[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 42 (Friday, March 2, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8992-8993]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-04224]
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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
[OMB 3060-1151]
Information Collection Being Submitted for Review and Approval to
the Office of Management and Budget
AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.
ACTION: Notice and request for comments.
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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 Commission 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 April 2, 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 contacts listed below as soon as possible.
ADDRESSES: Direct all PRA comments to Nicholas A. Fraser, OMB, via
email [email protected]; and to Nicole Ongele, FCC, via
email [email protected] and to [email protected]. Include in the comments
the OMB control number as shown in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION 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: 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.
OMB Control Number: 3060-1151.
Title: Sections 1.1420, 1.1422 and 1.1424, Pole Attachment Access
Requirements.
Form Number: N/A.
Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
Respondents: Business or other for-profit.
Number of Respondents and Responses: 763 respondents; 36,136
responses.
Estimated Time per Response: 20-45 hours.
Frequency of Response: On occasion reporting requirement,
recordkeeping requirement, and third-party disclosure requirement.
Obligation to Respond: Mandatory. Statutory authority for this
information collection is contained in 47 U.S.C. 224.
Total Annual Burden: 448,921 hours.
Total Annual Cost: No cost.
Privacy Act Impact Assessment: No impact(s).
Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: No questions of a
confidential nature are asked.
Needs and Uses: The Commission is requesting OMB approval for a
three-year extension of this information collection. In Implementation
of Section 224 of the Act, A National Broadband Plan for Our Future, WC
Docket No. 07-245, GN Docket No. 09-51, Report and Order and Order on
Reconsideration, FCC 11-50, the Commission adopted rules that relate to
the implementation of section 224 of the Communications Act of 1934, as
amended, regarding access to poles that are owned or controlled by
utilities. Under the Commission's rules, utilities must provide cable
television systems and telecommunications carriers (collectively,
``attachers'') with non-
[[Page 8993]]
discriminatory access to attach facilities to poles, ducts, conduits,
or rights-of-way owned or controlled by the utilities (collectively,
``pole attachments''). However, utilities may deny in writing those
pole attachment applications where there is insufficient capacity on a
pole, or for reasons of safety, reliability, and generally applicable
engineering purposes. Commission rules also create a series of
deadlines or ``timelines'' by which attachers request and receive
permission from utilities for pole attachments. The first stage of the
timeline requires utilities to survey the requested poles where access
is requested and to perform an engineering analysis. Utilities may
notify attachers when they have completed their surveys of the affected
poles. With regard to the second stage of the timeline, utilities must
present to attachers an estimate of charges for preparing a pole for a
new attachment (``make-ready'' work). With regard to the make-ready
stage of the timeline, utilities are required to send notices of
impending make-ready work to entities with existing attachments on the
pole. Such notification letters are sent when a make-ready schedule is
established. If the make-ready period is interrupted, or if the pole
owner asserts its right to a 15-day extension of time to perform make-
ready work, then notification letters also are required from the
utility to the new attacher.
Additionally, the Order adopted a rule requiring utilities to make
available and keep up-to-date a reasonably sufficient list of approved
contractors to perform surveys and make-ready work in the
communications space of a utility pole. If an attacher uses a utility-
approved contractor, then it must notify the utility and invite the
utility to send a representative to oversee the work.
Finally, the Order also broadened the existing enforcement process
by permitting incumbent local exchange carriers (LECs) to file
complaints alleging that the pole attachment rates, terms, or
conditions demanded by utilities are unjust or unreasonable. If an
incumbent LEC can demonstrate that it is similarly situated to an
attacher that is a telecommunications carrier or a cable television
system (through relevant evidence, including pole attachment
agreements), then it can gain comparable pole attachment rates, terms,
and condition as the similarly-situated carrier. The paperwork burdens
for this provision are contained in OMB Control No. 3060-0392. The
Order also encourages incumbent LECs that benefit from lower pole
attachment costs to file data at the Commission that demonstrate that
the benefits are being passed on to consumers.
Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene H. Dortch,
Secretary, Office of the Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2018-04224 Filed 3-1-18; 8:45 am]
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