[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 27 (Monday, February 10, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7550-7553]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-02585]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[OMB 3060-1211, 3060-1058, OMB 3060-0798, 3060-0800; FRS 16470]


Information Collections Being Submitted for Review and Approval 
to 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, 
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. Pursuant to the Small Business 
Paperwork Relief Act of 2002, the FCC seeks specific comment on how it 
might ``further reduce the information collection burden for 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 March 11, 
2020. If you anticipate that you will be submitting comments but find 
it difficult to do so with 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 Cathy Williams, 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 Cathy Williams at (202) 418-
2918. 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 Title 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, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 
1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520), the FCC invited the general public and 
other Federal Agencies to take this opportunity to comment on the 
following information collection. Comments are requested concerning: 
(a) 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; (b) the accuracy 
of the Commission's burden estimates; (c) ways to enhance the quality, 
utility, and clarity of the information collected; and (d) 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. Pursuant to the Small Business 
Paperwork Relief Act of 2002, Public Law 107-198, see 44 U.S.C. 
3506(c)(4), the FCC seeks specific comment on how it might ``further 
reduce the information collection burden for small business concerns 
with fewer than 25 employees.''
    OMB Control Number: 3060-1211.
    Title: Sections 96.17; 96.21; 96.23; 96.25; 96.33; 96.35; 96.39; 
96.41; 96.43; 96.45; 96.51; 96.57; 96.59; 96.61; 96.63; 96.67, 
Commercial Operations in the 3550-3700 MHz Band.
    Form Number: N/A.
    Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities, not for profit 
institutions, and state, local, or tribal government.
    Number of Respondents: 110,782 respondents; 226,099 responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: 0.25 to 1.5 hours.
    Frequency of Response: Ten-year reporting requirement, One-time and 
on occasion reporting requirements; other reporting requirements--as-
needed basis for equipment safety certification that is no longer in 
use, and consistently (likely daily) responses automated via the 
device.
    Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. 
Statutory authority for this collection is contained in 47 U.S.C. 151, 
152, 154(i), 154(j), 155(c), 302a, 303, 304, 307(e), and 316 of the 
Communications Act of 1934.
    Total Annual Burden: 64,561 hours.
    Total Annual Cost: $13,213,975.
    Privacy Impact Assessment: No impact(s).
    Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: In general, there is no need 
for confidentiality with this collection of information.
    Needs and Uses: On October 24, 2018, the Commission released a 
Report and Order, FCC 18-149, in GN Docket No. 17-158, adopting limited 
changes to the rules governing Priority Access Licenses (PALs) in the 
3550-3700 MHz (3.5 GHz) band, including larger license areas, longer 
license terms, renewability, and performance requirements. The 
Commission anticipated that the targeted changes made in its 2018 
Report and Order will spur additional investment and broader deployment 
in the band, promote robust and efficient spectrum use, and help ensure 
the rapid deployment of advanced wireless technologies--including 5G--
in the United States.
    The rule changes and information requirements contained in the 
Commission's previous 3.5 GHz band orders--the 2015 Report and Order, 
FCC 15-47, and 2016 Order on Reconsideration and Second Report and 
Order, FCC 16-55, both in GN Docket No. 12-354--are also approved under 
this Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number (3060-1211) 
and have not changed since OMB last approved them.
    The Commission seeks approval from OMB for the information 
collection requirements contained in the 2018 Report and Order, FCC 18-
149, stemming from the changes made to section 96.25(b) of it rules. 
