[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 136 (Tuesday, July 16, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57892-57893]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-15634]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[OMB 3060-1265; FR ID 232207]


Information Collection Being Reviewed by the Federal 
Communications Commission

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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.

DATES: Written PRA comments should be submitted on or before September 
16, 2024. 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].

[[Page 57893]]


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information about the 
information collection, contact Nicole Ongele, (202) 418-2991.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 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.
    OMB Control Number: 3060-1265.
    Title: Administrative Order--Performance Testing Measures.
    Form Number: N/A.
    Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit.
    Number of Respondents and Responses: 1,705 unique respondents; 
7,681 responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: 15-23 hours.
    Frequency of Response: Biennial reporting requirements, quarterly 
reporting requirements and annual reporting requirements.
    Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. 
Statutory authority for this information collection is contained in 47 
U.S.C. 151-154, 155, 201-206, 214, 218-220, 251, 252, 254, 256, 303(r), 
332, 403, 405, 410, and 1302.
    Total Annual Burden: 170,620 hours.
    Total Annual Cost: No Cost.
    Needs and Uses: In the USF/ICC Transformation Order, the Commission 
laid the groundwork for today's universal service programs providing 
$4.5 billion in support for broadband internet deployment in high-cost 
areas. Connect America Fund, et al., WC Docket No. 10-90, et al., 
Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, 26 FCC Rcd 
17663 (2011) (USF/ICC Transformation Order). The USF/ICC Transformation 
Order required, among other things, that high-cost universal service 
recipients ``test their broadband networks for compliance with speed 
and latency metrics and certify to and report the results to the 
Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) on an annual basis.'' 
Id. at 17705, para. 109. Pursuant to the Commission's direction in that 
Order, the Wireline Competition Bureau, the Wireless Telecommunications 
Bureau, and the Office of Engineering and Technology (the Bureaus and 
OET) adopted more specific methodologies for such testing in the 
Performance Measures Order. See generally Performance Measures Order. 
See also 47 CFR 54.313(a)(6) (requiring that recipients of high-cost 
support provide ``[t]he results of network performance tests pursuant 
to the methodology and in the format determined by the Wireline 
Competition Bureau, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, and Office of 
Engineering and Technology''). Addressing petitions for 
reconsideration, the Bureaus and OET adopted certain modifications and 
clarifications to the requirements pertaining to high-latency bidders 
in the Connect America Fund (CAF) Phase II auction, and the Commission 
refined the general testing requirements further. See generally Connect 
America Fund, WC Docket No. 10-90, Order on Reconsideration, DA 19-911 
(WCB/WTB/OET 2019) (Satellite-Related Performance Measures Order); 
Performance Measures Reconsideration Order. In the High Cost 
Administrative Order, the Commission adopted a quarterly reporting and 
certification schedule, replacing the previous annual requirement, such 
that all carriers receiving high-cost support are required to report 
and certify their quarterly performance testing results within two 
weeks, rather than within one week, after the end of the quarter in 
which the tests are conducted. See High Cost Administrative Order, FCC 
25-87, para. 138. Accordingly, this collection includes the 
requirements for testing speed and latency, and reporting and 
certifying such performance measures within two weeks after the end of 
each quarter to ensure that carriers are meeting the public interest 
obligations associated with their receipt of high-cost universal 
service support.
    Carriers will identify, from among the locations they have already 
submitted and certified in USAC's High Cost Universal Broadband (HUBB) 
portal, the locations where they have an active subscriber (deployment 
locations are reported under OMB Control Number 3060-1228, and active 
locations will be reported under this control number). From those 
subscriber locations, USAC will then select a random sample from which 
the carrier will be required to perform testing for speed and latency. 
Carriers that do not provide location information in the HUBB will use 
a randomization tool provided by USAC to select a random sample of 
locations for testing. Due to the rule changes that the Commission 
adopted on the High Cost Administrative Order, the carrier will then be 
required to submit to USAC the results of the testing on a quarterly 
basis. The quarterly filing will include the testing results from the 
prior quarter. The carrier's sample for each service tier (e.g., 10 
Mbps/1 Mbps, 25 Mbps/3 Mbps) shall be regenerated every two years. 
During the two-year cycle, carriers will have the ability to add and 
remove subscriber locations if necessary, e.g., as subscribership 
changes. Also, in July 2023, the Commission adopted the Enhanced 
Alternative-Connect America Cost Model (E-ACAM) support mechanism, a 
new model-based offer to existing Alternative-Connect America Cost 
Model (A-CAM) I, A-CAM II, and Connect America Fund Broadband Loop 
Support (CAF BLS) carriers. See Connect America Fund: A National 
Broadband Plan for Our Future High-Cost Universal Service Support et 
al., WC Docket No. 10-90 et al., Report and Order, Notice of Proposed 
Rulemaking, and Notice of Inquiry, FCC 23-60, at 23-24, para. 49 (July 
24, 2023) (Enhanced A-CAM Order). Revisions proposed include (1) a 
process for E-ACAM carriers to get a performance measures testing 
sample from non-HUBB reported locations, and (2) and reporting and 
certifying such performance measures within two weeks after the end of 
each quarter. The proposed revisions also include the retitling of this 
collection from ``Connect America Fund--Performance Testing Measures'' 
to ``Administrative Order--Performance Testing Measures.''
    The Commission therefore proposes to revise this information 
collection to reflect these modified requirements.

Federal Communications Commission.
Katura Jackson,
Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 2024-15634 Filed 7-15-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P