project and agreeing with the
conclusions presented in the final EIS.
Additional Information
In order to receive notification of the
issuance of the SEIS and to keep track
of formal issuances and submittals in
specific dockets, the Commission offers
a free service called eSubscription. This
service provides automatic notification
of filings made to subscribed dockets,
document summaries, and direct links
to the documents. Go to https://
www.ferc.gov/ferc-online/overview to
register for eSubscription.
The Commission’s Office of Public
Participation (OPP) supports meaningful
public engagement and participation in
Commission proceedings. OPP can help
members of the public, including
landowners, environmental justice
communities, Tribal members and
others, access publicly available
information and navigate Commission
processes. For public inquiries and
assistance with making filings, the
public is encouraged to contact OPP at
(202) 502–6595 or OPP@ferc.gov.
Additional information about the
Project is available from the
Commission’s Office of External Affairs
at (866) 208–FERC or on the FERC
website (www.ferc.gov). Using the
‘‘eLibrary’’ link, select ‘‘General Search’’
from the eLibrary menu, enter the
selected date range and ‘‘Docket
Number’’ excluding the last three digits
(i.e., CP19–502), and follow the
instructions. For assistance with access
to eLibrary, the helpline can be reached
at (866) 208–3676, TTY (202) 502–8659,
or at FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov. The
eLibrary link on the FERC website also
provides access to the texts of formal
documents issued by the Commission,
such as orders, notices, and
rulemakings.
Dated: November 27, 2024.
Debbie-Anne A. Reese,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2024–28410 Filed 12–3–24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
[FRL–12411–01–OW]
National Drinking Water Advisory
Council; Meeting
Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice of a public meeting.
AGENCY:
The U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency’s Office of Ground
Water and Drinking Water is
SUMMARY:
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17:36 Dec 03, 2024
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announcing a meeting of the National
Drinking Water Advisory Council
(NDWAC or Council) as authorized
under the Safe Drinking Water Act. The
purpose of the meeting is for the EPA to
consult with the NDWAC as required by
the Safe Drinking Water Act on a
proposed National Primary Drinking
Water Regulation for perchlorate.
Additional details will be provided in
the meeting agenda, which will be
posted on the EPA’s NDWAC website
prior to the meeting. See the
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of
this announcement for more
information.
The meeting will be held on
January 9, 2025, from 11:30 a.m. to 4:15
p.m., Eastern time.
ADDRESSES: This will be a virtual
meeting. There will be no in-person
gathering for this meeting. For more
information about attending, providing
oral statements, and accessibility for the
meeting, as well as sending written
comments, see the SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION section of this
announcement.
DATES:
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Tracey Ward, NDWAC Designated
Federal Officer, Office of Ground Water
and Drinking Water (Mail Code 4601),
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW,
Washington, DC 20460; telephone
number: (202) 564–3796; email address:
ward.tracey@epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Attending the Meeting: The meeting
will be open to the general public. The
meeting agenda and information on how
to register for and attend the meeting
online will be provided on EPA’s
website at: https://www.epa.gov/ndwac
prior to the meeting.
Oral Statements: The EPA will
allocate one hour for the public to
present oral comments during the
meeting. Oral statements will be limited
to three minutes per person during the
public comment period. It is preferred
that only one person present a statement
on behalf of a group or organization.
Persons interested in presenting an oral
statement should send an email to
Tracey Ward at ward.tracey@epa.gov by
noon, eastern time, on January 2, 2025.
Written Statements: Any person who
wishes to file a written statement can do
so before or after the Council meeting.
Send written statements by email to
ward.tracey@epa.gov or see the FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section if
sending statements by mail. Written
statements received by noon, Eastern
time, on January 2, 2025, will be
distributed to all members of the
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96243
Council prior to the meeting. Statements
received after that time will become part
of the permanent file for the meeting
and will be forwarded to the Council
members after conclusion of the
meeting. Members of the public should
be aware that their personal contact
information, if included in any written
comments, may be posted to the
NDWAC website. Copyrighted material
will not be posted without the explicit
permission of the copyright holder.