The Commission revised section 96.25(b) to adopt performance 
requirements for

[[Page 7551]]

Priority Access Licensees. Specifically, under the revised rule, 
Priority Access Licensees must provide substantial service in their 
license area by the end of the initial license term, i.e., at the end 
of 10 years. ``Substantial service'' is defined as service which is 
sound, favorable, and substantially above the level of mediocre service 
which might minimally warrant renewal. Failure by any licensee to meet 
this requirement will result in forfeiture of the license without 
further Commission action, and the licensee will be ineligible to 
regain it. Licensees shall demonstrate compliance with the performance 
requirement by filing a construction notification with the Commission 
in accordance with section 1.946(d) of the Commission's rules. The 
licensee must certify whether it has met the performance requirement, 
and file supporting documentation, including description and 
demonstration of the bona fide service provided, electronic maps 
accurately depicting the boundaries of the license area and where in 
the license area the licensee provides service that meets the 
performance requirement, supporting technical documentation, any 
population-related assumptions or data used in determining the 
population covered by a service to the extent any were relied upon, and 
any other information the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau may 
prescribe by public notice. A licensee's showing of substantial service 
may not rely on service coverage outside of the PAL Protection Areas of 
registered Citizens Broadband Radio Service Devices (CBSDs) or on 
deployments that are not reflected in Spectrum Access System (SAS) 
records of CBSD registrations.
    The Commission adopted two safe harbors for meeting the 
``substantial service'' requirement: (1) A Priority Access Licensee 
providing a mobile service or point-to-multipoint service may 
demonstrate substantial service by showing that it provides signal 
coverage and offers service, either to customers or for internal use, 
over at least 50 percent of the population in the license area; and (2) 
A Priority Access Licensee providing a fixed point-to-point service may 
demonstrate substantial service by showing that it has constructed and 
operates at least four links, either to customers or for internal use, 
in license areas with 134,000 population or less and in license areas 
with greater population, a minimum number of links equal to the 
population of the license area divided by 33,500 and rounded up to the 
nearest whole number. To satisfy this provision, such links must 
operate using registered Category B CBSDs.
    OMB Control Number: 3060-1058.
    Title: FCC Application or Notification for Spectrum Leasing 
Arrangement or Private Commons Arrangement: Wireless Telecommunications 
Bureau Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau.
    Form Number: FCC Form 608.
    Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities, not for profit 
institutions, individuals or households, and state, local, or tribal 
government.
    Number of Respondents: 1,091 respondents; 1,091 responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: 0.5 to 1 hour.
    Frequency of Response: Recordkeeping requirement, third party 
disclosure requirement, on occasion reporting requirement and periodic 
reporting requirement.
    Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. 
Statutory authority for this collection is contained in 47 U.S.C. 154, 
155, 158, 161, 301, 303(r), 308, 309, 310 and 332 of the Communications 
Act of 1934.
    Total Annual Burden: 1,096 hours.
    Total Annual Cost: $1,411,450.
    Privacy Impact Assessment: Yes.
    Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: In general, there is no need 
for confidentiality with this collection of information.
    Needs and Uses: FCC Form 608 is a multipurpose form. It is used to 
provide notification or request approval for any spectrum leasing 
arrangement (``Leases'') entered into between an existing licensee 
(``Licensee'') in certain wireless services and a spectrum lessee 
(``Lessee''). This form also is required to notify or request approval 
for any spectrum subleasing arrangement (``Sublease''). The data 
collected on the form is used by the FCC to determine whether the 
public interest would be served by the Lease or Sublease. The form is 
also used to provide notification for any Private Commons Arrangement 
entered into between a Licensee, Lessee, or Sublessee and a class of 
third-party users (as defined in Section 1.9080 of the Commission's 
Rules). Respondents are required to submit FCC Form 608 electronically, 
except in certain services specifically designated by the Commission.
    Records may include information about individuals or households, 
e.g., personally identifiable information or PII, and the use(s) and 
disclosure of this information will be governed by the requirements of 
a system of records notice or `SORN', FCC/WTB-1, ``Wireless Services 
Licensing Records.'' Updating the SORN to include FCC Form 608 is 
currently underway. There are no additional impacts under the Privacy 
Act.
