83_FR_24851 83 FR 24747 - Improving the Quality and Accuracy of Broadband Availability Data

83 FR 24747 - Improving the Quality and Accuracy of Broadband Availability Data

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Telecommunications and Information Administration

Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 104 (May 30, 2018)

Page Range24747-24749
FR Document2018-11483

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), on behalf of the Department of Commerce (Department), is requesting comment on actions that can be taken to improve the quality and accuracy of broadband availability data, particularly in rural areas, as part of the activities directed by Congress in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2018. Through this Request for Comments (RFC), NTIA seeks input from a broad range of interested stakeholders--including private industry; academia; federal, state, and local government; not-for-profits; and other stakeholders with an interest in broadband availability--on ways to improve the nation's ability to analyze broadband availability, with the intention of identifying gaps in broadband availability that can be used to improve policymaking and inform public investments.

Federal Register, Volume 83 Issue 104 (Wednesday, May 30, 2018)
[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 104 (Wednesday, May 30, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24747-24749]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2018-11483]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Telecommunications and Information Administration

[Docket No. 180427421-8421-01]
RIN 0660-XC042


Improving the Quality and Accuracy of Broadband Availability Data

AGENCY: National Telecommunications and Information Administration, 
U.S. Department of Commerce

[[Page 24748]]


ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The National Telecommunications and Information Administration 
(NTIA), on behalf of the Department of Commerce (Department), is 
requesting comment on actions that can be taken to improve the quality 
and accuracy of broadband availability data, particularly in rural 
areas, as part of the activities directed by Congress in the 
Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2018. Through this Request for 
Comments (RFC), NTIA seeks input from a broad range of interested 
stakeholders--including private industry; academia; federal, state, and 
local government; not-for-profits; and other stakeholders with an 
interest in broadband availability--on ways to improve the nation's 
ability to analyze broadband availability, with the intention of 
identifying gaps in broadband availability that can be used to improve 
policymaking and inform public investments.

DATES: Comments are due on or before 5 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on 
July 16, 2018.

