[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 96 (Thursday, May 17, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22979-22981]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-10497]


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

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[OMB 3060-0149]


Information Collection 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, 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 Commission 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 June 18, 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 contacts listed below as soon as possible.

ADDRESSES: Direct all PRA comments to Nicholas A. Fraser, OMB, via 
email

[[Page 22980]]

[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 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: 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 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.
    OMB Control Number: 3060-0149.
    Title: Part 63, Application and Supplemental Information 
Requirements; Technology Transitions, GN Docket No. 13-5, et al.
    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: 63 respondents; 83 responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: 5.3 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: 1,923 hours.
    Total Annual Cost: $27,900.
    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 of a currently approved collection 
to OMB. The Commission will submit this information collection after 
this 60-day comment period. Section 214 of the Communications Act of 
1934, as amended, requires that a carrier must 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 
concluded that applicants seeking to discontinue a legacy time division 
multiplexing (TDM)-based voice service as part of a transition to a new 
technology, whether internet Protocol (IP), wireless, or another type 
(technology transition discontinuance application) must demonstrate 
that an adequate replacement for the legacy service exists in order to 
be eligible for streamlined treatment and revised part 63 accordingly. 
For any other domestic service for which a discontinuance application 
is filed, the existing framework governs automatic grant procedures. 
Unlike traditional applicants, technology transition discontinuance 
applicants seeking streamlined treatment will be required to submit 
with their application either a certification or a showing as to 
whether an ``adequate replacement'' exists in the service area. Voice 
technology transition discontinuance applicants that decline to pursue 
this path are not eligible for streamlined treatment and will have 
their applications evaluated on a non-streamlined basis under the 
traditional five factor test. The Commission concluded that an 
applicant for a technology transition discontinuance may demonstrate 
that a service is an adequate replacement for a legacy voice service by 
certifying or showing that one or more replacement service(s) offers 
all of the following: (i) Substantially similar levels of network 
infrastructure and service quality as the applicant service; (ii) 
compliance with existing federal and/or industry standards required to 
ensure that critical applications such as 911, network security, and 
applications for individuals with disabilities remain available; and 
(iii) interoperability and compatibility with an enumerated list of 
applications and functionalities determined to be key to consumers and 
competitors. One replacement service must satisfy all the criteria to 
retain eligibility for automatic grant. To reduce burdens on carriers, 
the Commission adopted a more streamlined approach for discontinuances 
involving services that are substantially similar to those for which a 
Section 214 discontinuance has previously been approved and allowed 
Section 214 discontinuance applications to be eligible for automatic 
grant without any further showing if the applicant demonstrates that 
the service has zero customers in the relevant service area and no 
requests for service in the last six months. The Commission determined 
that information about the price of the legacy service and the proposed 
replacement service should be provided as part of the application. The 
Commission estimates that there will be five respondents submitting 25 
applications/responses related to these

[[Page 22981]]

revisions. The Commission also estimates that these revisions will 
result in a total of 1,575 annual burden hours and a total annual cost 
of $27,900. The revisions to the burdens have no impact on the total 
annual costs. The Commission thus estimates that the total annual 
burden and annual cost of the entire collection, as revised, is 1,923 
and $27,900, respectively.

Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene Dortch,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2018-10497 Filed 5-16-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P