[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 207 (Wednesday, October 27, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66097-66098]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-27208]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION


Notice of Public Information Collection(s) Being Submitted for 
Review and Approval to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), 
Comments Requested

October 25, 2010.
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. 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; (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; and (e) 
ways to further reduce the information collection burdens on small 
business concerns with fewer than 25 employees.
    The FCC may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information 
unless it displays a currently 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 (PRA) that does 
not display a valid OMB control number.

DATES: Submit written Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) comments on or 
before November 26, 2010. 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: Submit all PRA comments to Nicholas A. Fraser, Office of 
Management and Budget, via fax at 202-395-5167 or the Internet at 
[email protected]; and to Judith-B. [email protected], 
Federal Communications Commission. Send your PRA comments by e-mail to 
[email protected]. To view a copy of this information collection request 
(ICR) submitted to OMB: (1) Go to the Web page http://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, and (6) 
when the list of FCC ICRs currently under review appears, look for the 
title of this ICR (or its OMB Control Number, if there is one) and then 
click on the ICR Reference Number to view detailed information about 
this ICR.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    OMB Control Number: 3060-0999.
    Title: Hearing Aid Compatibility Status Report and Section 20.19, 
Hearing Aid-Compatible Mobile Handsets (Hearing Aid Compatibility Act).
    Form No.: FCC Form 655--electronic only.
    Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit.
    Number of Respondents: 925 respondents; 925 responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: 1 hour--2.5 hours.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion and annual reporting 
requirements and third party disclosure requirement.
    Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. 
Statutory authority for this information collection is contained in 47 
U.S.C. 151, 154(i), 157, 160, 201, 202, 208, 214, 301, 303, 308, 
309(j), 310 and 610.
    Total Annual Burden: 12,063 hours.
    Total Annual Cost: N/A.
    Privacy Act Impact Assessment: N/A.
    Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: Information in the reports 
may include confidential information. However, covered entities would 
be allowed to request that such materials submitted to the Commission 
be withheld from public inspection under 47 CFR 0.459 of the 
Commission's rules.
    Needs and Uses: The Commission will submit this revised information 
collection (IC) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) during 
this comment period to obtain the full three-year clearance from them. 
The Commission is reporting no change in the burden estimates as 
previously approved by the OMB.
    On August 5, 2010, the Commission adopted final rules in a Second 
Report and Order, FCC 10-145, that, among other things, updated 
disclosure requirements for manufacturers and service providers. 
Manufacturers and service providers are now required to adequately 
inform consumers about the functionality and the limitations of their 
handsets in two specific situations. First, for handsets that meet 
hearing aid compatibility requirements over all air interfaces and 
frequency bands for which technical standards have been established, 
but that are also capable of supporting voice operations in new 
frequency bands and air interfaces for which standards do not exist, 
the following mandatory disclosure language must be clearly and 
effectively conveyed to consumers wherever the hearing aid 
compatibility rating for the handset is provided, including the point 
of sale and on company Web sites:
    ``This phone has been tested and rated for use with hearing aids 
for some of the wireless technologies that it uses. However, there may 
be some newer wireless technologies used in this phone that have not 
been tested yet for use with hearing aids. It is important to try the 
different features of this phone thoroughly and in different locations, 
using your hearing aid or cochlear implant, to determine if you hear 
any interfering noise. Consult with your

[[Page 66098]]

service provider or the manufacturer of this phone for information on 
hearing aid compatibility. If you have questions about return or 
exchange policies, consult your service provider or phone retailer.''
    Second, the Commission is allowing companies offering one or two 
handset models over the GSM air interface, if they would have been 
eligible for the amended de minimis exception rule but for their size, 
to satisfy their obligation to offer one hearing aid-compatible handset 
over the GSM air interface by offering a handset that lets the consumer 
reduce maximum transmit power for GSM operations in the 1900 MHz band 
by up to 2.5 decibels. The Commission grants this exception subject to 
certain conditions, one of which is that companies that choose to use 
this exception must adequately inform consumers of the need to select 
the power reduction option to achieve hearing aid compatibility and of 
the consequences of doing so. Specifically, wherever a manufacturer or 
service provider provides the hearing aid compatibility rating for such 
a handset, it shall indicate that user activation of a special mode is 
necessary to meet the hearing aid compatibility standard. In addition, 
the handset manual or a product insert must explain how to activate the 
special mode and that doing so may result in a diminution of coverage.
    Beyond the updated disclosure requirements noted above, one 
additional change is being made to the current collection. Two fields 
will be changed on FCC Form 655 in order to clarify information 
previously gathered in this collection and bring the collection into 
conformance with the amended rules. Specifically, manufacturers and 
service providers will be asked to provide the brand names under which 
they are offering digital commercial mobile radio services (if a 
service provider) or handsets (if a device manufacturer), in order to 
avoid confusion by identifying products offered under more than one 
brand name. In addition, the question concerning handsets capable of 
Wi-Fi voice operation will be expanded to include handsets capable of 
voice communication over any air interface or frequency band for which 
hearing aid compatibility technical standards do not exist without 
changes to the hardware in the handset. As a result, the Commission is 
requesting a revision of this currently approved collection due to the 
new disclosure requirements under Section 20.19(f) of the Commission's 
rules as well as the two fields changed on FCC Form 655.
    The updated disclosures will create no additional burden for 
manufacturers and service providers, but will ensure that consumers and 
the Commission are provided with consistent and sufficient information 
about the functionality and the limitations of offered handsets. These 
actions are taken to ensure that consumers who use hearing aids and 
cochlear implants have access to a variety of phones and are adequately 
informed about the functionality and the limitations of the handsets, 
while preserving competitive opportunities for small companies as well 
as opportunities for innovations and investment. Similarly, the 
additional fields on the FCC Form 655 will clarify the responses 
already required by the form, helping the Commission compile data and 
monitor compliance with the hearing aid compatibility rules.

Federal Communications Commission.
Bulah P. Wheeler,
Deputy Manager.
[FR Doc. 2010-27208 Filed 10-26-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P