2020-11854. Information Collections 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 of 1995 (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 PRA comments should be submitted on or before August 3, 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 contact listed below as soon as possible.

ADDRESSES:

Direct all PRA comments to Nicole Ongele, FCC, via email [e-mail] and to [e-mail].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

For additional information about the information collection, contact Nicole Ongele, [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

OMB Control Number: 3060-XXXX.

Title: Alaska Plan End of Term Commitments.

Form Number: N/A.

Type of Review: New information collection.

Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities.

Number of Respondents and Responses: 21 respondents; 21 responses.

Estimated Time per Response: 10 hours.

Frequency of Response: One-time reporting requirement.

Obligation to Respond: Required to retain benefits. Statutory authority for this information collection is contained in 47 U.S.C. 151, 152, 154(i), 155, 201-206, 214, 218-220, 251, 252, 254, 256, 303(r), 332, 403, and 1302.

Total Annual Burden: 210 hours.

Total Annual Cost: No Cost.

Privacy Act Impact Assessment: No impact(s).

Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: For this information request, parties may submit confidential information. Requests for confidentiality may be submitted to the Commission to be withheld from public inspection under 47 C FR 0.459 of the FCC's rules.

Needs and Uses: The Commission is requesting the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval for this new information collection. On August 23, 2016, the Commission adopted the Alaska Plan Order. See Connect America Fund et al., WC Docket Nos. 10-90, 16-271, WT Docket No. 10-208, Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, 31 FCC Rcd 10139 (2016) (Alaska Plan Order). In that order, the Commission adopted a plan for providing Alaskan rate-of-return carriers and competitive Eligible Telecommunications Carriers (ETCs) the option to obtain a fixed level of funding for a defined term in exchange for committing to deployment obligations that are tailored to each Alaskan carrier's circumstances. A requirement adopted in the Alaska Plan Order requires that participating carriers update their end-of-term commitments no later than the end of the fourth year of support, i.e., by December 31, 2020. The purpose of this information collection is to collect from the participating carriers their updated end-of-term commitments and addresses the burdens associated with that requirement.

OMB Control Number: 3060-1204.

Title: Deployment of Text-to-911.

Form Number: N/A.

Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.

Respondents: Business or other-for profit, State, Local, or Tribal government.

Number of Respondents and Responses: 3,882 respondents; 52,963 responses.

Estimated Time per Response: 1-8 hours.

Frequency of Response: One-time; annual reporting requirements and third-party disclosure requirement.

Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. Statutory authority for these collections is contained in 47 U.S.C. 151, 152, 154(i), 154(j), 154(o), 251(e), 303(b), 303(g), 303(r), 316, and 403.

Total Annual Burden: 76,766 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: Deployment of Text-to-911. In a Second Report and Order released on August 13, 2014, FCC 14-118, published at 79 FR 55367, September 16, 2014, the Commission adopted final rules—containing information collection requirements—to enable the Commission to implement text-to-911 service. The text-to-911 rules provide enhanced access to emergency services for people with disabilities and fulfilling a crucial role as an alternative means of emergency communication for the general public in situations where sending a text message to 911 as opposed to placing a voice call could be vital to the caller's safety. The Second Report and Order adopted rules to commence the implementation of text-to-911 service with an initial deadline of December 31, 2014 for all covered text providers to be capable of supporting text-to-911 service. The Second Report and Order also provided that covered text providers would then have a six-month implementation period. They must begin routing all 911 text messages to a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) by June 30, 2015 or within six months of a valid PSAP request for text-to-911 service, whichever is later. To implement these requirements, the Commission seeks to collect information primarily for a database in which PSAPs voluntarily register that they are technically ready to receive text messages to 911. As PSAPs become text-ready, they may either register in the PSAP database (or submit a notification to PS Docket Nos. 10-255 and 11-153), or provide other written notification reasonably acceptable to a covered text messaging provider. Either measure taken by the PSAP constitutes sufficient notification pursuant to the rules in the Second Report and Order. PSAPs and covered text providers may also agree to an alternative implementation timeframe (other than six months). Covered text providers must notify the FCC of the dates and terms of any such alternate timeframe within 30 days of the parties' agreement. Additionally, the rules adopted by the Second Report and Order include other information collections for third party notifications necessary for the implementation of text-to-911, including notifications to consumers, covered text providers, and the Commission. These notifications are essential to ensure that all affected parties are aware of the limitations, capabilities, and status of text-to-911 services. These information collections enable the Commission to meet the objectives for implementation of text-to-911 service and for compliance by covered text providers with the six-month implementation period in furtherance of the Commission's core mission to ensure the public's safety.

Real Time Text. In a Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, released on December 16, 2016, in CG Docket No. 16-145 and GN Docket No. 15-178, the Commission amended its rules to facilitate a transition from text telephone (TTY) technology to RTT as a reliable and interoperable universal text solution over wireless internet protocol (IP) enabled networks for people who are deaf, hard of hearing, deaf-blind, or have a speech disability. Section 9.10(c) of the rules requires Commercial Mobile Radio Service (CMRS) providers to be “capable of transmitting 911 calls from individuals with speech or hearing disabilities through means other than mobile radio handsets, e.g., through the use of [TTY devices].” Additionally, “CMRS providers that provide voice communications over IP facilities are not required to support 911 access via TTYs if they provide 911 access via [RTT] communications, in accordance with 47 CFR part 67, except that RTT support is not required to the extent that it is not achievable for a particular manufacturer to support RTT on the provider's network.” Section 9.10(c). The Commission's Report and Order provides that once a PSAP is so capable, the requested service provider must begin delivering RTT communications in an RTT format within six months after a valid request is made—to the extent the provider has selected RTT as its accessible text communication method.

Dispatchable Location. Section 506 of RAY BAUM'S Act requires the Commission to “consider adopting rules to ensure that the dispatchable location is conveyed with a 9-1-1 call, regardless of the technological platform used [. . .].” In a Report and Order released on August 2019, in PS Docket Nos. 18-261 and 17-239 and GN Docket No. 11-117, the Commission amended its rules to implement Kari's Law and Section 506 of RAY BAUM'S Act. Specifically, for mobile text, the Commission adopted Section 9.10(q)(10)(v) to provide that no later than January 6, 2022, covered text providers must provide the following location information with all 911 text messages routed to a PSAP:

Automated dispatchable location, if technically feasible; otherwise, either end-user manual provision of location information, or enhanced location information, which may be coordinate-based, consisting of the best available location that can be obtained from any available technology or combination of technologies at reasonable cost.

47 CFR 20.18 renumbered as 47 CFR 9.10. Additionally, the Commission renumbered Section 20.18 as new Section 9.10. Accordingly, we update the references to Section 20.18 with Section 9.10 in this supporting statement.

Federal Communications Commission.

Marlene Dortch,

Secretary, Office of the Secretary.