ADDRESSES: Written comments may be submitted by email to 
[email protected]. Written comments may also be submitted by mail 
to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, U.S. 
Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW, Room 4887, Attn: 
Douglas Kinkoph, Associate Administrator, Washington, DC 20230. For 
more instructions about submitting comments, see the ``Instructions for 
Commenters'' section of SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Andy Spurgeon, tel.: (720) 389-4900, 
email: [email protected], or Tim Moyer, tel.: (202) 482-6423, 
email: [email protected], National Telecommunications and Information 
Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue 
NW, Room 4725, Washington, DC 20230. Please direct media inquiries to 
NTIA's Office of Public Affairs, (202) 482-7002, or at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Background: Broadband connectivity is essential to the nation's 
economic growth and social advancement. It is the conduit for economic 
and social opportunities for U.S. households and a gateway to increased 
productivity, growth and market access for businesses of all sizes, yet 
many American businesses, households and critical anchor institutions 
lack sufficient broadband availability. Using its current definition of 
broadband (25 Mbps downstream/3 Mbps upstream), Federal Communications 
Commission (FCC) data show that approximately 8 percent of Americans 
lived in places where fixed terrestrial broadband service was 
unavailable by the end of 2016. This data also demonstrates that there 
continued to be a significant disparity across America, with more than 
30 percent of rural Americans and approximately 35 percent of those 
living on Tribal lands lacking broadband availability, compared to 2 
percent of Americans living in urban areas.\1\ Many businesses, schools 
and libraries in rural and Tribal areas are insufficiently served or 
cannot afford the network transmission speed required to support 
multiple users of bandwidth-intensive applications. Knowing where the 
persistent gaps in broadband exist is crucial to enabling more 
efficient and effective investments in broadband infrastructure from 
both the public and private sectors.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ Federal Communications Commission 2018 Broadband Progress 
Report. See https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-18-10A1.pdf.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    NTIA, in collaboration with the FCC, pioneered the collection of 
extensive broadband deployment data when it launched the State 
Broadband Initiative (SBI) in 2009. Through this program, NTIA worked 
with every state, territory, and the District of Columbia to collect 
fixed and mobile broadband availability data for over 11 million Census 
blocks every six months for five years. To make these data accessible 
to a broad audience, NTIA launched the National Broadband Map (NBM) in 
2011. Although the SBI program ended in 2015, NTIA continues its 
extensive work to collect, analyze, and disseminate data relevant to 
broadband availability and adoption.
    Presently, the only source of nationwide broadband availability 
data is that collected from broadband service provider responses to the 
FCC Form 477 Fixed Broadband Deployment data process. Form 477 data are 
submitted by voice and broadband telecommunications service providers 
semi-annually and include information on services each provider offers, 
at the Census block level.\2\ While the Census block system provides a 
very high level of geographic granularity overall--the United States is 
divided into over 11 million blocks, 95 percent of which do not exceed 
1 square mile in land area--it is possible that broadband availability 
may vary within a single block, particularly if it is geographically 
larger (which is most common in rural areas). A provider offering 
service to any homes or businesses in a Census block is instructed to 
report that block as served in its Form 477 filing, even though it may 
not offer broadband services in most of the block. This can lead to 
overstatements in the level of broadband availability, especially in 
rural areas where Census blocks are large.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \2\ ``All facilities-based broadband providers are required to 
file data with the FCC twice a year (Form 477) on where they offer 
internet access service at speeds exceeding 200 kbps in at least one 
direction.'' See https://www.fcc.gov/general/broadband-deployment-data-fcc-form-477.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Moreover, there is no independent validation or verification 
process for Form 477 data service providers to submit to the FCC. While 
NTIA believes that the Form 477 data program is impressively large and 
useful, and benefits broadband policy research and decision-making, as 
well as the FCC's internal needs, NTIA also believes that the Form 477 
data collection program suffers from issues with data accuracy.
    Recognizing the deficiencies of the current broadband data 
collection process, Congress directed NTIA to update the national 
broadband availability map in coordination with the FCC and use 
partnerships previously developed with the states. Unlike the SBI 
program, in which NTIA worked with the states to collect and validate 
broadband availability data independent from the FCC's Form 477 data 
collection process, this is not a new program to fund the primary 
collection of broadband availability or subscription data, nor to fund 
specific data collection activities by states or third parties. Rather, 
Congress directed NTIA to acquire and display available third-party 
data sets to the extent it is able to negotiate inclusion to augment 
data from the FCC, other federal government agencies, state government, 
and the private sector. The objective of these updates is to identify 
regions of the country with insufficient broadband capacity, 
particularly in rural areas.
    NTIA is well-suited to perform this task. It has extensive 
experience collecting data on broadband adoption and usage in the 
United States, creating decades of datasets that complement the Form 
477 data collections on broadband deployment and subscription. Since 
1994, NTIA has partnered with the Census Bureau (Census) to survey 
approximately 53,000 U.S. households on their internet and computer 
use. NTIA's questionnaire, administered as a supplement to Census's 
Current Population Survey (CPS), includes more than 50 questions to 
gather a wealth of information on household and individual internet use 
and

[[Page 24749]]

