2019-28044. Information Collections Being Submitted for Review and Approval to Office of Management and Budget  

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    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 should be submitted on or before January 29, 2020. If you anticipate that you will be submitting comments but find it difficult to do so with the period of time allowed by this notice, you should advise the contacts listed below as soon as possible.

    ADDRESSES:

    Direct all PRA comments to Nicholas A. Fraser, OMB, via email Nicholas_A._Fraser@OMB.eop.gov; and to Cathy Williams, FCC, via email PRA@fcc.gov and to Cathy.Williams@fcc.gov. Include in the comments the OMB control number as shown in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION below.

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    FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

    For additional information or copies of the information collection, contact Cathy Williams at (202) 418-2918. 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.

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    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 No.: 3060-0678.

    Title: Part 25 of the Commission's Rules Governing the Licensing of, and Spectrum Usage by, Satellite Network Stations and Space Stations.

    Form No: FCC Form 312, FCC Form 312-EZ, FCC Form 312-R and Schedules A, B and S.

    Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.

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

    Number of Respondents: 6,524 respondents; 6,573 responses.

    Estimated Time per Response: 0.5-80 hours.

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

    Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. The Commission has statutory authority for the information collection requirements under 47 U.S.C. 154, 301, 302, 303, 307, 309, 310, 319, 332, 605, and 721.

    Total Annual Burden: 44,992 hours.

    Total Annual Cost: $16,612,586.

    Privacy Act Impact Assessment: No impact(s).

    Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: There is no need for confidentiality pertaining to the information collection requirements in this collection.

    Needs and Uses: On August 2, 2019, the Commission released a Report and Order, FCC 19-81, in IB Docket No. 18-86, titled “Streamlining Licensing Procedures for Small Satellites” (Small Satellite Report and Order). In this Report and Order, the Commission adopted a new alternative, optional licensing process for small satellites and spacecraft, called the “Part 25 streamlined small satellite process.” This new process allows qualifying applicants for small satellites and spacecraft to take advantage of an easier application process, a lower application fee, and a shorter timeline for review than currently exists for applicants under the Commission's existing Part 25 satellite licensing rules. The Commission limited the regulatory burdens borne by applicants, while promoting orbital debris mitigation and efficient use of spectrum. The Commission's action supports and encourages the increasing innovation in the small satellite sector and helps to preserve U.S. leadership in space-based services and operations. This information collection will provide the Commission and the public with necessary information about the operations of this growing area of satellite operations. While this information collection represents an overall increase in the burden hours, the increase is due to an anticipated overall increase in number of applications as a result of additional applications being filed under the streamlined process adopted in the Small Satellite Report and Order. This information collection represents a decrease in the paperwork burdens for individual operators of non-geostationary orbit (NGSO) satellites who may now qualify for streamlined processing as small satellites, and serves the public interest by streamlining the collection of information and allowing Start Printed Page 71937the Commission to authorize small satellites and spacecraft under the new process established in the Report and Order.

    Specifically, FCC 19-81 contains new or modified information collection requirements listed below:

    (1) Space station application requirements for qualifying small satellites and small spacecraft have been specified in new sections 25.122 and 25.123, respectively. These new sections, including the certifications, incorporate some existing information requirements from other sections, but eliminate the need for small satellite and spacecraft applicants to provide much of the information that part 25 space station applicants would typically be required to provide in narrative format under section 25.114(d). The new or modified informational requirements in sections 25.122 and 25.123 are listed as follows:

    a. For small satellite applications filed under section 25.122, a certification that the space stations will operate in non-geostationary orbit, or for small spacecraft applications filed under section 25.123, a certification that the space station(s) will operate and be disposed of beyond Earth's orbit.

    b. A certification that the total in-orbit lifetime for any individual space station will be six years or less.

    c. For small satellite applications filed under 25.122, a certification that the space station(s) will either be deployed at an orbital altitude of 600 km or below, or will maintain a propulsions system and have the ability to make collision avoidance and deorbit maneuvers using propulsion. This certification will not apply to small spacecraft applications filed under section 25.123.

    d. A certification that each space station will be identifiable by a unique signal-based telemetry marker distinguishing it from other space stations or space objects.

    e. A certification that the space station(s) will release no operational debris.

    f. A certification that the space station operator has assessed and limited the probability of accidental explosions resulting from the conversion of energy sources on board the space station(s) into energy that fragments the spacecraft.

