[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 44 (Monday, March 9, 2009)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 9962-9963]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-4905]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

47 CFR Part 25

[IB Docket No. 00-248; FCC 08-246]


Satellite Licensing Procedures

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Final rule; announcement of effective date.

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SUMMARY: In this document, the Commission announces that the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) has approved, for a period of three years, 
the information collection requirements associated with Sections 
25.115, 25.134, 25.218 and 25.220 of the Commission's rules, and that 
these rules will take effect as of the date of this notice. On November 
24, 2008, the Commission published the summary document of the Report 
and Order, The Part 25 Earth Station Streamlining Eight Report and 
Order, IB Docket No. 00-248, FCC 08-246, at 73 FR 70897. The Report and 
Order stated that the Commission will publish a notice in the Federal 
Register announcing when OMB approval for the rule sections which 
contain information collection requirements has been received and when 
the revised rules will take effect. This notice is consistent with the 
statement in the Report and Order.

DATES: Effective March 9, 2009.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information, please 
contact Steven Spaeth, International Bureau, telephone number (202) 
418-1539 or via the Internet at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This document announces that, on February 
27, 2009, OMB approved, for a period of three years, the information 
collection requirements contained in Sections 25.115, 25.134, 25.218 
and 25.220 of the Commission's rules. The Commission publishes this 
notice to announce the effective date of these 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. Please include OMB 
Control Number, 3060-0678, in your correspondence. The Commission will 
also accept your comments via the Internet if you send them to 
[email protected].
    To request materials in accessible formats for people with 
disabilities (Braille, large print, electronic files, audio format), 
send an e-mail to [email protected] or call the Consumer & 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 Commission is notifying the public that it received OMB 
approval on February 27, 2009, for the information collection 
requirements contained in the Commission's rules at 47 CFR Sections 
25.115, 25.134, 25.218 and 25.220.
    Under 5 CFR 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 valid OMB Control Number.
    The OMB Control Number is 3060-0678 and the total annual reporting 
burdens and costs for respondents are as follows:
    OMB Control Numbers: 3060-0678.
    OMB Approval Date: February 27, 2009.
    Expiration Date: February 29, 2012.
    Title: Part 25 of the Commission's Rules Governing the Licensing 
of, and Spectrum Usage by, Satellite Network Stations and Space 
Stations.
    Form Number: FCC Forms 312 and Schedule S.
    Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for profit entities.
    Number of Respondents/Responses: 4,112 respondents; 4,112 
responses.
    Estimated Hours per Response: 0.25-24 hours per response.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion and annual reporting 
requirements; Third party disclosure requirement.
    Total Annual Burden: 42,579 hours.
    Total Annual Cost: $784,766,976.
    Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. The 
statutory authority for this information collection is contained in 
Sections 4(i), 7(a), 303(c), 303(f), 303(g), and 303(r) of the 
Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C. Sections 154(i), 
157(a), 303(c), 303(f), 303(g), and 303(r).
    Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: There is no need for 
confidentiality with this collection of information.
    Privacy Act Assessment: No impact(s).
    Needs and Uses: On October 17, 2008, the Federal Communications 
Commission (``Commission'') released an Eighth Report and Order and 
Order on Reconsideration titled, ``In the Matter of 2000 Biennial 
Regulatory Review--Streamlining and Other Revisions of Part 25 of the 
Commission's Rules Governing the Licensing of, and Spectrum Usage by, 
Satellite Network Earth Stations and Space Stations; Streamlining the 
Commission's Rules and Regulations for Satellite Applications and 
Licensing Procedures'' (FCC 08-246), IB Docket No. 00-248. In the 
Eighth Report and Order, the Commission further streamlined the 
Commission's non-routine earth station processing rules by adopting a 
new earth station procedure that will enable the Commission to treat 
more applications routinely than is possible under the current earth 
station procedures. This rulemaking facilitates the provision of 
broadband Internet access services.

[[Page 9963]]

    The PRA information collection requirements contained in the Eighth 
Report and Order are as follows:
    1. The Commission plans to modify the ``Application for Satellite 
Space and Earth Station Authorizations'' (FCC Form 312), including 
Schedule B, in the International Bureau Filing System (``MyIBFS'') to 
reflect the off-axis equivalent isotropically radiated power (EIRP) 
envelope compliance requirement. In the interim, earth station 
applicants must submit a table as an attachment to the FCC Form 312 to 
show their compliance with the off-axis EIRP requirement.
    2. Earth station licensees who plan to use a contention protocol 
must certify that their contention protocol usage will be reasonable. 
In the future, the Commission will revise the FCC Form 312 in MyIBFS to 
provide a streamlined method for earth station applicants planning to 
use a contention protocol to make this certification.
    The information collection requirements accounted for in this 
collection are necessary to determine the technical and legal 
qualifications of applicants or licensees to operate a station, 
transfer or assign a license, and to determine whether the 
authorization is in the public interest, convenience and necessity. 
Without such information, the Commission could not determine whether to 
permit respondents to provide telecommunication services in the U.S. 
Therefore, the Commission would be unable to fulfill its statutory 
responsibilities in accordance with the Communications Act of 1934, as 
amended, and the obligations imposed on parties to the World Trade 
Organization (WTO) Basic Telecom Agreement.

Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene H. Dortch,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E9-4905 Filed 3-6-09; 8:45 am]
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