[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 126 (Tuesday, July 1, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37316-37317]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-15303]



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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION


Information Collection Being Reviewed by the Federal 
Communications Commission

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. 
3501-3520), 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 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 burden for 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 September 2, 2014. 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: Direct all PRA comments to Cathy Williams, FCC, via email to 
[email protected] and to [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: 3060-0484.
    Title: Section 4.9, Part 4 of the Commission's Rules Concerning 
Disruptions to Communications.
    Form Number: N/A.
    Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities, not-for profit 
institutions.
    Number of Respondents: Approximately 1,100 respondents; 15,444 
responses per year.
    Estimated Time per Response: No more than 2.5 hours per occurrence.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion and annual reporting 
requirements, recordkeeping requirement and third party disclosure 
requirement.
    Obligation to Respond: Mandatory. Statutory authority for this 
collection of information is contained in 47 U.S.C. 151, 154(i)-(j) & 
(o), 201(b), 214(d), 218, 251(e)(3), 301, 303(b), 303(g), 303(r), 307, 
309(a), 316, 332, 403, 615a-1, and 615c.
    Total Annual Burden: 29,870 hours.
    Total Annual Cost: $0.
    Privacy Impact Assessment: No impacts.
    Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: Network Outage Reporting 
System (NORS) outage reports filed with the Commission pursuant to Part 
4 of its rules are presumed confidential. The information in those 
filings may be shared with the Department of Homeland Security only 
under appropriate confidential disclosure provisions. Other persons 
seeking disclosure must follow the procedures delineated in 47 CFR 
0.457 and 0.459 of the Commission's rules for requests for and 
disclosure of information. The revisions to this information collection 
require information to be transmitted to third parties, not to the FCC. 
Accordingly, the Commission cannot, and does not, guarantee 
confidentiality of information provided directly to public safety 
answering points (PSAPs). The revisions do not affect the confidential 
treatment of information provided directly to the FCC through NORS.
    Needs and Uses: The Commission is seeking OMB approval for a 
revision of this information collection in order to obtain the full 
three year approval from OMB. The Commission is reporting a 223-hour 
increase in its previous annual burden estimates. The increase is due 
to adoption of FCC 13-158, a Report and Order establishing more 
specific outage notification obligations for Covered 911 Service 
Providers, which are the respondents subject to the revised 
requirements of this information collection.
    Previous FCC rules required certain communications providers to 
notify PSAPs of 911 outages ``as soon as possible'' with ``all 
available information that may be useful.'' The revisions to this 
information collection respond to the derecho storm that struck the 
Midwest and Mid-Atlantic United States in June 2012, causing 
significant disruptions in 911 service. Through its inquiry into these 
911 outages, the Commission learned that many PSAPs' efforts to restore 
service were complicated by inadequate information and ineffective 
communication by 911 service providers. Consequently, the Commission 
amended section 4.9 of its rules to require more specific 911 outage 
notifications to PSAPs within specified time periods.
    Under the new rule, Covered 911 Service Providers must notify PSAPs 
of outages that potentially affect 911 service within 30 minutes of 
discovering the outage and provide contact information such as a name, 
telephone number, and email for follow-up. Whenever additional material 
information becomes available, but no later than two hours after the 
initial contact, the Covered 911 Service Provider must communicate 
additional detail to the PSAP, including the nature of the outage, its 
best-known cause, the geographic scope of the outage, and the estimated 
time for repairs. Notifications must be transmitted by telephone and in 
writing via electronic means, unless the PSAP and service provider have 
agreed in advance to an alternative method. The new requirements apply 
only to entities defined as Covered 911 Service Providers under 47 CFR 
12.4(a)(4), and outage reporting obligations for other entities remain 
unchanged.
    The above revisions do not require information to be submitted to 
the FCC, but rather to third parties (i.e., PSAPs and other ``911 
special facilities'') that experience 911 outages. While the amended 
rule will not result in new or different information submitted to the 
Commission, it will require Covered 911 Service Providers to transmit 
more specific information to PSAPs to improve their situational 
awareness and ability to respond to 911 outages. Such notifications are 
necessary because PSAP personnel depend on reliable 911 service to 
answer emergency calls and dispatch help when needed. When 911 service 
is compromised, PSAPs require prompt notification and useful 
information about the outage so that they may make alternate plans to 
reroute calls until service is restored. Many Covered 911 Service 
Providers indicate that they already collect the required outage 
information for internal use, and for submission to the FCC through 
required NORS reports. Therefore, the obligation to provide more 
specific outage notifications to PSAPs will not generally require

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collection of new or different information, only a more consistent 
effort to ensure that transmission of such information is timely and 
complete. These revisions do not affect the obligation to submit NORS 
outage reports to the FCC or the information that must be provided in 
NORS reports; these portions of the information collection have already 
been approved by OMB and have not changed since that approval.

Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene H. Dortch,
Secretary, Office of the Secretary, Office of Managing Director.
[FR Doc. 2014-15303 Filed 6-30-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P