Accessibility: For information on
access or services for individuals with
disabilities, or to request
accommodations for a disability, please
contact Tracey Ward by email at
ward.tracey@epa.gov, or by phone at
(202) 564–3796, preferably at least 10
days prior to the meeting to allow as
much time as possible to process your
request.
National Drinking Water Advisory
Council: The NDWAC was created by
Congress on December 16, 1974, as part
of the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974,
Public Law 93–523, 42 U.S.C. 300j–5,
and is operated in accordance with the
provisions of the Federal Advisory
Committee Act, as amended, 5 U.S.C.
10. The NDWAC was established to
advise, consult with, and make
recommendations to the EPA
Administrator on matters relating to
activities, functions, policies, and
regulations under the Safe Drinking
Water Act. General information
concerning the NDWAC is available at:
https://www.epa.gov/ndwac.
Jennifer L. McLain,
Director, Office of Ground Water and Drinking
Water.
[FR Doc. 2024–28360 Filed 12–3–24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560–50–P
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS
COMMISSION
[OMB 3060–XXXX; FR ID 265489]
Information Collection Being
Submitted for Review and Approval to
Office of Management and Budget
Federal Communications
Commission.
ACTION: Notice and request for
comments.
AGENCY:
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.
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\04DEN1.SGM
04DEN1
ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
96244
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 233 / Wednesday, December 4, 2024 / Notices
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 January 3, 2025.
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 PRA@
fcc.gov and to Cathy.Williams@fcc.gov.
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
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17:36 Dec 03, 2024
Jkt 265001
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: Application to Participate in a
5G Fund Auction, FCC Form 184.
Form Number: FCC Form 184.
Type of Review: New collection.
Respondents: Business or other forprofit entities, not-for-profit institutions,
and State, local or Tribal governments.
Number of Respondents and
Responses: 300 respondents and 300
responses.
Estimated Time per Response: 7
hours.
Frequency of Response: On occasion
reporting requirement.
Obligation to Respond: Required to
obtain or retain benefits. Statutory
authority for this information collection
is 47 U.S.C. 154, 254 and 303(r).
Total Annual Burden: 2,100 hours.
Total Annual Cost: No cost.
Needs and Uses: The Commission
will use the information collected under
this information collection to determine
whether applicants are qualified to
participate in a 5G Fund auction.
In its November 2011 USF/ICC
Transformation Order, the Commission
took numerous steps to
comprehensively reform and modernize
the universal service program to ensure
that robust, affordable fixed and mobile
voice and broadband service are
available to those in rural, insular, and
high cost areas of the country. Connect
America Fund et al., Order and Further
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, FCC
11–161 (USF/ICC Transformation
Order). Among other things, the
Commission (1) established a twophased Mobility Fund to award
universal service support for mobile
services in a cost-effective manner to no
more than one provider per area in areas
where a private-sector business case was
PO 00000
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Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
lacking, (2) directed that universal
service support under the Mobility
Fund be awarded by competitive
bidding, (3) adopted the rules and
framework for Mobility Fund Phase I,
and (4) sought comment on the rules
and proposed framework for Mobility
Fund Phase II. In its February 2017
Mobility Fund Phase II Report and
Order, the Commission adopted the
rules and framework for Mobility Fund
Phase II to provide ongoing universal
service support over a ten-year term to
areas of the country unlikely to receive
4G LTE service absent subsidies, along
with the framework for a challenge
process to resolve disputes about areas
that were found to be presumptively
ineligible for support. Connect America
Fund; Universal Service Reform—
Mobility Fund II, Report and Order and
Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking,
FCC 17–11. However, in its October
2020 5G Fund Report and Order, the
Commission established the 5G Fund as
a replacement for Mobility Fund Phase
II, and adopted the framework and rules
for the 5G Fund to award universal
service support in two phases through
separate reverse auctions to ensure the
deployment of high-speed, 5G mobile
service in areas unlikely to see such
service absent subsidies. Establishing a
5G Fund for Rural America, Report and
Order, FCC 20–150 (5G Fund Report
and Order). In the 5G Fund Report and
Order, the Commission, among other
things, adopted a two-stage application
process for 5G Fund auctions consisting
of pre-auction requirements for
applicants seeking to participate in a 5G
Fund auction and post-auction
requirements for winning bidders
applying for 5G Fund support. The
Commission decided that applicants
seeking to participate in a 5G Fund
auction would be required to provide
both the information required by section
1.21001(b) of the Commission’s existing
Part 1, Subpart AA universal service
competitive bidding rules, 47 CFR
1.21001(b), and the additional
application disclosures and
certifications specific to the 5G Fund
required by § 54.1014(a) of the
Commission’s rules, 47 CFR 54.1014(a).
