[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 67 (Thursday, April 7, 2016)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 20258-20259]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-07845]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

47 CFR Part 12

[PS Docket No. 14-174, FCC 15-98]


Ensuring Continuity of 911 Communications

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) has approved, for a period of three years, 
the information collection associated with the Commission's Ensuring 
Continuity of 911 Communications Report and Order's (Order) consumer 
disclosure requirement. This document is consistent with the Order, 
which stated that the Commission would publish a document in the 
Federal Register announcing the effective date of those rules.

DATES: Effective date: The amendments to 47 CFR 12.5(d), published at 
80 FR 62470, October 16, 2015 are effective August 5, 2016.
    Compliance date: For providers with fewer than 100,000 domestic 
retail subscriber lines, April 1, 2017.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Linda M. Pintro, Policy and Licensing 
Division, Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau, at (202) 418-
7490, or email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This document announces that, on March 21, 
2016, OMB approved, for a period of three years, the information 
collection requirements relating to the subscriber notification rules 
contained in the Commission's Order, FCC 15-98, published at 80 FR 
62470, October 16, 2015. The OMB Control Number is 3060-1217. The 
Commission publishes this document as an announcement of the effective 
date of the rules. If you

[[Page 20259]]

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 Nicole Ongele, Federal Communications, Room 1-
A620, 445 12th Street SW., Washington, DC 20554. Please include the OMB 
Control Number, 3060-1217, in your correspondence. The Commission will 
also accept your comments via email at [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 FCC is notifying the public that it received final OMB 
approval on March 21, 2016, for the information collection requirements 
contained in the modifications to the Commission's rules in 47 CFR part 
12.
    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 3060-1217.
    The foregoing notice is required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 
1995, Pub. L. 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: 3060-1217.
    OMB Approval Date: March 21, 2016.
    OMB Expiration Date: March 31, 2019.
    Title: Ensuring Continuity of 911 Communications Report and Order 
(PS Docket No. 14-174, FCC 15-98).
    Form Number: N/A.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities.
    Number of Respondents and Responses: 570 respondents; 570 
responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: Estimated time per respondent will 
vary widely by respondent because of differences in their current level 
of backup power provisioning. Some respondents may not need to expend 
any resources to comply with the third party disclosure requirement, 
because they are already providing the service. Others may have to 
build the service from the ground up. And, still others may currently 
be providing some, but not all of the required disclosure. 
Consequently, a respondent may spend zero to 70 hours per initial 
notification.
    Frequency of Response: Respondents are required to disclose the 
information to subscribers at the point of sale and annually 
thereafter.
    Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. 
Statutory authority for this information collection is contained in 
sections 1, 4(i), and 251(e)(3) of the Communications Act of 1934, as 
amended, 47 U.S.C. 151, 154(i), 251(e)(3); section 101 of the NET 911 
Improvement Act of 2008, Public Law 110-283, 47 U.S.C. 615a-1; and 
section 106 of the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video 
Accessibility Act of 2010, Pub. L. 111-260, 47 U.S.C. 615c.
    Total Annual Burden: 1,888 hours.
    Total Annual Cost: No cost.
    Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: An assurance of 
confidentiality is not offered because this information collection does 
not require the collection of personally identifiable information (PII) 
from individuals.
    Privacy Act: No impact(s).
    Needs and Uses: For over one hundred years, consumers have trusted 
that they will hear a dial tone in an emergency even when the power is 
out. Now, as networks transition away from copper-based, line-powered 
technology, many are aware of the innovation this transition has 
spurred in emergency services, but many consumers remain unaware that 
they must take action to ensure that dial tone's availability in the 
event of a commercial power outage. The vital importance of the 
continuity of 911 communications, and the Commission's duty to promote 
safety of life and property through the use of wire and radio 
communication, favor action to ensure that all consumers understand the 
risks associated with non-line-powered 911 service, know how to protect 
themselves from such risks, and have a meaningful opportunity to do so. 
Accordingly, on August 6, 2015, the Commission adopted the Order to 
promote continued access to 911 during commercial power outages, by 
requiring providers of facilities-based, fixed residential voice 
services that are not line powered to offer subscribers the option to 
purchase a backup power solution capable of 8 hours of standby power, 
and within three years, an additional solution capable of 24 hours of 
backup power. The Order also promotes consumer education and choice by 
requiring covered providers to disclose to subscribers, information 
about: (a) Availability of backup power sources; (b) service 
limitations with and without backup power during a power outage; (c) 
purchase and replacement options; (d) expected backup power duration; 
(c) proper usage and storage conditions for the backup power source; 
(e) subscriber backup power self-testing and monitoring instructions; 
and (f) backup power warranty details, if any.

Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene H. Dortch,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2016-07845 Filed 4-6-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6712-01-P