[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 181 (Monday, September 19, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57986-57987]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-23954]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION


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

September 12, 2011.
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 burden 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 currently valid OMB control number.

DATES: Written Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) comments should be 
submitted on or before November 18, 2011. 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.

[[Page 57987]]


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

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Judith B. Herman, Office of Managing 
Director, (202) 418-0214. For additional information, contact [email protected], OMD, 202-418-0214.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    OMB Control Number: 3060-1151.
    Title: Sections 1.1420, 1.1422, and 1.1424, Pole Attachment Access 
Requirements.
    Form No.: N/A.
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit.
    Number of Respondents and Responses: 1,278 respondents; 54,932 
responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: 1-600 hours.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion reporting requirement, 
recordkeeping requirement and third party disclosure requirement.
    Obligation To Respond: Mandatory. Statutory authority for this 
information collection is contained in 47 U.S.C. 224.
    Total Annual Burden: 683,169 hours.
    Total Annual Cost: N/A.
    Privacy Act Impact Assessment: N/A.
    Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: No confidentiality regarding 
recordkeeping or reporting. No known confidentiality between third 
parties.
    Needs and Uses: The Commission is seeking OMB approval for an 
extension (no change in the reporting, recordkeeping and/or third party 
disclosure requirements.) There is no change in the Commission's burden 
estimates. The Commission received emergency OMB approval for this 
collection on June 21, 2011. This collection is now being submitted to 
OMB to secure the regular, three-year approval.
    The rule sections are needed to implement the statutory mandate 
that communications companies (attachers) should be able to place 
facilities on utility poles. The rules set a series of deadlines or 
``timelines'' to govern the process by which permission is sought by 
attachers and granted by utility pole owners. In practice, attachers 
must submit detailed applications that cause the utility to survey and 
perform an engineering analysis on the poles where access is requested.
    The post-survey pole preparation work (make-ready) triggers further 
paperwork burdens. These include the pole owner notifying all known 
entities with existing attachments and the requesting attacher of the 
scheduled work. Other notification occurs if the make-ready period is 
interrupted, and if a pole owner asserts its right to one 15-day 
extension of time. Pole owners both perform make ready and coordinate 
with existing attachers over many weeks.
    Also, the Order adopted rules intended to make the deadlines 
largely self-enforcing. Utilities are required to post a list of 
approved contractors. If a deadline is not met, new attachers may hire 
a listed, utility-approved contractor to perform pole attachment 
surveys or preparation in lieu of the utility using its own workers. If 
an attacher uses a utility-approved contractor, it must notify the 
utility, and invite the utility to send a representative to oversee the 
work. This self-enforcing mechanism removes some of the burden from the 
complaint process, which is often too slow to provide meaningful relief 
when pole access is denied or unreasonably delayed.
    Finally, the Order also broadened the existing enforcement process 
by permitting incumbent local exchange carriers (LECs) to file 
complaints alleging that the attachment rates demanded by electric 
utilities are unreasonable. The Order also encourages incumbent LECs 
that benefit from lower pole attachment costs to file data at the 
Commission that demonstrates that the benefits are being passed on to 
consumers.

Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene H. Dortch,
Secretary, Office of the Secretary, Office of Managing Director.
[FR Doc. 2011-23954 Filed 9-16-11; 8:45 am]
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