    On April 28, 2016, the Commission adopted its Second Report and 
Order, FCC 16-55, in GN Docket No. 12-354, adopting additional rules 
for the Citizens Broadband Radio Service in the 3.5 GHz band. As part 
of the Second Report and Order, the Commission adopted a light-touch 
leasing regime for Priority Access Licensees by amending its existing 
Part 1 rules to include a streamlined spectrum manager leasing process, 
based on the current spectrum manager leasing rules, tailored for the 
PAL leasing context. The Commission expects there will be a demand for 
Priority Access rights for a wide variety of use cases, and that a 
robust, flexible, and lightly regulated secondary market through these 
band-specific spectrum manager leasing rules will incentivize efficient 
spectrum use, promote innovation, and encourage the rapid deployment of 
broadband networks in the 3.5 GHz Band. Specifically, in the Second 
Report and Order, the Commission adopted section 1.9046, which provides 
special provisions for spectrum manager leases in the Citizens 
Broadband Radio Service. This rule allows a Priority Access Licensee to 
engage in spectrum manager leasing for any portion of its spectrum or 
geographic area, outside of the PAL Protection Area, for any bandwidth 
or duration period of time with any entity that has provided a 
certification to the Commission in accordance with section 1.9046 or 
pursuant to the general notification procedures of section 1.9020(e) of 
the Commission's rules. The lessee seeking to engage in spectrum 
manager leasing pursuant to section 1.9046 must certify with the 
Commission that it meets the same eligibility and qualification 
requirements applicable to the licensee before entering into a spectrum 
manager leasing arrangement with a Priority Access Licensee. The 
certification will be made via FCC Form 608.
    Prior to lessee operation, the licensee seeking to engage in 
spectrum manager leasing pursuant to section 1.9046 must submit 
notification of the leasing arrangement to the Spectrum Access System 
(SAS) Administrator with the following information: (1) Lessee contact 
information including name, address, telephone number, fax number, 
email address; (2) Lessee FCC Registration Number (FRN); (3) name of 
Real Party in Interest and related FCC Registration Number (FRN); (4) 
the specific spectrum leased (in terms of

[[Page 7552]]

amount of bandwidth and geographic area involved) including the call 
sign(s) affected by the lease; and (5) duration of the lease.
    A spectrum leasing arrangement may be extended beyond the initial 
term set forth in the spectrum leasing notification for an additional 
period not to exceed the term of the Priority Access License, provided 
that the licensee notifies the SAS Administrator of the extension in 
advance of operation under the extended term and does so pursuant to 
the notification procedures in section 1.9046.
    If a spectrum leasing arrangement is terminated earlier than the 
termination date set forth in the notification, either by the licensee 
or by the parties' mutual agreement, the licensee must file a 
notification with the SAS Administrator no later than ten (10) days 
after the early termination, indicating the date of the termination.
    If the parties fail to put the spectrum leasing arrangement into 
effect, they must so notify the Spectrum Access System Administrator as 
promptly as practicable.
    Under the Part 96 rules, three types of respondents may be 
completing FCC Form 608. First, entities seeking to engage in light 
touch leasing will pre-certify with the FCC that they meet the non-
lease-specific eligibility and qualification criteria by completing 
non-lease-specific data fields pulled from FCC Form 608. Second, the 
Priority Access Licensees would use the form in three ways. For light 
touch leasing, Priority Access Licensees would notify the SAS 
Administrator of leasing arrangements with pre-certified lessees by 
completing lease-specific data fields pulled from FCC Form 608. Part 96 
also permits Priority Access Licensees to enter into lease agreements 
using the general spectrum manager leasing agreement rules under part 1 
of the rules, which would require a FCC Form 608. Priority Access 
Licensees may also enter into de facto transfer leasing arrangements 
for a portion of their licensed spectrum pursuant to part 1 of the 
Commission's rules and would use FCC Form 608 to do so. Third, on a 
daily basis, the SAS Administrator will provide the Commission with an 
electronic report of the leasing notifications completed by the 
Priority Access Licensees. The SAS Administrators will be providing the 
report through an Application Programming Interface (API). The 
Commission has reused the code from the general spectrum manager 
leasing FCC Form 608 in the Commission's Universal Licensing System 
(ULS) to program the SAS light touch leasing API.
