2012-432. Information Collection Being Submitted for Review and Approval to the 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 burden and as required b y the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3502-3520), the Federal Communications Commission invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on the following information collection(s). 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; (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 OMB control number. No person shall be subject to any penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) that does not display a valid OMB control number.

DATES:

Written Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) comments should be submitted on or before February 13, 2012. If you anticipate that you will be submitting PRA comments, but find it difficult to do so within the period of time allowed by this notice, you should advise the FCC contact listed below as soon as possible.

ADDRESSES:

Submit your PRA comments to Nicholas A. Fraser, Office of Management and Budget (OMB), via fax at [phone] or via Internet at [e-mail] and to Judith B. Herman, Federal Communications Commission, via the Internet at [e-mail]. To submit your PRA comments by email send them to: [e-mail].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Judith B. Herman, Office of Managing Director, FCC, at [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

OMB Control Number: 3060-0207.

Title: Part 11—Emergency Alert System (EAS).

Form No.: N/A.

Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.

Respondents: Business or other for-profit, not-for-profit institutions, and state, local or tribal government.

Number of Respondents: 3,569,028 respondents; 3,569,028 responses.

Estimated Time per Response: .0229776 hours.

Frequency of Response: On occasion reporting requirement and recordkeeping requirement.

Obligation to Respond: Voluntary response for business or other for-profit and not-for-respondents. Mandatory response for state, local or tribal government. Statutory authority for this information collection is contained in 47 U.S.C. sections 154(i) and 606 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended.

Total Annual Burden: 82,008 hours.

Total Annual Cost: N/A.

Privacy Act Impact Assessment: N/A.

Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: There is no need for confidentiality.

Needs and Uses: The Commission will submit this expiring information collection to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) during this 30 day comment period in order to obtain the full three year clearance from them. The Commission is requesting OMB approval for an extension (no change in the reporting, recordkeeping and/or third party disclosure requirements).

There is no change in the Commission's previous burden estimates.

The Commission established a voluntary electronic method of complying with the reporting that EAS participants must complete as part of the national EAS test. This electronic sub mission system will impose a lesser burden on EAS test participants because they can input electronically (via a web-based interface) the same information into a confidential database that the Commission would use to monitor and assess the test. Test participants would submit the identifying data prior to the test date. On the day of the test, EAS test participants would be able to input immediate test results. They would input the remaining data called for by our reporting rules within the 45 day period. Structuring an electronic reporting system in this fashion will allow the participants to populate the database with known information prior to the test, and thus be able to provide the Commission with actual test data, both close to real time and within a reasonable period in a minimally burdensome fashion.

OMB Control Number: 3060-0763.

Title: ARMIS Customer Satisfaction Report.

Report No.: FCC Report 43-06.

Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.

Respondents: Business or other for-profit.

Number of Respondents: 7 respondents; 7 responses.

Estimated Time per Response: 720 hours.

Frequency of Response: Annual reporting requirement.

Obligation to Respond: Mandatory. Statutory authority for this information collection is contained in 47 U.S.C. sections 161, 219(b) and 220 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended.

Total Annual Burden: 5,040 hours.

Total Annual Cost: N/A.

Privacy Act Impact Assessment: N/A.

Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: Ordinarily questions of a sensitive nature are not asked in the ARMIS Customer Satisfaction Report. The areas in which detailed information is required are fully subject to regulation and the issue of data being regarded as sensitive will arise in special circumstances only. In such circumstances, the respondent is instructed on the appropriate procedures to follow to safeguard sensitive data. Any respondent who submits information to the Commission that the respondent believes is confidential may request confidential treatment of such information under 47 CFR 0.459 of the Commission's rules.

Needs and Uses: The Commission will submit this expiring information collection to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) during this 30 day comment period in order to obtain the full three year clearance from them. The Commission is requesting OMB approval for an extension (no change in the reporting, recordkeeping and/or third party disclosure requirements).

There is no change in the Commission's previous burden estimates.

The information contained in FCC Report 43-06 has helped the Commission fulfill its regulatory responsibilities. Automated reporting of these data greatly enhances the Commission's ability to process and analyze the extensive amounts of data provided in the reports. Automating and organizing data submitted to the Commission facilitate the timely and efficient analysis of revenue requirements, rates of return and price caps, and provide an improved basis for auditing and other oversight functions. Automated reporting also enhances the Commission's ability to quantify the effects of policy proposals.

The Commission has granted AT&T, Verizon, legacy Quest, and other similarly situated carriers conditional forbearance from FCC Report 43-06. See Petition of AT&T Inc. for Forbearance under 47 U.S.C. section 160 from Enforcement of Certain of the Commission's Cost Assignment Rules, WC Docket Nos. 07-21, 05-342, Memorandum Opinion and Order, 23 FCC Rcd 7302 (2008) (AT&T Cost Assignment Forbearance Order, pet. for recon. pending; pet. for review pending, NASUCA v. FCC, Case No. 08-1226 (DC Cir. Filed June 23, 2008); Service Quality, Customer Satisfaction, Infrastructure and Operating Data Gathering, WC Docket Nos. 08-190, 07-139, 07-204, 07-273, 07-21, Memorandum Opinion and Order and Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, 23 FCC Rcd 13647 (2008) (Verizon/Qwest Cost Assignment Forbearance Order, pet. for recon. pending, pet. for review pending, NASUCA v. FCC, Cast No. 08-1353 (D.C. Cir. Filed Nov. 4, 2008). Despite this forbearance, the Commission seeks OMB approval for the renewal (extension) of this information collection because petitions for reconsideration and review of those forbearance decisions are currently pending before the Commission and the court, respectively.

Federal Communications Commission.

Marlene H. Dortch,

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