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, 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 October 9, 2018. 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:

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 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.

OMB Control Number: 3060-0065.

Title: Applications for New Authorization or Modification of Existing Authorization Under Part 5 of the FCC Rules—Experimental Radio Service.

Form Number: FCC Form 442.

Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.

Respondents: Business or other for-profit; Not-for-profit institutions, Individuals or households, State, Local or Tribal Government.

Number of Respondents and Responses: 405 respondents; 655 responses.

Estimated Time per Response: 15 hours.

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

Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. Statutory authority for this information collection is contained in 47 U.S.C. Sections 4, 302, 303, 307 and 336 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended.

Total Annual Burden: 3,474 hours.

Total Annual Cost: $52,150.

Privacy Act Impact Assessment: This information collection affects individuals or households. The Commission has a System of Records, FCC/OET-1 “Experimental Radio Station License Files” which covers the personally identifiable information (PII) that individual applicants may include in their submissions for experimental radio authorizations. The system of records notice (SORN) was published in the Federal Register on April 5, 2006, see 71 FR 17234, 17241. The SORN may be viewed at https://www.fcc.gov/general/privacy-act-information.

Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: Applicants may request that any information supplied be withheld from public inspection, e.g., granted confidentiality, pursuant to 47 CFR Section 0.459 of the Commission's rules.

Needs and Uses: The Commission will submit this revised information collection to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) after this 60-day comment period to obtain the three-year clearance.

On June 29, 2016, the Commission adopted a Second Report and Order, in ET Docket No. 10-236 and 06-155; FCC 16-86, which updates Part 5 of the CFR—“Experimental Radio Service” (ERS). The Commission's recent Report and Order revises and streamlines the rule part under for the ERS. This rule change allows licensees operation under frequency bands mentioned in Section 5.303 and as state, within rule part 15.205(a). These rule changes update procedures used to obtain and use an experimental license.

Section 5.303 Frequencies

(a) Licensees may operate in any frequency band, including those above 38.6 GHz, except for frequency bands exclusively allocated to the passive services (including the radio astronomy service). In addition, licensees may not use any frequency or frequency band below 38.6 GHz that is listed in § 15.205(a) of this chapter.

(b) Exception: Licensees may use frequencies listed in § 15.205(a) of this chapter for testing medical devices (as defined in § 5.402(b) of this chapter), if the device is designed to comply with all applicable service rules in Part 18, Industrial, Scientific, and Medical Equipment; Part 95, Personal Radio Services Subpart H—Wireless Medical Telemetry Service; or Part 95, Subpart I—Medical Device Radiocommunication Service.