[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 64 (Monday, April 4, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19503-19505]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-07006]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[OMB 3060-1155; FR ID 80209]


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 (PRA) of 1995, the 
Federal Communications Commission (FCC or the Commission) invites the 
general

[[Page 19504]]

public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment 
on the following information collection. 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 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 3, 
2022. 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: 3060-1155.
    Title: Sections 15.709, 15.713, 15.714, 15.715 15.717, 27.1320, TV 
White Space Broadcast Bands.
    Form No.: N/A.
    Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities.
    Number of Respondents and Responses: 1,510 respondents; 3,500 
responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: 2 hours.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion reporting requirement, 
recordkeeping requirement and third party disclosure requirement.
    Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. 
Statutory authority for this information collection is contained in 47 
U.S.C. 4(i), 201, 302, and 303 of the Communications Act of 1934, as 
amended, 47 U.S.C. 154(i), 201, 302a, 303.
    Total Annual Burden: 7,000 hours.
    Total Annual Cost: $151,000.
    Privacy Act Impact Assessment: No Impact(s).
    Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: The Commission is not 
requesting respondents to submit confidential information to the 
Commission. Respondents may request confidential treatment of such 
information under 47 CFR 0.459 of the Commission's rules.
    Needs and Uses: The Commission is submitting this information 
collection as a revision to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
after this 60 day comment period in order to obtain the full three year 
clearance.
    On January 25, 2022, the Commission adopted a Second Order on 
Reconsideration, Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, and Order in ET 
Docket Nos. 14-165, 20-36, 04-186 and GN Docket No. 12-268, FCC 22-6, 
that made changes to the requirements for how white space devices must 
interact with the white space database. The white space database 
determines which frequencies are available for unlicensed devices and 
is the primary means to prevent white space devices from causing 
harmful interference to TV reception and other protected services. The 
Commission eliminated the requirement for white space database 
administrators to ``push'' changes in channel availability information 
to white space devices. It instead requires fixed and Mode II personal/
portable white space devices, other than narrowband devices, to re-
check the white space database once per hour rather than once per day. 
The Commission retained a daily re-check requirement for mobile and 
narrowband devices but sought comment on whether to apply an hourly re-
check requirement to these types of devices. The Commission also 
retained the requirement for white space database administrators to 
share licensed wireless microphone registration information with other 
database administrators within ten minutes after it is received, but 
moved this requirement to a different rule section.
    The modified database administrator requirements, Section 15.715(l) 
are as follows:

Sec.  15.715 White space database administrator.

    (l) If more than one database is developed, the database 
administrators shall cooperate to develop a standardized process for 
providing on a daily basis or more often, as appropriate, the data 
collected for the facilities listed in Sec.  15.713(b)(2) to all other 
white space databases to ensure consistency in the records of protected 
facilities. In response to a request for immediate access to a channel 
by a licensed wireless microphone user, white space database 
administrators are required to share the licensed microphone channel 
registration information to all other white space database 
administrators within 10 minutes of receiving each wireless microphone 
registration.
    On October 27, 2020, the Commission adopted a Report and Order and 
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in ET Docket No. 20-36, FCC 20-156, that 
made targeted changes to the Part 15 rules for unlicensed white space 
devices in the TV bands to provide improved broadband coverage that 
will benefit American consumers in rural and underserved areas as well 
as to provide improved access to narrowband IoT applications while 
still protecting broadcast television stations from harmful 
interference. Specifically, the Commission permits higher EIRP and 
higher antenna HAAT for fixed white space devices in ``less congested'' 
geographic areas. In addition, the Commission permits higher power 
mobile operation within ``geo-fenced'' areas in ``less congested'' 
areas. The Order revised Section 15.709(g)(1)(ii) to increase the 
maximum permissible antenna height above average terrain for fixed 
white space devices on TV channels 2-35 in ``less congested'' areas 
from 250 meters to 500 meters.
    The white space rules as amended by the 2020 White Spaces R&O 
require that fixed white space devices and installing parties comply 
with the following requirements with respect to the antenna height 
above average terrain:

15.709 General technical requirements.

    (g) Antenna requirements--
    (1) Fixed white space devices--
    (ii) Height above average terrain (HAAT). For devices operating in 
the TV bands below 602 MHz, the transmit antenna shall not be located 
where its height above average terrain exceeds 250 meters generally, or 
500 meters in less congested areas. For devices operating in all other 
bands the transmit antenna shall not be located where its height above 
average terrain exceeds 250 meters. The HAAT is to be calculated by the 
white space database using the methodology in Sec.  73.684(d) of this 
chapter. For HAAT greater than 250 meters the following procedures are 
required:

[[Page 19505]]

    (A) The installing party must contact a white space database and 
identify all TV broadcast station contours that would be potentially 
affected by operation at the planned HAAT and EIRP. A potentially 
affected TV station is one where the protected service contour is 
within the applicable separation distance for the white space device 
operating at an assumed HAAT of 50 meters above the planned height at 
the proposed power level.
    (B) The installing party must notify each of these licensees and 
provide the geographic coordinates of the white space device, relevant 
technical parameters of the proposed deployment, and contact 
information.
    (C) No earlier than four calendar days after this notification, the 
installing party may commence operations.
    (D) Upon request, the installing party must provide each 
potentially affected licensee with information on the time periods of 
operations.
    (E) If the installing party seeks to modify its operations by 
increasing its power level, by moving more than 100 meters horizontally 
from its location, or by making an increase in the HAAT or EIRP of the 
white space device that results in an increase in the minimum required 
separation distances from co-channel or adjacent channel TV station 
contours, it must conduct a new notification.
    (F) All notifications required by this section must be in written 
form (including email). In all cases, the names of persons contacted, 
and dates of contact should be kept by the white space device operator 
for its records and supplied to the Commission upon request.

Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene Dortch,
Secretary, Office of the Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2022-07006 Filed 4-1-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P