[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 149 (Thursday, August 2, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37810-37812]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-16513]


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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 October 1, 
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

[[Page 37811]]

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, 
FCC 18-74.
    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: 80 respondents; 88 responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: 6-62 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: 1,086 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 to OMB 
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. 
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 (the 
``adequate replacement test'').
    In June 2018, the Commission further modified the rules applicable 
to section 214(a) discontinuance applications. First, all carriers, 
whether dominant or non-dominant, that seek approval to grandfather 
data services below speeds of 25 Mbps download speed and 3 Mbps upload 
speed are now subject to a uniform reduced public comment period of 10 
days and an automatic grant period of 25 days. Second, all carriers, 
whether dominant or non-dominant, seeking authorization to discontinue 
data services below speeds of 25 Mbps download speed and 3 Mbps upload 
speed that have previously been grandfathered for a period of at least 
180 days are subject to a uniform reduced public comment period of 10 
days and an automatic grant period of 31 days, provided they submit a 
statement as part of their discontinuance application that they have 
received Commission authority to grandfather the services at issue at 
least 180 days prior to the filing of the discontinuance application. 
This statement must reference the file number of the prior Commission 
authorization to grandfather the services the carrier now seeks to 
permanently discontinue. Third, carriers are no longer required to file 
an application to discontinue, reduce, or impair any service for which 
it has had no customers and no request for service for at least a 30-
day period immediately preceding the discontinuance. Fourth, all 
carriers, whether dominant or non-dominant, that seek approval to 
discontinue legacy voice service can obtain further streamlined 
processing with a public comment period of 15 days and an automatic 
grant period of 31 days, provided (1) they offer a stand-alone 
interconnected VoIP service throughout the service area, and (2) at 
least one alternative stand-alone, facilities-based voice service is 
available from an unaffiliated provider throughout the affected service 
area (the ``alternative options test''). Finally, all carriers, whether 
dominant or non-dominant, that seek approval to grandfather legacy 
voice service are now subject to a uniform reduced public comment 
period of 10 days and an automatic grant period of 25 days. The 
Commission estimates that it will receive three fewer section 214(a) 
discontinuance applications annually in light of the Commission's 
forbearance from applying its section 214(a) discontinuance 
requirements to services for which the carrier has had no customers and 
no reasonable requests for service during the preceding 30-day period. 
The Commission also anticipates that the number of respondents and 
responses under the adequate replacement test will likely decrease from 
5 and 25, respectively, to 2 and 10, respectively. The remaining 15 
responses previously attributable to

[[Page 37812]]

the adequate replacement test will likely proceed pursuant to the less 
rigorous alternative options test. The Commission estimates that the 
total annual burden of the entire collection, as revised, is reduced 
from 1,923 hours to 1,086 hours.

Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene Dortch,
Secretary. Office of the Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2018-16513 Filed 8-1-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P