Notice2024-00495
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
January 12, 2024
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. 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.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 9 (Friday, January 12, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 9 (Friday, January 12, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2224-2225]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-00495]
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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
[OMB 3060-1272; FR ID 196129]
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 PRA comments should be submitted on or before March 12,
2024. 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#32626073725451511c555d44"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="461614070620252568212930">[email protected]</span></a> and to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#d497b5a0bcadfa83bdb8b8bdb5b9a794b2b7b7fab3bba2"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="ecaf8d988495c2bb858080858d819fac8a8f8fc28b839a">[email protected]</span></a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information about the
information collection, contact Cathy Williams at (202) 418-2918.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
OMB Control Number: 3060-1272.
Title: 3.7 GHz Band Space Station Operator Accelerated Relocation
Elections and Transition Plans; 3.7 GHz Band Earth Station Lump Sum
Payment Elections.
Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities.
Estimated Number of Respondents and Responses: 3,010 respondents
and 3,010 responses.
Estimated Time per Response: 16 hours per response for accelerated
relocation elections, 2,720 hours per response for transition plans,
and 32
[[Page 2225]]
hours per response for lump sum payment elections.
Frequency of Response: One time reporting requirement.
Obligation to Respond: Statutory authority for this information
collection is contained in sections 1, 2, 4(i), 4(j), 5(c), 201, 302,
303, 304, 307(e), and 309of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended,
47 U.S.C. 151, 152, 154(i), 154(j), 155(c), 201, 302, 303, 304, 307(e),
309.
Total Annual Burden: 109,680 hours.
Total Annual Cost: $900,000.
Needs and Uses: Under this information collection, the Commission
will collect information that will be used to determine when, how, and
at what cost existing operations in the lower portion of the 3.7-4.2
GHz band will be relocated to the upper portion of the band. This
collection will serve as the starting point for planning and managing
the process of efficiently and expeditiously clearing of the lower
portion of the band, so that this spectrum can be auctioned for
flexible-use service licenses.
The transition relocation process began in 2020. Initial Transition
Plans were filed on June 19, 2020 with final Transition Plans due
August 14, 2020. Throughout the relocation process, the Wireless
Telecommunications Bureau (Bureau) opened limited windows to amend
their Transition Plans on several occasions. In addition to submitting
and modifying Transition Plans during these periods, eligible space
station operators were required to file quarterly status reports with
the Commission beginning on December 31, 2020 to demonstrate their
efforts to ensure a timely transition.
The 3.7 GHz band auction, Auction 107, took place from December 8,
2020 to February 17, 2021, and, on February 24, 2021, the Commission
announced the winning bidders of the C-band auction for all 5,684
licenses. In the same year, the Bureau directed eligible space station
operators to submit updates for their final Transition Plans during
limited windows opened for operators to provide these updates.
Later that year, on August 4, 2021, the Bureau issued a Public
Notice implementing filing procedures for Phase I Certifications.
Originally, Phase I's deadline was set for December 5, 2021, but the
deadline was met eleven days earlier than anticipated. On November 24,
2021, the Commission validated the certification of Phase I.
The C-band transition continued into 2023. On May 15, 2023, the
Bureau announced procedures for filing C-band Phase II Certifications
of Accelerated Relocation and implementation of the Commission's
incremental reduction plan for Phase II Accelerated Relocation Payments
as part of the ongoing transition. The C-Band Relocation Payment
Clearinghouse (RPC) is responsible for disbursing the Accelerated
Relocation Payments within a certain time period.
On June 1, 2023, all eligible space station operators were
permitted to submit their Phase II certifications. Also on June 1,
2023, the Bureau opened a limited, final window for eligible space
station operators to file modified Transition Plans to accurately
account for any updates since September 30, 2021.
Phase II's deadline to complete the transition of space station
operations to the upper 200 megahertz of the band was originally set
for December 5, 2023. Instead, on August 10, 2023, the last of the
Phase II Certifications was deemed granted. Even though Phases I and II
of the satellite transition are complete, the Commission continues to
work through the C-band relocation process. On October 13, 2023, the
Bureau released a Public Notice seeking comment on proposed deadlines
for claimants to submit reimbursement claims. The Public Notice stated
that the RPC's operations are currently scheduled to conclude on June
30, 2025, which is still more than a year and a half away. The
relocation of the fixed service licensees is also ongoing.
On December 5, 2023, the Commission issued a Public Notice adopting
two final reimbursement claims submission deadlines for eligible
incumbents and other eligible stakeholders to submit any outstanding
transition-related claims to the RPC for processing as part of this
ongoing transition. The two deadlines are: (1) February 5, 2024 as the
submission deadline to the RPC for all reimbursement claims for costs
incurred and paid by claimants as of December 31, 2023, and (2) July 1,
2024 as the submission deadline to the RPC for all reimbursement claims
for costs incurred and paid by claimants after December 31, 2023. In
the Public Notice, the Commission stated that these adopted dates are
important because they will aid in facilitating a timely conclusion of
the C-band reimbursement program. Furthermore, the Commission
highlighted the fact that all lump sum electees and many other eligible
claimants and eligible stakeholders have had ample time within which to
submit their claims to the RPC.
It is important to continue to collect information because it is
crucial to ensure that managing this process is efficiently and quickly
done, and that transition is still underway. Because this process
remains ongoing, this information collection should be renewed to
ensure that a complete set of information is maintained. If this
collection were to expire now, stakeholders would be missing ongoing
information about the transition process. Renewing this collection will
provide stakeholders with complete information instead of an
information collection that ends before the entire transition process
is officially accomplished in 2025.
Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene Dortch,
Secretary, Office of the Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2024-00495 Filed 1-11-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P
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