[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 134 (Friday, July 16, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37751-37752]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-15183]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[OMB 3060-0149; FR ID 38144]


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 September 
14, 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 Nicole Ongele, FCC, via email 
[email protected] and to [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information about the 
information collection, contact Nicole Ongele, (202) 418-2991.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    OMB Control Number: 3060-0149.
    Title: Part 63, Accelerating Wireline Broadband Deployment by 
Removing Barriers to Infrastructure Investment, WC Docket No. 17-84, 
FCC 18-74.
    Form Number(s): N/A.
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for profit.
    Number of Respondents and Responses: 80 respondents; 88 responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: 6-62 hours per response.
    Frequency of Response: One-time reporting requirement and third-
party disclosure requirements.
    Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. 
Statutory authority for this collection of information is contained in 
47 U.S.C. 214 and 402 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended.
    Total Annual Burden: 1,096 hours.
    Total Annual Cost: $27,900.
    Privacy Act Impact Assessment: No impact(s).
    Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: Information filed in section 
214 applications has generally been nonconfidential. Requests from 
parties seeking confidential treatment are considered by Commission 
staff pursuant to 47 CFR 0.459 of the Commission's rules.
    Needs and Uses: The Commission is seeking the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) approval for an extension of a currently approved 
collection to OMB. The Commission will submit this information 
collection to OMB after this 60-day comment period. Section 214 of the 
Communications Act of 1934, as amended, requires that a carrier must 
first obtain FCC authorization either to

[[Page 37752]]

(1) construct, operate, or engage in transmission over a line of 
communications; or (2) discontinue, reduce or impair service over a 
line of communications. Part 63 of Title 47 of the Code of Federal 
Regulations (CFR) implements Section 214. Part 63 also implements 
provisions of the Cable Communications Policy Act of 1984 pertaining to 
video which was approved under this OMB Control Number 3060- 0149. In 
2009, the Commission modified Part 63 to extend to providers of 
interconnected Voice of internet Protocol (VoIP) service the 
discontinuance obligations that apply to domestic non-dominant 
telecommunications carriers under Section 214 of the Communications Act 
of 1934, as amended. In 2014, the Commission adopted improved 
administrative filing procedures for domestic transfers of control, 
domestic discontinuances and notices of network changes, and among 
other adjustments, modified Part 63 to require electronic filing for 
applications for authorization to discontinue, reduce, or impair 
service under section 214(a) of the Act.
    In July 2016, the Commission concluded that applicants seeking to 
discontinue a legacy time division multiplexing (TDM)-based voice 
service as part of a transition to a new technology, whether internet 
Protocol (IP), wireless, or another type (technology transition 
discontinuance application) must demonstrate that an adequate 
replacement for the legacy service exists in order to be eligible for 
streamlined treatment and revised part 63 accordingly. The Commission 
concluded that an applicant for a technology transition discontinuance 
may demonstrate that a service is an adequate replacement for a legacy 
voice service by certifying or showing that one or more replacement 
service(s) offers all of the following: (i) Substantially similar 
levels of network infrastructure and service quality as the applicant 
service; (ii) compliance with existing federal and/or industry 
standards required to ensure that critical applications such as 911, 
network security, and applications for individuals with disabilities 
remain available; and (iii) interoperability and compatibility with an 
enumerated list of applications and functionalities determined to be 
key to consumers and competitors (the ``adequate replacement test''). 
In June 2018, the Commission further modified the rules applicable to 
section 214(a) discontinuance applications. First, all carriers, 
whether dominant or non-dominant, that seek approval to grandfather 
data services below speeds of 25 Mbps download speed and 3 Mbps upload 
speed are now subject to a uniform reduced public comment period of 10 
days and an automatic grant period of 25 days. Second, all carriers, 
whether dominant or nondominant, seeking authorization to discontinue 
data services below speeds of 25 Mbps download speed and 3 Mbps upload 
speed that have previously been grandfathered for a period of at least 
180 days are subject to a uniform reduced public comment period of 10 
days and an automatic grant period of 31 days, provided they submit a 
statement as part of their discontinuance application that they have 
received Commission authority to grandfather the services at issue at 
least 180 days prior to the filing of the discontinuance application. 
This statement must reference the file number of the prior Commission 
authorization to grandfather the services the carrier now seeks to 
permanently discontinue. Third, carriers are no longer required to file 
an application to discontinue, reduce, or impair any service for which 
it has had no customers and no request for service for at least a 30-
day period immediately preceding the discontinuance. Fourth, all 
carriers, whether dominant or nondominant, that seek approval to 
discontinue legacy voice service can obtain further streamlined 
processing with a public comment period of 15 days and an automatic 
grant period of 31 days, provided (1) they offer a standalone 
interconnected VoIP service throughout the service area, and (2) at 
least one alternative stand-alone, facilities-based voice service is 
available from an unaffiliated provider throughout the affected service 
area (the ``alternative options test''). Finally, all carriers, whether 
dominant or nondominant, that seek approval to grandfather legacy voice 
service are now subject to a uniform reduced public comment period of 
10 days and an automatic grant period of 25 days.

Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene Dortch,
Secretary, Office of the Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2021-15183 Filed 7-15-21; 8:45 am]
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