Information Collections 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 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. 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 July 8, 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 contacts below as soon as possible.

ADDRESSES:

Direct all PRA comments to Nicholas A. Fraser, OMB, via email Nicholas_A._Fraser@omb.eop.gov; and to Nicole Ongele, FCC, via email PRA@fcc.gov and to Nicole.Ongele@fcc.gov. Include in the comments the OMB control number as shown in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

For additional information or copies of the information collection, contact Nicole Ongele at (202) 418-2991. To view a copy of this information collection request (ICR) submitted to OMB: (1) Go to the Web page http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain , (2) look for the section of the Web page called “Currently Under Review,” (3) click on the downward-pointing arrow in the “Select Agency” box below the “Currently Under Review” heading, (4) select “Federal Communications Commission” from the list of agencies presented in the “Select Agency” box, (5) click the “Submit” button to the right of the “Select Agency” box, (6) when the list of FCC ICRs currently under review appears, look for the OMB control number of this ICR and then click on the ICR Reference Number. A copy of the FCC submission to OMB will be displayed.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

OMB Control Number: 3060-0895.

Title: Numbering Resource Optimization, CC Docket No. 99-200.

Form Number: FCC Form 502.

Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.

Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities and state, local or tribal government.

Number of Respondents and Responses: 2,793 respondents; 10,165 responses.

Estimated Time per Response: 1 hour-44.4 hours.

Frequency of Response: On occasion and semi-annual reporting requirements and recordkeeping requirement.

Obligation To Respond: Mandatory. Statutory authority for this information collection is contained in 47 U.S.C. 151, 153, 154, 201-205 and 251 of the Communications Act of 1934.

Total Annual Burden: 132,384 hours.

Total Annual Cost: $3,465,570.20.

Privacy Impact Assessment: No impact(s).

Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: Disaggregated, carrier specific forecast and utilization data will be treated as confidential and will be exempt from public disclosure under 5 U.S.C. 552(b)(4).

Needs and Uses: The data collected on FCC Form 502 helps the Commission manage the ten-digit North American Numbering Plan (NANP), which is currently being used by the United States and 19 other countries. Under the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, the Commission was given “exclusive jurisdictions over those portions of the North American Numbering Plan that pertains to the United States.” Pursuant to that authority, the Commission conducted a rulemaking in March 2000 that the Commission found that mandatory data collection is necessary to efficiently monitor and manage numbering use. The Commission is revising this information collection to implement its newly adopted rules that allow interconnected Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) providers to obtain numbering resources directly from the Numbering Administrators. The following information collection requirements will be contained in this collection:

(1) Utilization/Forecast Report;

(2) Application for initial numbering resource;

(3) Application for growth numbering resources;

(4) Recordkeeping requirement;

(5) Notifications by state commissions;

(6) Demonstration to state commission; and

(7) Petitions for additional delegation of numbering authority.

The data from this information collection is used by the FCC, state regulatory commissions, and the NANPA to monitor numbering resource utilization by all carriers using the resource and to project the dates of area code and NANP exhaust.

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.

OMB Control Number: 3060-1214.

Title: Direct Access to Numbers Order, FCC 15-70, Conditions.

Form Number: N/A.

Type of Review: Revision of currently approved collection.

Respondents: Business or other for-profit.

Number of Respondents and Responses: 13 respondents; 13 responses.

Estimated Time per Response: 10-20 hours.

Frequency of Response: One-time application, on-going and bi-annual reporting requirements.

Obligation to Respond: Voluntary. Statutory authority for this information collection is contained in 47 U.S.C 251(e)(1).

Total Annual Burden: 520 hours.

Total Annual Costs: No cost.

Privacy Act Impact Assessment: No impact(s).

Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: If respondents submit information which respondents believe is confidential, respondents may request confidential treatment of such information pursuant to section 0.459 of the Commission's rules, 47 CFR 0.459.

Needs and Uses: In a June 2015 Report and Order (FCC 15-70), the Commission established the Numbering Authorization Application process, which allows interconnected VoIP providers to apply for a blanket authorization from the FCC that, once granted, will allow them to demonstrate that they have the authority to provide service in specific areas, thus enabling them to request numbers directly from the Numbering Administrators. This collection covers the information and certifications that applicants must submit in order to comply with the Numbering Authorization Application process. The data, information, and documents acquired through this collection will allow interconnected VoIP providers to obtain numbers with minimal burden or delay while also preventing providers from obtaining numbers without first demonstrating that they can deploy and properly utilize such resources. This information will also help the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) protect against number exhaust while promoting competitive neutrality among traditional telecommunications carriers and interconnected VoIP providers by allowing both entities to obtain numbers directly from the Numbering Administrators. It will further help the FCC to maintain efficient utilization of numbering resources and ensure that telephone numbers are not being stranded.