[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 184 (Monday, September 23, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 77511-77512]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-21651]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[OMB 3060-1265; FR ID 245960]


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.'' 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.

DATES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed 
information collection should be submitted on or before October 23, 
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 Nicole Ongele, 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 Nicole Ongele at (202) 418-2991. 
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: 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: 3060-1265.
    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

[[Page 77512]]

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.
Marlene Dortch,
Secretary,Office of the Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2024-21651 Filed 9-20-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P