2015-01157. 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 (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520), 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 24, 2015. 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:

Submit your PRA comments to Benish Shah, Federal Communications Commission, via the Internet at [e-mail]. To submit your PRA comments by email send them to: [e-mail].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Benish Shah, Office of Managing Director, [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

OMB Control No.: 3060-1147.

Title: Wireless E911 Location Accuracy Requirements.

Form Nos.: N/A.

Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.

Respondents: Business or other for-profit, not-for-profit institutions, state, local or tribal government and individuals or household.

Number of Respondents: 4,294 Respondents; 4,510 Responses.

Estimated Time per Response: 1 hour to 8 hours.

Frequency of Response: On occasion reporting requirement and third party disclosure requirement.

Obligation to Respond: Mandatory. Statutory authority for this collection is contained in 47 U.S.C. Sections 151, 154, and 332 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended.

Total Annual Burden: 31,668 hours.

Total Annual Cost: N/A.

Privacy Impact Assessment: Not applicable.

Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: No confidentiality is required for this collection.

Needs and Uses: The Commission is seeking Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval for an extension of this information collection (no change in the reporting requirement).

The Commission has adjusted its previous burden estimates. The total annual burden has been reduced by 21,464 hours since 2012 because of fewer respondents and responses.

The Commission's Third Report and Order in PS Docket No. 07-114 adopted a rule, providing that new CMRS network providers, meeting the definition of covered CMRS providers in Section 20.18 and deploying new stand-alone networks subsequent to the effective date of the Third Report and Order that are not an expansion or upgrade of an existing CMRS network, must meet from the start the handset-based location accuracy standard in delivering emergency calls for Enhanced 911 service. The adopted rule requires that the new stand-alone CMRS providers in delivering emergency calls for Enhanced 911 service, must satisfy the handset-based location accuracy standard at either a county-based or Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP)-based geographic level. Additionally, in accordance with the pre-existing requirements for CMRS providers using handset-based location technologies, new stand-alone CMRS providers are permitted to exclude up to 15 percent of the counties or PSAP areas they serve due to heavy forestation that limits handset-based technology accuracy in those counties or areas but are required to file an initial list of the specific counties or portions of counties where they are utilizing their respective exclusions.

A. Updated Exclusion Reports. Under the information collection, and pursuant to current rule section 20.18(h), new stand- alone CMRS providers and existing CMRS providers that have filed initial exclusion reports are required to file reports informing the Commission of any changes to their exclusion lists within thirty days of discovering such changes. The permitted exclusions properly but narrowly account for the known technical limitations of either the handset-based or network-based location accuracy technologies chosen by a CMRS provider, while ensuring that the public safety community and the public at large are sufficiently informed of these limitations.

B. Confidence and Uncertainty Data. Under the information collection, and pursuant to current rule section 20.18(h), all CMRS providers and other entities responsible other responsible for transporting confidence and uncertainty data between the wireless carriers and PSAPs, including LECs, CLECs, owners of E911 networks, and emergency service providers (collectively, System Service Providers (SSPs)) must continue to provide confidence and uncertainty data of wireless 911 calls to Public Safety Answering Points (PSAP) on a per call basis upon a PSAP's request. New stand-alone wireless carriers also incur this obligation. The transport of the confidence and uncertainty data is needed to ensure the delivery of accurate location information with E911 service.

Federal Communications Commission.

Marlene H. Dortch,

Secretary.