2014-25230. Information Collection Being Reviewed by the Federal Communications Commission Under Delegated Authority

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 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 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 December 22, 2014. 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 [e-mail] and to [e-mail].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

For additional information about the information collection, contact Cathy Williams at [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

OMB Control Number: 3060-1155.

Title: Sections 15.713, 15.714, 15.715 15.717, TV White Space Broadcast Bands.

Form No.: N/A.

Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.

Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities.

Number of Respondents: 2,000 respondents; 2,000 responses.

Estimated Time Per Response: 2 hours.

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

Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. Statutory authority for this information collection is contained in 47 U.S.C. 154(i), 302, 303(c), 303(f), and 307 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended.

Total Annual Burden: 4,000 hours.

Total Annual Cost: 100,000.

Privacy Act Impact Assessment: No impact(s).

Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: The Commission is not requesting respondents to submit confidential information to the Commission. Respondents may request confidential treatment of such information under 47 CFR 0.459 of the Commission's rules.

Needs and Uses: The Commission is submitting this information collection to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) after this 60 day comment period in order to obtain the full three year clearance.

On November 14, 2008, the Federal Communications Commission (“Commission”) adopted a Second Report and Order and Memorandum Opinion and Order, FCC 08-260, ET Docket No. 04-186 that established rules to allow new and unlicensed wireless devices to operate in the broadcast television spectrum at locations where that spectrum is not being used by licensed services (this unused TV spectrum is often termed television “white spaces”). The rules will allow for the use of unlicensed TV band devices in the unused spectrum to provide broadband data and other services for consumers and businesses.

Subsequently on September 23, 2010, the Commission adopted a Second Memorandum Opinion and Order finalizing the rules to make the unused spectrum in the TV bands available for unlicensed broadband wireless devices. This action resolved on reconsideration certain legal and technical issues in order to provide certainty concerning the rules for operation of unlicensed transmitting devices in the television broadcast frequency bands (unlicensed TV bands devices or “TVBDs”). Resolution of these issues will now allow manufacturers to begin marketing unlicensed communications devices and systems that operate on frequencies in the TV bands in areas where they are not used by licensed services (“TV white spaces”).

In the Second Report and Order the Commission decided to designate one or more database administrator from the private sector to create and operate TV band databases which will be a privately owned and operated service. The database administrators will be responsible for coordination of the overall functioning of a database and provide services to TVBDs.

The TV bands database will serve the following functions:

Determine and provide to a TVBD, upon request, the available TV channels at the TVBD's location. Available channels are determined based on the interference protection requirements in § 15.712. A database must provide fixed and Mode II personal portable TVBDs with channel availability information that includes scheduled changes in channel availability over the course of the 48 hour period beginning at the time the TVBDs make a re-check contact. In making lists of available channels available to a TVBD, the TV bands database shall ensure that all communications and interactions between the TV bands database and the TVBD include adequate security measures such that unauthorized parties cannot access or alter the TV bands database or the list of available channels sent to TVBDs or otherwise affect the database system or TVBDs in performing their intended functions or in providing adequate interference protections to authorized services operating in the TV bands. In addition, a TV bands database must also verify that the FCC identifier (FCC ID) of a device seeking access to its services is valid; under this requirement the TV bands database must also verify that the FCC ID of a Mode I device provided by a fixed or Mode II device is valid. A list of devices with valid FCC IDs and the FCC IDs of those devices is to be obtained from the Commission's Equipment Authorization System. There are also questions about prefill applications and the number of available channels.

Federal Communications Commission.

Marlene H. Dortch,

Secretary.