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) of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520), the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or the Commission) invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on the following information collection. 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 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 PRA comments should be submitted on or before May 31, 2016. 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 PRA@fcc.gov and to Nicole.Ongele@fcc.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

For additional information about the information collection, contact Nicole Ongele at (202) 418-2991.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

OMB Control Number: 3060-0953.

Title: Sections 95.1111 and 95.1113, Frequency Coordination/Coordinator, Wireless Medical Telemetry Service (WMTS).

Form No.: N/A.

Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.

Respondents: Business or other for-profit and not-for-profit institutions.

Number of Respondents and Responses: 3,000 respondents; 3.000 responses.

Estimated Time per Response: 1-5 hours.

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

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

Total Annual Burden: 15,000 hours.

Total Annual Cost: $750,000.

Privacy Act Impact Assessment: N/A.

Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: No information is requested that would require assurance of confidentiality.

Needs and Uses: The Commission will submit this information collection to OMB as a revision after this 60 day comment period to obtain the full three-year clearance from them.

On August 11, 2015 the Federal Communications Commission released a Report and Order, Amendment of Part 15 of the Commission's Rules for Unlicensed Operations in the Television Bands, Repurposed 600 MHz Band, 600 MHz Guard Bands and Duplex Gap, and Channel 37, and Amendment of Part 74 of the Commission's Rules for Low Power Auxiliary Stations in the Repurposed 600 MHz Band and 600 MHz Duplex Gap, ET Docket No 14-165, GN Docket No. 12-268, FCC 15-99, which modifies Commission rules for unlicensed wireless devices and wireless microphones in the reconstituted TV bands and the new 600 MHz band.

On June 12, 2000, the Commission released a Report and Order, ET Docket No. 99-255, FCC 00-211, which allocated spectrum and established rules for a “Wireless Medical Telemetry Service” (WMTS) that allows potentially life-critical equipment to operate in an interference-protected basis. Medical telemetry equipment is used in hospitals and health care facilities to transmit patient measurement data such as pulse and respiration rate to a nearby receiver, permitting greater patient mobility and increased comfort. The Commission designated a frequency coordinator, who maintains a database of all WMTS equipment. All parties using equipment in the WMTS are required to coordinate/register their operating frequency and other relevant technical operating parameters with the designated coordinator. The database provides a record of the frequencies used by each facility or device to assist parties in selecting frequencies to avoid interference. Without a database, there would be no record of WMTS usage because WMTS transmitters will not be individually licensed. The designated frequency coordinator has the responsibility to maintain an accurate engineering database of all WMTS transmitters, identified by location (coordinates, street address, and building), operating frequency, emission type and output power, frequency range(s) used, modulation scheme used, effective radiated power, number of transmitters in use at the health care facility at the time of registration, legal name of the authorized health care provider, and point of contact for authorized health care provider. The frequency coordinator will make the database available to WMTS users, equipment manufacturers and the public. The coordinator will also notify users of potential frequency conflicts. In addition, in order to receive interference protection, parties operating WMTS networks on channel 37 shall notify one of the white space database administrators of their operating location pursuant to §§ 15.713(j)(11) and 15.715(p) of that chapter.