[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 110 (Thursday, June 7, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26458-26460]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-12280]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[OMB 3060-XXXX]


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.

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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 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 July 9, 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 [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

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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-XXXX.
    Title: Application for Connect America Fund Phase II Auction 
Support--FCC Form 683.
    Form Number: FCC Form 683.
    Type of Review: New information collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for-Profit entities, Not-for-Profit 
institutions, and State, Local or Tribal Governments.
    Number of Respondents and Responses: 400 respondents; 800 
responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: 2-12 hours (on average).
    Frequency of Response: Annual reporting requirements, 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) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended.
    Total Annual Burden: 5,600 hours.
    Total Annual Cost(s): No Cost.
    Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: Although most information 
collected in FCC Form 683 will be made available for public inspection, 
the Commission will withhold certain information collected in FCC Form 
683 from routine public inspection. Specifically, the Commission will 
treat certain financial and technical information submitted in FCC Form 
683 as confidential. In addition, an applicant may use the abbreviated 
process under 47 CFR 0.459(a)(4) to request confidential treatment of 
the audited financial statements that are submitted during the post-
selection review process. 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. To the extent that an applicant seeks to have other 
information collected in FCC Form 683 or during the post-selection 
review process withheld from public inspection, the applicant may 
request confidential treatment pursuant to 47 CFR 0.459.
    Privacy Act Impact Assessment: No impact(s).
    Needs and Uses: In 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 (USF/ICC Transformation Order and/
or FNPRM), 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. Among other things, 
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 Connect 
America Fund Phase II auction or Phase II auction or Auction 903). The 
Commission also sought comment in the accompanying USF/ICC 
Transformation FNPRM on proposed rules governing the Phase II auction, 
including basic auction design and the application process.
    In the Phase 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. The information 
collection requirements reported under this new collection are the 
result of several Commission decisions to implement reform adopted in 
the USF/ICC Transformation Order and move forward with conducting the 
Phase II auction. In the April 2014 Connect America Order, WC Docket 
No. 10-90 et al., FCC 14-54, the Commission adopted various rules 
regarding participation in the Phase II auction, the term of support, 
and the eligible telecommunications carrier (ETC) designation process. 
In the Phase II Auction Order, WC Docket No. 10-90 et al., FCC 16-64, 
the Commission adopted rules to govern the Phase II auction, including 
the adoption of a two-stage application process, which includes a pre-
auction short-form application to be submitted by parties interested in 
bidding in the Phase II auction and a post-auction long-form 
application that must be submitted by winning bidders seeking to become 
authorized to receive Phase II auction support. The Commission 
concluded, based on its experience with auctions and consistent with 
the record, that this two-stage application process balances the need 
to collect information essential to conducting a successful auction and 
authorizing Phase II support with administrative efficiency.
    On January 30, 2018, the Commission adopted a public notice that 
established the final procedures for the Phase II auction, including 
the long-form application disclosure and certification requirements for 
winning bidders seeking to become authorized to receive Phase II 
auction support. See Phase II Auction Procedures Public Notice, WC 
Docket No. 17-182 et al., FCC 18-6. The Commission also adopted the 
Phase II Auction Order on Reconsideration, WC Docket No. 10-90 et al., 
FCC 18-5, which modified the Commission's letter of credit rules to 
provide some additional relief for Phase II auction support recipients 
by reducing the costs of maintaining a letter of credit.
    Under this information collection, the Commission will collect 
information from winning bidders to determine the recipients of Phase 
II auction support. To aid in collecting this information, the 
Commission has created FCC Form 683, which the public will use to 
provide the disclosures and certifications that must be made by Phase 
II auction winning bidders in the Connect America Fund Phase II auction 
seeking to become authorized for Phase II support.



[[Page 26460]]


Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene Dortch,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2018-12280 Filed 6-6-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P