In its recent 5G Fund Second Report
and Order (FCC 24–89), the Commission
adopted an additional requirement that
each applicant seeking to participate in
the 5G Fund Phase I auction certify in
its application that it has read the public
notice adopting procedures for the
auction and that it has familiarized itself
both with the auction procedures and
with the requirements, terms, and
conditions associated with the receipt of
5G Fund support.
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Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 233 / Wednesday, December 4, 2024 / Notices
Under this new information
collection, the Commission will collect
the information, disclosures, and
certifications required by §§ 1.21001(b)
and 54.1014(a) of the Commission’s
rules from each applicant seeking to
participate in a 5G Fund auction, and
will use the information, disclosures,
and certifications to determine whether
an applicant is legally, technically, and
financially qualified to participate in a
5G Fund auction. To aid in collecting
this information, the Commission has
created FCC Form 184, which will be
used to provide the information,
disclosures, and certifications required
by §§ 1.21001(b) and 54.1014(a).
Commission staff will review the
information, disclosures, and
certifications collected on FCC Form
184 as part of the pre-auction process,
prior to the start of the auction, and
determine whether each applicant
satisfies the Commission’s requirements
to participate in an auction for 5G Fund
support. Without the information
collected on FCC Form 184, the
Commission will not be able to
determine if an applicant is legally
qualified to participate in a 5G Fund
auction and has complied with the
various applicable regulatory and
statutory auction requirements for such
participation. This approach provides
an appropriate screen to ensure serious
participation without being unduly
burdensome.
Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene Dortch,
Secretary, Office of the Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2024–28385 Filed 12–3–24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712–01–P
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS
COMMISSION
[OMB 3060–0856; FR ID 265502]
Information Collection Being Reviewed
by the Federal Communications
Commission
Federal Communications
Commission.
ACTION: Notice and request for
comments.
AGENCY:
As part of its continuing effort
to reduce paperwork burdens, and 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.
Comments are requested concerning:
whether the proposed collection of
ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
SUMMARY:
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17:36 Dec 03, 2024
Jkt 265001
information is necessary for the proper
performance of the functions of the
Commission, including whether the
information shall have practical utility;
the accuracy of the Commission’s
burden estimate; ways to enhance the
quality, utility, and clarity of the
information collected; 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; and ways to
further reduce the information
collection burden on small business
concerns with fewer than 25 employees.
DATES: Written PRA comments should
be submitted on or before February 3,
2025. If you anticipate that you will be
submitting comments, but find it
difficult to do so within the period of
time allowed by this notice, you should
advise the contact listed below as soon
as possible.
ADDRESSES: Direct all PRA comments to
Nicole Ongele, FCC, via email PRA@
fcc.gov and to nicole.ongele@fcc.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For
additional information about the
information collection, contact Nicole
Ongele, (202) 418–2991.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FCC
may not conduct or sponsor a collection
of information unless it displays a
currently valid 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 Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) control
number.
OMB Control Number: 3060–0856.
Title: Universal Service—Schools and
Libraries Universal Service Support
Program Reimbursement Forms.
