[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 58 (Monday, March 29, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16361-16362]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-06335]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[OMB 3060-XXXX; FRS 17781]


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 28, 
2021. 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 Cathy Williams, FCC, via email to 
[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: 
    OMB Control Number: 3060-XXXX.
    Title: Legacy High-Cost Support Recipient Initial Report of Current 
Service Offerings.
    Form Number: N/A.
    Type of Review: New information collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities, not-for-profit 
institutions, and state, local or tribal governments.
    Number of Respondents and Responses: Up to 110 respondents and 110 
responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: 16 hours.
    Frequency of Response: One-time reporting requirement.
    Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. 
Statutory authority for this information collection is contained in 47 
U.S.C. 154, 254 and 303(r).
    Total Annual Burden: 1,760 hours.
    Total Annual Cost: No cost.
    Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: Most of the information 
collected under this collection will be made publicly available. 
However, in recognition of the fact that a carrier may consider the 
infrastructure information required to be submitted as part of its 
initial report to be sensitive, such infrastructure information will be 
treated as presumptively confidential by the Commission and the 
Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) and withheld from 
public inspection, although USAC will provide these data to the 
Commission and the relevant state, territory, and Tribal governmental 
entities that have jurisdiction over a particular service area, as 
applicable. To the extent that a respondent seeks to have other 
information collected in response to this information collection 
withheld from public inspection, the respondent may request 
confidential treatment pursuant to 47 CFR 0.459 of the Commission's 
rules.
    Privacy Act Impact Assessment: No impact(s).
    Needs and Uses: A request for approval of this new information 
collection will be submitted to the Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB) after this 60-day comment period in order to obtain the full 
three-year clearance from OMB.
    On November 18, 2011, the Commission released the USF/ICC

[[Page 16362]]

Transformation Order (FCC 11-161) in which it comprehensively reformed 
and modernized the universal service and intercarrier compensation 
systems to ensure that robust, affordable voice and broadband service, 
both fixed and mobile, are available to Americans throughout the 
nation. In the USF/ICC Transformation Order, the Commission, among 
other things, adopted a requirement that all eligible 
telecommunications carriers (ETCs) offer broadband service in their 
supported area that meets certain basic performance requirements and 
report regularly on associated performance measures as a condition of 
receiving federal high-cost universal service support.
    On October 27, 2020, the Commission adopted the 5G Fund Report and 
Order (FCC 20-150) in which it, among other things, helped to complete 
the reform of the high-cost program begun in the USF/ICC Transformation 
Order by adopting additional public interest obligations and 
performance requirements for legacy high-cost support recipients, whose 
broadband-specific public interest obligations for mobile wireless 
services were not previously detailed. The public interest obligations 
adopted in the 5G Fund Report and Order for each competitive ETC 
receiving legacy high-cost support for mobile wireless services require 
that such competitive ETC (1) use an increasing percentage of its 
legacy support toward the deployment, maintenance, and operation of 
voice and broadband networks that support 5G meeting the adopted 
performance requirements within its subsidized service area(s), and (2) 
meet specific 5G broadband service deployment coverage requirements and 
service deployment milestone deadlines that take into consideration the 
amount of legacy support the carrier receives.
    In order to gain a complete understanding of the current service 
offerings of each competitive ETC receiving legacy high-cost support 
for mobile wireless services, the Commission adopted rules that require 
each such competitive ETC to file an initial report containing 
information and certifications about (1) its current mobile service 
offerings in each of its subsidized service areas and how it is using 
legacy support, (2) whether it is offering mobile services in its 
subsidized service areas at rates that are reasonably comparable to 
those charged in urban areas, and (3) whether it has availed itself of 
the geographic flexibility granted by the Commission concerning its use 
of support within any other designated service area(s) for which it or 
an affiliated competitive ETC receives legacy support. See 47 CFR 
54.313(p), 54.322(g), (h). The information and certifications provided 
in these initial reports will be used by the Commission to ensure that 
competitive ETCs receiving legacy high-cost support for mobile wireless 
services deploy 5G service by in their subsidized service areas 
consistent with the rules adopted by the Commission in the 5G Fund 
Report and Order.

Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene Dortch,
Secretary, Office of the Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2021-06335 Filed 3-26-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P