demographics, including the locations, technologies, and devices that 
people use to go online, their online activities, and the reasons why 
some Americans still do not utilize these technologies. Whereas Form 
477 focuses on broadband availability and subscription data gathered 
from service providers, NTIA's CPS Supplements provide detailed 
information on adoption and usage of the internet, as reported by 
households across the country. The NTIA surveys, together with the 
FCC's Form 477 and three household broadband adoption questions on the 
American Community Survey, comprise a valuable, holistic set of federal 
data sources related to broadband.
    NTIA issues this RFC to solicit informed recommendations and 
feedback on sources of broadband availability data, mechanisms to 
validate broadband availability data using multiple data sources or new 
techniques, and approaches to leverage such data and techniques to 
inform broadband planning at the state and national levels by promoting 
the most efficient use of state or federal funding to areas that are 
insufficiently served by broadband.
    Request for Comments: NTIA invites comment on the full range of 
issues that may be presented by this inquiry, including issues that are 
not specifically raised in the questions below. Commenters are 
encouraged to address any or all of the questions below. Comments that 
contain references to studies, research, and other empirical data that 
are not widely published should include copies of the referenced 
materials with the submitted comments.
    1. Identifying additional broadband availability data:
    a. What additional data on broadband availability are available 
from federal, state, not-for-profit, academic, or private-sector 
sources to augment the FCC Form 477 data set?
    b. What obstacles--such as concerns about the quality, scope, or 
format of the data, as well as contractual, confidentiality, or data 
privacy concerns--might prevent the collaborative use of such data?
    2. Technology type, service areas, and bandwidth: Please consider 
providing a table or spreadsheet attachment when responding to question 
2, if needed.
    a. For each broadband availability data source, please define the 
specific broadband technologies (e.g., wireline, cable, fixed wireless, 
satellite, multiple sources, etc.) included in the data set. Please 
explain the service areas or geographic scope of the data set (e.g., 
Census block, county, cable franchises, publicly funded service areas, 
etc.) and describe how records from the data set could be matched with 
records from Form 477 data.
    b. Describe how frequently the data set is updated and the 
methodology used for collection and what measures are employed to 
validate or otherwise ensure the data is accurate. Please explain 
whether the data set differentiates between subscribed bandwidth and 
maximum available speeds.
    c. For each data set, please provide the name(s) and type(s) of 
entity that collects the data.
    d. Finally, please specify the format of the data (e.g., CSV, 
specific database, specific Geographic Information System (GIS) format, 
etc.)
    3. New approaches: Are there new approaches, tools, technologies, 
or methodologies that could be used to capture broadband availability 
data, particularly in rural areas?
    4. Validating broadband availability data:
    a. What methodologies, policies, standards, or technologies can be 
implemented to validate and compare various broadband availability data 
sources and identify and address conflicts between them?
    b. Do examples or studies of such validation exist?
    c. What thresholds or benchmarks should be taken into account when 
validating broadband availability, such as bandwidth, latency, 
geographic coverage, technology type, etc.? How can conformance to such 
standards be used to evaluate the accuracy of broadband data sets? How 
could those standards be used to improve policymaking, program 
management, or research in broadband-related fields?
    5. Identifying gaps in broadband availability:
    a. What data improvements can the government implement to better 
identify areas with insufficient broadband capacity?
    b. What other inputs should NTIA seek to inform data-driven 
broadband policy- and decision-making?
    Instructions for Commenters: Comments submitted by email should be 
machine-readable and should not be copy-protected. Comments submitted 
by mail may be in hard copy (paper) or electronic (on CD-ROM or disk). 
Responders should include the name of the person or organization filing 
the comment, as well as a page number on each page of their 
submissions. All comments received are a part of the public record and 
will generally be posted on the NTIA website, https://www.ntia.doc.gov, 
without change. All personal identifying information (for example, 
name, address) voluntarily submitted by the commenter may be publicly 
accessible. Do not submit confidential business information or 
otherwise sensitive or protected information. NTIA will accept 
anonymous comments.

    Dated: May 23, 2018.
David J. Redl,
Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information.
[FR Doc. 2018-11483 Filed 5-29-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-60-P



                                                                            Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 104 / Wednesday, May 30, 2018 / Notices                                                   24747

