[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 99 (Tuesday, May 25, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28102-28103]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-10982]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[OMB 3060-0600; FRS 28439]


Information Collection Requirement Being Submitted to the Office 
of Management and Budget for Emergency Review and Approval

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) of 1995, the 
Federal Communications Commission (Commission) invites the general 
public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment 
on the following information collection. Comments are requested 
concerning: Whether the 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 
Commission may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information 
unless it displays a currently valid 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 Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) control number.

DATES: Written PRA comments should be submitted on or before June 15, 
2021.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be sent to http://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 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 information collection to Cathy Williams, 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 Cathy Williams at (202) 418-
2918.

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 Commission invites 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 Commission seeks specific comment on how it might 
``further reduce the information collection burden for small business 
concerns with fewer than 25 employees.''
    The Commission is requesting emergency OMB processing of the 
information collection requirement(s) contained in this notice and has 
requested OMB approval no later than 26 days after the collection is 
received at OMB. 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 Commission ICRs currently under review appears, look for 
the Title of this ICR and then click on the ICR Reference Number. A 
copy of the Commission's submission to OMB will be displayed.
    OMB Control Number: 3060-0600.
    Title: Application to Participate in an FCC Auction, FCC Form 175.
    Form Number: FCC Form 175.
    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 governments.
    Estimated Number of Respondents and Responses: 500 respondents and 
500 responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: 90 minutes.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion reporting requirement.
    Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. 
Statutory authority for this information collection is contained in 
sections 154(i) and 309(j)(5) of the Communications Act, as amended, 47 
U.S.C. 4(i), 309(j)(5), and in sections 1.2105, 1.2110, 1.2112 of the 
Commission's rules, 47 CFR 1.2105, 1.2110, 1.2112.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden: 750 hours.
    Total Annual Costs: None.
    Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: Information collected on FCC 
Form 175 is made available for public inspection, and the Commission is 
not requesting that respondents submit confidential information on FCC 
Form 175. However, to the extent that a respondent seeks to have 
certain information collected on FCC Form 175 withheld from public 
inspection, the respondent may request confidential treatment of such 
information pursuant to section 0.459 of the Commission's rules, 47 CFR 
0.459.
    Privacy Act Impact Assessment: No impact(s).
    Needs and Uses: FCC Form 175 is used by the public to apply to 
participate in auctions for Commission licenses and permits. The Beat 
CHINA for 5G Act of 2020, which was included in the Consolidated 
Appropriations Act, 2021, requires the Commission to begin an auction 
to grant new initial licenses for the use of a portion or all of the

[[Page 28103]]

3.45-3.55 GHz band no later than December 31, 2021. To begin the 
process of implementing this Congressional mandate, on March 17, 2021, 
the Commission adopted the 3.45 GHz Second Report and Order (FCC 21-
32), in which it established a new 3.45 GHz service and adopted rules 
to make licenses in the 3.45-3.55 GHz band available for flexible use 
wireless services throughout the contiguous United States. The 
Commission contemporaneously adopted the Auction 110 Comment Public 
Notice (FCC 21-33) in which it announced that an auction for licenses 
in the 3.45-3.55 GHz band will begin in early October 2021 and 
requested comment on proposed procedures for the auction. Among other 
things, the Auction 110 Comment Public Notice proposed that, in 
addition to making the certifications already required by the 
Commission's rules in its FCC Form 175 auction application, each 
Auction 110 applicant also certify that it has read the public notice 
adopting procedures for the auction and that it has familiarized itself 
both with the auction procedures and with the requirements for 
obtaining a license and operating facilities in the 3.45-3.55 GHz band. 
On May 19, 2021, the Commission's Office of Economics and Analytics and 
Wireless Telecommunications Bureau released a Public Notice (DA 21-567) 
adopting the proposed additional certification requirement for 
applicants seeking to participate in Auction 110. Accordingly, the 
Commission seeks OMB approval for a revision to its currently approved 
information collection to include this additional certification on FCC 
Form 175. The revised collection will enable the Commission to confirm 
that an auction applicant has read the public notice adopting 
procedures for the auction and has familiarized itself both with the 
auction procedures and with the requirements for obtaining a license 
and operating facilities in the 3.45-3.55 GHz band through the 
applicant's certification to that effect.
    The Commission's auction rules and related requirements are 
designed to ensure that the competitive bidding process is limited to 
serious qualified applicants, deter possible abuse of the bidding and 
licensing processes, and enhance the use of competitive bidding to 
assign Commission licenses and permits in furtherance of the public 
interest. The information collected on FCC Form 175 is used by the 
Commission to determine if an applicant is legally, technically, and 
financially qualified to participate in an auction for Commission 
licenses or permits. Additionally, if an applicant applies for status 
as a particular type of auction participant pursuant to Commission 
rules, the Commission uses information collected on FCC Form 175 to 
determine whether the applicant is eligible for the status requested. 
Commission staff reviews the information collected on FCC Form 175 for 
a particular auction as part of the pre-auction process, prior to the 
auction being held. Staff determines whether each applicant satisfies 
the Commission's requirements to participate in the auction and, if an 
applicant claims status as a particular type of auction participant, 
whether that applicant is eligible for the status claimed. The 
Commission plans to continue to use the Form 175 for its upcoming 
auctions for Commission licenses and permits, including the forward 
auction component of any incentive auction, collecting only the 
information necessary for each particular auction.

Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene Dortch,
Secretary, Office of the Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2021-10982 Filed 5-24-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P