2019-28409. Information Collections Being Reviewed by the Federal Communications Commission Under Delegated Authority

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 comments should be submitted on or before March 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 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, 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 No.: 3060-0347.

Title: Section 97.311, Spread Spectrum (SS) Emission Types.

Form No.: Not applicable.

Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.

Respondents: Individuals or households.

Number of Respondents and Responses: 50 respondents; 50 responses.

Estimated Time per Response: .017 hours (1 minute).

Frequency of Response: Recordkeeping requirement.

Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain and retain benefits. The statutory authority for this collection of information is contained in 47 U.S.C. 154, 303, 151-155 and 301-609.

Total Annual Burden: 1 hour.

Annual Cost Burden: None.

Privacy Act Impact Assessment: Yes.

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

Needs and Uses: The recordkeeping requirement in Section 97.311 is necessary to document all spread spectrum (ss) transmissions by amateur radio operators. This requirement is necessary so that quick resolution of any harmful interference problems can be achieved and to ensure that the station is operating in accordance with the Communications Act of 1934, as amended. The information is used by FCC staff during inspections and investigations to ensure compliance with applicable rules, statutes, and treaties. In the absence of this recordkeeping requirement, field inspections and investigations related to the solution of cases of harmful interference would be severely hampered and needlessly prolonged due to the inability to quickly obtain vital information used to demodulate spread spectrum transmissions.

OMB Control No.: 3060-0695.

Title: Section 87.219, Automatic Operations.

Form No.: N/A.

Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.

Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities.

Number of Respondents and Responses: 55 respondents and 55 responses.

Estimated Time per Response: 0.7 hours.

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

Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. The statutory authority for this collection of information is contained in 47 U.S.C. 154, 303 and 307.

Total Annual Burden: 39 hours.

Annual Cost Burden: $8,250.

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

Privacy Act Impact Assessment: No impact(s).

Needs and Uses: If airports have control towers of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) flight service stations and more than one licensee, and wants to have an automated aeronautical advisory station (Unicom), this rule requires that they must write an agreement and keep a copy of the agreement with each licensee's station authorization. This information will be used by compliance personnel for enforcement purposes and by licensees to clarify responsibility in operating Unicom.

OMB Control No.: 3060-0881.

Title: Section 95.1961, Interference.

Form No.: N/A.

Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.

Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities.

Number of Respondents and Responses: 40 respondents; 40 responses.

Estimated Time per Response: 1 hour.

Frequency of Response: Recordkeeping requirement, third party disclosure requirement, and on occasion reporting requirement.

Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. The statutory authority for this collection of information is contained in 47 U.S.C. 151, 154(i) and 157, as amended.

Total Annual Burden: 40 hours.

Annual Cost Burden: $10,000.

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: On May 19, 2017, the Commission reformed its Part 95 rules. See Review of the Commission's Part 95 Personal Radio Service Rules, Report and Order, WT Docket 10-119, 32 FCC Rcd 4292 (2017). In that proceeding, the Commission renumbered certain Part 95 rules subject to this information collection without making substantive rule changes. For example, former rule § 95.861 is currently § 95.1961. With this submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), we renumbered the rule sections accordingly.

Section 95.1961(c) requires that licensees in the 218-219 MHz service must provide a copy of its plan to every TV Channel 13 station whose Grade B predicted contour overlaps the licensed service area as required by § 95.1915(a) of the Commission's rules. This plan must include an analysis of the co- and adjacent channel interference potential of proposed systems in the 218-219 MHz service, identify methods being used to minimize interference, and show how the proposed systems will meet the service requirements set forth in § 95.1931 of the Commission's rules. This plan must be sent to the TV Channel 13 licensee(s) within 10 days from the date the 218-219 MHz service licensee submits the plan to the Commission. Updates to this plan must be sent to the TV Channel 13 licensee(s) within 10 days from the date that such updates are filed with the Commission pursuant to § 95.1915.

Section 95.1961(e) requires that each 218-219 MHz service licensee investigate and eliminate harmful interference to television broadcasting and reception, from its component cell transmitter stations (CTSs) and response transmitter units (RTUs) within 30 days of the time it is notified in writing, by either an affected television station, an affected viewer, or the Commission, of an interference complaint.

OMB Control No.: 3060-1008.

Title: Section 27.50, Power and Antenna Height Limits; Section 27.602, Guard Band Manager Agreements.

Form No.: Not applicable.

Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.

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

Number of Respondents and Responses: 166 respondents and 247 responses.

Estimated Time per Response: 1 hour up to 6 hours.

Frequency of Response: Recordkeeping requirement, On occasion reporting requirement and Third party disclosure requirement.

Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. The statutory authority for this collection is contained in 47 U.S.C. 151, 154(i), 157 and 309(j), as amended.

Total Annual Burden: 782 hours.

Annual Cost Burden: None.

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: The information gathered in this collection will be used to support the development of new services in the Lower 700 MHz Band. Further, Guard Band Managers are required to enter into written agreements with other licensees who plan on using their licensed spectrum by others, subject to certain conditions outlined in the rules. They must retain these records for at least two years after the date such agreement expire. Such records need to be kept current and be made available upon request for inspection by the Commission or its representatives.

Federal Communications Commission.

Cecilia Sigmund,

Federal Register Liaison Officer, Office of the Secretary.