[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 79 (Monday, April 25, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24094-24095]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-09507]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[OMB 3060-0986, 3060-1138]


Information Collections Being Submitted for Review and Approval 
to the Office of Management and Budget

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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 Commission) 
invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this 
opportunity to comment on the following information collections. 
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 Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) 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 OMB control number.

DATES: Written comments should be submitted on or before May 25, 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 contacts below as soon as possible.

ADDRESSES: Direct all PRA comments to Nicholas A. Fraser, OMB, via 
email [email protected]; and to Nicole Ongele, FCC, via 
email [email protected] and to [email protected]. Include in the comments 
the OMB control number as shown in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION 
section below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information or copies 
of the information collection, contact Nicole Ongele at (202) 418-2991. 
To view a copy of this information collection request (ICR) submitted 
to OMB: (1) Go to the Web page http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain, (2) look for the section of the Web page called ``Currently 
Under Review,'' (3) click on the downward-pointing arrow in the 
``Select Agency'' box below the ``Currently Under Review'' heading, (4) 
select ``Federal Communications Commission'' from the list of agencies 
presented in the ``Select Agency'' box, (5) click the ``Submit'' button 
to the right of the ``Select Agency'' box, (6) when the list of FCC 
ICRs currently under review appears, look for the OMB control number of 
this ICR and then click on the ICR Reference Number. A copy of the FCC 
submission to OMB will be displayed.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    OMB Control Number: 3060-0986.
    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: No Cost.
    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.

[[Page 24095]]

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.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    OMB Control Number: 3060-1138.
    Title: Sections 1.49 and 1.54, Forbearance Petition Filing 
Requirements.
    Form Number: N/A.
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities.
    Number of Respondents and Responses: 11 respondents; 11 responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: 640 hours.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion reporting requirement, 
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. 10, 151, 154(i), 154(j), 155(c), 160, 201 and 303(r) of the 
Communications Act of 1934.
    Total Annual Burden: 7,040 hours.
    Total Annual Cost: No cost.
    Privacy Impact Assessment: No impact(s).
    Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: The Commission is not 
requesting respondents to submit or disclose confidential information. 
Respondents may, however, request confidential treatment for 
information they believe to be confidential under 47 CFR 0.459 of the 
Commission's rules.
    Needs and Uses: Under section 10 of the Communications Act of 1934, 
as amended, telecommunications carriers may petition the Commission to 
forbear from applying to a telecommunications carrier any statutory 
provision or Commission regulation. When a carrier petitions the 
Commission for forbearance, section 10 requires the Commission to make 
three determinations with regard to the need for the challenged 
provision or regulation. If the Commission fails to act within one year 
(extended by three additional months, if necessary) the petition is 
``deemed granted'' by operation of law. These determinations require 
complex, fact-intensive analysis, e.g., ``whether forbearance from 
enforcing the provision or regulation will promote competitive market 
conditions.'' Under the new filing procedures, the Commission requires 
that petitions for forbearance must be ``complete as filed'' and 
explain in detail what must be included in the forbearance petition. 
The Commission also incorporates by reference its rule, 47 CFR 1.49, 
which states the Commission's standard ``specifications as to pleadings 
and documents.'' Precise filing requirements are necessary because of 
section 10's strict time limit for Commission action. Also, commenters 
must be able to understand clearly the scope of the petition in order 
to comment on it. Finally, standard filing procedures inform 
petitioners precisely what the Commission expects from them in order to 
make the statutory determinations that the statute requires.

Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene H. Dortch,
Secretary, Office of the Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2016-09507 Filed 4-22-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6712-01-P