[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 9 (Friday, January 12, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1613-1614]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-00453]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[OMB 3060-0149]


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 March 13, 
2018. 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: 3060-0149.
    Title: Part 63, Accelerating Wireline Broadband Deployment by 
Removing Barriers to Infrastructure Investment, WC Docket No. 17-84.
    Form Number(s): N/A.
    Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit.
    Number of Respondents and Responses: 58 respondents; 58 responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: 6 hours per response.
    Frequency of Response: One-time reporting requirement and third-
party disclosure requirements.
    Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. 
Statutory authority for this collection of information is contained in 
47 U.S.C. 214 and 402 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended.
    Total Annual Burden: 348 hours.
    Total Annual Cost: No Cost.
    Privacy Act Impact Assessment: No impact(s).
    Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: Information filed in section 
214 applications has generally been non-confidential. Requests from 
parties seeking confidential treatment are considered by Commission 
staff pursuant to 47 CFR 0.459 of the Commission's rules.
    Needs and Uses: The Commission is seeking Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) approval for a revision to a currently approved 
collection. Section 214 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 
requires that a carrier first obtain FCC authorization either to (1) 
construct, operate, or engage in transmission over a line of 
communications, or (2) discontinue, reduce or impair service over a 
line of communications. Part 63 of Title 47 of the Code of Federal 
Regulations (CFR) implements Section 214. Part 63 also implements 
provisions of the Cable Communications Policy Act of 1984 pertaining to 
video which was approved under this OMB Control Number 3060-0149. In 
2009, the Commission modified Part 63 to extend to providers of 
interconnected Voice of internet Protocol (VoIP) service the 
discontinuance obligations that apply to domestic non-dominant 
telecommunications carriers under Section 214 of the Communications Act 
of 1934, as amended. In 2014, the Commission adopted improved 
administrative filing procedures for domestic transfers of control, 
domestic discontinuances and notices of network changes, and among 
other adjustments, modified Part 63 to require electronic filing for 
applications for authorization to discontinue, reduce, or impair 
service under section 214(a) of the Act. In July 2016, the Commission 
revised certain section 214(a) discontinuance procedures. To reduce 
burdens on carriers, the Commission revised its rules to: (1) Allow 
carriers to provide notice via email or other alternative methods to 
offer additional options to customers, and (2) provide for streamlined 
treatment of applications to discontinue services for which the carrier 
has had no existing customers or reasonable requests for service during 
the previous 180 days. It also addressed a gap in the Commission's 
rules by making a competitive LEC's application for discontinuance 
deemed granted on the effective date of any copper retirement that made 
the discontinuance unavoidable. The Commission further concluded that 
applicants must provide notice of discontinuance applications to 
federally-recognized Tribal Nations. In Accelerating Wireline Broadband 
Deployment by Removing Barriers to Infrastructure Investment, WC Docket 
No. 17-84, Report and Order, Declaratory Ruling, and Further Notice of 
Proposed Rulemaking, FCC 17-154 (rel. Nov. 29, 2017) (Wireline 
Infrastructure Order), the Commission, among other things, reduced the 
public comment and auto-grant periods for

[[Page 1614]]

applications that grandfather low speed legacy services and 
applications to discontinue previously grandfathered legacy data 
services. The Commission also held that if a carrier files an 
application to discontinue, reduce, or impair a legacy voice or data 
service below 1.544 Mbps for which it has had no customers and no 
request for service for at least a 30-day period immediately preceding 
submission of the application, that application will be automatically 
granted on the 15th day after its filing with the Commission, absent 
Commission notice to the contrary. The Commission will use the 
information collected under these revisions to 47 CFR Section 63 to 
determine if affected respondents are in compliance with its rules and 
the requirements of section 214 of the Communications Act of 1934, as 
amended.

Federal Communications Commission.
Katura Jackson,
Federal Register Liaison Officer, Office of the Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2018-00453 Filed 1-11-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6712-01-P