    OMB Control Number: 3060-0798.
    Title: FCC Application for Radio Service Authorization; Wireless 
Telecommunications Bureau; Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau.
    Form Number: FCC Form 601.
    Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities, not for profit 
institutions, individuals and households, and state, local, or tribal 
government.
    Number of Respondents: 255,452 respondents; 255,452 responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: 0.5 to 1.25 hours.
    Frequency of Response: Recordkeeping requirement, third party 
disclosure requirement, on occasion reporting requirement and periodic 
reporting requirement.
    Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. 
Statutory authority for this collection is contained in 47 U.S.C. 151, 
152, 154, 154(i), 155(c), 157, 201, 202, 208, 214, 301, 302a, 303, 307, 
308, 309, 310, 311, 314, 316, 319, 324, 331, 332, 333, 336, 534, 535 
and 554.
    Total Annual Burden: 223,921 hours.
    Total Annual Cost: $71,906,000.
    Privacy Impact Assessment: Yes.
    Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: In general, there is no need 
for confidentiality with this collection of information.
    Needs and Uses: FCC Form 601 is a consolidated, multi-part 
application form that is used for market-based and site-based licensing 
for wireless telecommunications services, including public safety 
licenses, which are filed through the Commission's Universal Licensing 
System (ULS). FCC Form 601 is composed of a main form that contains 
administrative information and a series of schedules used for filing 
technical and other information. This form is used to apply for a new 
license, to amend or withdraw a pending application, to modify or renew 
an existing license, cancel a license, request a duplicate license, 
submit required notifications, request an extension of time to satisfy 
construction requirements, or request an administrative update to an 
existing license (such as mailing address change), request a Special 
Temporary Authority or Developmental License. Respondents are required 
to submit FCC Form 601 electronically, except in certain services 
specifically designated by the Commission.
    The data collected on FCC Form 601 includes the FCC Registration 
Number (FRN), which serves as a ``common link'' for all filings an 
entity has with the FCC. The Debt Collection Improvement Act of 1996 
requires entities filing with the Commission to use an FRN. Records may 
include information about individuals or households, e.g., personally 
identifiable information or PII, and the use(s) and disclosure of this 
information are governed by the requirements of a system of records 
notice or `SORN', FCC/WTB-1, ``Wireless Services Licensing Records.'' 
There are no additional impacts under the Privacy Act.
    On October 24, 2018, the Commission released a Report and Order, 
FCC 18-149, in GN Docket No. 17-158, adopting limited changes to the 
rules governing Priority Access Licenses (PALs) in the 3550-3700 MHz 
(3.5 GHz) band, including larger license areas, longer license terms, 
renewability, and performance requirements. The Commission anticipated 
that the targeted changes made in its 2018 Report and Order will spur 
additional investment and broader deployment in the band, promote 
robust and efficient spectrum use, and help ensure the rapid deployment 
of advanced wireless technologies--including 5G--in the United States. 
Among these changes, the Commission revised section 96.32(a) of its 
rules to require that an applicant must file an application for an 
initial PAL, and that the application must: (1) Demonstrate the 
applicant's qualifications to hold an authorization; (2) state how a 
grant would serve the public interest, convenience, and necessity; (3) 
contain all information required by FCC rules and application forms; 
(4) propose operation of a facility or facilities in compliance with 
all rules governing the Citizens Broadband Radio Service; and (5) be 
amended as necessary to remain substantially accurate and complete in 
all significant respects, in accordance with the provisions of section 
1.65 of the Commission's rules.
    The Commission therefore seeks approval for a revision to its 
currently approved information collection on FCC Form 601.
    OMB Control Number: 3060-0800.
