[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 123 (Thursday, June 26, 2014)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 36231-36232]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-15005]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

47 CFR Parts 1 and 43

[WC Docket No. 11-10; FCC 13-87]


Modernizing the FCC Form 477 Data Program

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Final rule; announcement of effective date.

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[[Page 36232]]

SUMMARY: In this document the Federal Communications Commission 
(Commission) released a Report and Order which revised the Commission's 
Form 477 collection to include data on deployment of fixed and mobile 
broadband networks and mobile voice networks, as well as company 
identification and emergency contact information. The Report and Order 
also made a number of targeted changes to the collection of 
subscription data to reduce reporting burdens and improve the quality 
and usefulness of data collected through the Form 477.

DATES: Sections 1.7001, 1.7002, 43.01 and 43.11, published at 78 FR 
49126, were approved by the OMB on June 4, 2014 (OMB Control Number 
3060-0816). Accordingly, the amendments to those sections published at 
78 FR 49126, Aug. 13, 2013, are effective June 26, 2014.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Chelsea Fallon, Wireline Competition 
Bureau, (202) 418-7991 or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Report and Order stated that the changes 
to Sec. Sec.  1.7001, 1.7002, 43.01 and 43.11 of the Commission's 
rules, which contain information collection requirements, would be 
effective upon announcement in the Federal Register of OMB approval. On 
June 4, 2014, OMB approved the information collection requirement 
contained in the Report and Order pursuant to OMB Control Number: 3060-
0816, Local Telephone Competition and Broadband Reporting, FCC Form 
477. Accordingly, the information collection requirements contained in 
the Report and Order are effective June 26, 2014. The expiration date 
for the information collection is June 30, 2017. The Commission will 
announce, in a separate notice, the due date by which respondents must 
submit the required data.
    Pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 3501-
3520, an agency may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information 
unless it displays a currently valid control number. Notwithstanding 
any other provisions of law, no person shall be subject to any penalty 
for failing to comply with the collection of information subject to the 
Paperwork Reduction Act that does not display a valid control number. 
Questions concerning this information collection, 3060-1196, should be 
directed to Leslie F. Smith, Federal Communications Commission at (202) 
418-0217 or [email protected].
    The total annual reporting burdens and costs for the respondents 
are as follows:
    OMB Control Number: 3060-0816.
    OMB Approval Date: June 4, 2014.
    OMB Expiration Date: June 30, 2017.
    Title: Local Telephone Competition and Broadband Reporting, FCC 
Form 477.
    Form Number: FCC Form 477.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities; not-for-profit 
institutions; and State, local or tribal governments.
    Number of Respondents and Responses: 2,002 respondents; 4,004 
responses.
    Estimated Time Per Response: 387 hours.
    Frequency of Response: Semi-annual reporting requirement.
    Obligation to Respond: Mandatory. Statutory authority for this 
information collection is contained in 47 U.S.C. 4(i), 201, 218-220, 
251-252, 271, 303(r), 332, and 403 of the Communications Act of 1934, 
as amended and section 706 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, as 
amended, codified in section 1302 of the Broadband Data Improvement 
Act, 47 U.S.C. 1302.
    Total Annual Burden: 1,549,548 hours.
    Total Annual Cost: None.
    Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: The Commission will continue 
to allow respondents to certify on the submission interface that some 
subscribership data contained in that submission are privileged or 
confidential commercial or financial information and that disclosure of 
such information would likely cause substantial harm to the competitive 
position of the entity making the submission. If the Commission 
receives a request for, or proposes to disclose such information, the 
respondent would be required to show, pursuant to Commission rules for 
withholding from public inspection information submitted to the 
Commission, that the information in question is entitled to 
confidential treatment. We will retain our current policies and 
procedures regarding the protection of submitted FCC Form 477 data 
subject to confidential treatment, including the use of only non-
company specific aggregates of subscribership data in our published 
reports. Most of the broadband deployment data to be collected on Form 
477 as a result of modifications will be made publicly available. NTIA 
currently publishes similar data on the National Broadband Map Web site 
at www.broadbandmap.gov. The Commission will coordinate with NTIA to 
continue the publication of the National Broadband Map using the data 
to be collected through modifications to Form 477. The one exception is 
that mobile broadband and voice providers can request confidential 
treatment of their deployment data by spectrum band.
    Needs and Uses: FCC Form 477 gathers information on the development 
of local telephone competition, including telephone services and 
interconnected Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services, and on the 
deployment of broadband Internet access services. FCC staff use the 
information to advise the Commission about the efficacy of its rules 
and policies adopted to implement the Telecommunications Act of 1996. 
The data are necessary to evaluate the status of local 
telecommunications competition and broadband deployment.

Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene H. Dortch,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2014-15005 Filed 6-25-14; 8:45 am]
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