[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 36 (Thursday, February 23, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11438-11439]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-03763]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[OMB 3060-1256; FR ID 128220]


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 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 April 24, 
2023. 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: 3060-1256.
    Title: Application for Connect America Fund Phase II and Rural 
Digital Opportunity Fund Auction Support.
    Form Number: FCC Form 683.
    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.
    Number of Respondents and Responses: 530 respondents and 930 
responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: 2-12 hours (on average).
    Frequency of Response: Annual reporting requirements, on occasion 
reporting requirement.
    Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. 
Statutory authority for this information collection 47 U.S.C. 154, 214, 
254 and 303(r) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended.
    Total Annual Burden: 5,860 hours.
    Total Annual Cost: No cost.
    Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: Although most information 
collected in FCC Form 683 will be made available for public inspection, 
the Commission will withhold certain information collected in FCC Form 
683 from routine public inspection. Specifically, the

[[Page 11439]]

Commission will treat certain financial and technical information 
submitted in FCC Form 683 as confidential. In addition, an applicant 
may use the abbreviated process under 47 CFR 0.459(a)(4) to request 
confidential treatment of the audited financial statements that are 
submitted during the post-selection review process. However, if a 
request for public inspection for this technical or financial 
information is made under 47 CFR 0.461, and the applicant has any 
objections to disclosure, the applicant will be notified and will be 
required to justify continued confidential treatment. To the extent 
that an applicant seeks to have other information collected in FCC Form 
683 or during the post-selection review process withheld from public 
inspection, the applicant may request confidential treatment pursuant 
to 47 CFR 0.459.
    Privacy Act Impact Assessment: No impact(s).
    Needs and Uses:

Connect America Fund Phase II Auction

    The Commission is requesting the Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB) approval for this revised information collection. On November 18, 
2011, the Commission released the USF/ICC Transformation Order and 
Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, WC Docket No. 10-90 et al., FCC 
11-161 (USF/ICC Transformation Order and/or FNPRM), which 
comprehensively reformed and modernized the high-cost program within 
the universal service fund to focus support on networks capable of 
providing voice and broadband services. Among other things, the 
Commission created the Connect America Fund (CAF) and concluded that 
support in price cap areas would be provided through a combination of 
``a new forward-looking model of the cost of constructing modern multi-
purpose networks'' and a competitive bidding process (CAF Phase II 
auction or Auction 903). The Commission also sought comment in the 
accompanying USF/ICC Transformation FNPRM on proposed rules governing 
the CAF Phase II auction, including basic auction design and the 
application process.
    In the CAF Phase II auction, service providers competed to receive 
support of up to $1.98 billion over 10 years to offer voice and 
broadband service in unserved high-cost areas. The information 
collection requirements reported under this collection are the result 
of several Commission decisions to implement the reform adopted in the 
USF/ICC Transformation Order and move forward with conducting the CAF 
Phase II auction. In the April 2014 Connect America Order, WC Docket 
No. 10-90 et al., FCC 14-54, the Commission adopted various rules 
regarding participation in the CAF Phase II auction, the term of 
support, and the eligible telecommunications carrier (ETC) designation 
process. In the Phase II Auction Order, WC Docket No. 10-90 et al., FCC 
16-64, the Commission adopted rules to govern the CAF Phase II auction, 
including the adoption of a two-stage application process, which 
includes a pre-auction short-form application to be submitted by 
parties interested in bidding in the CAF Phase II auction and a post-
auction long-form application that must be submitted by winning bidders 
seeking to become authorized to receive CAF Phase II auction support. 
The Commission concluded, based on its experience with auctions and 
consistent with the record, that this two-stage application process 
balances the need to collect information essential to conducting a 
successful auction and authorizing CAF Phase II support with 
administrative efficiency.
    On January 30, 2018, the Commission adopted a public notice that 
established the final procedures for the CAF Phase II auction, 
including the long-form application disclosure and certification 
requirements for winning bidders seeking to become authorized to 
receive CAF Phase II auction support. See Phase II Auction Procedures 
Public Notice, WC Docket No. 17-182 et al., FCC 18-6. The Commission 
also adopted the Phase II Auction Order on Reconsideration, WC Docket 
No. 10-90 et al., FCC 18-5, which modified the Commission's letter of 
credit rules to provide some additional relief for CAF Phase II auction 
support recipients by reducing the costs of maintaining a letter of 
credit. On January 19, 2023, WCB released a public notice announcing 
that the Commission had concluded its review of CAF Phase II auction 
long-form applications. See WCB Concludes CAF II Application Review, 
Long-Forms Made Public, AU Docket No. 17-182 et al., DA 23-49.
    The Commission proposes to eliminate the information collection 
requirements related to the CAF Phase II auction FCC Form 683 now that 
the Commission's review of CAF Phase II auction long-form applications 
has concluded. All other information collection requirements remain 
unchanged.

Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Auction

    On February 7, 2020 the Commission released the Rural Digital 
Opportunity Fund Order, WC Docket Nos. 19-126, 10-90, FCC 20-5 which 
will commit up to $20.4 billion over the next decade to support up to 
gigabit speed broadband networks in rural America. The funding was 
allocated through a multi-round, reverse, descending clock auction that 
favored faster services with lower latency and encouraged intermodal 
competition in order to ensure that the greatest possible number of 
Americans will be connected to the best possible networks, all at a 
competitive cost.
    To implement the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund auction (or Auction 
904), the Commission adopted new rules for the Rural Digital 
Opportunity Fund auction, including the adoption of a two-stage 
application process. Like with the CAF Phase II auction, this process 
includes a pre-auction short-form application to be submitted by 
parties interested in bidding in the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund 
auction (FCC Form 183) and a post-auction long-form application that 
must be submitted by winning bidders (or their designees) seeking to 
become authorized to receive Rural Digital Opportunity Fund support 
(FCC Form 683). The Commission received approval for the short-form 
application (FCC Form 183) in a separate collection under the OMB 
control number 3060-1252.
    This information collection includes the disclosures and 
certifications adopted by the Commission that must be made by winning 
bidders seeking to become authorized for Rural Digital Opportunity Fund 
support and the requirement that Rural Digital Opportunity Fund support 
recipients maintain a letter of credit. Any additional revisions or new 
collections for OMB review that address other reforms adopted in the 
Order will be submitted at a later date.
    The Commission therefore proposes to revise this information 
collection to maintain these Rural Digital Opportunity Fund 
requirements.

Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene Dortch,
Secretary, Office of the Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2023-03763 Filed 2-22-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P