[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 153 (Tuesday, August 10, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48308-48309]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-19621]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Telecommunications and Information Administration


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; State Broadband 
Data and Development Grant Program Progress Report

AGENCY: National Telecommunications and Information Administration.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort 
to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public 
and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on 
proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before October 12, 
2010.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Diana Hynek, Departmental 
Paperwork Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, Room 6616, 14th 
and Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20230 (or via the Internet 
at [email protected]).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of the information collection instrument and instructions should 
be directed to Anne Neville, Department of Commerce, Room ------, 14th 
and Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20230 (or via Internet at 
[email protected]).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    Section 6001(l) of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 
2009 (Recovery Act), Public Law 111-5 (2009), requires the Assistant 
Secretary of Commerce for Information and Communications (Assistant 
Secretary) to develop and maintain a comprehensive, interactive, and 
searchable nationwide inventory map of existing broadband service 
capability and availability in the United States that depicts the 
geographic extent to which broadband service capability is deployed and 
available from a commercial or public provider throughout each state. 
Recovery Act section 6001(l), 123 Stat. at 516. The statute further 
provides that the Assistant Secretary will make the national broadband 
map accessible by the public on a National Telecommunications and 
Information Administration (NTIA) Web site no later than February 17, 
2011.
    On July 8, 2009, NTIA issued the Notice of Funds Availability and 
Solicitation of Applications for the State Broadband Data and 
Development (SBDD) Grant Program (NOFA, 74 FR

[[Page 48309]]

32545, July 8, 2009), a competitive, merit-based matching grant program 
funding projects that collect comprehensive and accurate State-level 
broadband mapping data, develop State-level broadband maps, aid in the 
development and maintenance of a national broadband map, and fund 
statewide initiatives directed at broadband planning. setting forth the 
requirements for this competitive grant program.
The NOFA requires Awardees to submit regular reports to NTIA. 
Specifically, it states:

    All awardees under this Program will provide quarterly reports 
on: (a) Achievement of project goals, objectives, and milestones 
(e.g., collection of a ``substantially complete data set''; 
completion of data review or quality control process) as set forth 
by the applicant in their application timeline; i. expenditure of 
grant funds and how much of the award remains; ii. amount of non-
federal cash or in-kind investment that is being added to complete 
the project; and iii. whether the awardee is on schedule to provide 
broadband-related data in accordance with the mapping project 
timeline. See 74 FR 32556 (July, 8, 2009).

NTIA requires these quarterly performance reports in order to gauge the 
progress of Awardees in meeting their project goals. Without such 
formal reporting, NTIA will be unable to effectively monitor the 
expenditure of these Recovery Act funds. While Awardees are also 
required to submit Recovery Act reports, these reports do not include 
vital details that NTIA in order to provide proper oversight of 
activities.

II. Method of Collection

    NTIA will request awardees to submit their reports via email. 
Awardees will provide the quarterly reports using word processing and 
spreadsheet software such as Microsoft Word and Excel.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0660-0034.
    Form Number(s): Not applicable.
    Type of Review: Regular submission (extension of a currently 
approved information collection).
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit organizations.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 56.
    Estimated Time per Response: 4 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 896.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: 0.

IV. Request for Comments

    Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the agency, including whether the information shall have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden 
(including hours and cost) of the proposed collection of information; 
(c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the 
collection of information on respondents, including through the use of 
automated collection techniques or other forms of information 
technology.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
and/or included in the request for OMB approval of this information 
collection; they also will become a matter of public rec

    Dated: August 4, 2010.
Gwellnar Banks,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2010-19621 Filed 8-9-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-06-P