[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 129 (Friday, July 5, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40475-40476]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-16143]
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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
Information Collection(s) Being Reviewed by the Federal
Communications Commission, Comments Requested
AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.
ACTION: Notice; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: As part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork burden
and as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 (44 U.S.C.
3501--3520), the Federal Communications Commission invites the general
public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment
on the following information collection(s). 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 burden for 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 OMB control number. No person
shall be subject to any penalty for failing to comply with a collection
of information subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) that does
not display a valid OMB control number.
DATES: Written Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) comments should be
submitted on or before September 3, 2013. If you anticipate that you
will be submitting PRA comments, but find it difficult to do so within
the period of time allowed by this notice, you should advise the FCC
contact listed below as soon as possible.
ADDRESSES: Submit your PRA questions to Judith B. Herman, Federal
Communications Commission. To submit your PRA comments by email send
them to: [email protected].
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Judith B. Herman, Office of Managing
Director, (202) 418-0214.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
OMB Control Number: 3060-0806.
Title: Universal Service--Schools and Libraries Universal Service
Program, FCC Forms 470 and 471.
Form Numbers: FCC Forms 470 and 471.
Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities, not-for-profit
institutions and state, local or tribal government.
Number of Respondents: 82,000 respondents; 82,000 responses.
Estimated Time per Response: Three hours to complete FCC Form 470
and four hours to complete FCC Form 471. Additionally, one-half hour
(.5 hours) for each form for the five year recordkeeping requirement.
Frequency of Response: On occasion and annual reporting
requirements, recordkeeping requirement 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. 151-154, 201-205, 218-220, 254, 303(r), 403 and 405 of the
Communications Act of 1934, as amended.
Total Annual Burden: 334,000 hours.
Total Annual Cost: N/A.
Privacy Impact Assessment: N/A.
Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: The Commission is not
requesting that respondents submit confidential information to the
Commission. If the applicant requests confidential treatment of their
information, they may request confidential treatment under 47 CFR 0.459
of the Commission's rules.
Needs and Uses: The Commission will submit this information
collection after this comment period to obtain the full, three year
clearance from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The
Commission is requesting OMB approval for a revision to this
information collection.
This submission proposes revisions to the FCC Form 470 and
instructions and FCC Form 471 and instructions. The Commission is
revising this collection in an effort to simplify the application
process and to better collect information related to the broadband
services being ordered by schools and libraries under the E-rate
program. We propose collapsing the telecommunications
[[Page 40476]]
services and Internet access categories into one category of service on
the FCC Form 470 to simplify the application process. We also propose
eliminating outdated questions that were originally designed to
determine the impact of services and create new questions that will
better gauge the technology and speed related to E-rate applicants'
Internet and broadband connectivity. Specifically, Block 2 of the FCC
Form 471, Impact of Service Ordered for Schools and Libraries from this
Form 471, will be eliminated and questions asking about broadband and
other connectivity services will be added to Block 5 for each funding
request. The FCC Form 471 is also revised to allow applicants to
indicate whether they are a federal entity. Further, in the
Commission's attempt to reduce the number of active information
collections, the Commission will incorporate the information collection
requirements in OMB Control No. 3060-0774 into to this collection so it
can be removed from the OMB inventory.
The Commission requests a total hourly burden change for FCC Forms
470 and 471 from 325,000 burden hours to 334,000 burden hours, which is
an increase of 9,000 burden hours. The adjustment reflects updated
information received from the Universal Service Administrative Company,
the administrator of the schools and libraries universal service
support program, and is based on actual participation in the program.
Specifically, for the FCC Form 470, the Commission estimates that the
number of respondents has remained the same at 35,000 based on the
number of forms submitted for funding years 2012 and 2013 reported by
USAC. For the FCC Form 471, the Commission estimates that the number of
respondents has increased from 45,000 to 47,000 based on the increased
number of submitted FCC Forms 471 in funding years 2012 and 2013 as
reported by USAC.
The two FCC forms serve the functions of the Universal Service
Schools and Libraries Support Mechanism, 47 U.S.C. 254 of the
Communications Act of 1934, as amended. They are used at the point
where services provided to the program are implemented, or are about to
be implemented, and are a necessary prerequisite to the distribution of
payments under the program.
Applicants in the E-rate program must submit an FCC Form 470 with a
description of the services needed to USAC, which administers the fund.
The information from the FCC Form 470 is then posted on USAC's Web site
for all potential competing service providers to review. After waiting
28 days, the applicant can enter into an agreement for services. See 47
CFR 54.504(b). Applicants and consultants completing the FCC Form 470
must provide basic information on the form, including contact
information and demographic information to assist in the processing of
the application.
The FCC Form 471 must be filed each year by all E-rate applicants.
Once a school or library has complied with the Commission's competitive
bidding requirements and entered into an agreement for eligible
services, it must file an FCC Form 471 application to notify USAC of
the services that have been ordered, the service providers with whom
the applicant has entered into an agreement, and an estimate of the
funds needed to cover the discounts to be given for eligible services.
See 47 CFR 54.504(c). Applicants must now provide their FCC
Registration Number. See 47 CFR 1.8002 and 1.8003.
Besides basic information about the applicant or consultant filling
out the form, the form gathers information about the broadband services
that the school or library is currently using to help USAC determine
the technological needs of the E-rate program. Since economically
disadvantaged schools and rural schools receive a greater share of E-
rate program funding, the form also contains a discount calculation
worksheet for certifying the percentage of students eligible in that
school for the national school lunch program (or other acceptable
indicators of economic disadvantage determined by the Commission). See
47 CFR 54.505(b)(1). Similarly, libraries must make certifications
about students eligible for national school lunch programs in nearby
areas. See 47 CFR 54.505(b)(2). Since rural schools and libraries
receive slightly more funding than urban participants, the FCC Form 471
requires applicant's demographic location. See 47 CFR 54.505(b)(3).
All of the requirements contained in this information collection
are necessary to implement the congressional mandates regarding No
Child Left Behind as well as the schools and libraries universal
service support program process.
Federal Communications Commission.
Gloria J. Miles,
Federal Register Liaison, Office of the Secretary, Office of Managing
Director.
[FR Doc. 2013-16143 Filed 7-3-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P