[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 175 (Tuesday, September 10, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55254-55255]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-21982]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION


Information Collection Being Reviewed by the Federal 
Communications Commission Under Delegated Authority

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Federal Communications Commission (FCC), as part of its 
continuing effort to reduce paperwork burdens, invites the general 
public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment 
on the following information collection, as required by the Paperwork 
Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995. Comments are requested concerning 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; the accuracy of the 
Commission's burden estimate; ways to enhance the quality, utility, and 
clarity of the information collected; 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 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 control number. No person shall be 
subject to any penalty for failing to comply with a collection of 
information subject to the PRA that does not display a valid Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) control number.

DATES: Written PRA comments should be submitted on or before November 
12, 2013. If you anticipate that you will be submitting comments, but 
find it difficult to do so within the period of time allowed by this 
notice, you should advise the contact listed below as soon as possible.

ADDRESSES: Direct all PRA comments to Cathy Williams, FCC, via email 
[email protected] mailto:[email protected] and to [email protected] 
mailto:[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information about the 
information collection, contact Cathy Williams at (202) 418-2918.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    OMB Control Number: 3060-0995.

[[Page 55255]]

    Title: Section 1.2105, Bidding Application and Certification 
Procedures; Prohibition of Certain Communications.
    Form No.: N/A.
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities, Not-for-profit 
institutions, and State, local or Tribal government.
    Number of Respondents: 10 respondents; 10 responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: 1.5 hours to 2 hours.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion reporting requirement.
    Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. 
Statutory authority for this information collection is contained in 47 
U.S.C. 154(i) and 309(j).
    Total Annual Burden: 50 hours.
    Total Annual Cost: $9,000.
    Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: The Commission is not 
requesting that the respondents submit confidential information to the 
Commission. If the Commission requests applicants to submit information 
that the respondents believe is confidential, respondents may request 
confidential treatment of such information under 47 CFR 0.459 of the 
Commission's rules.
    Privacy Act Impact Assessment: N/A.
    Needs and Uses: The Commission will submit this expiring 
information collection to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
after this 60 day comment period in order to obtain the full three year 
clearance from them. The Commission is requesting an extension (no 
change in the reporting requirements) of this information collection. 
There is no change in the Commission's burden estimates.
    Subject to certain exceptions, section 1.2105(c) of the 
Commission's rules prohibits auction applicants that are eligible to 
bid on any of the same geographic areas from cooperating or 
collaborating with respect to, discussing or disclosing to each other 
in any manner the substance of their bids or bidding strategies from 
the short-form application filing deadline to the post-auction down 
payment deadline, unless such applicants are members of a bidding 
consortium or other joint bidding agreement reported on their short-
form applications.
    The Commission has found that even when a communication of bids or 
bidding strategies is limited to one applicant's bids or bidding 
strategies, it may unfairly disadvantage the other bidders in the 
market by creating an asymmetry of information. Section 1.2105(c)(1) of 
the Commission's rules attempts to address this concern by prohibiting 
auction applicants from communicating their bids or bidding strategies 
to each other. In enforcing Section 1.2105(c)(1), however, the 
Commission has encountered auction applicants engaging in 
communications prohibited by the rule. In some instances, there has 
been concern expressed about the obligation of a bidder to report 
information received from another bidder that potentially violates the 
rule, and the Commission has previously counseled applicants on the 
safest course of action for a recipient of a prohibited communication 
during the period in which Section 1.2105(c)(1) prohibitions are in 
effect would be to terminate the discussion and promptly report 
communication to the Commission. The Commission believes that the anti-
collusion rule to include such a reporting requirement, as a deterrent 
to would-be disseminators of prohibited information regarding bids or 
bidding strategies, will make clear the responsibility to report such 
behavior and will thereby enhance the competitiveness and fairness of 
its spectrum auctions. Under the amendment the Commission adopted in 
the Seventh Report and Order, an applicant's failure to report a 
prohibited communication pursuant to Section 1.2105(c) may constitute a 
rule violation distinct from any act of collusion that violates Section 
1.2105(c)(1).
    The information requirement will enable the Commission to ensure 
that no bidder gains an unfair advantage over other bidders in its 
spectrum auctions and thus enhance the competitiveness and fairness of 
its auctions. The information collected will be reviewed, and if 
warranted, referred to the Commission's Enforcement Bureau for possible 
investigation and administrative action. The Commission may also refer 
allegations of anticompetitive auction conduct to the Department of 
Justice (DoJ) for investigation.

Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene H. Dortch,
Secretary, Office of the Secretary, Office of Managing Director.
[FR Doc. 2013-21982 Filed 9-9-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P