[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 99 (Tuesday, May 25, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28083-28084]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-10986]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Telecommunications and Information Administration


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment 
Request; NTIA Internet Use Survey

AGENCY: National Telecommunications and Information Administration 
(NTIA), Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of information collection, request for comment.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, in accordance with the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), invites the general public and other 
Federal agencies to comment on proposed and continuing information 
collections, which helps us assess the impact of our information 
collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. The 
purpose of this notice is to allow for 60 days of public comment 
preceding submission of the collection to OMB.

DATES: To ensure consideration, comments regarding this proposed 
information collection must be received on or before July 26, 2021.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments to 
Rafi Goldberg, Telecommunications Policy Analyst, NTIA, via email at 
[email protected]. Please reference OMB Control Number 0660-0021 in 
the subject line of your comments. Do not submit Confidential Business 
Information or otherwise sensitive or protected information.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
specific questions related to collection activities should be directed 
to Rafi Goldberg, Telecommunications Policy Analyst, NTIA, at (202) 
482-4375 or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    NTIA seeks approval under the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) to add 
67 questions to the November 2021 edition of the U.S. Census Bureau's 
Current Population Survey (CPS). This collection of questions is known 
as the NTIA Internet Use Survey, and is also referred to as the CPS 
Computer and Internet Use Supplement. NTIA has sponsored fifteen such 
surveys since 1994.
    Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo recently observed that ``high-
quality, affordable broadband isn't a luxury, but it's a necessity for

[[Page 28084]]

education, jobs, and healthcare.'' \1\ Digitally connected Americans 
provide the modern workforce, creative innovation, and growing customer 
base to help sustain our nation's global competitiveness; data from the 
NTIA Internet Use Survey will inform policies aimed at achieving 
digital equity so that the internet's benefits are accessible to all 
Americans. The research and policy analysis enabled by this data 
collection are particularly important as the nation recovers from a 
pandemic that has further highlighted the importance of the internet in 
daily life.
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    \1\ ``Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki and Secretary 
of Commerce Gina Raimondo, April 7, 2021,'' available at https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/press-briefings/2021/04/07/press-briefing-by-press-secretary-jen-psaki-and-secretary-of-commerce-gina-raimondo-april-7-2021/.
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    NTIA is working with Congress, the Federal Communications 
Commission (FCC), other federal agencies, state and local governments, 
as well as with industry and nonprofits to develop and promote policies 
that foster ubiquitous broadband deployment, adoption, and effective 
use. These policies help to ensure that families and businesses can 
obtain competitively priced high-speed internet service, and that 
everyone is able to gain the skills necessary to use the technology. 
Collecting current, systematic, and comprehensive information on 
internet use and non-use by U.S. households is critical to enabling 
policymakers to gauge progress made to date, and also to identify 
specific areas and demographic groups in which adoption is a concern 
with a specificity that permits carefully targeted and cost-effective 
responses.
    The U.S. Census Bureau is widely regarded as a premier data 
collector based on centuries of experience and rigorous scientific 
methods. Collection of NTIA's requested internet usage data will occur 
in conjunction with a future edition of the U.S. Census Bureau's CPS, 
thereby significantly reducing the potential burdens on the U.S. Census 
Bureau and on surveyed households.
    The U.S. government has an increasingly pressing need for 
comprehensive data in this area. The U.S. Government Accountability 
Office (GAO), NTIA, and the FCC have issued reports noting the 
importance of useful broadband data for policymakers. Moreover, 
Congress passed legislation--the Broadband Data Improvement Act in 
2008, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in 2009, the Broadband 
DATA Act, and the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021--wholly or in 
part to address this deficiency. Modifying the CPS to include NTIA's 
requested internet use questions will enable the Commerce Department 
and NTIA to respond to congressional concerns and directives.
    NTIA has made a copy of the proposed information collection 
instrument available at https://www.ntia.gov/other-publication/2021/request-comments-ntias-draft-internet-use-survey.

II. Method of Collection

    The NTIA Internet Use Survey will be administered by the U.S. 
Census Bureau as a supplement to the CPS. Data will be collected 
through personal visits and live telephone interviews using computer-
assisted telephone interviewing and computer-assisted personal 
interviewing.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0660-0021.
    Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Review: Regular submission (Revision of a current 
information collection).
    Affected Public: Individuals and households.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 54,000 households.
    Estimated Time per Response: 10 minutes.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 9,000.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $0.
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
    Legal Authority: 47 U.S.C. 902(b)(2)(M), (P).

IV. Request for Comments

    We are soliciting public comments to permit NTIA to: (a) Evaluate 
whether the proposed information collection is necessary for the proper 
functions of the Department, including whether the information will 
have practical utility; (b) Evaluate the accuracy of our estimate of 
the time and cost burden for this proposed collection, including the 
validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (c) Evaluate ways to 
enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be 
collected; and (d) Minimize the reporting burden on those who are to 
respond, including the use of automated collection techniques or other 
forms of information technology.
    Comments that you submit in response to this notice are a matter of 
public record. We will include or summarize each comment in our request 
to OMB to approve this ICR. Before including your address, phone 
number, email address, or other personal identifying information in 
your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment--including 
your personal identifying information--may be made publicly available 
at any time. While you may ask us in your comment to withhold your 
personal identifying information from public review, we cannot 
guarantee that we will be able to do so.

Sheleen Dumas,
Department PRA Clearance Officer, Office of the Chief Information 
Officer, Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2021-10986 Filed 5-24-21; 8:45 am]
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