                                                Suspension of Liquidation                               States by TSCL in any other producer/                   Dated: May 23, 2018.
                                                   In accordance with section                           exporter combinations or by third                     Gary Taverman,
                                                735(c)(1)(B) of the Act, Commerce will                  parties that sourced subject                          Deputy Assistant Secretary for Antidumping
                                                instruct U.S. Customs and Border                        merchandise from the excluded                         and Countervailing Duty Operations
                                                                                                        producer/exporter combination.                        performing the non-exclusive functions and
                                                Protection (CBP) to continue to suspend                                                                       duties of the Assistant Secretary for
                                                liquidation of all appropriate entries of                 These suspension of liquidation
                                                                                                                                                              Enforcement and Compliance.
                                                fine denier PSF from Taiwan as                          instructions will remain in effect until
                                                described in Appendix I of this notice,                 further notice.                                       Appendix I—Scope of the Investigation
                                                which were entered, or withdrawn from                   Disclosure                                               The merchandise covered by this
                                                warehouse, for consumption on or after                                                                        investigation is fine denier polyester staple
                                                January 5, 2018, the date of publication                  Commerce intends to disclose to                     fiber (fine denier PSF), not carded or combed,
                                                of the Preliminary Determination of this                interested parties its calculations and               measuring less than 3.3 decitex (3 denier) in
                                                investigation in the Federal Register.                  analysis performed in this final                      diameter. The scope covers all fine denier
                                                Further, pursuant to section 735(c)(1)(B)               determination within five days of any                 PSF, whether coated or uncoated. The
                                                                                                        public announcement or, if there is no                following products are excluded from the
                                                of the Act and 19 CFR 351.210(d),
                                                                                                        public announcement, within five days                 scope:
                                                Commerce will instruct CBP to require                                                                            (1) PSF equal to or greater than 3.3 decitex
                                                a cash deposit equal to the estimated                   of the date of publication of this notice
                                                                                                                                                              (more than 3 denier, inclusive) currently
                                                weighted-average dumping margin or                      in accordance with 19 CFR 351.224(b).                 classifiable under Harmonized Tariff
                                                the estimated all-others rate, as follows:              International Trade Commission                        Schedule of the United States (HTSUS)
                                                (1) The cash deposit rate for the                       Notification                                          subheadings 5503.20.0045 and 5503.20.0065.
                                                respondents listed above will be equal                                                                           (2) Low-melt PSF defined as a bi-
                                                to the respondent-specific estimated                       In accordance with section 735(d) of               component polyester fiber having a polyester
                                                                                                        the Act, Commerce will notify the                     fiber component that melts at a lower
                                                weighted-average dumping margins
                                                                                                        International Trade Commission (ITC) of               temperature than the other polyester fiber
                                                determined in this final determination;                                                                       component, which is currently classifiable
                                                (2) if the exporter is not a respondent                 its final affirmative determination.
                                                                                                                                                              under HTSUS subheading 5503.20.0015.
                                                identified above, but the producer is,                  Because the final determination in this                  Fine denier PSF is classifiable under the
                                                then the cash deposit rate will be equal                proceeding is affirmative, in accordance              HTSUS subheading 5503.20.0025. Although
                                                to the respondent-specific estimated                    with section 735(b)(2)(B) of the Act, the             the HTSUS subheadings are provided for
                                                weighted-average dumping margin                         ITC will make its final determination as              convenience and customs purposes, the
                                                established for that producer of the                    to whether the domestic industry in the               written description of the scope of this
                                                                                                        United States is materially injured, or               investigation is dispositive.
                                                subject merchandise, except as
                                                explained below; and (3) the cash                       threatened with material injury, by                   Appendix II—List of Topics Discussed
                                                deposit rate for all other producers and/               reason of imports of fine denier PSF                  in the Issues and Decision
                                                or exporters will be equal to the all-                  from Taiwan no later than 45 days after               Memorandum
                                                others estimated weighted-average                       Commerce’s final determination. If the
                                                                                                        ITC determines that material injury or                I. Summary
                                                dumping margin.                                                                                               II. List of Issues
                                                   Because the estimated weighted-                      threat of material injury does not exist,
                                                                                                                                                              III. Background
                                                average dumping margin for TSCL is                      the proceeding will be terminated and                 IV. Scope of the Investigation
                                                zero, entries of shipments of subject                   all securities posted will be refunded or             V. Discussion of the Issues
                                                merchandise both produced and                           canceled. If the ITC determines that                     Comment 1: Reported Costs for a Certain
                                                exported by TSCL will not be subject to                 such injury does exist, Commerce will                       Product Control Number (CONNUM)
                                                suspension of liquidation or cash                       issue an antidumping duty order                          Comment 1(a): Direct Material Costs
                                                deposit requirements. In such                           directing CBP to assess, upon further                    Comment 1(b): Allocation of Labor and
                                                situations, Commerce applies the                        instruction by Commerce, antidumping                        Overhead
                                                                                                        duties on appropriate imports of the                     Comment 1(c): Market Price Methodology
                                                exclusion to the provisional measures to                                                                            for Grades B and C PSF
                                                the producer/exporter combination that                  subject merchandise entered, or
                                                                                                                                                                 Comment 1(d): Scrap Offset Calculation
                                                was examined in the investigation.                      withdrawn from warehouse, for                            Comment 2: Factoring Agreement
                                                Accordingly, Commerce is directing                      consumption on or after the effective                    Comment 3: Packing Cost
                                                CBP to not suspend liquidation of                       date of the suspension of liquidation.                   Comment 4: Application of Partial Facts
                                                entries of subject merchandise produced                                                                             Available
                                                                                                        Notification to Interested Parties
                                                and exported by TSCL. Entries of                                                                              VI. Recommendation
                                                shipments of subject merchandise from                      This notice serves as a reminder to                [FR Doc. 2018–11712 Filed 5–29–18; 8:45 am]
                                                TSCL in any other producer/exporter                     parties subject to an administrative                  BILLING CODE 3510–DS–P
                                                combination, or by third parties that                   protective order (APO) of their
                                                sourced subject merchandise from the                    responsibility concerning the
                                                excluded producer/exporter                              disposition of proprietary information                DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
                                                combination, are subject to the                         disclosed under APO in accordance
                                                provisional measures at the all-others                  with 19 CFR 351.305(a)(3). Timely                     National Telecommunications and
                                                rate.                                                   notification of the return or destruction             Information Administration
                                                   Because the final estimated weighted-                of APO materials, or conversion to                    [Docket No. 180427421–8421–01]
                                                average dumping margin for subject                      judicial protective order, is hereby
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                                                merchandise produced and exported by                    requested. Failure to comply with the                 RIN 0660–XC042
                                                TSCL is zero, entries of shipments of                   regulations and the terms of an APO is
                                                                                                        a violation subject to sanction.                      Improving the Quality and Accuracy of
                                                subject merchandise from this producer/
                                                                                                                                                              Broadband Availability Data
                                                exporter combination will be excluded                      This determination and this notice are
                                                from the antidumping duty order. This                   issued and published pursuant to                      AGENCY:  National Telecommunications
                                                exclusion is not applicable to                          sections 735(d) and 777(i)(1) of the Act              and Information Administration, U.S.
                                                merchandise exported to the United                      and 19 CFR 351.210(c).                                Department of Commerce


