[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 48 (Wednesday, March 11, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14199-14200]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-04966]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[OMB 3060-XXXX; FRS 16541]


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 May 11, 
2020. 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: Application for the Uniendo a Puerto Rico Fund and the 
Connect USVI Fund Stage 2 Fixed Support.
    Form Number: FCC Form 5634.
    Type of Review: New information collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities.
    Number of Respondents and Responses: 20 unique respondents; 30 
responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: 2-80 hours.
    Frequency of Response: One-time 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, 214, and 254.
    Total Annual Burden: 1,620 hours.
    Total Annual Cost: No Cost.
    Privacy Act Impact Assessment: No impact(s).
    Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: Although some information 
collected in FCC Form 5634 will be made available for routine public 
inspection, the Commission will withhold certain information collected 
in FCC Form 5634 from routine public inspection. Specifically, the 
Commission will treat certain financial and technical information 
submitted in FCC Form 5634 as confidential. However, if a request for 
public inspection for this technical or financial information is made 
under 47 CFR 0.461, and the applicant has any objections to disclosure, 
the applicant will be notified and will be required to justify 
continued confidential treatment. To the extent that an applicant seeks 
to have other information collected in FCC Form 5634 or during the 
post-selection review process withheld from public inspection, the 
applicant may request confidential treatment pursuant to 47 CFR 0.459.
    Needs and Uses: The Commission is requesting the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) approval for this new information 
collection. In the Uniendo a Puerto Rico Fund and Connect USVI Fund 
Order, the Commission comprehensively reformed the high-cost program 
within the universal service fund to focus support on networks capable 
of providing advanced, hardened voice and broadband services in Puerto 
Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands (collectively, the Territories). 
Uniendo a Puerto Rico Fund and the Connect USVI Fund, WC Dockets Nos. 
18-143 et al., Report and Order and Order on Reconsideration, 34 FCC 
Rcd 9109 (PR-USVI Order). As part of the PR-USVI Order, the Commission 
adopted a single-round competitive proposal process to award Stage 2 
support for fixed telecommunications networks in the Territories (Stage 
2 Competition).
    For the Stage 2 Competition, service providers will compete to 
receive high-cost support of up to $504.7 million in Puerto Rico and 
$186.5 million in the U.S. Virgin Islands over 10 years to offer fixed 
voice and broadband services to all locations in the Territories in 
accordance with the framework adopted in the PR-USVI Order. The 
information collection requirements reported under this new collection 
are the result of the competitive proposal process adopted by the PR-
USVI Order to award support to winning applicants. The Commission 
adopted various rules regarding the eligibility of service providers 
and the term of support. In addition, the Commission adopted rules to 
govern the competitive proposal process, which includes information to 
be submitted by parties as part of their competitive proposals and 
information that must be submitted by winning bidders seeking to become 
authorized to receive Stage 2 fixed support. The Commission concluded, 
based on its experience with awarding high-cost support and consistent 
with the record, that this single-stage competitive proposal process 
balances the need to collect information essential to awarding support 
and authorizing Stage 2 fixed support with administrative efficiency.
    The Commission estimates that approximately 20 parties will apply 
and approximately 10 will be selected as winning applicants. The 
Commission is therefore seeking approval from the OMB for the 
collection on FCC Form 5634 of the information, disclosures, and 
certifications adopted by the Commission. This information

[[Page 14200]]

collection addresses the burdens associated with these requirements.

Federal Communications Commission.
Cecilia Sigmund,
Federal Register Liaison Officer, Office of the Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2020-04966 Filed 3-10-20; 8:45 am]
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