[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 111 (Tuesday, June 9, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35307-35310]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-12492]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[OMB 3060-0057, OMB 3060-0065; FRS 16823]


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 and recommendations for the proposed 
information collection should be submitted on or before July 9, 2020.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be sent to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Find this particular information collection by selecting 
``Currently under 30-day Review--Open for Public Comments'' or by using 
the search function. Your comment must be

[[Page 35308]]

submitted into www.reginfo.gov per the above instructions for it to be 
considered. In addition to submitting in www.reginfo.gov also send a 
copy of your comment on the proposed information collection to Nicole 
Ongele, FCC, via email to [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 Nicole Ongele at (202) 418-2991. 
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: 3060-0057.
    Title: Application for Equipment Authorization, FCC Form 731.
    Form Number: FCC 731.
    Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit.
    Number of Respondents and Responses: 11,305 respondents; 24,873 
responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: 8.11 hours (rounded).
    Frequency of Response: On occasion reporting requirement and third-
party disclosure requirement.
    Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. 
Statutory authority for this information collection is contained in the 
47 U.S.C. 154(i), 301, 302, 303(e), 303(f) and 303(r).
    Total Annual Burden: 201,603 hours.
    Total Annual Costs: $ 50,155,140.
    Privacy Act Impact Assessment: Yes. The personally identifiable 
information (PII) in this information collection is covered by a 
Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA), Equipment Authorizations Records and 
Files Information System. It is posted at: https://www.fcc.gov/general/privacy-act-information#pia.
    Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: Minimal exemption from the 
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) under 5 U.S.C. 552(b)(4) and FCC 
rules under 47 CFR 0.457(d) is granted for trade secrets which may be 
submitted as attachments to the application FCC Form 731. No other 
assurances of confidentiality are provided to respondents.
    Needs and Uses: The Commission will submit this revised information 
collection to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) after this 60-
day comment period to obtain the three-year clearance. The Commission 
is reporting program changes, increases to this information collection.
    As the Commission notes above, the total number of respondents, 
total number of responses annually, the total annual hourly burden, and 
the total annual costs have been updated because of the continuing 
growth in applications for Certification, streamlining of the 
application information and combining of different information 
collection requests. With operations in the new frequencies formed 
under Section 15.258 the burden hours for the applicants have increased 
from 201,450 hours to 201,603. However, the additional Applications 
that will be filed per the frequencies will become the total burden 
hours for applicants to $ 50,155,140 from $ 50,110,000.
    On March 15, 2019, the Commission adopted a First Report and Order, 
in ET Docket No. 18-2; FCC 19-19, which involves updates to 47 CFR part 
15,--``Radio Frequency Devices,'' to provide permit certain operations 
above 95 GHz.\1\ Among other things, the Spectrum Horizons Order made 
specific frequencies above 95 GHz available for the operation of 
radiofrequency devices without a license. Such devices are subject to 
the certification process of the Commission's equipment authorization 
program. Accordingly, 47 CFR was amended to include a new Section 
15.258 as follows:
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    \1\ Spectrum Horizons, First Report and Order, 34 FCC Rcd 
1605(2) (2019) (Spectrum Horizons Order).
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Sec.  15.258 Operation in the Bands 116-123 GHz, 174.8-182 GHz, 185-190 
GHz and 244-246 GHz

    (a) Operation on board an aircraft or a satellite is prohibited.
    (b) Emission levels within the 116-123 GHz, 174.8-182 GHz, 185-190 
GHz and 244-246 GHz bands shall not exceed the following equivalent 
isotropically radiated power (EIRP) limits as measured during the 
transmit interval:
    (1) The average power of any emission shall not exceed 40 dBm and 
the peak power of any emission shall not exceed 43 dBm; or
    (2) For fixed point-to-point transmitters located outdoors, the 
average power of any emission shall not exceed 82 dBm and shall be 
reduced by 2 dB for every dB that the antenna gain is less than 51 dBi. 
The peak power of any emission shall not exceed 85 dBm and shall be 
reduced by 2 dB for every dB that the antenna gain is less than 51 dBi. 
The provisions in this paragraph for reducing transmit power based on 
antenna gain shall not require that the power levels be reduced below 
the limits specified in paragraph (b)(1) of this section.
    (3) The peak power shall be measured with a detection bandwidth 
that encompasses the entire occupied bandwidth within the intended band 
of operation, e.g., 116-123 GHz, 174.8-182 GHz, 185-190 GHz or 244-246 
GHz. The average emission levels shall be measured over the actual time 
period during which transmission occurs.
    (4) Transmitters with an emission bandwidth of less than 100 MHz 
must limit their peak radiated power to the product of the maximum 
permissible radiated power (in milliwatts) times their emission 
bandwidth divided by 100 MHz. For the purposes of this paragraph, 
emission bandwidth is defined as the instantaneous frequency range 
occupied by a steady state radiated signal with modulation, outside 
which the radiated power spectral density never exceeds 6 dB below the 
maximum radiated power spectral density in the band, as

