Notice2023-19436
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
September 8, 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 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.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 173 (Friday, September 8, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 173 (Friday, September 8, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 62082-62083]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-19436]
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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
[OMB 3060-1058; FR ID 170003]
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.
DATES: Written PRA comments should be submitted on or before November
7, 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 Cathy Williams, FCC, via email to
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#366664777650555518515940"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="a5f5f7e4e5c3c6c68bc2cad3">[email protected]</span></a> and to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#febd9f8a9687d0a9979292979f938dbe989d9dd0999188"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="d596b4a1bdacfb82bcb9b9bcb4b8a695b3b6b6fbb2baa3">[email protected]</span></a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information about the
information collection, contact Cathy Williams at (202) 418-2918.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 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.
OMB Control Number: 3060-1058.
Title: FCC Application or Notification for Spectrum Leasing
Arrangement or Private Commons Arrangement; Wireless Telecommunications
Bureau; Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau.
Form Number: FCC Form 608.
Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
Respondents: Individual and households, Business or other for-
profit entities, state, local, or tribal government, and not for profit
institutions.
Number of Respondents and Responses: 1,116 respondents and 1,116
responses.
Estimated Time per Response: 0.05 to 1 hour.
Frequency of Response: Recordkeeping requirement; third party
disclosure requirement, on occasion reporting requirement and periodic
reporting requirement.
Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits.
Statutory authority for this collection of information is contained in
47 U.S.C.
[[Page 62083]]
154, 155, 158, 161, 301, 303(r), 308, 309, 310 and 332.
Total Annual Burden: 1,135.
Total Annual Cost: $1,443,825.
Needs and Uses: FCC Form 608 is a multi-purpose form. It is used to
provide notification or request approval for any spectrum leasing
arrangement (``Lease'') entered into between an existing licensee in
certain Wireless and/or Public Safety Radio Services and a spectrum
lessee. This form also is required to notify or request approval for
any spectrum subleasing arrangement (``Sublease''). The data collected
on the form is used by the FCC to determine whether the public interest
would be served by the Lease or Sublease. The form is also used to
provide notification for any Private Commons Arrangement entered into
between a licensee, lessee, or sublessee and a class of third-party
users (as defined in Section 1.9080 of the Commission's Rules).
On July 18, 2022, the Commission released a Report and Order and
Second Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, Partitioning,
Disaggregation, and Leasing of Spectrum, WT Docket No. 19-38, FCC 22-
53, in which the Commission established the Enhanced Competition
Incentive Program (ECIP) to establish incentives for wireless radio
service licensees to make underutilized spectrum available to small
carriers, Tribal Nations, and entities serving rural areas (ECIP Report
and Order in WT Docket No. 19-38, FCC 22-53). In the Report and Order,
the Commission adopted a program under which any covered geographic
area licensee may offer spectrum to an unaffiliated eligible entity
through a partition and/or disaggregation, and any covered geographic
area licensee eligible to lease in an included service may offer
spectrum to an unaffiliated eligible entity through a long-term leasing
arrangement. If the FCC finds that approval of an ECIP eligible
assignment or lease is in the public interest, the agency will consent
to the transaction and confer benefits, including five-year license
term extensions, one year construction extensions, and substituted
alternative construction requirements for rural-focused transactions.
The Commission also established rules to permit reaggregation of
geographic licenses.
In establishing the ECIP, the Commission requires applicants
seeking to participate in the program to submit certain information
that shows the transaction qualifies for ECIP inclusion. The Commission
found that the ECIP builds on Congressional goals in the MOBILE NOW Act
to incentivize beneficial transactions in the public interest that will
promote greater competition in the provision of wireless services,
facilitate increased availability of advanced wireless services in
rural areas, facilitate new opportunities for small carriers and Tribal
Nations to increase access to spectrum, and bring more advanced
wireless service including 5G to underserved communities. Specifically,
in the ECIP Report and Order, the Commission revised its rules to allow
any covered geographic licenses in included services to be leased to
eligible entities through a long-term leasing arrangement.
Specifically, in the ECIP Report and Order, the Commission revised
its rules to allow any covered geographic licenses in included services
to be leased to eligible entities through a long-term leasing
arrangement, to designate a Qualifying Transaction identified in the
application as seeking consideration under the ECIP. Two new questions
are being added to the FCC Form 608 as a result. Respondents are
required to indicate by yes or no answer whether the application is
seeking consideration under ECIP. Respondents are also required to
select the applicable ECIP prong to its Qualifying Transaction,
pursuant to either Sec. 1.60003 or Sec. 1.60004.
Finally, a new Schedule J is being added to FCC Form 608 and will
be used by Spectrum Manager Lessors (i.e., the Licensee) to file either
the Initial Operation Requirement Notifications (IORN) or the Final
Operation Requirement Notifications (FORN), as required by 47 CFR
1.60004, 1.60006, on behalf of the Lessee.
The Commission now seeks approval for revisions to its currently
approved collection of information under OMB Control Number 3060-1058
to permit the collection of the changes requested herein. We anticipate
that these revisions will have minimal impact on the hourly burden to
complete FCC Form 608. The Commission therefore seeks approval for a
revision to its currently approved information collection on FCC Form
608 to revise FCC Form 608 accordingly.
Federal Communications Commission.
Katura Jackson,
Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 2023-19436 Filed 9-7-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P
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