2020-28617. Information Collections Being Submitted for Review and Approval to Office of Management and Budget

AGENCY:

Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION:

Notice and request for comments.

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 January 28, 2021.

ADDRESSES:

Comments should be sent to www.reginfo.gov/​public/​do/​PRAMain. 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 www.reginfo.gov per the above instructions for it to be considered. In addition to submitting in www.reginfo.gov also send a copy of your comment on the proposed information collection to Nicole Ongele, FCC, via email to [e-mail] and to [e-mail]. 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 [phone]. To view a copy of this information collection request (ICR) submitted to OMB: (1) Go to the web page http://www.reginfo.gov/​,public/​do/​PRAMain,, (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: 3060-0120.

Title: Broadcast EEO Program Model, FCC Form 396-A.

Form Number: FCC-396-A.

Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.

Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities, Not-for-profit institutions.

Number of Respondents and Responses: 5,000 respondents, 5,000 responses.

Estimated Time per Response: 1 hour.

Frequency of Response: On occasion reporting requirement.

Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain benefits. The statutory authority for this collection of information is contained in Section 154(i) and 303 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended.

Total Annual Burden: 5,000 hours.

Total Annual Cost: No Cost.

Privacy Act Impact Assessment: No impact(s).

Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: There is no need for confidentiality with this collection of information.

Needs and Uses: The Broadcast Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Model Report, FCC Form 396-A, is filed in conjunction with applicants seeking authority to construct a new broadcast station, to obtain assignment of construction permit or license and/or seeking authority to acquire control of an entity holding construction permit or license. This program is designed to assist the applicant in establishing an effective EEO program for its stations.

OMB Control Number: 3060-XXXX.

Title: Improving Outage Reporting for Submarine Cables and Enhanced Submarine Outage Data.

Form Number: Not applicable.

Type of Review: New information collection.

Respondents: Business or other for-profit.

Number of Respondents and Responses: 75 respondents; 336 responses.

Estimated Time per Response: 6 hours.

Frequency of Response: On occasion reporting requirement.

Obligation to Respond: Mandatory. Statutory authority for this information collection is contained in 47 U.S.C. 151, 154(i)-(j) & (o), 405, and the Cable Landing License Act of 1921, 47 U.S.C. 34-39, and 3 U.S.C. 301, and Exec. Order No. 10530.

Total Annual Burden: 2,016 hours.

Total Annual Cost: No Cost.

Privacy Act Impact Assessment: No impact(s).

Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: Outage reports filed with the Commission pursuant to Part 4 are presumed confidential. The information in those filings may be shared with the Department of Homeland Security only under appropriate confidential disclosure protections. Other persons seeking disclosure must follow the procedures delineated in 47 CFR 0.457 and 0.459 for requests for and disclosure of information. The information collection discussed here does not affect the confidential treatment of information submitted to the Commission's Network Outage Reporting System (NORS), an internet portal that collects submitted outage filings.

Needs and Uses: Section 151 of the Communications Act of 1934 (Act), as amended, requires the Commission to promote the safety of life and property through the use of wire and radio communications. Additionally, the Cable Landing License Act, (47 U.S.C. 34-39), and Executive Order 10530, provide the Commission with authority to grant, withhold, condition and revoke submarine cable landing licenses. Further, the Cable Landing License Act and Executive Order 10530 provide that the Commission may place conditions on the grant of a submarine cable landing license in order to assure just and reasonable rates and service in the operation and use of cables so licensed. “Just and reasonable service” entails assurance that the cable infrastructure will be reasonably available. Availability of submarine cables is also critically important for national security and the economy because submarine cables carry approximately 95 percent of international communications traffic and are the primary means of connectivity for numerous U.S. states and territories. Currently, submarine cable licensees provide information to the Commission on a voluntary, ad hoc basis through the Undersea Cable Information System (UCIS).

This is a new collection that will be part of the Commission's NORS outage reporting regime. As with the other information collection collected in NORS (under OMB Control No. 3060-0484), this new collection will facilitate FCC monitoring, analysis, and investigation of the reliability and security of submarine cable networks, and to identify and action on potential threats to our Nation's telecommunications infrastructure. Drawing from a decade of experience in outage reporting, the Commission will seek an ongoing dialogue with submarine cable licensees, as well as with the industry at large, regarding lessons learned from the new information collection. These efforts will help the Commission develop a better understanding of the root causes of significant outages, and to explore preventive measures to mitigate the impact of such outages on the Nation and the American public.

The addition of mandatory submarine cable outage data will provide the Commission with greater visibility into the availability and health of these networks, allowing the Commission to better track and analyze submarine cable resiliency. This enhanced visibility into submarine cable network outages will allow the Commission to take appropriate actions to mitigate disruptions, if necessary, and to avoid the development of larger, more significant problems which could impact national security and public safety interests. Submarine cable outages do not typically occur with the same frequency as terrestrial outages, but when they do occur have a greater impact on the Nation's telecommunications due to the volume and nature of communications carried over such cables. Damages to submarine cables are usually caused by weather or inadvertent slicing by underseas equipment. However, submarine cables are also susceptible to intentional damage for nefarious purposes that could lead to a severe degradation of crucial government, as well as non-government, communications.

Federal Communications Commission.

Marlene Dortch,

Secretary, Office of the Secretary.