2011-24256. Information Collections Being Submitted for Review and Approval to the Office of Management and Budget

AGENCY:

Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION:

Notice and request for comments.

SUMMARY:

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC), as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork burdens, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on the following information collection, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995. 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 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; (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; and (e) 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 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 Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number.

DATES:

Written comments should be submitted on or before October 21, 2011. 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 Nicholas A. Fraser, OMB, via fax [phone], or via e-mail [e-mail]; and to Cathy Williams, FCC, via e-mail [e-mail] and to [e-mail]. Include in the comments the OMB control number as shown in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

For additional information or copies of the information collection, contact Cathy Williams 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 OMB control number of this ICR and then click on the ICR Reference Number. A copy of the FCC submission to OMB will be displayed.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

 

OMB Control No.: 3060-0106.

Title: Part 43 Reporting Requirements for U.S. Providers of International Telecommunications Services and Affiliates; 47 CFR 43.61.

Form No.: N/A.

Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.

Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities.

Number of Responses and Respondents: 1,255 respondents and 1,255 responses.

Estimated Time per Response: 2 hours-220 hours.

Frequency of Response: Annual reporting requirement.

Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. The statutory authority for this collection of information is contained in Sections 1, 4(i), 4(j) 11, 201-205, 211, 214, 219, 220, 303(r), 309, and 403 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C. 151, 154(i), 154(j), 161, 201 205, 211, 214, 219, 220, 303(r), 309 and 403.

Total Annual Burden: 19,530 hours.

Total Annual Cost: $339,000.

Privacy Act Impact Assessment: No impact(s).

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

Needs and Uses: On May 12, 2011, the Federal Communications Commission adopted a First Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (FCC 11-76) in Reporting Requirements for U.S. Providers of International Telecommunications Services, Amendment of Part 43 of the Commission's Rules, IB Docket No. 04-112 (rel. May 13, 2011). In the First Report and Order portion of that document (First Report and Order), the Commission amended the international reporting requirements in Section 43.61 of the Commission's rules. The Commission retained the annual traffic and revenue report contained in Section 43.61(a) but eliminated the quarterly large carrier report in Section 43.61(b) and the quarterly report of switched resellers affiliated with foreign telecommunications entities in Section 43.61(c). The Commission also retained the requirement from the current Section 43.61(a) traffic and revenue report that filing entities report their international message telephone service (IMTS) and international private line services on a for each overseas route they serve. The Commission also retained the current requirement in Section 43.61(a) that filing entities report their IMTS resale (i.e., where an entity purchases IMTS calls from another provider and resells them to its customers) on a world-total basis.

The First Report and Order simplified the annual Section 43.61(a) report by amending subpart (a) of the rule to eliminate the current requirement that filing entities separately report IMTS and private line traffic between the conterminous 48 states and offshore U.S. points such as Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands and traffic between such offshore U.S. points and foreign points. The Commission did not amend subparts (1), (2), or (3) of Section 43.61(a).

OMB Control No.: 3060-0169.

Title: Section 43.51, Reports and Records of Communications Common Carriers and Affiliates.

Form No.: N/A.

Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.

Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities.

Number of Responses and Respondents: 55 respondents and 1,210 responses.

Estimated Time per Response: 6 hours.

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

Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. The statutory authority for this collection is contained in sections: 1-4, 10, 11, 201-205, 211, 218, 220, 226, 303(g), 303(r) and 332 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C. 151, 154, 160, 161, 201, 205, 211, 218, 220, 226, 303(g), 303(r) and 332.

Total Annual Burden: 5,047 hours.

Total Annual Cost: None.

Privacy Act Impact Assessment: No impact(s).

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

Needs and Uses: On May 13, 2011, the Federal Communications Commission released a First Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (FCC 11-76) in Reporting Requirements for U.S. Providers of International Telecommunications Services, Amendment of Part 43 of the Commission's Rules, IB Docket No. 04-112 (rel. May 13, 2011) (Part 43 Review Order). In the First Report and Order portion of the Part 43 Review Order (First Report and Order), the Commission removed section 43.53 as no longer being required in the public interest. It did not alter section 43.51.

OMB Control No.: 3060-0572.

Title: International Circuit Status Reports, 47 CFR 43.82.

Form No.: N/A.

Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.

Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities.

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

Estimated Time per Response: 1 hour-50 hours.

Frequency of Response: Annual reporting requirement.

Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. The Commission has authority for this information collection pursuant to the Communications Act of 1934 Sections 4, 48, 48 Stat. 1066, as amended, 47 U.S.C. 154 unless otherwise noted. Interpret or apply Sections 211, 219, 48 Stat. 1073, 1077, as amended; 47 U.S.C. 211, 219 and 220.

Total Annual Burden: 736 hours.

Total Annual Cost: None.

Privacy Act Impact Assessment: No impact(s).

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

Needs and Uses: On May 12, 2011, the Federal Communications Commission adopted a First Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (FCC 11-76) in Reporting Requirements for U.S. Providers of International Telecommunications Services, Amendment of Part 43 of the Commission's Rules, IB Docket No. 04-112 (rel. May 13, 2011). In the First Report and Order portion of that document (First Report and Order), the Commission amended the international reporting requirements in Section 43.82 that requires carriers annually to report the status of the international transmission circuits they owned or leased on December 31st of the preceding year. In the First Report and Order, the Commission also eliminated the circuit-addition report in Section 63.23(e) of the Commission's rules.

In the First Report and Order, the Commission retained the annual circuit-status report contained in Section 43.82, but eliminated the requirement that filing entities separately report circuits between the conterminous 48 states and offshore U.S. points such as Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands and circuits between such offshore U.S. points and foreign points.

In the First Report and Order, the Commission also removed the requirement that filing entities file the circuit-addition report in section 63.23(e) of the rules. The Commission found that the section 43.82 annual circuit-status report provides enough information so that the circuit-addition report is no longer necessary. Section 63.23(e) required carriers that have been certified to resell international private lines for the provision of telecommunications services to file each year the number of private line circuits they added and the service for which they were used. The Commission required this report because such service provider did not file the annual circuit-status report. The underlying carriers that provide the private lines that the resellers are using are required to report those circuits in their annual circuit-status report. As a result, we have a record that the circuits are used and do not need for the resellers also to report the same circuits.

Federal Communications Commission.

Marlene H. Dortch,

Secretary, Office of the Secretary, Office of Managing Director.