E7-23819. Notice of Public Information Collection(s) Being Reviewed by the Federal Communications Commission for Extension Under Delegated Authority, Comments Requested

November 29, 2007.

SUMMARY:

The Federal Communications Commission, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork burden invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on the following information collection(s), as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13. An agency 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 Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) that does not display a valid control number. 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 estimate; (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.

DATES:

Persons wishing to comment on this information collection should submit comments February 8, 2008. 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 Nicholas A. Fraser, Office of Management and Budget (OMB), [phone], or via fax at 202-395-5167, or via the Internet at [e-mail] and to [e-mail], Federal Communications Commission (FCC). To submit your PRA comments by e-mail send them to: [e-mail]. To view a copy of this information collection request (ICR) submitted to OMB, go to http://www.fcc.gov/​omd/​pra/​collections-review.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

For additional information about the information collection(s) send an e-mail to [e-mail] or contact Judith B. Herman at 202-418-0214.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

OMB Control No.: 3060-0357.

Title: Section 63.701, Request for Designation as a Recognized Private Operating Agency (RPOA).

Form No.: N/A.

Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.

Respondents: Business or other for-profit.

Number of Respondents: 10 respondents; 10 responses.

Estimated Time Per Response: 5 hours.

Frequency of Response: On occasion reporting requirement.

Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits.

Total Annual Burden: 35 hours.

Annual Cost Burden: $13,000.

Privacy Act Impact Assessment: N/A.

Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: In general, there is no need for confidentiality.

Needs and Uses: This collection will be submitted as an extension (no change in reporting or recordkeeping requirements) after this 60 day comment period to Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in order to obtain the full three year clearance.

The Commission requests this information in order to make recommendations to the U.S. Department of State for granting recognized private operating agency (RPOA) status to requesting entities. The Commission does not require entities to request RPOA status. Rather, this is a voluntary application process for use by companies that believe that obtaining RPOA status will be beneficial in persuading foreign governments to allow them to conduct business abroad. RPOA status also permits companies to join the International Telecommunication Union's (ITU's) Telecommunications Sector, which is the standards-setting body of the ITU.

The information furnished in RPOA requests is collected pursuant to 47 CFR 63.701 of the Commission's rules. Entities submit these applications on a voluntary basis. The collection of information is a one-time collection for each respondent. Without this information collection, the Commission's policies and objectives for assisting unregulated providers of enhanced services to enter the market for international enhanced services would be thwarted.

OMB Control No.: 3060-0454.

Title: Regulation of International Accounting Rates.

Form No.: N/A.

Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.

Respondents: Business or other for-profit.

Number of Respondents: 5 respondents; 41 responses.

Estimated Time per Response: 1-5 hours.

Frequency of Response: On occasion reporting requirement.

Obligation to Respond: Mandatory.

Total Annual Burden: 205 hours.

Annual Cost Burden: $2,000.

Privacy Act Impact Assessment: N/A.

Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: In general, there is no need for confidentiality.

Needs and Uses: This collection will be submitted as an extension (no change in reporting or recordkeeping requirements) after this 60 day comment period to Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in order to obtain the full three year clearance.

The information is used by Commission staff in carrying out its duties under the Communications Act of 1934, as amended. The information collections are necessary for the Commission to maintain effective oversight of U.S. carriers that are affiliated with, or involved in certain co-marketing or similar arrangements with, foreign carriers that are affiliated with, or involved in certain co-marketing or similar arrangements with, foreign carriers that have market power. Additionally, the information collections are necessary to analyze market trends to determine whether amendment of the Commission's existing rules or proposals of new rules are necessary to promote effective competition and prevent anti-competitive behavior between American and foreign carriers. If the collections are not conducted or are conducted less frequently, applicants will not obtain the authorizations necessary to provide telecommunications services, and the Commission will be unable to carry out its mandate under the Communications Act of 1934, as amended. Furthermore, the Commission would lack sufficient information to determine whether new or modified rules are necessary to combat anti-competitive behavior between American and foreign carriers.

OMB Control No.: 3060-0962.

Title: Redesignation of the 18 GHz Frequency Band, Blanket Licensing of Satellite Earth Stations in the Ka-Band, and the Allocation of Additional Spectrum for Broadcast Satellite Use.

Form No.: N/A.

Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.

Respondents: Business or other for-profit.

Number of Respondents: 5 respondents; 590 responses.

Estimated Time per Response: 1-4 hours.

Frequency of Response: On occasion and annual reporting requirements; third party disclosure requirement; and recordkeeping requirement.

Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits.

Total Annual Burden: 590 hours.

Annual Cost Burden: $60,000.

Privacy Act Impact Assessment: N/A.

Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: In general, there is no need for confidentiality.

Needs and Uses: This collection will be submitted as an extension (no change in reporting or recordkeeping requirements) after this 60 day comment period to Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in order to obtain the full three year clearance.

