[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 49 (Tuesday, March 13, 2018)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 10800-10801]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-04945]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

47 CFR Part 54

[WC Docket No. 10-90; FCC 14-54 and 16-64]


Connect America Fund

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Final rule; announcement of effective date.

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SUMMARY: In this document, the Federal Communications Commission 
(Commission) announces that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
has approved, for a period of three years, an information collection 
associated with the rules for the Connect America Fund Phase II auction 
(CAF-II auction) contained in the Commission's Connect America Fund 
Orders, FCC 14-54 and FCC 16-64. This document is consistent with the 
Connect America Fund Orders, which stated that the Commission would 
publish a document in the Federal Register announcing the effective 
date of the new information collection requirements.

DATES: The amendment to Sec.  54.310(e) published at 79 FR 39164, July 
9, 2014, is effective March 13, 2018.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Alexander Minard, Wireline Competition 
Bureau at (202) 418-7400 or TTY (202) 418-0484. For additional 
information concerning the Paperwork Reduction Act information 
collection requirements contact Nicole Ongele at (202) 418-2991 or via 
email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Commission submitted new information 
collection requirements for review and approval by OMB, as required by 
the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, on December 12, 2017, which 
were approved by the OMB on March 5, 2018. The information collection 
requirements are contained in the Commission's Connect America Fund 
Orders, FCC 14-54, published at 79 FR 39164, July 9, 2014 and FCC 16-
64, published at 81 FR 44414, July 7, 2016. The OMB Control Number is 
3060-1252. The Commission publishes this document as an announcement of 
the effective date of the rules published July 9, 2014. If you 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 Commission, Room 
1-A620, 445 12th Street SW, Washington, DC 20554. Please include the 
OMB Control Number, 3060-1252, 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 Commission is notifying the public that it received OMB 
approval on March 5, 2018, for the information collection requirements 
contained in 47 CFR 54.310(e) and 54.315(a), published at 79 FR 39164, 
July 9, 2014 and 81 FR 44414, July 7, 2016. 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 
3060-1252.
    The foregoing notice is required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 
1995, Public Law 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: 3060-1252.
    OMB Approval Date: March 5, 2018.
    OMB Expiration Date: March 31, 2021.
    Title: Application to Participate in Connect America Fund Phase II 
Auction, FCC Form 183.
    Form No.: FCC Form 183.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit, not-for-profit 
institutions, and state, local or tribal governments.
    Number of Respondents and Responses: 500 respondents; 500 
responses.

[[Page 10801]]

    Estimated Time per Response: 7 hours.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion reporting requirements.
    Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. 
Statutory authority for this information collection is contained in 47 
U.S.C. 154(i), 214, 254, and 303(r).
    Total Annual Burden: 3,500 hours.
    Total Annual Cost: No Cost.
    Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: Although most information 
collected in FCC Form 183 will be made available for public inspection, 
the Commission will withhold certain information collected in FCC Form 
183 from routine public inspection. Specifically, the Commission will 
treat certain technical information submitted in FCC Form 183 as 
confidential and as though the applicant has requested that this 
information be treated as confidential trade secrets and/or commercial 
information. In addition, an applicant may use the abbreviated process 
under 47 CFR 0.459(a)(4) to request confidential treatment of certain 
financial information contained in its FCC Form 183 application. 
However, if a request for public inspection for this technical or 
financial information is made under 47 CFR 0.461, and the applicant has 
any objections to disclosure, the applicant will be notified and will 
be required to justify continued confidential treatment of its request. 
To the extent that a respondent seeks to have other information 
collected in FCC Form 183 withheld from public inspection, the 
respondent may request confidential treatment pursuant to 47 CFR 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 CAF-
II auction. In its USF/ICC Transformation Order and Further Notice of 
Proposed Rulemaking, 76 FR 78385 (Dec. 16, 2011), WC Docket No. 10-90 
et al., FCC 11-161, the Commission 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 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 over 10 years 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 its 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 its 
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. 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 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. 2018-04945 Filed 3-12-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6712-01-P