    Title: FCC Application For Assignment of Authorization and 
Transfers of Control: Wireless Telecommunications Bureau and Public 
Safety and Homeland Security Bureau.
    Form Number: FCC Form 603.
    Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities, not for profit 
institutions, individuals and households, and state, local, or tribal 
government.

[[Page 7553]]

    Number of Respondents: 2,547 respondents; 2,547 responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: 0.5 to 1.75 hours.
    Frequency of Response: Recordkeeping requirement, on occasion 
reporting requirement, and periodic reporting requirement.
    Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. 
Statutory authority for this collection is contained in 47 U.S.C. 154, 
155, 158, 161, 301, 303(r), 308, 309, 310, and 332.
    Total Annual Burden: 2,872 hours.
    Total Annual Cost: $381,975.
    Privacy Impact Assessment: Yes.
    Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: In general, there is no need 
for confidentiality with this collection of information.
    Needs and Uses: FCC Form 603 is a multi-purpose form that is used 
by radio services in Wireless Services within the Universal Licensing 
System (ULS). FCC 603 is composed of a main form that contains the 
administrative information and a series of schedules. These schedules 
are required when applying for Auctioned Services, Partitioning and 
Disaggregation, Undefined Geographical Area Partitioning, and 
Notification of Consummation or Request for Extension of Time for 
Consummation. Applicants/licensees in the Public Mobile Services, 
Personal Communications Services, Private Land Mobile Radio Services, 
Broadband Radio Service, Educational Broadband Service, Maritime 
Services (excluding Ship), and Aviation Services (excluding Aircraft) 
use FCC Form 603 to apply for an assignment or transfer, to establish 
their parties' basic eligibility and qualifications, to classify the 
filing, and/or to determine the nature of the proposed service. This 
form is also used to notify the FCC of consummated assignments and 
transfers of wireless licenses to which the Commission has previously 
consented or for which notification but not prior consent is required. 
Respondents are required to submit FCC Form 603 electronically, except 
in certain services specifically designated by the Commission. The data 
collected on FCC Form 603 include the FCC Registration Number (FRN), 
which serves as a ``common link'' for all filings an entity has with 
the FCC. The Debt Collection Improvement Act of 1996 required that 
those filing with the Commission to use an FRN, effective December 3, 
2001. Records may include information about individuals or households, 
e.g., personally identifiable information or PII, and the use(s) and 
disclosure of this information are governed by the requirements of a 
system of records notice or `SORN', FCC/WTB-1, ``Wireless Services 
Licensing Records.'' There are no additional impacts under the Privacy 
Act.
    On October 24, 2018, the Commission released a Report and Order, 
FCC 18-149, in GN Docket No. 17-158, adopting limited changes to the 
rules governing Priority Access Licenses (PALs) in the 3550-3700 MHz 
(3.5 GHz) band, including larger license areas, longer license terms, 
renewability, and performance requirements. The Commission anticipated 
that the targeted changes made in its 2018 Report and Order will spur 
additional investment and broader deployment in the band, promote 
robust and efficient spectrum use, and help ensure the rapid deployment 
of advanced wireless technologies--including 5G--in the United States. 
The Commission seeks approval for revisions to its currently approved 
collection of information under OMB Control Number 3060-0800 to permit 
the collection of the additional information in connection with partial 
assignments of authorizations for geographic partitioning, spectrum 
disaggregation, or a combination of both, pursuant to the rules and 
information collection requirements adopted by the Commission 2018 
Report and Order. Specifically, in the 2018 Report and Order, the 
Commission revised section 96.32(b) of its rules to allow Priority 
Access Licensees to partition their licenses or disaggregate their 
spectrum, and partially assign or transfer their licenses, pursuant to 
Sec.  1.950 of the Commission's rules. Because of the additional 
Priority Access Licensees, additional respondents may be filing FCC 
Form 603 for assignments or transfers of control of licenses.

Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene Dortch,
Secretary, Office of the Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2020-02585 Filed 2-7-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P