[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 38 (Tuesday, February 28, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12096-12097]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-03883]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[OMB 3060-0816]


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, 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 May 1, 
2017. 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.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 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.
    OMB Control Number: 3060-0816.
    Title: Local Telephone Competition and Broadband Reporting (Report 
and Order, WC Docket No. 11-10, FCC 13-87).
    Form Number: FCC Form 477.
    Type of Review: Extension 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: 2,331 respondents; 4,662 
responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: 355 hours (average).
    Frequency of Response: Semi-annual reporting requirement.
    Obligation to Respond: Mandatory. Statutory authority for this 
information collection is contained in 47 U.S.C. 4(i), 201, 218-220, 
251-252, 271, 303(r), 332, and 403 of the Communications Act of 1934, 
as amended and section 706 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, as 
amended, codified in section 1302 of the Broadband Data Improvement 
Act, 47 U.S.C. 1302.
    Total Annual Burden: 1,655,010 hours.
    Total Annual Cost: No Cost.

[[Page 12097]]

    Privacy Act Impact Assessment: No impact(s).
    Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: The Commission will continue 
to allow respondents to certify on the submission interface that some 
subscribership data contained in that submission are privileged or 
confidential commercial or financial information and that disclosure of 
such information would likely cause substantial harm to the competitive 
position of the entity making the submission. If the Commission 
receives a request for, or proposes to disclose such information, the 
respondent would be required to show, pursuant to Commission rules for 
withholding from public inspection information submitted to the 
Commission, that the information in question is entitled to 
confidential treatment. We will retain our current policies and 
procedures regarding the protection of submitted FCC Form 477 data 
subject to confidential treatment, including the use of only non-
company specific aggregates of subscribership data in our published 
reports. Most of the broadband deployment data collected on Form 477 is 
publicly available on the FCC's Web site at https://www.fcc.gov/general/broadband-deployment-data-fcc-form-477. However, mobile 
providers can request confidential treatment of their deployment data 
by spectrum band and some of the speed data associated with their 
mobile broadband deployment coverage areas.
    Need and Uses: FCC Form 477 provides an understanding of the extent 
of broadband deployment, that facilitates the Commission's development 
of appropriate broadband policies, and enables the Commission to carry 
out its obligation under section 706 of the Telecommunications Act of 
1996, as amended, to ``determine whether advanced telecommunications 
capability is being deployed to all Americans in a reasonable and 
timely fashion.'' In addition, the information collected in Form 477 
enhances the Commission's analysis and understanding of the extent of 
voice telephone services competition, which in turn supports the 
Commission's efforts to open all telecommunications markets to 
competition and to promote innovation and investment by all 
participants, including new entrants, as required by the 
Telecommunications Act of 1996.
    The Commission staff uses the information to advise the Commission 
about the efficacy of its rules and policies adopted to implement the 
Telecommunications Act of 1996. The data are necessary to evaluate the 
status of local telecommunications competition and broadband 
deployment. The Commission uses the data to prepare reports that help 
inform consumers and policy makers at the federal and state level on 
the deployment and adoption of broadband services, as well as on 
developments related to competition in the voice telephone services 
market. The Commission also uses the data to support its analyses in a 
variety of rulemaking proceedings under the Communications Act, 
including those related to fulfilling its universal service mandate.
    The Commission releases to the public the broadband deployment and 
mobile voice deployment data that it began collecting in 2014 as a 
result of the Order. This information is used by consumers, federal and 
state government agencies, analysts, and others to determine broadband 
service availability by provider, technology, and speed.


Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene H. Dortch,
Secretary, Office of the Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2017-03883 Filed 2-27-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6712-01-P