Form Numbers: FCC Forms 472, 473,
and 474.
Type of Review: Revision of a
currently approved collection.
Respondents: Businesses or other forprofit institutions, Not-for-profit
institutions, and State, Local or Tribal
government.
Number of Respondents and
Responses: 27,953 respondents; 133,214
responses.
Estimated Time per Response: Form
472—1.5 hours; Form 473—2 hours;
Form 474—1.5 hours, and 0.5 hours for
recordkeeping requirements.
Frequency of Response: On occasion
and annual reporting requirements,
recordkeeping and third-party
disclosure requirements.
Obligation to Respond: Required to
obtain or retain benefits. The
Commission’s statutory authority to
collect this information is contained in
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Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
96245
sections 1, 4(i), 4(j), 201–205, 214, 254,
312(d), 312(f), 403 and 503(b) of the
Communications Act of 1934, as
amended. 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(3), 601–612;
15 U.S.C. 1, 632; 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(4);
47 U.S.C. 1, 4(i), 4(j), 201–205, 214, 254,
312(d), 312(f), 403, 503(b).
Total Annual Burden: 195,615 hours.
Total Annual Cost: No cost.
Needs and Uses: The Commission
will submit this information collection
to the Office of Management and Budget
(OMB), which is a revision of a
currently approved collection, to obtain
a full three-year clearance from OMB.
The requirements contained herein are
necessary to implement the
Congressional mandate for universal
service. It provides the Commission and
USAC with the necessary information to
administer the E-Rate program,
determine the amount of support
entities seeking funding are eligible to
receive, to determine if entities are
complying with the Commission’s rules,
and to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse.
The information will also allow the
Commission to evaluate the extent to
which the E-Rate program is meeting the
statutory objectives specified in section
254 of the 1996 Act, the Commission’s
performance goals established in the
2014 First and Second E-Rate Orders,
and to evaluate the need and feasibility
for any future revisions to program
rules.
FCC Forms 472, 473, and 474 were
revised. On July 29, 2024 the
Commission released a Report and
Order and Further Notice of Proposed
Rulemaking (WC Docket No. 21–31, FCC
24–76) (Report and Order); finding that
the off-premises use of wireless internet
services and the Wi-Fi hotspot devices
needed to deliver the services; serves an
educational purpose and are eligible for
E-Rate support. The Report and Order,
89 FR 67303, August 20, 2024, adds
certifications to the FCC Form 473 for
participating service providers on the
hotspots non-usage notice and
termination requirement, prohibition
against charging the balance for
terminated services, and certifying that
the cost of Wi-Fi hotspots do not exceed
commercial value. The Report and
Order also adds a certification to FCC
Forms 472 and 474 to certify that there
is no duplicative funding and funding is
not being requested for eligible
equipment and services that have been
funded by other sources. The hourly
burden will increase by 50,865 hours for
FCC Forms 472, 473, and 474. The
public burden for the collection
contained herein will increase to
195,615 burden hours.
FCC Form 472 ‘‘Billed Entity
Applicant Reimbursement Form.’’ Billed
E:\FR\FM\04DEN1.SGM
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Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 233 (Wednesday, December 4, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 96243-96245]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-28385]
=======================================================================
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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
[OMB 3060-XXXX; FR ID 265489]
Information Collection Being Submitted for Review and Approval to
Office of Management and Budget
AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.
ACTION: Notice and request for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
[[Page 96244]]
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 January 3,
2025.
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: Application to Participate in a 5G Fund Auction, FCC Form
184.
Form Number: FCC Form 184.
Type of Review: New collection.
Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities, not-for-profit
institutions, and State, local or Tribal governments.
Number of Respondents and Responses: 300 respondents and 300
responses.
Estimated Time per Response: 7 hours.
Frequency of Response: On occasion reporting requirement.
Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits.
Statutory authority for this information collection is 47 U.S.C. 154,
254 and 303(r).
Total Annual Burden: 2,100 hours.
Total Annual Cost: No cost.
