[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 55 (Wednesday, March 20, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19825-19826]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-05846]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[OMB 3060-1272; FR ID 209315]


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.''

DATES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed 
information collection should be submitted on or before April 19, 2024.

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 Cathy Williams, 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 Cathy Williams at (202) 418-
2918. 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: 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.
    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: 3060-1272.
    Title: 3.7 GHz Band Space Station Operator Accelerated Relocation 
Elections and Transition Plans; 3.7 GHz Band Earth Station Lump Sum 
Payment Elections.
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities.
    Estimated Number of Respondents and Responses: 3,010 respondents 
and 3,010 responses.

[[Page 19826]]

    Estimated Time per Response: 16 hours per response for accelerated 
relocation elections, 2,720 hours per response for transition plans, 
and 32 hours per response for lump sum payment elections.
    Frequency of Response: One time reporting requirement.
    Obligation to Respond: Statutory authority for this information 
collection is contained in sections 1, 2, 4(i), 4(j), 5(c), 201, 302, 
303, 304, 307(e), and 309 of the Communications Act of 1934, as 
amended, 47 U.S.C. 151, 152, 154(i), 154(j), 155(c), 201, 302, 303, 
304, 307(e), 309.
    Total Annual Burden: 109,680 hours.
    Total Annual Cost: $900,000.
    Needs and Uses: Under this information collection, the Commission 
will collect information that will be used to determine when, how, and 
at what cost existing operations in the lower portion of the 3.7-4.2 
GHz band will be relocated to the upper portion of the band. This 
collection will serve as the starting point for planning and managing 
the process of efficiently and expeditiously clearing of the lower 
portion of the band, so that this spectrum can be auctioned for 
flexible-use service licenses.
    The transition relocation process began in 2020. Initial Transition 
Plans were filed on June 19, 2020 with final Transition Plans due 
August 14, 2020. Throughout the relocation process, the Wireless 
Telecommunications Bureau (Bureau) opened limited windows to amend 
their Transition Plans on several occasions. In addition to submitting 
and modifying Transition Plans during these periods, eligible space 
station operators were required to file quarterly status reports with 
the Commission beginning on December 31, 2020 to demonstrate their 
efforts to ensure a timely transition.
    The 3.7 GHz band auction, Auction 107, took place from December 8, 
2020 to February 17, 2021, and, on February 24, 2021, the Commission 
announced the winning bidders of the C-band auction for all 5,684 
licenses. In the same year, the Bureau directed eligible space station 
operators to submit updates for their final Transition Plans during 
limited windows opened for operators to provide these updates.
    Later that year, on August 4, 2021, the Bureau issued a Public 
Notice implementing filing procedures for Phase I Certifications. 
Originally, Phase I's deadline was set for December 5, 2021, but the 
deadline was met eleven days earlier than anticipated. On November 24, 
2021, the Commission validated the certification of Phase I.
    The C-band transition continued into 2023. On May 15, 2023, the 
Bureau announced procedures for filing C-band Phase II Certifications 
of Accelerated Relocation and implementation of the Commission's 
incremental reduction plan for Phase II Accelerated Relocation Payments 
as part of the ongoing transition. The C-Band Relocation Payment 
Clearinghouse (RPC) is responsible for disbursing the Accelerated 
Relocation Payments within a certain time period.
    On June 1, 2023, all eligible space station operators were 
permitted to submit their Phase II certifications. Also on June 1, 
2023, the Bureau opened a limited, final window for eligible space 
station operators to file modified Transition Plans to accurately 
account for any updates since September 30, 2021.
    Phase II's deadline to complete the transition of space station 
operations to the upper 200 megahertz of the band was originally set 
for December 5, 2023. Instead, on August 10, 2023, the last of the 
Phase II Certifications was deemed granted. Even though Phases I and II 
of the satellite transition are complete, the Commission continues to 
work through the C-band relocation process. On October 13, 2023, the 
Bureau released a Public Notice seeking comment on proposed deadlines 
for claimants to submit reimbursement claims. The Public Notice stated 
that the RPC's operations are currently scheduled to conclude on June 
30, 2025, which is still more than a year and a half away. The 
relocation of the fixed service licensees is also ongoing.
    On December 5, 2023, the Commission issued a Public Notice adopting 
two final reimbursement claims submission deadlines for eligible 
incumbents and other eligible stakeholders to submit any outstanding 
transition-related claims to the RPC for processing as part of this 
ongoing transition. The two deadlines are: (1) February 5, 2024 as the 
submission deadline to the RPC for all reimbursement claims for costs 
incurred and paid by claimants as of December 31, 2023, and (2) July 1, 
2024 as the submission deadline to the RPC for all reimbursement claims 
for costs incurred and paid by claimants after December 31, 2023. In 
the Public Notice, the Commission stated that these adopted dates are 
important because they will aid in facilitating a timely conclusion of 
the C-band reimbursement program. Furthermore, the Commission 
highlighted the fact that all lump sum electees and many other eligible 
claimants and eligible stakeholders have had ample time within which to 
submit their claims to the RPC.
    It is important to continue to collect information because it is 
crucial to ensure that managing this process is efficiently and quickly 
done, and that transition is still underway. Because this process 
remains ongoing, this information collection should be renewed to 
ensure that a complete set of information is maintained. If this 
collection were to expire now, stakeholders would be missing ongoing 
information about the transition process. Renewing this collection will 
provide stakeholders with complete information instead of an 
information collection that ends before the entire transition process 
is officially accomplished in 2025.

Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene Dortch,
Secretary, Office of the Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2024-05846 Filed 3-19-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P