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                                                24748                       Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 104 / Wednesday, May 30, 2018 / Notices

                                                      Notice and request for
                                                ACTION:                                                 definition of broadband (25 Mbps                       not exceed 1 square mile in land area—
                                                comments.                                               downstream/3 Mbps upstream), Federal                   it is possible that broadband availability
                                                                                                        Communications Commission (FCC)                        may vary within a single block,
                                                SUMMARY:    The National                                data show that approximately 8 percent                 particularly if it is geographically larger
                                                Telecommunications and Information                      of Americans lived in places where                     (which is most common in rural areas).
                                                Administration (NTIA), on behalf of the                 fixed terrestrial broadband service was                A provider offering service to any
                                                Department of Commerce (Department),                    unavailable by the end of 2016. This                   homes or businesses in a Census block
                                                is requesting comment on actions that                   data also demonstrates that there                      is instructed to report that block as
                                                can be taken to improve the quality and                 continued to be a significant disparity                served in its Form 477 filing, even
                                                accuracy of broadband availability data,                across America, with more than 30                      though it may not offer broadband
                                                particularly in rural areas, as part of the             percent of rural Americans and                         services in most of the block. This can
                                                activities directed by Congress in the                  approximately 35 percent of those living               lead to overstatements in the level of
                                                Consolidated Appropriations Act of                      on Tribal lands lacking broadband                      broadband availability, especially in
                                                2018. Through this Request for                          availability, compared to 2 percent of                 rural areas where Census blocks are
                                                Comments (RFC), NTIA seeks input                        Americans living in urban areas.1 Many                 large.
                                                from a broad range of interested                        businesses, schools and libraries in rural                Moreover, there is no independent
                                                stakeholders—including private                          and Tribal areas are insufficiently                    validation or verification process for
                                                industry; academia; federal, state, and                 served or cannot afford the network                    Form 477 data service providers to
                                                local government; not-for-profits; and                  transmission speed required to support                 submit to the FCC. While NTIA believes
                                                other stakeholders with an interest in                  multiple users of bandwidth-intensive                  that the Form 477 data program is
                                                broadband availability—on ways to                       applications. Knowing where the                        impressively large and useful, and
                                                improve the nation’s ability to analyze                 persistent gaps in broadband exist is                  benefits broadband policy research and
                                                broadband availability, with the                        crucial to enabling more efficient and                 decision-making, as well as the FCC’s
                                                intention of identifying gaps in                        effective investments in broadband                     internal needs, NTIA also believes that
                                                broadband availability that can be used                 infrastructure from both the public and                the Form 477 data collection program
                                                to improve policymaking and inform                      private sectors.                                       suffers from issues with data accuracy.
                                                public investments.                                        NTIA, in collaboration with the FCC,                   Recognizing the deficiencies of the
                                                DATES: Comments are due on or before                    pioneered the collection of extensive                  current broadband data collection
                                                5 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on July 16,                broadband deployment data when it                      process, Congress directed NTIA to
                                                2018.                                                   launched the State Broadband Initiative                update the national broadband
                                                ADDRESSES: Written comments may be                      (SBI) in 2009. Through this program,                   availability map in coordination with
                                                submitted by email to mappingrfc@                       NTIA worked with every state, territory,               the FCC and use partnerships
                                                ntia.doc.gov. Written comments may                                                                             previously developed with the states.
                                                                                                        and the District of Columbia to collect
                                                also be submitted by mail to the                                                                               Unlike the SBI program, in which NTIA
                                                                                                        fixed and mobile broadband availability
                                                National Telecommunications and                                                                                worked with the states to collect and
                                                                                                        data for over 11 million Census blocks
                                                Information Administration, U.S.                                                                               validate broadband availability data
                                                                                                        every six months for five years. To make
