[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 178 (Wednesday, September 15, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56057-56058]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-22913]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Telecommunications and Information Administration


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Broadband 
Technology Opportunities Program Post-Award Quarterly and Annual 
Performance Progress Reports

AGENCY: National Telecommunications and Information Administration, 
Commerce.

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 November 15, 
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 instruments and instructions 
should be directed to Anthony Wilhelm, Deputy Associate Administrator, 
Infrastructure Division, Office of Telecommunications and Information 
Applications, National Telecommunications and Information 
Administration, via the Internet at [email protected] or by telephone 
at (202) 482-2048.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Abstract

    The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) 
establishes and provides $4.7 billion for the Broadband Technology 
Opportunities Program (BTOP) and directs that these funds be awarded by 
September 30, 2010. Of these funds, at least $200 million will be made 
available for competitive grants to expand public computer center 
capacity; at least $250 million will be made available for competitive 
grants for innovative programs to encourage sustainable adoption of 
broadband service; and up to $350 million will be made available to 
fund the State Broadband Data and Development Grant Program (Broadband 
Mapping Program) authorized by the Broadband Data Improvement Act. The 
Broadband Mapping Program is designed to support the development and 
maintenance of a nationwide broadband map for use by policymakers and 
consumers.
    The Office of Management and Budget requires agencies 
administrating grant programs to implement post-award financial and 
performance reporting for those programs. The Department of Commerce 
Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants authorizes NTIA to 
require performance reports from BTOP grant recipients.
    A general description of the performance reporting requirements for 
recipients of BTOP grants was included in the Notice of Funds 
Availability (NOFA) published on July 9, 2009 for the first round of 
funding and in the NOFA published on January 26, 2010, for the second 
round of funding.
    The quarterly performance reports, submitted at the end of each 
quarter of

[[Page 56058]]

the year, ask a series of questions that broadly address project 
progress and monitoring needs of program personnel by getting baseline 
(planned) and actual information on quarterly and cumulative project 
and milestone progress, and potential project barriers, if any.
    The annual performance reports, submitted at the end of each 
Federal fiscal year, ask a series of questions that broadly address 
BTOP programmatic objectives and outcomes, NOFA requirements, and the 
information needs of external audiences, such as OMB. This includes 
information on:
     Broadband Infrastructure and CCI--Subscribers passed and 
served, improved vs. new access for subscribers, pricing plans and 
broadband speeds available to subscribers, and community anchor 
institutions served.
     PCC--Hours of operation, speed of broadband service, 
average number of users per week, training provided, equipment 
deployed, workstations available.
     SBA--Awareness campaigns, training provided, equipment 
deployed, broadband subscription rates.

II. Method of Collection

    NTIA will collect the information from BTOP grant recipients 
through post-award quarterly and annual performance progress reports.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0660-0037.
    Title: Broadband Technology Opportunities Program Post-Award 
Quarterly and Annual Performance Progress Reporting Requirements.
    Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Review: Regular submission (extension of a currently 
approved information collection).
    Affected Public: Business and other for-profit organizations; not-
for-profit institutions; and State, local, and Tribal government 
organizations.

Burden

Infrastructure and Comprehensive Community Infrastructure Reports 
(Annually)
    Number of Respondents: 150.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 5.
    Estimated Number of Responses: 750.
    Average Burden Hours per Response: 4.66.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 3,498.
Public Computer Center Reports (Annually)
    Number of Respondents: 75.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 5.
    Estimated Number of Responses: 375.
    Average Burden Hours per Response: 4.07.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 1,527.
Sustainable Broadband Adoption Application Reports (Annually)
    Number of Respondents: 75.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 5.
    Estimated Number of Responses: 375.
    Average Burden Hours per Response: 3.76.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 1,411.5.
    Need and Uses: NTIA needs to collect performance progress 
information specific to Infrastructure and Comprehensive Community 
Infrastructure (CCI), Public Computer Center (PCC), and Sustainable 
Broadband Adoption (SBA) grant recipients in order to effectively 
monitor, manage and evaluate individual projects and the overall 
success of the program in achieving statutory goals and objectives.

IV. Request for Comments

    Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the 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 proposed 
revision of a currently approved collection of information. They will 
also become a matter of public record.

    Dated: September 9, 2010.
Gwellnar Banks,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2010-22913 Filed 9-14-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-60-P