82 FR 57444 - Information Collection Being Reviewed by the Federal Communications Commission

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

Federal Register Volume 82, Issue 232 (December 5, 2017)

As part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork burdens, and as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (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.

[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 232 (Tuesday, December 5, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57444-57445]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2017-26163]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[OMB 3060-1156]


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 of 1995 (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 February 5, 
2018. 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 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: As part of its continuing effort to reduce 
paperwork burdens, and as required by the PRA, 44 U.S.C. 3501-3520, the 
FCC 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

[[Page 57445]]

further reduce the information collection burden on small business 
concerns with fewer than 25 employees.
    OMB Control No.: 3060-1156.
    Title: 47 CFR 43.82, Annual International Circuit Capacity Reports.
    Form No.: N/A.
    Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved information 
collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit.
    Number of Respondents: 65 respondents; 185 responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: 1-14 hours.
    Frequency of Response: Annual reporting requirement.
    Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. The 
Commission's statutory authority for this information collection under 
Sections 1, 4(i), 4(j), 11, 201-205, 214, 219-220, 303(r), 309, and 403 
of the Communications Act as amended, 47 U.S.C. 151, 154(i), 154(j), 
161, 201-205, 214, 219-220, 303(r), 309, and 403, the Cable Landing 
License Act of 1921, 47 U.S.C. 34-39, and 3 U.S.C. 301.
    Total Annual Burden: 1,085 hours.
    Annual Cost Burden: $2,400.
    Privacy Act Impact Assessment: No impact(s).
    Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: In general, there is no need 
for confidentiality with this collection of information. The 
Commission, however, will allow filing entities to seek confidential 
treatment of their data.
    Needs and Uses: The Federal Communications Commission (Commission) 
is requesting that the
    Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approve a revision of an 
existing information collection, titled ``47 CFR 43.62, Annual 
Reporting Requirements for U.S. Providers of International Services and 
Circuits.'' The purpose of the revision is to obtain OMB approval of 
the annual reporting requirements under the newly adopted 47 CFR 43.82 
which will require that entities holding capacity on submarine cables 
file electronically annual circuit capacity reports, in a format set 
out in a Filing Manual.
    The Commission is requesting a revision of OMB Control No. 3060-
1156 in order to obtain final approval for the requirements in 47 CFR 
43.82, the filing manual, and the electronic filing of the data.
    Previously, U.S. providers of international services were required 
to file annual traffic and revenue reports and circuit capacity reports 
as required by 47 CFR 43.62. The Commission has adopted rules changes 
that eliminate the traffic and revenue reports and further streamline 
the circuit capacity reports. Upon OMB approval of this collection, 47 
CFR 43.62 will be eliminated and replaced with 47 CFR 43.82 for the 
filing of circuit capacity reports.
    The current title of OMB Control No. 3060-1156 is ``47 CFR 43.62, 
Annual Reporting Requirements for U.S. Providers of International 
Services and Circuits.'' The Commission would like to change the title 
to ``47 CFR 43.82, Annual International Circuit Capacity Reports'' in 
order to more accurately describe the information collection 
requirements under 47 CFR Section 43.82.
    The uses to which the Commission puts the information from the 
annual circuit capacity report, and the Registration Form are as 
follows:
(a) Annual Circuit Capacity Reports [Section 43.82 (a)]
    The circuit capacity reports are comprised of two parts. First, 
licensees of a submarine cable extending between the United States and 
a foreign point as of December 31 of the reporting period report the 
available capacity and planned capacity of the cable--the cable 
operators report. Second, each cable landing licensee and common 
carrier that holds capacity on the U.S. end of a submarine cable 
extending between the United States and a foreign point as of December 
31 of the reporting period (``capacity holders'') reports its available 
capacity on the U.S. end of every submarine cable between the United 
States and any foreign point on which it holds capacity as of that 
date--the capacity holders report. A holding of capacity is an interest 
in the U.S. end of an international submarine cable through cable 
ownership, an indefeasible right of use (IRU), or an inter-carrier 
lease (ICL).
    The Commission uses the circuit capacity data for such purposes as 
analyzing international transport markets in merger reviews. More 
importantly, these data are essential for our national security and 
public safety responsibilities in regulating communications, an 
important linchpin of the Commission's statutory authority. Submarine 
cables are critical infrastructure and the circuit capacity data are 
important for the Commission's contributions to the national security 
and defense of the United States. The Commission uses the data, for 
example, to have a complete understanding of the ownership and use of 
submarine cable capacity and to assist in the protection, restoration, 
and resiliency of the infrastructure during national security or public 
safety emergencies, such as hurricanes. The Department of Homeland 
Security (DHS) filed comments stating that it also finds this 
information to be critical to its national and homeland security 
functions, and states that this information, when combined with other 
data sources, is used to protect and preserve national security and for 
its emergency response purposes.
    There are no alternative reliable third party commercial sources 
for the reported data. Although some sources collect general capacity 
information from cable owners, neither the FCC nor DHS has found any 
alternative sources for capacity holder data. Commercial source data 
may include capacity information, but the data are not verified by 
company officials and do not include capacity holder data. Although the 
Commission obtains the ownership and location of individual cables 
through the licensing process, distribution of a cable's capacity among 
providers is not required to be reported under our current submarine 
cable licensing rules and is provided only annually through the Circuit 
Capacity Reports. Further, the Commission's licensing rules do not 
require an applicant to include the entities that have acquired 
capacity on the cable through an IRU or ICL.
(b) Registration Form [Section 43.82 (b)]
    The Registration Form provides basic information about the filing 
and about the entity itself--such as address, phone number, email 
address, and the international Section 214 authorizations and cable 
landing licenses held by the filer. This information will assist in 
keeping track of who holds international circuit capacity and how to 
contact them. The Registration Form also includes a certification by 
the filing entity to certify the accuracy and completeness of its 
report. The Registration Form provides the means by which the filing 
entity may request confidential treatment of the data filed in the 
report.
(c) Filing Manual [Section 43.82(c)]
    The Filing Manual sets forth instructions on how to file the 
reports.

Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene H. Dortch,
Secretary, Office of the Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2017-26163 Filed 12-4-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6712-01-P