[[Page 35309]]

measured with a 100 kHz resolution bandwidth spectrum analyzer. The 
center frequency must be stationary during the measurement interval, 
even if not stationary during normal operation (e.g., for frequency 
hopping devices).
    (c) Limits on spurious emissions:
    (1) The power density of any emissions outside the band of 
operation, e.g., 116-123 GHz, 174.8-182 GHz, 185-190 GHz or 244-246 
GHz, shall consist solely of spurious emissions.
    (2) Radiated emissions below 40 GHz shall not exceed the general 
limits in Sec.  15.209.
    (3) Between 40 GHz and the highest frequency specified in Sec.  
15.33, the level of these emissions shall not exceed 90 pW/cm\2\ at a 
distance of 3 meters.
    (4) The levels of the spurious emissions shall not exceed the level 
of the fundamental emission.
    (d) Frequency stability. Fundamental emissions must be contained 
within the frequency bands specified in this section during all 
conditions of operation. Equipment is presumed to operate over the 
temperature range -20 to +50 degrees Celsius with an input voltage 
variation of 85% to 115% of rated input voltage, unless justification 
is presented to demonstrate otherwise.
    (e) Regardless of the power density levels permitted under this 
section, devices operating under the provisions of this section are 
subject to the radiofrequency radiation exposure requirements specified 
in Sec. Sec.  1.1307(b), 2.1091 and 2.1093 of this chapter, as 
appropriate. Applications for equipment authorization of devices 
operating under this section must contain a statement confirming 
compliance with these requirements for both fundamental emissions and 
unwanted emissions. Technical information showing the basis for this 
statement must be submitted to the Commission upon request.
    (f) Any transmitter that has received the necessary FCC equipment 
authorization under the rules of this chapter may be mounted in a group 
installation for simultaneous operation with one or more other 
transmitter(s) that have received the necessary FCC equipment 
authorization, without any additional equipment authorization. However, 
no transmitter operating under the provisions of this section may be 
equipped with external phase-locking inputs that permit beam-forming 
arrays to be realized.
    (g) Measurement procedures that have been found to be acceptable to 
the Commission in accordance with Sec.  2.947 of this chapter may be 
used to demonstrate compliance.
    OMB Control Number: 3060-0065.
    Title: Applications for New Authorization or Modification of 
Existing Authorization Under Part 5 of the FCC Rules-Experimental Radio 
Service.
    Form Number: FCC Form 442.
    Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit; Not-for-profit 
institutions, Individuals or households, State, Local or Tribal 
Government.
    Number of Respondents and Responses: 405 respondents; 655 
responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: 15-663 hours.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion reporting requirements; 
Recordkeeping requirements; and Third party disclosure requirement.
    Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. 
Statutory authority for this information collection is contained in 47 
U.S.C. Sections 4, 302, 303, 307 and 336 of the Communications Act of 
1934, as amended.
    Total Annual Burden: 3,474 hours.
    Total Annual Cost: $52,150.
    Privacy Act Impact Assessment: This information collection affects 
individuals or households. The Commission has a System of Records, FCC/
OET-1 ``Experimental Radio Station License Files'' which covers the 
personally identifiable information (PII) that individual applicants 
may include in their submissions for experimental radio authorizations. 
The system of records notice (SORN) was published in the Federal 
Register on June 11, 2019, see 84 FR 27115. The SORN may be viewed at 
https://www.fcc.gov/general/privacy-act-information.
    Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: Applicants may request that 
any information supplied be withheld from public inspection, e.g., 
granted confidentiality, pursuant to 47 CFR Section 0.459 of the 
Commission's rules.
    Needs and Uses: The Commission will submit this revised information 
collection to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) after this 60-
day comment period to obtain the three-year clearance. On March 15, 
2019, the Commission adopted a First Report and Order, in ET Docket No. 
18-21; FCC 19-19, which updates a section of Part 5 of the CFR--
Experimental Radio Service (ERS). The Commission recent R&O adopts a 
new subpart to the existing part 5 rules for a new and unique license 
type--the Spectrum Horizons Experimental Radio license (or ``Spectrum 
Horizons License''). Specifically, the Spectrum Horizons License will 
be available for experiments and demonstrations of equipment designed 
to operate exclusively on any frequency above 95 GHz.

