[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 207 (Thursday, October 25, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53852-53853]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-23296]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Telecommunications and Information Administration


Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Information 
Collection; Comment Request; Broadband Availability Data

AGENCY: National Telecommunications and Information Administration, 
Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing 
effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general 
public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment 
on the proposed information collection, as required by the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before December 24, 
2018.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Jennifer Jessup, Departmental 
Paperwork Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, (202) 482-0336, 
Department of Commerce, Room 6612, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW, 
Washington, DC 20230 (or via email at [email protected]).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of the information collection instruments and instructions 
should be sent to Andrew Spurgeon, Chief of Operations, Office of 
Telecommunications and Information Applications, National 
Telecommunications and Information Administration, U.S. Department of 
Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW, Room 4887, Washington, DC 20230 
(or via email at [email protected]).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Abstract

    The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2018 directed NTIA to update 
the national broadband availability map in coordination with the 
Federal Communications Commission (FCC)

[[Page 53853]]

and the states.\1\ Specifically, Congress directed NTIA to acquire and 
display available third-party data sets to the extent it is able to 
negotiate its inclusion to augment data from the FCC, other federal 
government agencies, state government, and the private sector.\2\ The 
objective of these updates is to identify regions of the country with 
insufficient broadband capacity, particularly in rural areas.
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    \1\ Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2018, Public Law 115-141, 
Division B, Title I, 132 Stat. 348.
    \2\ Joint Explanatory Statement, 164 Cong. Rec. No. 50--Book II, 
at H2084-85 (Mar. 22, 2018).
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    Presently, the only source of nationwide broadband availability 
data is that collected from broadband service provider responses to the 
FCC Form 477 Fixed Broadband Deployment data process. Form 477 data are 
submitted by voice and broadband telecommunications service providers 
semi-annually and include information on the services each provider 
offers, at the Census block level.\3\ While the Census block system 
provides a very high level of geographic granularity overall--the 
United States is divided into over 11 million blocks, 95 percent of 
which do not exceed 1 square mile in land area--it is possible that 
broadband availability may vary within a single block, (which is most 
common in rural areas). Additionally, broadband service providers who 
wish to share more granular data on broadband availability--including 
regulated and non-regulated entities--have no mechanism to do so. 
Further, a broadband service provider offering service to any homes or 
businesses in a Census block is instructed to report that block as 
served in its Form 477 filing, even though it may not offer broadband 
services in most of the block. This can lead to overstatements in the 
level of broadband availability, especially in rural areas where Census 
blocks are large or when services are only available near the 
boundaries of a Census block.
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    \3\ ``All facilities-based broadband providers are required to 
file data with the FCC twice a year (Form 477) on where they offer 
internet access service at speeds exceeding 200 kbps in at least one 
direction.'' See https://www.fcc.gov/general/broadband-deployment-data-fcc-form-477.
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    As a result of these constraints, NTIA intends to collect broadband 
availability data at a more granular level than that available via the 
FCC Form 477 process. This data will be used to better assess broadband 
availability across the country and particularly in rural areas. This 
information collection covers the 50 states, the District of Columbia, 
the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Island Areas of American Samoa, 
the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, and the United 
States Virgin Islands.
    NTIA intends to collect this information from two types of 
respondents that collect broadband data with more geographic 
granularity than the Census block level: (1) Owners and operators of 
broadband networks; and (2) industry associations, data aggregators, 
and researchers that study or analyze broadband availability. 
Respondents may include private companies, non-profits, cooperatives, 
educational institutions, tribal governments, and local, regional, or 
state governments. This information collection includes the use of both 
wireline and wireless technologies to deliver broadband services.
    The data to be collected includes geographic information on service 
availability--such as address, address range, road centerline, land-
parcel identification, or latitude/longitude--and corresponding 
broadband availability data (such as technology service type, upload 
and download speed, etc.). Data in a Geographic Information Systems 
(GIS) format that describe (a) wireless coverage areas based on a 
propagation model and (b) network infrastructure (such as fiber optic 
routes) is also responsive.
    NTIA will not require that respondents modify appropriate data 
sets, with the exception that Personally Identifiable Information (PII) 
should be removed prior to transmission to NTIA. Data collection 
operations will result in respondent burden during: (1) Efforts to 
assemble their data for transmission to NTIA; (2) removal of PII; and 
(3) NTIA communications with respondent contacts to ensure NTIA 
correctly understands the data.

II. Method of Collection

    The information collection will be administered through an online 
file transfer tool.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: None.
    Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Review: Regular submission.
    Affected Public: Owners and operators of broadband networks, 
industry associations, data aggregators, and researchers.
    Frequency: Annual.
    Number of Respondents: 600.
    Average Time per Response: 8 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 4,800 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $200,832.

IV. Request for Comments

    Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the agency, including whether the information shall have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden 
(including hours and cost) of the proposed collection of information; 
(c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the 
collection of information on respondents, including through the use of 
automated collection techniques or other forms of information 
technology.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
and/or included in the request for OMB approval of this information 
collection; they will also become a matter of public record.

Sheleen Dumas,
Departmental Lead PRA Officer, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2018-23296 Filed 10-24-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-60-P