Needs and Uses: The Commission will use the information collected
under this information collection to determine whether applicants are
qualified to participate in a 5G Fund auction.
In its November 2011 USF/ICC Transformation Order, the Commission
took numerous steps to comprehensively reform and modernize the
universal service program to ensure that robust, affordable fixed and
mobile voice and broadband service are available to those in rural,
insular, and high cost areas of the country. Connect America Fund et
al., Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, FCC 11-161 (USF/
ICC Transformation Order). Among other things, the Commission (1)
established a two-phased Mobility Fund to award universal service
support for mobile services in a cost-effective manner to no more than
one provider per area in areas where a private-sector business case was
lacking, (2) directed that universal service support under the Mobility
Fund be awarded by competitive bidding, (3) adopted the rules and
framework for Mobility Fund Phase I, and (4) sought comment on the
rules and proposed framework for Mobility Fund Phase II. In its
February 2017 Mobility Fund Phase II Report and Order, the Commission
adopted the rules and framework for Mobility Fund Phase II to provide
ongoing universal service support over a ten-year term to areas of the
country unlikely to receive 4G LTE service absent subsidies, along with
the framework for a challenge process to resolve disputes about areas
that were found to be presumptively ineligible for support. Connect
America Fund; Universal Service Reform--Mobility Fund II, Report and
Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, FCC 17-11. However, in
its October 2020 5G Fund Report and Order, the Commission established
the 5G Fund as a replacement for Mobility Fund Phase II, and adopted
the framework and rules for the 5G Fund to award universal service
support in two phases through separate reverse auctions to ensure the
deployment of high-speed, 5G mobile service in areas unlikely to see
such service absent subsidies. Establishing a 5G Fund for Rural
America, Report and Order, FCC 20-150 (5G Fund Report and Order). In
the 5G Fund Report and Order, the Commission, among other things,
adopted a two-stage application process for 5G Fund auctions consisting
of pre-auction requirements for applicants seeking to participate in a
5G Fund auction and post-auction requirements for winning bidders
applying for 5G Fund support. The Commission decided that applicants
seeking to participate in a 5G Fund auction would be required to
provide both the information required by section 1.21001(b) of the
Commission's existing Part 1, Subpart AA universal service competitive
bidding rules, 47 CFR 1.21001(b), and the additional application
disclosures and certifications specific to the 5G Fund required by
Sec. 54.1014(a) of the Commission's rules, 47 CFR 54.1014(a). In its
recent 5G Fund Second Report and Order (FCC 24-89), the Commission
adopted an additional requirement that each applicant seeking to
participate in the 5G Fund Phase I auction certify in its application
that it has read the public notice adopting procedures for the auction
and that it has familiarized itself both with the auction procedures
and with the requirements, terms, and conditions associated with the
receipt of 5G Fund support.
[[Page 96245]]
Under this new information collection, the Commission will collect
the information, disclosures, and certifications required by Sec. Sec.
1.21001(b) and 54.1014(a) of the Commission's rules from each applicant
seeking to participate in a 5G Fund auction, and will use the
information, disclosures, and certifications to determine whether an
applicant is legally, technically, and financially qualified to
participate in a 5G Fund auction. To aid in collecting this
information, the Commission has created FCC Form 184, which will be
used to provide the information, disclosures, and certifications
required by Sec. Sec. 1.21001(b) and 54.1014(a). Commission staff will
review the information, disclosures, and certifications collected on
FCC Form 184 as part of the pre-auction process, prior to the start of
the auction, and determine whether each applicant satisfies the
Commission's requirements to participate in an auction for 5G Fund
support. Without the information collected on FCC Form 184, the
Commission will not be able to determine if an applicant is legally
qualified to participate in a 5G Fund auction and has complied with the
various applicable regulatory and statutory auction requirements for
such participation. This approach provides an appropriate screen to
ensure serious participation without being unduly burdensome.
Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene Dortch,
Secretary, Office of the Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2024-28385 Filed 12-3-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P