Information Collection Requirement 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 April 12, 2019. 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 Cathy Williams, FCC, via email PRA@fcc.gov and to Cathy.Williams@fcc.gov. Include in the comments the Title as shown in the Supplementary Information section below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

For additional information about the information collection, contact Cathy Williams at (202) 418-2918.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

OMB Control Number: 3060-1185.

Title: Annual Report for Mobility Fund Phase I Support, FCC Form 690 and Record Retention Requirements.

Form Number: FCC Form 690.

Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.

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

Number of Respondents and Responses: 34 respondents and 880 responses.

Time per Response: 1-18 hours.

Frequency of Response: Annual and on occasion reporting requirement; recordkeeping requirement.

Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. Statutory authority for this information collection 47 U.S.C. 154, 254 and 303(r) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended.

Estimated Total Annual Burden: 15,874 hours.

Total Annual Costs: No Cost.

Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: There is no need for confidentiality. The information collected on FCC Form 690 will be made available for public inspection. To the extent that an applicant seeks to have information collected on FCC Form 690 withheld from public inspection, the applicant may request confidential treatment pursuant to 47 CFR 0.459.

Privacy Act Impact Assessment: No impact(s).

Needs and Uses: A request for extension of this information collection (no change in requirements) will be submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) after this 60-day comment period in order to obtain the full three year clearance from OMB. The Commission uses the information contained in this collection to ensure that each winning bidder is meeting its obligations for receiving Mobility Fund Phase I (MF-I) support. In its November 2011 USF/ICC Transformation Order (FCC 11-161), the Commission comprehensively reformed and modernized the high-cost program within the universal service fund and, among other things, established the Mobility Fund. The Commission adopted rules in the USF/ICC Transformation Order for MF-I, which provided up to $300 million in one-time universal service support payments to immediately accelerate deployment of mobile broadband services in unserved areas, including annual reporting and record retention requirements for MF-I support recipients. The Commission also established a separate and complementary one-time Tribal Mobility Fund Phase I (TMF-I) to award up to $50 million in additional universal service funding to Tribal Areas, including Alaska, to accelerate mobile broadband availability in these remote and underserved areas. In its May 2012 Third Order on Reconsideration (FCC 12-52), the Commission revised certain rules adopted in the USF/ICC Transformation Order, including the deadline by which MF-I and TMF-I support recipients must file their annual reports pursuant to 47 CFR 54.1009(a). The information being collected under this information collection will be used by the Commission to ensure that each MF-I support recipient is meeting the public interest obligations associated with receiving such support.