[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 198 (Tuesday, October 13, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64461-64462]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-22479]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[OMB 3060-XXXX, FR No. 17102]


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 (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

[[Page 64462]]

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 December 14, 
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 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: As part of its continuing effort to reduce 
paperwork burdens, and as required by the PRA of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501-
3520), the FCC 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.
    OMB Control No.: 3060-XXXX.
    Title: 3.7 GHz Service Licensee and Earth Station Operator 
Agreements; 3.7 GHz Service Licensee Engineering Analysis.
    Form No.: N/A.
    Type of Review: New collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities; not-for-profit 
institutions; State, Local or Tribal Government.
    Number of Respondents and Responses: 30 respondents and 30 
responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: 2 hours-5 hours.
    Frequency of Response: Recordkeeping requirement; on occasion 
reporting requirement; third party disclosure requirement.
    Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. The 
statutory authority for this collection of information is contained in 
sections 1, 2, 4(i), 4(j), 5(c), 201, 302, 303, 304, 307(e), 309, and 
316 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C. 151, 152, 
154(i), 154(j), 155(c), 201, 302, 303, 304, 307(e), 309, and 316.
    Total Annual Burden: 120 hours.
    Annual Cost Burden: No cost.
    Privacy Act Impact Assessment: No impact(s).
    Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: The information collected 
under this collection will be made publicly available. However, to the 
extent information submitted pursuant to this information collection is 
determined to be confidential, it will be protected by the Commission. 
If a respondent seeks to have information collected pursuant to this 
information collection withheld from public inspection, the respondent 
may request confidential treatment pursuant to section 0.459 of the 
Commission's rules for such information.
    Needs and Uses: On February 28, 2020, in furtherance of the goal of 
releasing more mid-band spectrum into the market to support and 
enabling next-generation wireless networks, the Commission adopted a 
Report and Order, FCC 20-22, (3.7 GHz Report and Order), in which it 
reformed the use of the 3.7-4.2 GHz band, also known as the C-band. 
Currently, the 3.7-4.2 GHz band is allocated in the United States 
exclusively for non-Federal use on a primary basis for Fixed Satellite 
Service (FSS) and Fixed Service. The 3.7 GHz Report and Order calls for 
the relocation of existing FSS operations in the band into the upper 
200 megahertz of the band (4.0-4.2 GHz) and making the lower 280 
megahertz (3.7-3.98 GHz) available for flexible use throughout the 
contiguous United States through a Commission-administered public 
auction of overlay licenses that is scheduled to occur later this year.
    The Commission concluded in the 3.7 GHz Report and Order that, once 
this transition is complete, coordination measures are needed to 
protect incumbent C-band operations in the upper portion of the 3.7-4.2 
GHz band. 3.7 GHz Service licensees are required to comply with certain 
technical rules and coordination practices designed to reduce the risk 
of interference to incumbent operations. Specifically, 3.7 GHz Service 
licensees are required to comply with specific power flux density (PFD) 
limits to protect incumbent earth stations from out-of-band emissions 
and blocking and to coordinate frequency usage with incumbent 
Telemetry, Tracking, and Command (TT&C) earth stations. The 3.7 GHz 
Report and Order allows 3.7 GHz Service licensees and C-Band earth 
station operators to modify these PFD limits, but it requires a 3.7 GHz 
Service licensee that is a party to such an agreement to maintain a 
copy of the agreement in its station files and disclose it, upon 
request, to prospective license assignees, transferees, or spectrum 
lessees, and to the Commission. The Commission also required any 3.7 
GHz Service licensee with base stations located within the appropriate 
coordination distance to provide upon request an engineering analysis 
to the TT&C operator to demonstrate their ability to comply with the 
applicable -6 dB I/N criteria.
    The information that will be collected under this new information 
collection is designed to ensure that 3.7 GHz Service licensees operate 
in a manner that ensures incumbent C-band operations in the upper 
portion of the 3.7-4.2 GHz band and TT&C operations in the 3700-3980 
MHz band are protected. By requiring 3.7 GHz Service licensees to 
provide a copy of any private agreement with 3.7 GHz earth station 
operators to prospective license assignees, transferees, or spectrum 
lessees, and to the Commission, the Commission ensures that such 
agreements continue to protect incumbent C-band operations in the event 
a 3.7 GHz service license is subsequently transferred to a new 
licensee. This collection promotes the safety of operations in the band 
and reduces the risk of harmful interference to incumbents. It also 
ensures that relevant stakeholders have access to coordination 
agreements between 3.7 GHz Service licensees and entities operating 
earth stations or TT&C operations.
    The information provided by the 3.7 GHz Service licensee to the 
TT&C operator ensures the protection of TT&C operations. The 
information collection will facilitate an efficient and safe transition 
by requiring 3.7 GHz Service licensees to demonstrate their ability to 
comply with the -6 dB I/N criteria, thereby minimizing the risk of 
interference.

Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene Dortch,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2020-22479 Filed 10-9-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P