The collection of this information is necessary for the Commission to determine whether licensees are complying with the Commission's rules applicable to satellite earth stations and to deploy new satellite systems. If the collection were not conducted, the Commission would not be able to verify whether NGSO/FSS satellite earth stations in the Ka-band were operating in accordance with Commission rules. Additionally, spectrum would not be used most efficiently and would, therefore, result in hindering the provision of new or enhanced telecommunications services to the public.

OMB Control No.: 3060-1013.

Title: Mitigation of Orbital Debris.

Form No.: N/A.

Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.

Respondents: Business or other for-profit.

Number of Respondents: 53 respondents; 53 responses.

Estimated Time Per Response: 3 hours.

Frequency of Response: Annual reporting requirement and recordkeeping requirement.

Obligation to Respond: Mandatory.

Total Annual Burden: 159 hours.

Annual Cost Burden: $74,000.

Privacy Act Impact Assessment: N/A.

Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: In general, there is no need for confidentiality.

Needs and Uses: This collection will be submitted as an extension (no change in reporting or recordkeeping requirements) after this 60-day comment period to Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in order to obtain the full three year clearance.

Disclosure of debris mitigation plans as part of requests for FCC authorization will help preserve the United States' continued affordable access to space, the continued provision of reliable U.S. space-based services—including communications and remote sensing satellite services for the U.S. commercial, government, and homeland security purposes—as well as the continued safety of persons and property in space and on the surface of the Earth. Disclosure of debris mitigation plans will allow the Commission and potentially affected third parties to evaluate satellite operators' debris mitigation plans prior to the issuance of a FCC approval for communications activities in space. Disclosure may also aid in the wider dissemination of information concerning debris mitigation techniques and may provide a base-line of information that will aid in analyzing and refining those techniques. Without disclosure of orbital debris mitigation plans as part of applications for FCC authority, the Commission would be denied any opportunity to ascertain whether satellite operators are in fact considering and adopting reasonable debris mitigation practices, which could result in an increase in orbital debris and a decrease in the utility of space for communications and other uses. Furthermore, the effects of collisions involving orbital debris can be catastrophic and may cause significant damage to functional spacecraft or to persons or property on the surface of the Earth, if the debris re-enters the Earth's atmosphere in an uncontrolled manner.

OMB Control No.: 3060-1028.

Title: International Signaling Point Code (ISPC).

Form No.: N/A.

Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.

Respondents: Business or other for-profit.

Number of Respondents: 20 respondents; 20 responses.

Estimated Time Per Response: .166 hours (10 minutes).

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

Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits.

Total Annual Burden: 7 hours.

Annual Cost Burden: N/A.

Privacy Act Impact Assessment: N/A.

Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: In general, there is no need for confidentiality.

Needs and Uses: This collection will be submitted as an extension (no change in reporting or recordkeeping requirements) after this 60-day comment period to Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in order to obtain the full three year clearance.

An International Signaling Point Code (ISPC) is a unique, seven-digit code synonymously used to identify the signaling network of each international carrier. The ISPC has a unique format that is used at the international level for signaling message routing and identification of signaling points. The Commission receives ISPC applications from international carriers on the electronic, Internet-based International Bureau Filing System (IBFS). After receipt of the ISPC application, the Commission assigns the ISPC code to each applicant (international carrier) free of charge on a first-come, first-served basis. The collection of this information is required to assign a unique identification code to each international carrier and to facilitate communication among international carriers by their use of the ISPC code on the shared signaling network. The Commission informs the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) of its assignment of ISPCs to international carriers on an ongoing basis.

OMB Control No.: 3060-1029.

Title: Data Network Identification Code (DNIC).

Form No.: N/A.

Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.

Respondents: Business or other for-profit.

Number of Respondents: 5 respondents; 5 responses.

Estimated Time Per Response: .25 hours.

Frequency of Response: On occasion reporting requirement.

Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits.

Total Annual Burden: 1 hour.

Annual Cost Burden: N/A.

Privacy Act Impact Assessment: N/A.

Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: In general, there is no need for confidentiality.

Needs and Uses: This collection will be submitted as an extension (no change in reporting or recordkeeping requirements) after this 60-day comment period to Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in order to obtain the full three year clearance.

A Data Network Identification Code (DNIC) is a unique, four-digit number designed to provide discrete identification of individual public data networks. The DNIC is intended to identify and permit automated switching of data traffic to particular networks. The FCC grants the DNICs to operators of public data networks on an international protocol. The operators of public data networks file an application for a DNIC on the Internet-based, International Bureau Filing System (IBFS). The DNIC is obtained free of charge on a one-time only basis unless there is a change in ownership or the owner chooses to relinquish the code to the FCC. The Commission's lack of an assignment of DNICs to operators of public data networks would result in technical problems that prevent the identification and automated switching of data traffic to particular networks.

Federal Communications Commission.

Marlene H. Dortch,

Secretary.