[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 31 (Wednesday, February 17, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8065-8066]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-03077]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[OMB 3060-0986]


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 burdens, 
and as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 
3501-3520), the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or the 
Commission) invites the general public and other Federal agencies to 
take this opportunity to comment on the following information 
collection. 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 April 18, 
2016. 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 Nicole Ongele, FCC, via email 
[email protected] and to [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information about the 
information collection, contact Nicole Ongele at (202) 418-2991.
    OMB Control Number: 3060-0986.

[[Page 8066]]

    Title: Competitive Carrier Line Count Report and Self-Certification 
as a Rural Carrier.
    Form Number: FCC Form 481, FCC Form 505, FCC Form 507, FCC Form 
508, FCC Form 509, and FCC Form 525.
    Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit, not-for-profit 
institutions and state, local or tribal government.
    Number of Respondents and Responses: 1,977 respondents; 15,333 
responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: .5 hours to 100 hours.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion, quarterly and annual reporting 
requirements, recordkeeping requirement and third party disclosure 
requirement.
    Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. 
Statutory authority for this information collection is contained in 47 
U.S.C. 151-154, 155, 201-206, 214, 218-220, 251, 252, 254, 256, 303(r), 
332, 403, 405, 410, and 1302.
    Total Annual Burden: 277,089 hours.
    Total Annual Cost: N/A.
    Privacy Act Impact Assessment: This information collection does not 
affect individuals or households; thus, there are no impacts under the 
Privacy Act.
    Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: We note that USAC must 
preserve the confidentiality of all data obtained from respondents; 
must not use the data except for purposes of administering the 
universal service programs; and must not disclose data in company-
specific form unless directed to do so by the Commission.
    Needs and Uses: The Commission is requesting approval for a 
revision. In November 2011, the Commission adopted an order reforming 
its high-cost universal service support mechanisms. Connect America 
Fund; A National Broadband Plan for Our Future; Establish Just and 
Reasonable Rates for Local Exchange Carriers; High-Cost Universal 
Service Support; Developing a Unified Intercarrier Compensation Regime; 
Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service; Lifeline and Link-Up; 
Universal Service Reform--Mobility Fund, WC Docket Nos. 10-90, 07-135, 
05-337, 03-109; GN Docket No. 09-51; CC Docket Nos. 01-92, 96-45; WT 
Docket No. 10-208, Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, 26 
FCC Rcd 17663 (2011) (USF/ICC Transformation Order); and the Commission 
and Wireline Competition Bureau have since adopted a number of orders 
that implement the USF/ICC Transformation Order; see also Connect 
America Fund et al., WC Docket No. 10-90 et al., Third Order on 
Reconsideration, 27 FCC Rcd 5622 (2012); Connect America Fund et al., 
WC Docket No. 10-90 et al., Order, 27 FCC Rcd 605 (Wireline Comp. Bur. 
2012); Connect America Fund et al., WC Docket No. 10-90 et al., Fifth 
Order on Reconsideration, 27 FCC Rcd 14549 (2012); Connect America Fund 
et al., WC Docket No. 10-90 et al., Order, 28 FCC Rcd 2051 (Wireline 
Comp. Bur. 2013); Connect America Fund et al., WC Docket No. 10-90 et 
al., Order, 28 FCC Rcd 7227 (Wireline Comp. Bur. 2013); Connect America 
Fund, WC Docket No. 10-90, Report and Order, 28 FCC Rcd 7766 (Wireline 
Comp. Bur. 2013); Connect America Fund, WC Docket No. 10-90, Report and 
Order, 28 FCC Rcd 7211 (Wireline Comp. Bur. 2013); Connect America 
Fund, WC Docket No. 10-90, Report and Order, 28 FCC Rcd 10488 (Wireline 
Comp. Bur. 2013); Connect America Fund et al., WC Docket No. 10-90 et 
al., Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, 29 FCC 
Rcd 8769 (2014); Connect America Fund et al., WC Docket No. 10-90 et 
al., Report and Order, 29 FCC Rcd 15644 (2014); Modernizing the E-rate 
Program for Schools and Libraries et al., WC Docket No. 13-184 et al., 
Second Report and Order and Order on Reconsideration, 29 FCC Rcd 15538 
(2014). The Commission has received OMB approval for most of the 
information collections required by these orders. At a later date the 
Commission plans to submit additional revisions for OMB review to 
address other reforms adopted in the orders (e.g., 47 CFR 
54.313(a)(11)).
    Here, the Commission proposes to revise FCC Form 481 and its 
instructions to reflect information collection requirements that the 
Commission recently adopted. This includes reporting and certification 
requirements for price cap carriers that elected to receive Phase II 
model-based support, reporting and certification requirements for 
recipients of rural broadband experiment support, a reasonably 
comparable rate certification for broadband for recipients of high-cost 
support, and an E-rate bidding certification for Phase II model-based 
support and rate-of-return carrier high-cost recipients. The Commission 
also proposes to add templates for some of these obligations and to add 
a template for the existing obligation that certain ETCs report data 
regarding newly served community anchor institutions. Additionally, the 
Commission proposes to delete the outdated information collection for 
Phase II model-based support elections and to adjust the number of 
respondents for the state certification letter and annual reporting 
requirements to reflect that rural broadband experiment recipients must 
now meet these requirements. The Commission also proposes to modify the 
existing Phase II certification requirement to reduce the hours to 
reflect that some aspects of the existing certifications have been 
superseded by the new proposed requirements and to adjust the number of 
respondents to reflect the number of price cap carriers that accepted 
Phase II model-based support. Finally, the Commission proposes to make 
a number of non-substantive changes to FCC Form 481 and its 
instructions.

Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene H. Dortch,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2016-03077 Filed 2-16-16; 8:45 am]
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