[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 236 (Thursday, December 8, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 76726-76727]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-31526]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION


Information Collection(s) Being Submitted for Review and Approval 
to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB)

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Notice and Request for comments.

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SUMMARY: As part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork burden 
and as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 
3502-3520), the Federal Communications Commission invites the general 
public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment 
on the following information collection(s). 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 estimates; (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 valid OMB control number.

DATES: Written Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) comments should be 
submitted on or before January 9, 2012. 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 your PRA comments to Nicholas A. Fraser, Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB), via fax at (202) 395-5167 or via Internet 
at [email protected] and to Judith B. Herman, Federal 
Communications Commission, via the Internet at [email protected]. 
To submit your PRA comments by email send them to: [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Judith B. Herman, Office of Managing 
Director, FCC, at (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: 1,278 respondents; 54,932 responses.
    Estimated Time Per Response: 20-45 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. section 224.
    Total Annual Burden: 683,169 hours.
    Total Annual Cost: N/A.
    Privacy Act Impact Assessment: N/A.
    Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: No questions of a 
confidential nature are asked.
    Needs and Uses: The Commission will submit this expiring 
information collection to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
during this 30 day comment period in order to obtain the full three 
year clearance from them. The Commission is requesting 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 previous burden estimates.
    In Report and Order and Order on Reconsideration, FCC 11-50, the 
Commission adopted rules that related to implementation of section 224 
pole attachment access rules. Specifically, the pole attachment access 
rules create a series of deadlines or ``timelines'' by which 
communications providers (``attachers'') request and receive permission 
from electric utilities and incumbent LECs (``pole owners'' or 
``utilities'') to attach facilities to utility poles (``access''). A 
denial (or partial grant) of access by a utility must include all 
relevant evidence and information, and explain how the evidence and 
information relate to lack of capacity, safety, reliability, or 
engineering standards. In practice, this requirement causes the utility 
to survey the requested poles where access is requested and to perform 
an engineering analysis.
    Other paperwork burdens are triggered during the pole-preparation 
stage of the timeline (``make-ready''). These include sending letters 
of notification to any known entities with existing attachments and the 
requesting attacher. Such notification letters are sent when a make-
ready schedule is established. If the make-ready period is interrupted; 
and if the pole owner asserts its right to one 15-day extension of 
time, notification letters are also required. Pole owners both perform 
and coordinate make-ready work.
    Additionally, the Order adopted a rule requiring utilities to post 
a list of approved contractors, and required new attachers that use 
contractors to perform pole attachment surveys or make-ready work in 
lieu of the utility using its own workers to choose from among approved 
contractors. 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.
    Finally, the Order also broadens 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 demonstrate that the benefits are being passed on to 
consumers.


[[Page 76727]]


Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene H. Dortch,
Secretary, Office of the Secretary, Office of Managing Director.
[FR Doc. 2011-31526 Filed 12-7-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P