Sec.  5.59 Forms To Be Used

    (a) Application for conventional, program, medical, compliance 
testing, and Spectrum Horizons experimental radio licenses. (1) 
Application for new authorization or modification of existing 
authorization. Entities must submit FCC Form 442.

Sec.  5.77 Change in Equipment and Emission Characteristics

    (a) The licensee of a conventional, broadcast, or Spectrum Horizons 
experimental radio station may make any changes in equipment that are 
deemed desirable or necessary provided:
    * * *
    (b) For conventional or Spectrum Horizons experimental radio 
stations, the changes permitted in paragraph (a) of this section may be 
made without prior authorization from the Commission provided that the 
licensee supplements its application file with a description of such 
change. If the licensee wants these emission changes to become a 
permanent part of the license, an application for modification must be 
filed.

Sec.  5.121 Station Record Requirements

    (a)(1) For conventional, program, medical testing, compliance 
testing experimental radio stations, the current original authorization 
or a clearly legible photocopy for each station shall be retained as a 
permanent part of the station records but need not be posted. Station 
records are required to be kept for a period of at least one year after 
license expiration.
    (a)(2) For Spectrum Horizons experimental radio stations, the 
licensee is solely responsible for retaining the current authorization 
as a permanent part of the station records but need not be posted. 
Station records are required to be kept for a period of at least one 
year after license expiration.

Sec.  5.702 Licensing Requirement--Necessary Showing

    Each application must include a narrative statement describing in 
detail how its experiment could lead to the development of innovative 
devices and/or services on frequencies above 95 GHz and describe, as 
applicable, its plans for marketing such devices. This statement must 
sufficiently explain the proposed new technology/potential new service 
and incorporate an interference analysis

[[Page 35310]]

that explains how the proposed experiment would not cause harmful 
interference to other services. The statement should include technical 
details, including the requested frequency band(s), maximum power, 
emission designators, area(s) of operation, and type(s) of device(s) to 
be used.

Sec.  5.703 Responsible Party

    (a) Each Spectrum Horizons experimental radio applicant must 
identify a single point of contact responsible for all experiments 
conducted under the license and ensuring compliance with all applicable 
FCC rules.
    (b) The responsible individual will serve as the initial point of 
contact for all matters involving interference resolution and must have 
the authority to discontinue any and all experiments being conducted 
under the license, if necessary.
    (c) The license application must include the name of the 
responsible individual and contact information at which the person can 
be reached at any time of the day; this information will be listed on 
the license. Licensees are required to keep this information current.

Sec.  5.704 Marketing of Devices Under Spectrum Horizons Experimental 
Radio Licenses

    Unless otherwise stated in the instrument of authorization, devices 
operating in accordance with a Spectrum Horizons experimental radio 
license may be marketed subject to the following conditions:
    (a) Marketing of devices (as defined in Sec.  2.803 of this 
chapter) and provision of services for hire is permitted before the 
radio frequency device has been authorized by the Commission.
    (b) Licensees are required to ensure that experimental devices are 
either rendered inoperable or retrieved by them from trial participants 
at the conclusion of the trial. Licensees are required to notify 
experiment participants in advance of the trial that operation of the 
experimental device is subject to this condition. Each device sold 
under this program must be labeled as ``Authorized Under An 
Experimental License and May be Subject to Further Conditions Including 
Termination of Operation'' and carry a licensee assigned equipment ID 
number.
    (c) The size and scope of operations under a Spectrum Horizons 
experimental license are subject to limitations as the Commission shall 
establish on a case-by-case basis.

Sec.  5.705 Interim Report

    Licensee must submit to the Commission an interim progress report 5 
years after grant of its license. If a licensee requests non-disclosure 
of proprietary information, requests shall follow the procedures for 
submission set forth in Sec.  0.459 of this chapter.

Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene Dortch,
Secretary, Office of the Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2020-12492 Filed 6-8-20; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6712-01-P