2020-10343. 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), 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 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 July 13, 2020. 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 contacts 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:

As part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork burdens, and as required by the PRA of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520), the FCC 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.

OMB Control Number: 3060-XXXX.

Title: 3.7 GHz Band Relocation Coordinator and Relocation Payment Clearinghouse Real-Time Disclosure of Communications Required by Sections 27.1413(c)(6) and 27.1414(b)(4)(i).

Form Number: N/A.

Type of Review: New information collection.

Respondents: Business or other for profit entities.

Number of Respondents: 2 respondents; 12 responses.

Estimated Time per Response: 1 hour.

Frequency of Response: On occasion reporting requirement.

Obligation to Respond: Required to Obtain or retain benefits. Statutory authority for this information collection is contained in sections 1, 2, 4(i), 4(j), 5(c), 201, 302, 303, 304, 307(e), and 309 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C. 151, 152, 154(i), 154(j), 155(c), 201, 302, 303, 304, 307(e), 309.

Total Annual Burden: 12 hours.

Total Annual Costs: No cost.

Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: The information collected under this collection will be made publicly available.

Privacy Act Impact Assessment: No impact(s).

Needs and Uses: On February 28, 2020, in furtherance of the goal of releasing more mid-band spectrum into the market to support and enable next-generation wireless networks, the Commission adopted a Report and Order, FCC 20-22, (3.7 GHz Report and Order) in which it reformed the use of the 3.7-4.2 GHz band, also known as the C-Band. The 3.7-4.2 GHz band currently is allocated in the United States exclusively for non-Federal use on a primary basis for Fixed Satellite Service (FSS) and Fixed Service. Domestically, space station operators use the 3.7-4.2 GHz band to provide downlink signals of various bandwidths to licensed transmit-receive, registered receive-only, and unregistered receive-only earth stations throughout the United States. The 3.7 GHz Report and Order calls for the relocation of existing FSS operations in the band into the upper 200 megahertz of the band (4.0-4.2 GHz) and making the lower 280 megahertz (3.7-3.98 GHz) available for flexible-use throughout the contiguous United States through a Commission-administered public auction of overlay licenses in the 3.7 GHz Service that is scheduled to occur later this year, with the 20 megahertz from 3.98-4.0 GHz reserved as a guard band. The Commission adopted a robust transition schedule to achieve an expeditious relocation of FSS operations and ensure that a significant amount of spectrum is made available quickly for next-generation wireless deployments, while also ensuring effective accommodation of relocated incumbent users. The 3.7 GHz Report and Order establishes a deadline of December 5, 2025, for full relocation to ensure that all FSS operations are cleared in a timely manner, but provides an opportunity for accelerated clearing of the band by allowing incumbent space station operators, as defined in the 3.7 GHz Report and Order, to commit to voluntarily relocate on a two-phased accelerated schedule (with additional obligations and incentives for such operators), with a Phase I deadline of December 5, 2021, and a Phase II deadline of December 5, 2023.

The Commission concluded in the 3.7 GHz Report and Order that a neutral, independent third-party Relocation Payment Clearinghouse (RPC) should be established to administer the cost-related aspects of the transition in a fair, transparent manner, mitigate financial disputes among stakeholders, and collect and distribute payments in a timely manner to transition incumbent space station operators out of the 3.7-3.98 GHz band. The Commission also concluded that a Relocation Coordinator (RC) should be appointed to ensure that all incumbent space station operators are relocating in a timely manner, and to be responsible for receiving notice from earth station operators or other satellite customers of any disputes related to comparability of facilities, workmanship, or preservation of service during the transition and notify the Commission of disputes and recommendations for resolution.

To protect the fair and level playing field for applicants to participate in the Commission's auction for overlay licenses in the 3.7 GHz Service, the RPC and the RC are each required to make real-time, public disclosures of the content and timing of and the parties to communications, if any, from or to such applicants, as applicants are defined by the Commission's rule prohibiting certain auction-related communications, 47 CFR 1.2105(c)(5)(i), whenever the prohibition in 47 CFR 1.2105(c) applies to competitive bidding for licenses in the 3.7 GHz Service. See 47 CFR 27.1413(c)(6), 27.1414(b)(4)(i) (as adopted in the 3.7 GHz Report and Order). The Commission is seeking approval for a new information collection to permit the RPC and the RC to make the required real-time, public disclosure of any such communications, as necessary.

Federal Communications Commission.

Marlene Dortch,

Secretary.