[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 65 (Monday, April 7, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15003-15004]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2025-05872]
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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
[OMB 3060-XXXX; FR ID 288275]
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 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.
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.
DATES: Written comments should be submitted on or before June 6, 2025.
If you anticipate that you will be submitting comments but find it
difficult to do so within the time period 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:
OMB Control Number: 3060-XXXX.
Title: Sections 88.27, 88.31, 88.33, 88.35, 88.135, 88.137, 88.141;
Uncrewed Aircraft Communications in the 5030-5091 MHz band.
Form Number: N/A.
Type of Review: New information collection.
Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities, not-for-profit
institutions, and state, local or tribal governments.
Estimated Number of Respondents and Responses: 436 respondents and
8,326 responses.
Estimated Time per Response: .25 hours to 10 hours.
Frequency of Response: One-time and on occasion reporting
requirements, as-needed reporting requirements; recordkeeping
requirement and third party disclosure requirement.
Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits.
Statutory authority for this information collection is contained in 47
U.S.C. 151, 154, 301, 303, 307, and 310.
Estimated Total Annual Burden: 4,219 hours.
Total Annual Costs: $3,000.
Needs and Uses: On August 21, 2024, the Federal Communications
Commission (``Commission'' or ``FCC'') adopted a Report and Order,
Spectrum Rules and Policies for the Operation of Unmanned Aircraft
Systems, FCC 24-91, in WT Docket No. 22-323 (Report and Order),
establishing rules for Non-networked Access (NNA) in the Uncrewed
Aircraft System Services (UASS), to enable uncrewed aircraft systems
(UAS) operators to obtain direct frequency assignments in a portion of
the 5030-5091 MHz band for protected wireless communications between
UAS operators on the ground and uncrewed aircraft (UA) for flight
control and telemetry. Under the new rules, incorporated in a new rule
part, part 88, operators' use of the spectrum designated for NNA (the
5040-5060 MHz portion of the 5030-5091 MHz band) will be authorized and
coordinated by one or more dynamic frequency management systems
(DFMSs). UAS operators must register with a Commission-approved DFMS,
and then may request short-term frequency assignments in the NNA
spectrum from the DFMS. UAS operators may transmit in the NNA spectrum
only using rule-compliant NNA stations and only pursuant to and
consistent with the terms of a frequency assignment from a DFMS.
The following is a description of information collection
requirements for which the Commission seeks OMB approval:
Under Section 88.27(c) and 88.135(a) and (b), all NNA users are
required to register once with a DFMS in order to submit requests to
that DFMS for a short term assignment of frequencies that authorize the
user to transmit in the NNA spectrum, with registrations including a
party's legal name and contact information, and any other information
required by the DFMS.
Under section 88.31(a), following registration, the NNA user may
submit a request to the DFMS for a temporary frequency assignment to
support UAS control communications, limited to the duration and
geographic coverage necessary to support a single submitted UAS flight.
Section 88.135(h) requires that, for each frequency assignment request,
the NNA user must certify that it has flight authorization from the
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to cover the flight associated
with the frequency assignment request, and that any remote pilots that
will be involved in the flight have all necessary FAA remote pilot
authorization, to the extent such authorization is required.
Section 88.31(c) requires that the NNA user must comply with all
DFMS Administrator instructions, including those regarding registration
process and procedures, requests and other submissions to the DFMS.
Section 88.31(e) requires a UAS ground station using an NNA
assignment or proxy software acting on its behalf must be capable of
communicating with the assigning DFMS to communicate specified
confirmations and status information.
Section 88.33(a) requires that information submitted to a DFMS with
registration or assignment requests must be accurate, complete, and
made in good faith, and section 88.33(b) provides that parties must
keep registration information up to date, and must keep frequency
assignment request information up to date until the scheduled time of
the operation.
Sections 88.31(d) and 88.35 require that parties seeking
assignments in the National Radio Quiet Zone (NRQZ) must first notify
the NRQZ Administrator, unless an exception applies, and otherwise
follow certain submission requirements in filing their assignment
requests.
Section 88.135(p) requires a DFMS to retain information on
exclusion zones sufficient to protect Microwave Landing Systems in the
5030-5091 MHz band.
Section 88.135(q) requires a DFMS to maintain all records for at
least 60 months.
Section 88.135(x) requires a DFMS to immediately notify the
National Science Foundation when a request for frequency assignment is
approved that will support operation of a UAS within 25 miles of one of
sixteen specified radio astronomy sites.
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Section 88.137(d) requires a DFMS administrator to securely
transfer all information in the DFMS to another approved entity in the
event it does not continue as the DFMS administrator at the end of its
term.
Protective DFMS administrators must apply to, and be approved by,
the Commission prior to commencing operation of the DFMS.
Sections 88.35(b) and 88.141(b) establish an Interim Access
Mechanism, under which NNA users may access the 5040-5060 MHz band
prior to the commencement of operation by the first DFMS administrator.
As part of this mechanism, NNA users seeking to transmit in the band
must first obtain concurrence from the Federal Aviation Administration
for the requested use, and then submit to the FCC an online
registration form making certain certifications. When a request for
concurrence is submitted to the FAA for operations within the NRQZ, the
request must state the date that notification to the NRQZ Administrator
was made or provide an approval from the NRQZ Administrator.
These information collection requirements are designed to enable
the implementation of the rules for NNA operations, including the
establishment and operation of the automated process of frequency
assignments through DFMSs. These direct frequency assignments will
support highly reliable control links, and thereby help to safely
integrate UAS flights into the National Airspace System (NAS) and
promote the development of a diverse range of beneficial public and
private uses of UAS technology. Without the required collections, the
Commission would not be able to make this spectrum available for
dynamic, short term assignments to support this important purpose.
Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene Dortch,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2025-05872 Filed 4-4-25; 8:45 am]
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