[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 110 (Friday, June 7, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26677-26678]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-11912]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[OMB 3060-XXXX]


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 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 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 PRA comments should be submitted on or before August 6, 
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 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, (202) 418-2991.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    OMB Control Number: 3060-XXXX.
    Title: Connect America Fund--Performance Testing Measures.
    Form Number: N/A.
    Type of Review: New information collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit.
    Number of Respondents and Responses: 1,277 unique respondents; 3195 
responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: 16 hours-60 hours.
    Frequency of Response: Biennial reporting requirements, quarterly 
reporting requirements and annual reporting requirements.
    Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. 
Statutory authority for this information collection is contained in 47 
U.S.C. 151-154, 155, 201-206, 214, 218-220, 251, 252, 254, 256, 303(r), 
332, 403, 405, 410, and 1302.
    Total Annual Burden: 120,518 hours.
    Total Annual Cost: No Cost.
    Privacy Act Impact Assessment: No impact(s).
    Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: We note that the Universal 
Service Administrative Company (USAC) must preserve the confidentiality 
of certain data obtained from respondents; must not use the data except 
for purposes of administering the universal service programs or other 
purposes specified by the Commission; and must not disclose data in 
company-specific form unless directed to do so by the Commission. 
Materials or information submitted to the Commission or the 
Administrator will be confidential and not be available to the public.
    Needs and Uses: In the USF/ICC Transformation Order, the Commission 
laid the groundwork for today's universal service programs providing 
$4.5 billion in support for broadband internet deployment in high-cost 
areas. Connect America Fund, et al., Report and Order and Further 
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, WC Docket No. 10-90, et al., 26 FCC Rcd 
17663 (2011) (USF/ICC Transformation Order). The USF/ICC Transformation 
Order required, among other things, that high-cost universal service 
recipients ``test their broadband networks for compliance with speed 
and latency metrics and certify to and report the results to the 
Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) on an annual basis.'' 
Id. at 17705, para. 109. Pursuant to the Commission's direction in that 
Order, the Wireline Competition Bureau, the Wireless Telecommunications 
Bureau, and the Office of Engineering and Technology adopted more 
specific methodologies for such testing in the Performance Measures 
Order. See Connect America Fund, Order, WC Docket No. 10-90, 33 FCC Rcd 
6509 (WCB/WTB/OET 2018) (Performance Measures Order). See also 47 CFR 
54.313(a)(6) (requiring that recipients of high-cost support provide 
``[t]he results of network performance tests pursuant to the 
methodology and in the format determined by the Wireline Competition 
Bureau, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, and Office of Engineering 
and Technology'').
    This collection includes requirements for testing speed and latency 
to ensure that carriers are meeting the public interest obligations 
associated with their receipt of high-cost universal service support. 
Carriers will identify, from

[[Page 26678]]

among the locations they have already submitted and certified in USAC's 
High Cost Universal Broadband (HUBB) portal, the locations where they 
have an active subscriber. From those subscriber locations, USAC will 
then select a random sample from which the carrier will be required to 
perform testing for speed and latency. Carriers that do not provide 
location information in the HUBB will use a randomization tool provided 
by USAC to select a random sample of locations for testing. The carrier 
will then be required to submit to USAC the results of the testing on 
an annual basis. These filings will include the testing results for 
each quarter from the prior year. The carrier's sample for each service 
tier (e.g., 10 Mbps/1 Mbps, 25 Mbps/1 Mbps) shall be regenerated every 
two years. During the two-year cycle, carriers will have the ability to 
add and remove subscriber locations if necessary, e.g., as 
subscribership changes. This information collection addresses the 
burdens associated with these requirements.

Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene Dortch,
Secretary, Office of the Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2019-11912 Filed 6-6-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6712-01-P