[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 87 (Friday, May 5, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29128-29129]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-09554]



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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[OMB 3060-0678; FR ID 139669]


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), 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 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.

DATES: Written comments should be submitted on or before July 5, 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 contacts below as soon as possible.

ADDRESSES: Direct all PRA comments to Cathy Williams, FCC, via email 
[email protected] and to [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  For additional information about the 
information collection, contact Cathy Williams at (202) 418-2918.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 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.
    As part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork burdens, and 
as required by the PRA of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520), the FCC 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.
    OMB Control Number: 3060-0678.
    Title: Part 25 of the Federal Communications Commission's Rules 
Governing the Licensing of, and Spectrum Usage by, Commercial Earth 
Stations and Space Stations.
    Form Number: FCC Form 312, Main Form, FCC Form 312 EZ, 312-R, and 
Schedules A, B, and S.
    Type of Review: Revision of an existing collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities, not-for-profit 
institutions.
    Number of Respondents and Responses: 3,515 respondents and 3,567 
responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: 0.5-80 hours.
    Frequency of Response: On Occasion, one time, and annual reporting 
requirements; third-party disclosure requirement; recordkeeping 
requirement.
    Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. The 
Commission has statutory authority for the information collection 
requirements under 47 U.S.C. 154, 301, 302, 303, 307, 309, 310, 319, 
332, 605, and 721.
    Total Annual Burden: 27,176.
    Annual Cost Burden: $3,923,887.
    Needs and Uses: The Federal Communications Commission requests that 
the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approve a revision of the 
information collection titled ``Part 25 of the Federal Communications 
Commission's Rules Governing the Licensing of, and Spectrum Usage By, 
Commercial Earth Stations and Space Stations'' under OMB Control No. 
3060-0678, as a result of three recent rulemakings, as well as an 
update to the Commission's filing system for earth station and space 
station applications, as discussed below.\1\
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    \1\ This request does not include the revisions to this 
information collection as a result of the Commission's rulemaking 
concerning orbital debris mitigation in IB Docket No. 18-313. These 
revisions will be submitted separately for OMB approval.
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    On September 27, 2019, the Commission released a Report and Order, 
FCC 19-93, in IB Docket No. 06-160, titled ``Amendment of the 
Commission's Policies and Rules for Processing Applications in the 
Direct Broadcast Satellite Service'' (DBS Licensing Report and Order). 
In this Report and Order, the Commission adopted a new licensing 
process for space stations in the Direct Broadcast Satellite Service 
(DBS). This new process allows applicants for DBS space station 
licenses to take advantage of a licensing process that parallels the 
Commission's streamlined Part 25 satellite licensing rules for 
geostationary orbit (GSO) space stations in the fixed-satellite service 
(FSS). The Commission limited the regulatory burdens borne by 
applicants, while promoting new opportunities for efficient use of 
orbital spacing and spectrum by DBS licensees. The Commission's action 
supports and encourages the increasing innovation in the DBS sector and 
helps to preserve U.S. leadership in space-based services and 
operations. This information collection will provide the Commission and 
the public with necessary information about this area of satellite 
operations. This information collection serves the public interest by 
streamlining the collection of information and allowing the Commission 
to authorize DBS space stations under the new process established in 
the Report and Order.
    Specifically, FCC 19-93 contains the new or modified information 
collection requirement listed below:
    Space station applications for GSO space stations operating in the 
frequencies of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) 
Appendices 30 and 30A (incorporated by reference, see Sec.  25.108) 
must include a statement that the proposed operation will take into 
account the applicable requirements of these Appendices of the ITU 
Radio Regulations and a demonstration that it is compatible with other 
U.S. ITU filings under Appendices 30 and 30A or, for any affected 
filings, a letter signed by the affected operator indicating that it 
consents to the new application.
    The changes adopted in this Report and Order will result in a very 
small net annualized increase in burden hours to applicants and 
licensees under Part 25. A request for revisions to the

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information collection resulting from FCC 19-93 was previously 
published in the Federal Register (see 85 FR 41980), but it has been 
updated and is now included in this revision request.
    On August 3, 2022, the Commission released a Report and Order, FCC 
22-63, in IB Docket Nos. 20-330 and 22-273, titled ``FCC Updates 17 GHz 
Rules to Support Spectrum or Satellite Broadband'' (17 GHz Report and 
Order). In this Report and Order, the Commission amended its rules to 
permit use of the 17.3-17.7 GHz band by geostationary satellite orbit 
(GSO) space stations in the fixed-satellite service (FSS) in the space-
to-Earth direction on a co-primary basis with incumbent services, and 
permit limited GSO FSS (space-to-Earth) use of the 17.7-17.8 GHz band 
on an unprotected basis with respect to fixed service operations.
    The updated rules require FSS applicants seeking authority to 
operate in the 17 GHz band to submit similar information as other 
operators in this band, including earth station antenna 
characteristics, space station technical parameters, satellite system 
architecture, and power levels, as well as any interference mitigation 
techniques to help ensure that GSO FSS operations in the 17 GHz band do 
not interfere with incumbent services. Specifically, the rules require 
applicants to provide information pertaining to:
     Certification of frequency coordination with the operator 
of the co-frequency space station or submission of an interference 
analysis demonstrating the compatibility of the proposed system with 
the co-frequency space station,
     Information as to earth station antenna characteristics to 
ensure that antennas are properly aimed and configured and that their 
signals are not likely to interfere with other systems,
     Implementation of interference detection and mitigation 
plans to prevent and resolve interference issues.
    The changes adopted in this Report and Order will result in a small 
net annualized increase in burden hours to applicants and licensees 
under Part 25.
    On November 19, 2020, the Commission released a Report and Order, 
FCC 20-159, in IB Docket No. 18-314, titled ``Further Streamlining Part 
25 Rules Governing Satellite Services'' (Satellite Services Report and 
Order). The Satellite Services Report and Order streamlined the 
Commission's rules governing satellite services by creating an optional 
framework for authorizing both the blanket-licensed earth stations and 
space stations of a satellite system through a unified license. The 
Report and Order also permitted earth station applicants to certify 
compliance with relevant satellite licenses in lieu of providing 
duplicative or unnecessary technical demonstrations, aligned the build-
out requirements for earth stations and space stations, and eliminated 
unnecessary reporting rules. These changes reduce regulatory burdens, 
simplify the Commission's licensing of satellite systems, and provide 
additional operational flexibility. The Report and Order affected two 
information collections: OMB Control Numbers 3060-1215 and 3060-0678. 
The Commission received OMB approval for changes under No. 3060-1215 on 
August 26, 2021, as reported in 86 FR 52102. The Commission seeks 
approval for changes under No. 3060-0678 through this supporting 
statement.
    The changes adopted in the Report and Order will result in a net 
annualized decrease in burden hours to applicants and licensees under 
Part 25. This submission amends the previous submission to the OMB to 
reflect these changes.
    Additionally, The Commission has updated the International Bureau 
Filing System (IBFS), including updates to the Form 312, Schedule S. 
The updated version of Form 312, Schedule S will include several minor 
changes to the information collection designed to provide clarity to 
applicants and Commission staff, reduce errors, and make overall 
improvements to the applicants' experience in completing the Schedule 
S. The changes will result in a very small net annualized increase in 
burden hours to certain applicants under Part 25.

Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene Dortch,
Secretary, Office of the Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2023-09554 Filed 5-4-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P