                                                Department of Commerce, 1401                                                                                   independent from the FCC’s Form 477
                                                                                                        these data accessible to a broad
                                                                                                                                                               data collection process, this is not a new
                                                Constitution Avenue NW, Room 4887,                      audience, NTIA launched the National
                                                                                                                                                               program to fund the primary collection
                                                Attn: Douglas Kinkoph, Associate                        Broadband Map (NBM) in 2011.
                                                                                                                                                               of broadband availability or
                                                Administrator, Washington, DC 20230.                    Although the SBI program ended in
                                                                                                                                                               subscription data, nor to fund specific
                                                For more instructions about submitting                  2015, NTIA continues its extensive
                                                                                                                                                               data collection activities by states or
                                                comments, see the ‘‘Instructions for                    work to collect, analyze, and                          third parties. Rather, Congress directed
                                                Commenters’’ section of SUPPLEMENTARY                   disseminate data relevant to broadband                 NTIA to acquire and display available
                                                INFORMATION.                                            availability and adoption.                             third-party data sets to the extent it is
                                                FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:                           Presently, the only source of                       able to negotiate inclusion to augment
                                                Andy Spurgeon, tel.: (720) 389–4900,                    nationwide broadband availability data                 data from the FCC, other federal
                                                email: aspurgeon@ntia.doc.gov, or Tim                   is that collected from broadband service               government agencies, state government,
                                                Moyer, tel.: (202) 482–6423, email:                     provider responses to the FCC Form 477                 and the private sector. The objective of
                                                tmoyer@ntia.doc.gov, National                           Fixed Broadband Deployment data                        these updates is to identify regions of
                                                Telecommunications and Information                      process. Form 477 data are submitted by                the country with insufficient broadband
                                                Administration, U.S. Department of                      voice and broadband                                    capacity, particularly in rural areas.
                                                Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue                      telecommunications service providers                      NTIA is well-suited to perform this
                                                NW, Room 4725, Washington, DC                           semi-annually and include information                  task. It has extensive experience
                                                20230. Please direct media inquiries to                 on services each provider offers, at the               collecting data on broadband adoption
                                                NTIA’s Office of Public Affairs, (202)                  Census block level.2 While the Census                  and usage in the United States, creating
                                                482–7002, or at press@ntia.doc.gov.                     block system provides a very high level                decades of datasets that complement the
                                                SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:                              of geographic granularity overall—the                  Form 477 data collections on broadband
                                                   Background: Broadband connectivity                   United States is divided into over 11                  deployment and subscription. Since
                                                is essential to the nation’s economic                   million blocks, 95 percent of which do                 1994, NTIA has partnered with the
                                                growth and social advancement. It is the                                                                       Census Bureau (Census) to survey
                                                                                                          1 Federal Communications Commission 2018
                                                conduit for economic and social                                                                                approximately 53,000 U.S. households
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                                                                                                        Broadband Progress Report. See https://
                                                opportunities for U.S. households and a                 apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-18-          on their internet and computer use.
                                                gateway to increased productivity,                      10A1.pdf.                                              NTIA’s questionnaire, administered as a
                                                growth and market access for businesses                   2 ‘‘All facilities-based broadband providers are     supplement to Census’s Current
                                                of all sizes, yet many American                         required to file data with the FCC twice a year        Population Survey (CPS), includes more
                                                                                                        (Form 477) on where they offer internet access
                                                businesses, households and critical                     service at speeds exceeding 200 kbps in at least one
                                                                                                                                                               than 50 questions to gather a wealth of
                                                anchor institutions lack sufficient                     direction.’’ See https://www.fcc.gov/general/          information on household and
                                                broadband availability. Using its current               broadband-deployment-data-fcc-form-477.                individual internet use and


