81 FR 55200 - Information Collection Being Submitted for Emergency Review and Approval to the Office of Management and Budget

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 160 (August 18, 2016)

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC), as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on the following information collection(s), as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995. Comments are requested concerning: Whether the proposed collection(s) 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(s) 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 burden for 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 Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) that does not display a valid OMB Control Number.

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 160 (Thursday, August 18, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55200-55202]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-19744]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[3060-0986]


Information Collection Being Submitted for Emergency Review and 
Approval to the Office of Management and Budget

AGENCY: Federal Communication Commission.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Federal Communications Commission (FCC), as part of its

[[Page 55201]]

continuing effort to reduce paperwork burden, invites the general 
public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment 
on the following information collection(s), as required by the 
Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995. Comments are requested 
concerning: Whether the proposed collection(s) 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(s) 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 burden for 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 
Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) that does not display a valid OMB Control 
Number.

DATES: Written Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) comments should be 
submitted on or before September 19, 2016. 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 FCC 
contact listed below as soon as possible.

ADDRESSES: Direct all PRA comments to Nicholas A. Fraser, Office of 
Management and Budget, via fax at 202-395-5167 or via email at 
[email protected]. Also, please submit your PRA comments 
to the FCC by email at [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nicole Ongele, Office of the Managing 
Director, FCC at (202) 418-2991.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Commission is requesting that OMB 
approve this revised information collection under the emergency 
processing provisions of the PRA, 5 CFR 1320.13.
    OMB Control Number: 3060-0986.
    Title: High-Cost Universal Service Support.
    Form Number: FCC Form 481, FCC Form 505, FCC Form 507, FCC Form 
508, FCC Form 509, and FCC Form 525.
    Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit, not-for-profit 
institutions and state, local or tribal government.
    Number of Respondents and Responses: 1,977 respondents; 14,109 
responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: .5 hours to 100 hours.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion, quarterly and annual 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, 155, 201-206, 214, 218-220, 251, 252, 254, 256, 303(r), 
332, 403, 405, 410, and 1302.
    Total Annual Burden: 274,455 hours.
    Total Annual Cost: N/A.
    Privacy Act Impact Assessment: This information collection does not 
affect individuals or households; thus, there are no impacts under the 
Privacy Act.
    Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: We note that USAC must 
preserve the confidentiality of all data obtained from respondents; 
must not use the data except for purposes of administering the 
universal service programs; and must not disclose data in company-
specific form unless directed to do so by the Commission.
    Needs and Uses: The Federal Communications Commission seeks 
emergency processing under the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), 5 CFR 
1320.13. The Commission is requesting OMB approval for this revised 
information collection. In November 2011, the Commission adopted an 
order reforming its high-cost universal service support mechanisms. 
Connect America Fund; A National Broadband Plan for Our Future; 
Establish Just and Reasonable Rates for Local Exchange Carriers; High-
Cost Universal Service Support; Developing a Unified Intercarrier 
Compensation Regime; Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service; 
Lifeline and Link-Up; Universal Service Reform--Mobility Fund, WC 
Docket Nos. 10-90, 07-135, 05-337, 03-109; GN Docket No. 09-51; CC 
Docket Nos. 01-92, 96-45; WT Docket No. 10-208, Order and Further 
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, 26 FCC Rcd 17663 (2011) (USF/ICC 
Transformation Order); and the Commission and Wireline Competition 
Bureau have since adopted a number of orders that implement the USF/ICC 
Transformation Order; see also Connect America Fund et al., WC Docket 
No. 10-90 et al., Third Order on Reconsideration, 27 FCC Rcd 5622 
(2012); Connect America Fund et al., WC Docket No. 10-90 et al., Order, 
27 FCC Rcd 605 (Wireline Comp. Bur. 2012); Connect America Fund et al., 
WC Docket No. 10-90 et al., Fifth Order on Reconsideration, 27 FCC Rcd 
14549 (2012); Connect America Fund et al., WC Docket No. 10-90 et al., 
Order, 28 FCC Rcd 2051 (Wireline Comp. Bur. 2013); Connect America Fund 
et al., WC Docket No. 10-90 et al., Order, 28 FCC Rcd 7227 (Wireline 
Comp. Bur. 2013); Connect America Fund, WC Docket No. 10-90, Report and 
Order, 28 FCC Rcd 7766 (Wireline Comp. Bur. 2013); Connect America 
Fund, WC Docket No. 10-90, Report and Order, 28 FCC Rcd 7211 (Wireline 
Comp. Bur. 2013); Connect America Fund, WC Docket No. 10-90, Report and 
Order, 28 FCC Rcd 10488 (Wireline Comp. Bur. 2013); Connect America 
Fund et al., WC Docket No. 10-90 et al., Report and Order and Further 
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, 29 FCC Rcd 8769 (2014); Connect America 
Fund et al., WC Docket No. 10-90 et al., Report and Order, 29 FCC Rcd 
15644 (2014); Modernizing the E-rate Program for Schools and Libraries 
et al., WC Docket No. 13-184 et al., Second Report and Order and Order 
on Reconsideration, 29 FCC Rcd 15538 (2014). The Commission has 
received OMB approval for most of the information collections required 
by these orders. At a later date the Commission plans to submit 
additional revisions for OMB review to address other reforms adopted in 
the orders (e.g., 47 CFR 54.313(a)(11)).
    In March 2016, the Commission adopted the Rate-of-Return Reform 
Order to continue modernizing the universal service support mechanisms 
for rate-of-return carriers. Connect America Fund et al., WC Docket No. 
10-90 et al., Report and Order, Order and Order on Reconsideration and 
Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, 31 FCC Rcd 3087 (2016). The 
Rate-of-Return Reform Order replaces the Interstate Common Line Support 
(ICLS) mechanism with the Connect America Fund--Broadband Loop Support 
(CAF-BLS) mechanism. While ICLS supported only lines used to provide 
traditional voice service (including voice service bundled with 
broadband service), CAF-BLS also supports consumer broadband-only 
loops.
    Here, we propose to revise this information collection, 
specifically FCC Form 507, FCC Form 508, and FCC Form 509, to include 
additional line count, forecasted cost and revenue, and actual cost and 
revenue data associated with consumer broadband-only loops necessary 
for the calculation of CAF-BLS. This revision is a narrow expansion of 
similar information related to common line loops, costs, and

[[Page 55202]]

revenues collected pursuant to the existing approval.

Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene H. Dortch,
Secretary, Office of the Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2016-19744 Filed 8-17-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P