[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 231 (Wednesday, December 2, 2015)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 75431-75432]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-30476]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

47 CFR Parts 1 and 73

[GN Docket No. 12-268; FCC 14-50]


Expanding the Economic and Innovation Opportunities of Spectrum 
Through Incentive Auctions

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Final rule; announcement of effective date.

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SUMMARY: In this document, the Commission announces that, the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) approved, on an emergency basis, for a 
period for six months, an information collection for FCC Form 177, 
Application to Participate in a Reverse Incentive Auction, and certain 
Commission's rules contained in the Report and Order, Expanding the 
Economic and Innovation Opportunities of Spectrum Through Incentive 
Auctions, FCC 14-50. This document is consistent with the Report and 
Order, which stated that the Commission would publish a document in the 
Federal Register announcing OMB approval and the effective date of the 
rules and requirements.

[[Page 75432]]


DATES: 47 CFR 1.2204(a), (c), (d)(3), and (d)(5) and 73.3700(h)(4) and 
(6) and FCC Form 177, Application to Participate in a Reverse Incentive 
Auction, published at 79 FR 48442, August 15, 2014, are effective on 
December 2, 2015.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Contact Cathy Williams, 
[email protected], (202) 418-2918.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This document announces that, on November 
19, 2015, OMB approved on an emergency basis the information collection 
requirements for FCC Form 177, Application to Participate in a Reverse 
Incentive Auction and 47 CFR 1.2204(a), (c), (d)(3), and (d)(5) and 
73.3700(h)(4) and (6), published at 79 FR 48442 on August 15, 2014. The 
OMB Control Number is 3060-1213. The Commission publishes this document 
as an announcement of the effective date of the rules and requirements. 
If you have any comments on the burden estimates listed below, or how 
the Commission can improve the collections and reduce any burdens 
caused thereby, please contact Cathy Williams, Federal Communications 
Commission, Room 1-C823, 445 12th Street SW., Washington, DC 20554. 
Please include the OMB Control Number, 3060-1213, in your 
correspondence. The Commission will also accept your comments via the 
Internet if you send them to [email protected].
    To request materials in accessible formats for people with 
disabilities (Braille, large print, electronic files, audio format), 
send an email to [email protected] or call the Consumer and Governmental 
Affairs Bureau at (202) 418-0530 (voice), (202) 418-0432 (TTY).

Synopsis

    As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 
3507), the Commission is notifying the public that it received 
emergency approval from OMB on November 19, 2015, for the information 
collection requirements contained in the information collection 3060-
1213.
    Under 5 CFR part 1320, an agency may not conduct or sponsor a 
collection of information unless it displays a current, 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 
that does not display a current, valid OMB Control Number. The OMB 
Control Number is 3060-1213. The foregoing document is required by the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13, October 1, 1995, 
and 44 U.S.C. 3507.
    The total annual reporting burdens and costs for the respondents 
are as follows:
    OMB Control Number: 3060-1213.
    OMB Approval Date: November 19, 2015.
    OMB Expiration Date: May 31, 2016.
    Title: Application to Participate in a Reverse Incentive Auction, 
FCC Form 177.
    Form No.: FCC Form 177.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities; Not-for-profit 
institutions; State, local or Tribal government.
    Number of Respondents and Responses: 600 respondents; 600 
responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: 90 minutes.
    Frequency of Response: One-time reporting requirement.
    Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. The 
statutory authority for this information collection is contained in 
sections 154(i) and 309(j)(5) of the Communications Act of 1934, as 
amended, 47 U.S.C. 4(i), 309(j)(5), and sections 1.2204(a), (c), 
(d)(3), and (d)(5) and 73.3700(h)(4) and (6) of the Commission's rules, 
47 CFR 1.2204(a), (c), (d)(3), (d)(5), 73.3700(h)(4) and (6).
    Total Annual Burden: 900 hours.
    Total Annual Cost: None.
    Privacy Act Impact Assessment: No impact(s).
    Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: Certain information collected 
on FCC Form 177 will be treated as confidential for various periods of 
time during the course of the broadcast incentive auction (BIA) 
pursuant to 47 U.S.C. 1452(a)(3) and section 1.2206(b) of the 
Commission's rules, 47 CFR 1.2206(b). To the extent necessary, 
respondents may request confidential treatment of information collected 
on FCC Form 177 that is not already being treated as confidential 
pursuant to section 0.459 of the Commission's rules. See 47 CFR 0.459.
    Needs and Uses: In the Report and Order, the Commission adopted a 
requirement that entities interested in participating in the reverse 
auction component of the BIA submit a pre-auction application to 
establish their eligibility to participate in the auction, and adopted 
rules and requirements concerning the types of information that 
broadcast licensees would be required to disclose in their pre-auction 
applications. FCC Form 177 implements sections 1.2204(a), (c), (d)(3), 
(d)(5) and 73.3700(h)(4) and (6) of the Commission's rules and will be 
used by the public to apply to participate in reverse incentive 
auctions, including the Commission's upcoming broadcast incentive 
reverse auction. The information collected on FCC Form 177 will be used 
by the Commission to determine if an applicant is legally qualified to 
participate in the reverse auction. Commission staff will review the 
information collected on FCC Form 177 as part of the pre-auction 
process, prior to the start of the reverse auction. Staff will 
determine whether each applicant satisfies the Commission's 
requirements to participate in the reverse auction. This approach 
provides an appropriate screen to ensure serious participation and 
deter possible abuse of the bidding process without being unduly 
burdensome.

Federal Communications Commission.
Gloria J. Miles,
Federal Register Liaison Officer, Office of the Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2015-30476 Filed 12-1-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6712-01-P