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                                                                            Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 104 / Wednesday, May 30, 2018 / Notices                                                   24749

                                                demographics, including the locations,                  describe how records from the data set                example, name, address) voluntarily
                                                technologies, and devices that people                   could be matched with records from                    submitted by the commenter may be
                                                use to go online, their online activities,              Form 477 data.                                        publicly accessible. Do not submit
                                                and the reasons why some Americans                        b. Describe how frequently the data                 confidential business information or
                                                still do not utilize these technologies.                set is updated and the methodology                    otherwise sensitive or protected
                                                Whereas Form 477 focuses on                             used for collection and what measures                 information. NTIA will accept
                                                broadband availability and subscription                 are employed to validate or otherwise                 anonymous comments.
                                                data gathered from service providers,                   ensure the data is accurate. Please                     Dated: May 23, 2018.
                                                NTIA’s CPS Supplements provide                          explain whether the data set
                                                                                                                                                              David J. Redl,
                                                detailed information on adoption and                    differentiates between subscribed
                                                                                                                                                              Assistant Secretary for Communications and
                                                usage of the internet, as reported by                   bandwidth and maximum available
                                                                                                                                                              Information.
                                                households across the country. The                      speeds.
                                                                                                                                                              [FR Doc. 2018–11483 Filed 5–29–18; 8:45 am]
                                                NTIA surveys, together with the FCC’s                     c. For each data set, please provide
                                                Form 477 and three household                            the name(s) and type(s) of entity that                BILLING CODE 3510–60–P

