[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 10 (Thursday, January 15, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2589-2590]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-799]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION


Notice of Public Information Collection(s) Being Reviewed by the 
Federal Communications Commission, Comments Requested

January 9, 2009.
SUMMARY: The Federal Communications Commission, as part of its 
continuing effort to reduce paperwork burden invites the general public 
and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on the 
following information collection(s), as required by the Paperwork 
Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 3501-3520. An agency 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 Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) that does not display a valid 
control number. 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 estimate; (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.

DATES: Written Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) comments should be 
submitted on or before March 16, 2009. If you anticipate that you will 
be submitting PRA comments, but find it difficult to do so within the 
period of time allowed by this notice, you should advise the FCC 
contact listed below as soon as possible.

ADDRESSES: Direct all PRA comments to Nicholas A. Fraser, Office of 
Management and Budget, (202) 395-5887, or via fax at 202-395-5167 or 
via internet at [email protected] and to [email protected], Federal Communications Commission, and an e-mail to 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information, contact 
Judith B. Herman at 202-418-0214 or via the Internet at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    OMB Control Number: 3060-0763.
    Title: ARMIS Customer Satisfaction Report.
    Report No.: FCC 43-06.
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit.
    Number of Respondents: 7 respondents; 7 responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: 720 hours.
    Frequency of Response: Annual reporting requirement.
    Obligation to Respond: Mandatory. Statutory authority for these 
information collections are contained in 47 U.S.C. sections 161, 219, 
and 220.
    Total Annual Burden: 5,040 hours.
    Total Annual Cost: N/A.
    Privacy Act Impact Assessment: N/A.
    Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: The Commission contends that 
areas in which detailed information is required are fully subject to 
regulation and the issue of data being regarded as sensitive will arise 
in special circumstances only. In such circumstances, the respondent is 
instructed on the appropriate procedures to follow to safeguard 
confidential data. Respondents may request confidential treatment of 
such information under 47 CFR 0.459 of the Commission's rules.
    Needs and Uses: The Commission will submit this information 
collection to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) after this 60 
day comment period in order to obtain the full three year clearance 
from them. The Commission is requesting an extension (no change in the 
annual reporting requirement). There is no change in the number of 
respondents/responses and burden hours.
    In the Commission's Memorandum and Opinion and Order and Notice of 
Proposed Rulemaking, WC Docket No. 08-190, FCC 08-203, released 
September 6, 2008, the Commission granted in significant part AT&T's 
petition for forbearance from the ARMIS service quality and 
infrastructure reporting requirements, subject to certain conditions. 
In addition, the Commission determined that its conclusions underlying 
its forbearance decision for AT&T also hold true for the other carriers 
required to file ARMIS Reports 43-05, 43-06, 43-07, and 43-08. Subject 
to certain conditions, the Commission found that the criteria of 
section 10(A)(1) and (a)(2) are satisfied. Given the burdens associated 
with the data reporting, and in light of the commitments of the 
reporting carriers, and other continuing regulatory requirements, the 
Commission determined that forbearance to be in the public interest.
    The Commission noted that the reporting carriers have committed to 
continue customer satisfaction data and to file those data publicly, 
through ARMIS Report 43-06 filing for 24 months from the effective date 
of the Commission's order. Further, the Commission noted that this will 
ensure continuity with regard to the customer satisfaction data that 
the Commission has collected up to this point, and affords the 
Commission a reasonable period of time to consider whether to adopt 
industry-wide reporting requirements. The Commission therefore adopted 
that commitment as a condition of its forbearance. Finally, the 
Commission granted the same forbearance relief to any similarly 
situated carriers who made the same commitment and made clear that the 
relief that the Commission granted is not otherwise conditional.
    In the NPRM portion of the Commission's September 6, 2008 Order 
placed in the Federal Register on October 15, 2008 (73 FR 60997), the 
Commission recognized the possibility that customer satisfaction data 
contained in ARMIS Report 43-06 might be useful to consumers to help

[[Page 2590]]

them make informed choices in a competitive market, but only if 
available from the entire relevant industry. The Commission tentatively 
concluded that it should collect this type of information, and seek 
comments on specific information that the Commission should collect. 
The Commission also asked for comments on the appropriate mechanism for 
such data collection.
    The ARMIS Report 43-06 provides the necessary detail to enable the 
Commission to fulfill its regulatory responsibilities. This report 
reflects the results of customer satisfaction surveys conducted by 
individual carriers from residential and business customers. This 
report captures trends in service quality. Automated reporting of these 
data greatly enhances the Commission's ability to process and analyze 
the extensive amounts of data that are needed to administer its rules. 
Automating and organizing data submitted to the Commission facilitates 
the timely and efficient analysis of revenue requirements, rate-of-
return and price caps, and provides an improved basis for auditing and 
other oversight functions.

Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene H. Dortch,
Secretary.
 [FR Doc. E9-799 Filed 1-14-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P