    g. A certification that the probability of a collision between each space station and any other large object (10 centimeters or larger) during the orbital lifetime of the space station is 0.001 or less as calculated using current NASA software or other higher fidelity model.

    h. For small satellite applications filed under section 25.122, a certification that the space station(s) will be disposed of through atmospheric re-entry, and that the probability of human casualty from portions of the spacecraft surviving re-entry and reaching the surface of the Earth is zero as calculated using current NASA software or higher fidelity models. This certification will not apply to small spacecraft applications filed under section 25.123.

    i. A certification that operations of the space station(s) will be compatible with existing operations in the authorized frequency band(s) and will not materially constrain future space station entrants from using the authorized frequency bands.

    j. A certification that the space station(s) can be commanded by command originating from the ground to immediately cease transmissions and the licensee will have the capability to eliminate harmful interference when required under the terms of the license or other applicable regulations.

    k. A certification that each space station is 10 cm or larger in its smallest dimension.

    l. For small satellite applications filed under section 25.122, a certification that each space station will have a mass of 180 kg or less, including any propellant. For small spacecraft applications filed under section 25.123, a certification that each space station will have a mass of 500 kg of less, including any propellant.

    m. A description of means by which requested spectrum could be shared with both current and future operators (e.g., how ephemeris data will be shared, antenna design, earth station geographic locations) thereby not materially constraining other operations in the requested frequency bands.

    n. For space stations with any means of maneuverability, including both active and passive means, a description of the design and operation of maneuverability and deorbit systems, and a description of the anticipated evolution over time of the orbit of the proposed satellite or satellites.

    o. In any instances where spacecraft capable of having crew aboard will be located at or below the deployment orbital altitude of the space station seeking a license, a description of the design and operational strategies that will be used to avoid in-orbit collision with such crewed spacecraft shall be furnished at the time of application. This narrative requirement will not apply to space stations that will operate beyond Earth's orbit.

    p. A list of the FCC file numbers or call signs for any known applications or Commission grants related to the proposed operations (e.g., experimental license grants, other space station or earth station applications or grants).

    (2) The informational requirements listed in section 25.137 for requests for U.S.-market access through non-U.S.-licensed space stations were also modified to refer to sections 25.122 and 25.123, for those applicants seeking U.S. market access under the small satellite or spacecraft process.

    This collection is also used by staff in carrying out United States treaty obligations under the World Trade Organization (WTO) Basic Telecom Agreement. The information collected is used for the practical and necessary purposes of assessing the legal, technical, and other qualifications of applicants; determining compliance by applicants, licensees, and other grantees with Commission rules and the terms and conditions of their grants; and concluding whether, and under what conditions, grant of an authorization will serve the public interest, convenience, and necessity.

    As technology advances and new spectrum is allocated for satellite use, applicants for satellite service will continue to submit the information required in 47 CFR part 25 of the Commission's rules. Without such information, the Commission could not determine whether to permit respondents to provide telecommunication services in the United States. Therefore, the Commission would be unable to fulfill its statutory responsibilities in accordance with the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, and the obligations imposed on parties to the WTO Basic Telecom Agreement.

    OMB Control Number: 3060-1167.

    Titl e: Accessible Telecommunications and Advanced Communications Services and Equipment.

    Form Number: N/A.

    Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.

    Respondents: Individuals or households; business or other for-profit entities; not-for-profit institutions.

    Number of Respondents and Responses: 3,541 respondents; 42,106 responses.

    Estimated Time per Response: .50 hours (30 minutes) to 40 hours.

    Frequency of Response: Annual, one time, and on occasion reporting requirements; recordkeeping requirement; third-party disclosure requirement.

    Obligation to Respond: Mandatory. Statutory authority for this information collection is contained in sections 1-4, 255, 303(r), 403, 503, 716, 717, and 718 Start Printed Page 71938of the Communications Act, as amended, 47 U.S.C. 151-154, 255, 303(r), 403, 503, 617, 618, and 619.

    Total Annual Burden: 120,999 hours.

    Total Annual Cost: $17,800.

    Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: Confidentiality is an issue to the extent that individuals and households provide personally identifiable information, which is covered under the FCC's system of records notice (SORN), FCC/CGB-1, “Informal Complaints, Inquiries and Requests for Dispute Assistance,” which became effective on September 24, 2014. In addition, upon the service of an informal or formal complaint, a service provider or equipment manufacturer must produce to the Commission, upon request, records covered by 47 CFR 14.31(a) of the Commission's rules that are directly relevant to the equipment or service that is the subject of such complaint and may assert a statutory request for confidentiality for these records. All other information submitted to the Commission pursuant to Subpart D of Part 14 of the Commission's rules or to any other request by the Commission may be submitted pursuant to a request for confidentiality in accordance with 47 CFR 0.459 of the Commission's rules.

    Privacy Impact Assessment: The FCC completed a Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) on June 28, 2007. The PIA may be reviewed at https://www.fcc.gov/​general/​privacy-act-information. The FCC is in the process of updating the PIA to incorporate various revisions made to the SORN.

    Needs and Uses: In 2011, in document FCC 11-151, the FCC adopted rules to implement sections 716 and 717 of the Communications Act of 1934 (the Act), as amended, which were added to the Act by the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010 (CVAA). See Public Law 111-260, 104. Section 716 of the Act requires providers of advanced communications services and manufacturers of equipment used for advanced communications services to make their services and equipment accessible to individuals with disabilities, unless doing so is not achievable. 47 U.S.C. 617. Section 717 of the Act established new recordkeeping requirements and enforcement procedures for service providers and equipment manufacturers that are subject to sections 255, 716, and 718 of the Act. 47 U.S.C. 618. Section 255 of the Act requires telecommunications and interconnected VoIP services and equipment to be accessible to individuals with disabilities, if readily achievable. 47 U.S.C. 255. Section 718 of the Act requires internet browsers built into mobile phones to be accessible to and usable by individuals who are blind or have a visual impairment, unless doing so is not achievable. 47 U.S.C. 619.

    In document FCC 11-151, the Commission adopted rules relating to the following:

    (a) Service providers and equipment manufacturers that are subject to sections 255, 716, and 718 of the Act must ensure that the information and documentation that they provide is accessible to individuals with disabilities.

    (b) Service providers and equipment manufacturers may seek waivers from the accessibility obligations of section 716 of the Act for services or equipment that are designed for multiple purposes, including advanced communications services, but are designed primarily for purposes other than using advanced communications services.

    (c) Service providers and equipment manufacturers that are subject to sections 255, 716, and 718 of the Act must maintain records of their efforts to implement those sections.

    (d) Service providers and equipment manufacturers that are subject to sections 255, 716, and 718 of the Act must certify annually to the Commission that records are kept in accordance with the recordkeeping requirements. The certification must include contact details of the person(s) authorized to resolve accessibility complaints and the agent designated for service of process.

    (e) The Commission established procedures to facilitate the filing of formal and informal complaints alleging violations of sections 255, 716, or 718 of the Act. Those procedures include a nondiscretionary pre-filing notice procedure to facilitate dispute resolution, that is, as a prerequisite to filing an informal complaint, complainants must first request dispute assistance from the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau's Disability Rights Office.

    In 2013, in document FCC 13-57, the FCC adopted rules to implement section 718 of the Act. In 2015, in document FCC 15-24, the FCC reclassified broadband internet access service (BIAS) as a telecommunications service that is subject to the Commission's regulatory authority under Title II of the Act and applying section 255 of the Act and the Commission's implementing rules to providers of BIAS and manufacturers of equipment used for BIAS. In 2017, in document FCC 17-166, the Commission reinstated the information service classification of BIAS.

    Therefore, the Commission extracted those burdens from the collection found in OMB control number 3060-1167.

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    Federal Communications Commission.

    Cecilia Sigmund,

    Federal Register Liaison Officer.

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    [FR Doc. 2019-28044 Filed 12-27-19; 8:45 am]

    BILLING CODE 6712-01-P

Document Information

Published:
12/30/2019
Department:
Federal Communications Commission
Entry Type:
Notice
Action:
Notice and request for comments.
Document Number:
2019-28044
Dates:
Written comments should be submitted on or before January 29, 2020. If you anticipate that you will be submitting comments but find it difficult to do so with the period of time allowed by this notice, you should advise the contacts listed below as soon as possible.
Pages:
71936-71938 (3 pages)
Docket Numbers:
OMB 3060-0678 and OMB 3060-1167, FRS 16372
PDF File:
2019-28044.Pdf