[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 38 (Tuesday, February 26, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6145-6147]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-03232]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
[OMB 3060-0600 and OMB 3060-0995]
Information Collections Being Reviewed by the Federal
Communications Commission Under Delegated Authority
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 of 1995 (PRA), 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
[[Page 6146]]
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 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 April 29,
2019. 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 below as soon as possible.
ADDRESSES: Direct all PRA comments to Cathy Williams, FCC, via email:
[email protected] and to [email protected].
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information about the
information collection, contact Cathy Williams at (202) 418-2918.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
OMB Control Number: 3060-0600.
Title: Application to Participate in an FCC Auction, FCC Form 175.
Form Number: FCC Form 175.
Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities, not-for-profit
institutions, and state, local or tribal governments.
Estimated Number of Respondents and Responses: 500 respondents and
500 responses.
Estimated Time per Response: 90 minutes.
Frequency of Response: On occasion reporting requirement.
Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits.
Statutory authority for this information collection is contained in
sections 154(i) and 309(j)(5) of the Communications Act, as amended, 47
U.S.C. 4(i), 309(j)(5), and sections 1.2105, 1.2110, 1.2112 of the
Commission's rules, 47 CFR 1.2105, 1.2110, 1.2112.
Estimated Total Annual Burden: 750 hours.
Total Annual Costs: None.
Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: Information collected on FCC
Form 175 is made available for public inspection, and the Commission is
not requesting that respondents submit confidential information on FCC
Form 175. Respondents seeking to have information collected on FCC Form
175 withheld from public inspection may request confidential treatment
of such information pursuant to section 0.459 of the Commission's
rules, 47 CFR 0.459.
Privacy Act Impact Assessment: No impact(s).
Needs and Uses: A request for extension of this information
collection (no change in requirements) will be submitted to the Office
of Management and Budget (OMB) after this 60-day comment period in
order to obtain the full three year clearance from OMB.
The Commission's auction rules and related requirements are
designed to ensure that the competitive bidding process is limited to
serious qualified applicants, deter possible abuse of the bidding and
licensing process, and enhance the use of competitive bidding to assign
Commission licenses in furtherance of the public interest. The
information collected on FCC Form 175 is used by the Commission to
determine if an applicant is legally, technically, and financially
qualified to participate in a Commission auction. Additionally, if an
applicant applies for status as a particular type of auction
participant pursuant to Commission rules, the Commission uses
information collected on FCC Form 175 to determine whether the
applicant is eligible for the status requested. Commission staff
reviews the information collected on FCC Form 175 for a particular
auction as part of the pre-auction process, prior to the auction being
held. Staff determines whether each applicant satisfies the
Commission's requirements to participate in the auction and, if
applicable, is eligible for the status as a particular type of auction
participant it requested. Without the information collected on FCC Form
175, the Commission will not be able to determine if an applicant is
legally, technically, and financially qualified to participate in a
Commission auction and has complied with the various applicable
regulatory and statutory auction requirements for such participation.
The Commission plans to continue to use the FCC Form 175 for its
upcoming non-reverse spectrum auctions, including the forward auction
component of any incentive auction, collecting only the information
necessary for each particular auction.
OMB Control Number: 3060-0995.
Title: Section 1.2105(c), Bidding Application and Certification
Procedures; Sections 1.2105(c) and 1.2205, Prohibition of Certain
Communications.
Form Number: N/A.
Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities, not-for-profit
institutions, and state, local or tribal governments.
Estimated Number of Respondents and Responses: 10 respondents and
10 responses.
Estimated Time per Response: 1.5 hours to 2 hours.
Frequency of Response: On occasion reporting requirement.
Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits.
Statutory authority for this information collection is contained in
sections 154(i), 309(j), and 1452(a)(3) of the Communications Act, as
amended, 47 U.S.C. 4(i), 309(j)(5), 1452(a)(3), and sections 1.2105(c)
and 1.2205 of the Commission's rules, 47 CFR 1.2105(c), 1.2205.
Estimated Total Annual Burden: 50 hours.
Total Annual Costs: $9,000.
Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: The Commission will take all
reasonable steps to protect the confidentiality of all Commission-held
data of a reverse broadcast incentive auction applicant consistent with
the confidentiality requirements of the Spectrum Act and the
Commission's rules. See 47 U.S.C. 1452(a)(3); 47 CFR 1.2206. In
addition, to the extent necessary, auction applicants and other covered
parties may request confidential treatment pursuant to section 0.459 of
the Commission's rules, 47 CFR 0.459, for any report of a prohibited
communication submitted to the Commission that is not already being
treated as confidential.
Privacy Act Impact Assessment: No impact(s).
Needs and Uses: A request for extension of this information
collection (no change in requirements) will be submitted to the Office
of Management and Budget (OMB) after this 60-day comment period in
order to obtain the full three year clearance from OMB.
The Commission's rules prohibiting certain communications in
Commission auctions are designed to reinforce existing antitrust laws,
facilitate detection of collusive conduct, and deter anticompetitive
behavior, without being so strict as to discourage pro-competitive
arrangements between auction participants. They also help assure
participants that the auction process will be fair and objective, and
not subject to collusion. The information collected under this
information collection allows the Commission to enforce the prohibition
on auction applicants and other covered parties by making clear the
responsibility of parties who receive information that potentially
violates the rules to promptly report to the Commission. It also
enables the Commission to ensure that no bidder
[[Page 6147]]
gains an unfair advantage over other bidders in its auctions, thereby
enhancing the competitiveness and fairness of Commission spectrum
auctions. The information collected will be reviewed and, if warranted,
referred to the Commission's Enforcement Bureau for possible
investigation and administrative action. The Commission may also refer
allegations of anticompetitive auction conduct to the Department of
Justice for investigation.
Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene Dortch,
Secretary, Office of the Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2019-03232 Filed 2-25-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P