[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 117 (Tuesday, June 20, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28062-28065]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-12830]


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

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[OMB 3060-1166, 3060-xxxx and 3060-xxxx]


Information Collections Being Reviewed by the Federal 
Communications Commission

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 of 1995 (PRA), 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

[[Page 28063]]

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 August 21, 
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 contacts below as soon as possible.

ADDRESSES: Direct all PRA comments to Cathy Williams, FCC, via email: 
[email protected] and to [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information about the 
information collection, contact Cathy Williams at (202) 418-2918.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: As part of its continuing effort to reduce 
paperwork burdens, and as required by the PRA, 44 U.S.C. 3501-3520, the 
FCC 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: 3060-1166.
    Title: Section 1.21001, Participation in Competitive Bidding for 
Support; Section 1.21002, Prohibition of Certain Communications During 
the Competitive Bidding Process.
    Form Number: N/A.
    Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities, not-for-profit 
institutions, and state, local or tribal governments.
    Number of Respondents and Responses: 750 respondents and 750 
responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: 1.5 hours.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion reporting requirement.
    Obligation To Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. 
Statutory authority for this information collection 47 U.S.C. 154, 254 
and 303(r).
    Total Annual Burden: 1,125 hours.
    Total Annual Cost: No cost.
    Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: There is no need for 
confidentiality. Information collected in each application for 
universal service support will be made available for public inspection, 
and the Commission is not requesting that respondents submit 
confidential information to the Commission as part of the pre-auction 
application process. Respondents seeking to have information collected 
on an application for universal service support withheld from public 
inspection may request confidential treatment of such information 
pursuant to section 0.459 of the Commission's rules, 47 CFR Section 
0.459.
    Privacy Act Impact Assessment: No impact(s).
    Needs and Uses: The Commission will use the information collected 
to determine whether applicants are eligible to participate in auctions 
for Universal Service Fund support. On November 18, 2011, the 
Commission released an order comprehensively reforming and modernizing 
the universal service and intercarrier compensation systems to ensure 
that robust, affordable voice and broadband service, both fixed and 
mobile, are available to Americans throughout the nation. Connect 
America Fund et al., Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, 
26 FCC Rcd 17663 (2011) (USF/ICC Transformation Order). In adopting the 
USF/ICC Transformation Order, the Commission created the Connect 
America Fund (CAF) to help make broadband available to homes, 
businesses, and community anchor institutions in areas that do not, or 
would not otherwise, have broadband. In addition, the Commission 
created the Connect America Mobility Fund (MF) to ensure the 
availability of mobile broadband networks in areas where a private-
sector business case is lacking and a separate and complementary one-
time Tribal Mobility Fund Phase I to accelerate mobile voice and 
broadband availability in Tribal areas. Finally, the Commission created 
the Remote Areas Fund (RAF) to ensure that Americans living in the most 
remote areas in the nation, where the cost of deploying traditional 
terrestrial broadband networks is extremely high, can obtain affordable 
access through alternative technology platforms, including satellite 
and unlicensed wireless services.
    To implement these reforms and conduct competitive bidding for CAF, 
MF, and RAF support, the Commission adopted new rules containing 
information collection requirements that would be used to determine 
whether an applicant is generally qualified to bid for universal 
service support. The Commission also adopted rules containing 
information collection requirements that would be used to determine 
whether an applicant is specifically qualified to bid for Phase I of 
the Mobility Fund and Tribal Mobility Fund.
    Because support under Phase I of the Mobility Fund and Tribal 
Mobility Fund has been awarded, the Commission is revising the 
currently approved information collection to remove the information 
collections requirements that apply specifically to applicants seeking 
to participate in competitive bidding for Mobility Fund Phase I and 
Tribal Mobility Fund Phase I support and to retain only those 
information collections requirements that apply generally to applicants 
seeking to participate in competitive bidding for universal service 
support. The Commission also requests that the title of this 
information collection be changed to ``Section 1.21001, Participation 
in Competitive Bidding for Support; Section 1.21002, Prohibition of 
Certain Communications During the Competitive Bidding Process'' to 
reflect the revised information collection.
    OMB Control Number: 3060-XXXX.
    Title: Application to Participate in an Auction for Mobility Fund 
Phase II Support, FCC Form 184.
    Form Number: FCC Form 184.
    Type of Review: New collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities, not-for-profit 
institutions, and state, local or tribal governments.
    Number of Respondents and Responses: 250 respondents and 250 
responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: 1.5 hours.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion reporting requirement.
    Obligation To Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. 
Statutory authority for this information collection 47 U.S.C. 154, 254 
and 303(r).
    Total Annual Burden: 375 hours.
    Total Annual Cost: No cost.
    Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: There is no need for 
confidentiality. Information collected on FCC Form 184 is made 
available for public inspection, and the Commission is not requesting 
that respondents submit confidential information on FCC Form 184. 
Respondents seeking to have information collected on FCC Form 184 
withheld from public inspection may request confidential treatment of 
such information pursuant to section 0.459 of the Commission's rules, 
47 CFR Section 0.459.
    Privacy Act Impact Assessment: No impact(s).