                                                broadband adoption questions on the                     collects the data.
                                                American Community Survey, comprise                       d. Finally, please specify the format of
                                                a valuable, holistic set of federal data                the data (e.g., CSV, specific database,               DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
                                                sources related to broadband.                           specific Geographic Information System
                                                   NTIA issues this RFC to solicit                      (GIS) format, etc.)                                   Department of the Army
                                                informed recommendations and                              3. New approaches: Are there new                    [Docket ID: USA–2018–HQ–0005]
                                                feedback on sources of broadband                        approaches, tools, technologies, or
                                                availability data, mechanisms to                        methodologies that could be used to                   Submission for OMB Review;
                                                validate broadband availability data                    capture broadband availability data,                  Comment Request
                                                using multiple data sources or new                      particularly in rural areas?
                                                techniques, and approaches to leverage                    4. Validating broadband availability                AGENCY:     Department of the Army, DoD.
                                                such data and techniques to inform                      data:                                                 ACTION:    30-Day information collection
                                                broadband planning at the state and                       a. What methodologies, policies,                    notice.
                                                national levels by promoting the most                   standards, or technologies can be
                                                efficient use of state or federal funding               implemented to validate and compare                   SUMMARY:    The Department of Defense
                                                to areas that are insufficiently served by              various broadband availability data                   has submitted to OMB for clearance the
                                                broadband.                                              sources and identify and address                      following proposal for collection of
                                                   Request for Comments: NTIA invites                   conflicts between them?                               information under the provisions of the
                                                comment on the full range of issues that                  b. Do examples or studies of such                   Paperwork Reduction Act.
                                                may be presented by this inquiry,                       validation exist?                                     DATES: Consideration will be given to all
                                                including issues that are not specifically                c. What thresholds or benchmarks                    comments received by June 29, 2018.
                                                raised in the questions below.                          should be taken into account when                     ADDRESSES: Comments and
                                                Commenters are encouraged to address                    validating broadband availability, such               recommendations on the proposed
                                                any or all of the questions below.                      as bandwidth, latency, geographic                     information collection should be
                                                Comments that contain references to                     coverage, technology type, etc.? How                  emailed to Ms. Jasmeet Seehra, DoD
                                                studies, research, and other empirical                  can conformance to such standards be                  Desk Officer, at oira_submission@
                                                data that are not widely published                      used to evaluate the accuracy of                      omb.eop.gov. Please identify the
                                                should include copies of the referenced                 broadband data sets? How could those                  proposed information collection by DoD
                                                materials with the submitted comments.                  standards be used to improve                          Desk Officer, Docket ID number, and
                                                   1. Identifying additional broadband                  policymaking, program management, or                  title of the information collection.
                                                availability data:                                      research in broadband-related fields?
                                                                                                          5. Identifying gaps in broadband                    FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Fred
                                                   a. What additional data on broadband
                                                availability are available from federal,                availability:                                         Licari, 571–372–0493, or whs.mc-
                                                state, not-for-profit, academic, or                       a. What data improvements can the                   alex.esd.mbx.dd-dod-information-
                                                private-sector sources to augment the                   government implement to better identify               collections@mail.mil.
                                                FCC Form 477 data set?                                  areas with insufficient broadband                     SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
                                                   b. What obstacles—such as concerns                   capacity?                                                Title; Associated Form; and OMB
                                                about the quality, scope, or format of the                b. What other inputs should NTIA                    Number: Evaluation of Health Status of
                                                data, as well as contractual,                           seek to inform data-driven broadband                  an Infantry Battalion Following
                                                confidentiality, or data privacy                        policy- and decision-making?                          Deployment in Support of Operation
                                                concerns—might prevent the                                Instructions for Commenters:                        Iraqi Freedom in 2004–2005; OMB
                                                collaborative use of such data?                         Comments submitted by email should                    Control Number 0702–XXXX.
                                                   2. Technology type, service areas, and               be machine-readable and should not be                    Type of Request: New.
                                                bandwidth: Please consider providing a                  copy-protected. Comments submitted by                    Number of Respondents: 3,500.
                                                table or spreadsheet attachment when                    mail may be in hard copy (paper) or                      Responses per Respondent: 1.
                                                responding to question 2, if needed.                    electronic (on CD–ROM or disk).                          Annual Responses: 3,500.
                                                   a. For each broadband availability                   Responders should include the name of                    Average Burden per Response: 1
                                                data source, please define the specific                 the person or organization filing the                 Hour.
sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES




                                                broadband technologies (e.g., wireline,                 comment, as well as a page number on                     Annual Burden Hours: 3,500.
                                                cable, fixed wireless, satellite, multiple              each page of their submissions. All                      Needs and Uses: The information
                                                sources, etc.) included in the data set.                comments received are a part of the                   collection requirement is necessary to
                                                Please explain the service areas or                     public record and will generally be                   assess and evaluate the self-reported
                                                geographic scope of the data set (e.g.,                 posted on the NTIA website, https://                  post-deployment health status of
                                                Census block, county, cable franchises,                 www.ntia.doc.gov, without change. All                 selected soldiers who operated in the
                                                publicly funded service areas, etc.) and                personal identifying information (for                 vicinity of Mosul, Iraq in 2004 (e.g.,


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Document Created: 2018-05-30 01:01:57
Document Modified: 2018-05-30 01:01:57
CategoryRegulatory Information
CollectionFederal Register
sudoc ClassAE 2.7:
GS 4.107:
AE 2.106:
PublisherOffice of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration
SectionNotices
ActionNotice and request for comments.
DatesComments are due on or before 5 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on July 16, 2018.
ContactAndy Spurgeon, tel.: (720) 389-4900, email: [email protected], or Tim Moyer, tel.: (202) 482-6423, email: [email protected], National Telecommunications and Information Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW, Room 4725, Washington, DC 20230. Please direct media inquiries to NTIA's Office of Public Affairs, (202) 482-7002, or at [email protected]
FR Citation83 FR 24747 
RIN Number0660-XC04

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