Notice2026-06655
Information Collection Being Submitted for Review and Approval to Office of Management and Budget
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
April 6, 2026
Issuing agencies
Federal Communications Commission
Abstract
As part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork burdens, 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. Pursuant to the Small Business Paperwork Relief Act of 2002, the FCC seeks specific comment on how it might further reduce the information collection burden for small business concerns with fewer than 25 employees. The Commission 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 91 Issue 65 (Monday, April 6, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 65 (Monday, April 6, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17277-17278]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-06655]
[[Page 17277]]
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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
[OMB 3060-1256; FR ID 339074]
Information Collection Being Submitted for Review and Approval to
Office of Management and Budget
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,
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. Pursuant to the Small Business
Paperwork Relief Act of 2002, the FCC seeks specific comment on how it
might further reduce the information collection burden for small
business concerns with fewer than 25 employees. The Commission 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 comments and recommendations for the proposed
information collection should be submitted on or before May 6, 2026.
ADDRESSES: Comments should be sent to <a href="http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain">www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain</a>. Find this particular information collection by selecting
``Currently under 30-day Review--Open for Public Comments'' or by using
the search function. Your comment must be submitted into
<a href="http://www.reginfo.gov">www.reginfo.gov</a> per the above instructions for it to be considered. In
addition to submitting in <a href="http://www.reginfo.gov">www.reginfo.gov</a> also send a copy of your
comment on the proposed information collection to Nicole Ongele, FCC,
via email to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#12424053527471713c757d64"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="673735262701040449000811">[email protected]</span></a> and to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#b1ffd8d2deddd49ffedfd6d4ddd4f1d7d2d29fd6dec7"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="327c5b515d5e571c7d5c55575e57725451511c555d44">[email protected]</span></a>. Include in the
comments the OMB control number as shown in the SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION below.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information or copies
of the information collection, contact Nicole Ongele at (202) 418-2991.
To view a copy of this information collection request (ICR) submitted
to OMB: (1) go to the web page <a href="http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain">http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain</a>, (2) look for the section of the web page called ``Currently
Under Review,'' (3) click on the downward-pointing arrow in the
``Select Agency'' box below the ``Currently Under Review'' heading, (4)
select ``Federal Communications Commission'' from the list of agencies
presented in the ``Select Agency'' box, (5) click the ``Submit'' button
to the right of the ``Select Agency'' box, (6) when the list of FCC
ICRs currently under review appears, look for the Title of this ICR and
then click on the ICR Reference Number. A copy of the FCC submission to
OMB will be displayed.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: As part of its continuing effort to reduce
paperwork burdens, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of
1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520), the FCC invited the general public and
other Federal Agencies to take this opportunity to comment on the
following information collection. Comments are requested concerning:
(a) 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; (b) the accuracy
of the Commission's burden estimates; (c) ways to enhance the quality,
utility, and clarity of the information collected; and (d) 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. Pursuant to the Small Business
Paperwork Relief Act of 2002, Public Law 107-198, see 44 U.S.C.
3506(c)(4), the FCC seeks specific comment on how it might further
reduce the information collection burden for small business concerns
with fewer than 25 employees.
OMB Control Number: 3060-1256.
Title: Connect America Fund Phase II and Rural Digital Opportunity
Fund Auction Support.
Form Number: N/A.
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 530
responses.
Estimated Time per Response: 2 hours.
Frequency of Response: Annual reporting requirements.
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: 1,060 hours.
Total Annual Cost: No Cost.
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 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
[[Page 17278]]
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 eliminated the information collection requirements
related to the CAF Phase II auction FCC Form 683 now that its review of
CAF Phase II auction long-form applications has concluded.
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. 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
included a pre-auction short-form application 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.
On September 30, 2025, the Commission adopted an order that
conducted a comprehensive review of legacy requirements and determined
that certain high-cost program rules no longer serve any operational
purpose. Delete, Delete Delete; Removal of Obsolete Regulations; GN
Docket No. 25-133, FCC 25-68 (rel. September 30, 2025) (Delete, Delete,
Delete). This requested change results from the Commission's decision
in that proceeding. The Commission determined that 47 CFR 54.315(a) and
(b) and 47 CFR 54.804(a) and (b) are outdated and obsolete, and
unnecessary because all associated proposals using FCC Form 683 have
concluded.
Therefore, the Commission proposes to remove the application
requirement and retains only the limited ongoing requirements related
to the annual maintenance of letters of credit under 47 CFR 54.315(c)
CAF Phase II and 54.804(c) RDOF.
Federal Communications Commission.
Aleta Bowers,
Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 2026-06655 Filed 4-3-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P
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