Notice2023-03763
Information Collection Being Reviewed by the Federal Communications Commission
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
February 23, 2023
Issuing agencies
Federal Communications Commission
Abstract
As part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork burdens, and as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or the Commission) invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on the following information collection. 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 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 Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 36 (Thursday, February 23, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 36 (Thursday, February 23, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11438-11439]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-03763]
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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
[OMB 3060-1256; FR ID 128220]
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) of 1995, the
Federal Communications Commission (FCC or the Commission) invites the
general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to
comment on the following information collection. 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 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 Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number.
DATES: Written PRA comments should be submitted on or before April 24,
2023. 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.
ADDRESSES: Direct all PRA comments to Nicole Ongele, FCC, via email
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#01515340416762622f666e77"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="9ccccedddcfaffffb2fbf3ea">[email protected]</span></a> and to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#c9a7a0aaa6a5ace7a6a7aeaca5ac89afaaaae7aea6bf"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="bad4d3d9d5d6df94d5d4dddfd6dffadcd9d994ddd5cc">[email protected]</span></a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information about the
information collection, contact Nicole Ongele, (202) 418-2991.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
OMB Control Number: 3060-1256.
Title: Application for Connect America Fund Phase II and Rural
Digital Opportunity Fund Auction Support.
Form Number: FCC Form 683.
Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities, Not-for-profit
institutions, and State, Local or Tribal governments.
Number of Respondents and Responses: 530 respondents and 930
responses.
Estimated Time per Response: 2-12 hours (on average).
Frequency of Response: Annual reporting requirements, on occasion
reporting requirement.
Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits.
Statutory authority for this information collection 47 U.S.C. 154, 214,
254 and 303(r) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended.
Total Annual Burden: 5,860 hours.
Total Annual Cost: No cost.
Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: Although most information
collected in FCC Form 683 will be made available for public inspection,
the Commission will withhold certain information collected in FCC Form
683 from routine public inspection. Specifically, the
[[Page 11439]]
Commission will treat certain financial and technical information
submitted in FCC Form 683 as confidential. In addition, an applicant
may use the abbreviated process under 47 CFR 0.459(a)(4) to request
confidential treatment of the audited financial statements that are
submitted during the post-selection review process. However, if a
request for public inspection for this technical or financial
information is made under 47 CFR 0.461, and the applicant has any
objections to disclosure, the applicant will be notified and will be
required to justify continued confidential treatment. To the extent
that an applicant seeks to have other information collected in FCC Form
683 or during the post-selection review process withheld from public
inspection, the applicant may request confidential treatment pursuant
to 47 CFR 0.459.
Privacy Act Impact Assessment: No impact(s).
Needs and Uses:
Connect America Fund Phase II Auction
The Commission is requesting the Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) approval for this revised information collection. On November 18,
2011, the Commission released the USF/ICC Transformation Order and
Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, WC Docket No. 10-90 et al., FCC
11-161 (USF/ICC Transformation Order and/or FNPRM), which
comprehensively reformed and modernized the high-cost program within
the universal service fund to focus support on networks capable of
providing voice and broadband services. Among other things, the
Commission created the Connect America Fund (CAF) and concluded that
support in price cap areas would be provided through a combination of
``a new forward-looking model of the cost of constructing modern multi-
purpose networks'' and a competitive bidding process (CAF Phase II
auction or Auction 903). The Commission also sought comment in the
accompanying USF/ICC Transformation FNPRM on proposed rules governing
the CAF Phase II auction, including basic auction design and the
application process.
In the CAF Phase II auction, service providers competed to receive
support of up to $1.98 billion over 10 years to offer voice and
broadband service in unserved high-cost areas. The information
collection requirements reported under this collection are the result
of several Commission decisions to implement the reform adopted in the
USF/ICC Transformation Order and move forward with conducting the CAF
Phase II auction. In the April 2014 Connect America Order, WC Docket
No. 10-90 et al., FCC 14-54, the Commission adopted various rules
regarding participation in the CAF Phase II auction, the term of
support, and the eligible telecommunications carrier (ETC) designation
process. In the Phase II Auction Order, WC Docket No. 10-90 et al., FCC
16-64, the Commission adopted rules to govern the CAF Phase II auction,
including the adoption of a two-stage application process, which
includes a pre-auction short-form application to be submitted by
parties interested in bidding in the CAF Phase II auction and a post-
auction long-form application that must be submitted by winning bidders
seeking to become authorized to receive CAF Phase II auction support.
The Commission concluded, based on its experience with auctions and
consistent with the record, that this two-stage application process
balances the need to collect information essential to conducting a
successful auction and authorizing CAF Phase II support with
administrative efficiency.
On January 30, 2018, the Commission adopted a public notice that
established the final procedures for the CAF Phase II auction,
including the long-form application disclosure and certification
requirements for winning bidders seeking to become authorized to
receive CAF Phase II auction support. See Phase II Auction Procedures
Public Notice, WC Docket No. 17-182 et al., FCC 18-6. The Commission
also adopted the Phase II Auction Order on Reconsideration, WC Docket
No. 10-90 et al., FCC 18-5, which modified the Commission's letter of
credit rules to provide some additional relief for CAF Phase II auction
support recipients by reducing the costs of maintaining a letter of
credit. On January 19, 2023, WCB released a public notice announcing
that the Commission had concluded its review of CAF Phase II auction
long-form applications. See WCB Concludes CAF II Application Review,
Long-Forms Made Public, AU Docket No. 17-182 et al., DA 23-49.
The Commission proposes to eliminate the information collection
requirements related to the CAF Phase II auction FCC Form 683 now that
the Commission's review of CAF Phase II auction long-form applications
has concluded. All other information collection requirements remain
unchanged.
Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Auction
On February 7, 2020 the Commission released the Rural Digital
Opportunity Fund Order, WC Docket Nos. 19-126, 10-90, FCC 20-5 which
will commit up to $20.4 billion over the next decade to support up to
gigabit speed broadband networks in rural America. The funding was
allocated through a multi-round, reverse, descending clock auction that
favored faster services with lower latency and encouraged intermodal
competition in order to ensure that the greatest possible number of
Americans will be connected to the best possible networks, all at a
competitive cost.
To implement the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund auction (or Auction
904), the Commission adopted new rules for the Rural Digital
Opportunity Fund auction, including the adoption of a two-stage
application process. Like with the CAF Phase II auction, this process
includes a pre-auction short-form application to be submitted by
parties interested in bidding in the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund
auction (FCC Form 183) and a post-auction long-form application that
must be submitted by winning bidders (or their designees) seeking to
become authorized to receive Rural Digital Opportunity Fund support
(FCC Form 683). The Commission received approval for the short-form
application (FCC Form 183) in a separate collection under the OMB
control number 3060-1252.
This information collection includes the disclosures and
certifications adopted by the Commission that must be made by winning
bidders seeking to become authorized for Rural Digital Opportunity Fund
support and the requirement that Rural Digital Opportunity Fund support
recipients maintain a letter of credit. Any additional revisions or new
collections for OMB review that address other reforms adopted in the
Order will be submitted at a later date.
The Commission therefore proposes to revise this information
collection to maintain these Rural Digital Opportunity Fund
requirements.
Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene Dortch,
Secretary, Office of the Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2023-03763 Filed 2-22-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P
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