Information Collection Being Reviewed by the Federal Communications Commission
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 Commiss...
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 PRA comments should be submitted on or before October 5, 2026. 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 contact listed below as soon as possible.
For additional information about the information collection, contact Cathy Williams at (202) 418-2918.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
OMB Control Number:
3060-XXXX.
Title:
One-Time Information Collection on Submarine Cable Licenses.
Form Number:
N/A.
Type of Review:
New Collection.
Respondents:
Business and other for profit entities and State, Local or Tribal Governments.
Number of Respondents and Responses:
236 respondents; 236 responses.
Estimated Time per Response:
10 hours.
Frequency of Response:
One time reporting requirement; third party disclosure.
Obligation To Respond:
Required to obtain or retain benefits. The statutory authority for this information collection is contained in Sections 1, 4(i), 4(j), 201-255, 303(r), 403, 413 of the
( printed page 50835)
Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C. 151, 154(i), 154(j), 201-255, 303(r), 403, 413, and the Cable Landing License Act of 1921, 47 U.S.C. 34-39, and Executive Order No. 10530, Section 5(a) (May 12, 1954) reprinted as amended in 3 U.S.C. 301.
Total Annual Burden:
2,360 hours.
Total Annual Cost:
$35,400.
Needs and Uses:
The Federal Communications Commission (Commission) is requesting that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approve a new one-time information collection applicable to all submarine cable landing licensees as adopted in the
Submarine Cable First Report and Order,
FCC 25-49. The
Submarine Cable First Report and Order
modernized the Commission's submarine cable rules to facilitate infrastructure deployment, while strengthening national security. Pursuant to the Cable Landing License Act and Executive Order 10530, the Commission holds broad legal authority to regulate submarine cables that connect to the United States. Under section 35 of title 47, the Commission has legal authority to withhold or revoke a license if such action will “promote the security of the United States.”
The
Submarine Cable First Report and Order
was the first major review of the Commission's submarine cable rules since 2001, and updated rules and procedures to streamline and improve the timeliness and transparency of its submarine cable licensing process. The Commission also modernized the definition of submarine cable system to include Submarine Line Terminal Equipment (SLTE) as part of the cable system and adopted common sense measures to presumptively preclude foreign adversaries and other entities from accessing the nation's communications networks. The updates will provide greater certainty for applicants, while making targeted improvements to address national security threats.
In line with the Commission's modernization efforts, the
Submarine Cable First Report and Order
adopted a one-time information collection to obtain information on how many entities currently own or operate SLTE on existing licensed cable systems. The one-time information collection will further inform the Commission about the identities of SLTE owners and operators and their role in operating a portion of the submarine cable system. The one-time collection will also assess for insolvent cables or licensees and require licensees to disclose whether or not their submarine cable systems use equipment or services identified on the Commission's Covered List, uses a third-party foreign adversary service provider, or uses a third-party service provider that can access the submarine cable system from a foreign adversary country.
Use this for formal legal and research references to the published document.
91 FR 50834
Web Citation
Suggested Web Citation
Use this when citing the archival web version of the document.
“Information Collection Being Reviewed by the Federal Communications Commission,” thefederalregister.org (August 6, 2026), https://thefederalregister.org/documents/2026-15932/information-collection-being-reviewed-by-the-federal-communications-commission.
47 U.S.C. 151