[[Page 28064]]

    Needs and Uses: The Commission will use the information collected 
to determine whether applicants are eligible to participate in the 
Mobility Fund Phase II auction. On November 18, 2011, the Commission 
released an order comprehensively reforming and modernizing the 
universal service and intercarrier compensation systems to ensure that 
robust, affordable voice and broadband service, both fixed and mobile, 
are available to Americans throughout the nation. Connect America Fund 
et al., Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, 26 FCC Rcd 
17663 (2011) (USF/ICC Transformation Order). In adopting the USF/ICC 
Transformation Order, the Commission created the Connect America 
Mobility Fund (MF) to ensure the availability of mobile broadband 
networks in areas where a private-sector business case is lacking a 
separate and complementary one-time Tribal Mobility Fund accelerate 
mobile voice and broadband availability in Tribal areas.
    On February 23, 2017, the Commission adopted the framework for 
moving forward with Phase II of the Mobility Fund and Tribal Mobility 
Fund, which will allocate up to $4.53 billion over the next decade to 
advance the deployment of 4G LTE service to areas that are so costly 
that the private sector has not yet deployed there and to preserve such 
service where it might not otherwise exist. Connect America Fund; 
Universal Service Reform--Mobility Fund, WC Docket No. 10-90 and WT 
Docket No. 10-208, Report and Order, FCC 17-11. To implement the reform 
and conduct the MF-II auction, the Commission adopted new rules for the 
MF-II auction which include new information collections. The Commission 
will utilize a reverse auction to distribute high-cost support for 
mobile services to areas that lack unsubsidized 4G LTE service, while 
completing the phase-down of legacy support going to mobile competitive 
eligible telecommunications carriers. The Commission will use a two-
stage application process for the MF-II auction similar to that used in 
spectrum license auctions. Based on the Commission's experience with 
auctions and consistent with the record, this two-stage collection of 
information balances the need to collect information essential to 
conduct a successful auction with administrative efficiency.
    Under this information collection, the Commission will collect 
information that will be used to determine whether an applicant is 
legally qualified to participate an auction for Mobility Fund Phase II 
and Tribal Mobility Fund Phase II support. To aid in collecting this 
information, the Commission has created FCC Form 184, which the public 
will use to provide the necessary information and certifications. 
Commission staff will review the information collected on FCC Form 184 
as part of the pre-auction process, prior to the start of the auction, 
and determine whether each applicant satisfies the Commission's 
requirements to participate in an auction for Mobility Fund Phase II 
and Tribal Mobility Fund Phase II support. Without the information 
collected on FCC Form 184, the Commission will not be able to determine 
if an applicant is legally qualified to participate in the auction and 
has complied with the various applicable regulatory and statutory 
auction requirements for such participation. This approach provides an 
appropriate screen to ensure serious participation without being unduly 
burdensome.
    OMB Control Number: 3060-XXXX.
    Title: Application to Participate in Connect America Fund Phase II 
Auction, FCC Form 183.
    Form Number: FCC Form 183.
    Type of Review: New collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities, not-for-profit 
institutions, and state, local or tribal governments.
    Number of Respondents and Responses: 500 respondents and 500 
responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: 7 hours.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion reporting requirement.
    Obligation To Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. 
Statutory authority for this information collection 47 U.S.C. 154, 254 
and 303(r).
    Total Annual Burden: 3,500 hours.
    Total Annual Cost: No cost.
    Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: There is no need for 
confidentiality. Information collected on FCC Form 183 is made 
available for public inspection, and the Commission is not requesting 
that respondents submit confidential information on FCC Form 183. 
Respondents seeking to have information collected on FCC Form 183 
withheld from public inspection may request confidential treatment of 
such information pursuant to section 0.459 of the Commission's rules, 
47 CFR Section 0.459.
    Privacy Act Impact Assessment: No impact(s).
    Needs and Uses: The Commission will use the information collected 
to determine whether applicants are eligible to participate in the 
Connect America Fund Phase II auction (CAF-II auction). On November 18, 
2011, the Commission released the USF/ICC Transformation Order and 
Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, WC Docket No. 10-90 et al., FCC 
11-161, which comprehensively reformed and modernized the high-cost 
program within the universal service fund to focus support on networks 
capable of providing voice and broadband services. The Commission 
created the Connect America Fund (CAF) and concluded that support in 
price cap areas would be provided through a combination of ``a new 
forward-looking model of the cost of constructing modern multi-purpose 
networks'' and a competitive bidding process (the CAF-II auction). The 
Commission also sought comment on proposed rules governing the CAF-II 
auction, including options regarding basic auction design and the 
application process.
    In the CAF-II auction, service providers will compete to receive 
support of up to $1.98 billion to offer voice and broadband service in 
unserved high-cost areas. To implement reform and conduct the CAF-II 
auction, the Commission adopted new rules for the CAF-II auction which 
include new information collections. In the April 2014 Connect America 
Order, WC Docket No. 10-90 et al., FCC 14-54, the Commission adopted 
certain rules regarding participation in the CAF-II auction, the term 
of support, and the ETC designation process. In the Phase II Auction 
Order, WC Docket No. 10-90 et al., FCC 16-64, the Commission adopted 
rules to implement the CAF-II auction, including the adoption of a two-
stage application process. Based on the Commission's experience with 
auctions and consistent with the record, this two-stage collection of 
information balances the need to collect information essential to 
conduct a successful auction with administrative efficiency.
    Under this information collection, the Commission will collect 
information that will be used to determine whether an applicant is 
legally qualified to participate in an auction for Connect America Fund 
Phase II support (CAF-II support). To aid in collecting this 
information, the Commission has created FCC Form 183, which the public 
will use to provide the necessary information and certifications. 
Commission staff will review the information collected on FCC Form 183 
as part of the pre-auction process, prior to the start of the auction, 
and determine whether each applicant satisfies the Commission's 
requirements to participate in an auction for CAF-II support. Without 
the information collected on FCC Form 183, the Commission will not be 
able to determine if an applicant is legally

[[Page 28065]]

qualified to participate in the auction and has complied with the 
various applicable regulatory and statutory auction requirements for 
such participation. This approach provides an appropriate screen to 
ensure serious participation without being unduly burdensome.

Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene H. Dortch,
Secretary, Office of the Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2017-12830 Filed 6-19-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P