[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 182 (Thursday, September 23, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52905-52906]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-20630]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[OMB 3060-0149; FR ID 49176]


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

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, 
as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, the Federal 
Communications Commission (FCC or the Commission) invites the general 
public and other Federal Agencies to take this opportunity to comment 
on the following information collection. Pursuant to the Small Business 
Paperwork Relief Act of 2002, the FCC seeks specific comment on how it 
might ``further reduce the information collection burden for 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 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 comments and recommendations for the proposed 
information collection should be submitted on or before October 25, 
2021.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be sent to 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 proposed information collection to Nicole Ongele, 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 Nicole Ongele at (202) 418-2991. 
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 FCC 
ICRs currently under review appears, look for the Title of this ICR and 
then click on the ICR Reference Number. A copy of the FCC submission to 
OMB will be displayed.

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 FCC invited 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 FCC seeks specific comment on how it might ``further 
reduce the information collection burden for small business concerns 
with fewer than 25 employees.''
    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.
    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 (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

[[Page 52906]]

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. 2021-20630 Filed 9-22-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P