2023-00521. Information Collection Being Reviewed by the Federal Communications Commission

AGENCY:

Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION:

Notice and request for comments.

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 March 13, 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 [e-mail] and to [e-mail].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

For additional information about the information collection, contact Nicole Ongele, [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

OMB Control Number: 3060-0816.

Title: Local Telephone Competition and Broadband Reporting, Report and Order, FCC Form 477, (WC Docket No. 19-195, WC Docket No, 11-10, FCC 19-79).

Form Number: FCC Form 477.

Type of Review: Extension 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: 3,400 respondents; 6,800 responses.

Estimated Time per Response: 289 hours (average).

Frequency of Response: Semi-annual reporting requirement.

Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. Statutory authority for this information collection is contained in 47 U.S.C. 4(i), 201, 218-220, 251-252, 271, 303(r), 332, and 403 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, and in section 706 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, as amended, codified in section 1302 of the Broadband Data Improvement Act, 47 U.S.C. 1302.

Total Annual Burden: 1,965,200 hours.

Total Annual Cost: No cost.

Privacy Act Impact Assessment: No impact(s).

Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: The Commission will continue to allow respondents to certify on the submission interface that some subscribership data contained in that submission are privileged or confidential commercial or financial information and that disclosure of such information would likely cause substantial harm to the competitive position of the entity making the submission. If the Commission receives a request for, or proposes to disclose such information, the respondent would be required to show, pursuant to Commission rules for withholding from public inspection information submitted to the Commission, that the information in question is entitled to confidential treatment. We will retain our current policies and procedures regarding the protection of submitted FCC Form 477 data subject to confidential treatment, including the use of only non-company specific aggregates of subscribership data in our published reports. Most of the broadband deployment data previously collected on Form 477 is publicly available on the FCC's website at https://www.fcc.gov/​general/​broadband-deployment-data-fcc-form-477.

Needs and Uses: FCC Form 477 provides an understanding of broadband and voice subscribership, and, through its critical connection to the Broadband Data Collection, the extent of broadband availability. The understanding of broadband subscribership and availability provided by these data are the foundation of the Commission's development of appropriate broadband policies, and enable the Commission to carry out its obligation under section 706 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, as amended, to “determine whether advanced telecommunications capability is being deployed to all Americans in a reasonable and timely fashion.” In addition, the information collected in Form 477 enhances the Commission's analysis and understanding of the extent of voice telephone services competition, which in turn supports the Commission's efforts to open all telecommunications markets to competition and to promote innovation and investment by all participants, including new entrants, as required by the Telecommunications Act of 1996.

The Commission staff uses the information to advise the Commission about the efficacy of its rules and policies adopted to implement the Telecommunications Act of 1996. The data are necessary to evaluate the status of local telecommunications competition and broadband availability. The Commission uses the data to prepare reports that help inform consumers and policy makers at the federal and state level on the availability and adoption of broadband services, as well as on developments related to competition in the voice telephone services market. The Commission also uses the data to support its analyses in a variety of rulemaking proceedings under the Communications Act, including those related to fulfilling its universal service mandate.

The Commission releases to the public the broadband availability and mobile voice availability data that it began collecting in 2014 as a result of the Order. This information is used by consumers, federal and state government agencies, analysts, and others to determine broadband service availability by provider, technology, and speed.

Federal Communications Commission.

Marlene Dortch,

Secretary, Office of the Secretary.