Notice of Public Information Collection Being Reviewed by the Federal Communications Commission

Federal Register, Volume 79 Issue 72 (Tuesday, April 15, 2014)

Federal Register Volume 79, Number 72 (Tuesday, April 15, 2014)

Notices

Pages 21241-21242

From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office www.gpo.gov

FR Doc No: 2014-08467

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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

Notice of Public Information Collection Being Reviewed by the Federal Communications Commission

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Notice and 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 June 16, 2014. 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 comments to Benish Shah, Federal Communications Commission, via the Internet at Benish.Shah@fcc.gov. To submit your PRA comments by email send them to: PRA@fcc.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Benish Shah, Office of Managing Director, (202) 418-7866.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: OMB Control Number: 3060-XXXX.

Title: Administration of Interoperability Channels, State License, and Band Plan (47 CFR 90.525, 90.529, and 90.531).

Form No.: N/A.

Type of Review: New Collection.

Respondents: State, local or tribal government and not-for-profit institutions.

Page 21242

Number of Respondents and Responses: 2155 respondents; 2155 responses.

Estimated Time per Response: 1 hour (range of 1 hour to 2 hours).

Frequency of Response: On occasion reporting requirements; one-time reporting requirements; and third party disclosure.

Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. Statutory authority for this information collection is contained 47 U.S.C. 154(i), 161, 303(g), 303(r), and 332(c)(7).

Total Annual Burden: 2,208 hours.

Total Annual Cost: N/A

Privacy Act Impact Assessment: No impact.

Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: There is no need for confidentiality.

Needs and Uses: Section 90.525 of the Commission's rules requires approval of license applications for Interoperability channels in the 769-775 MHz and 799-805 MHz frequency bands by state-level agency or organization responsible for administering emergency communications. Section 90.529 of the Commission's rules provides that each state license will be granted subject to the condition that the state certifies on or before each applicable benchmark date that it is providing or prepared to provide ``substantial service.'' See OMB Control No. 3060-0798. A licensee must demonstrate that it is providing or prepared to provide substantial service to one third of its geographic area or population by June 13, 2014 and two thirds by June 13, 2019. A licensee will be deemed to be prepared to provide substantial service if the licensee certifies that a radio system has been approved and funded for implementation by the deadline date. Substantial service refers to service which is sound, favorable, and substantially above a level of mediocre service which might minimally warrant renewal. If a state licensee fails to meet any condition of the grant the state license is modified automatically to the frequencies and geographic areas where the state certifies that it is providing substantial service. Any recovered state license spectrum will revert to General Use. However, spectrum licensed to a state under a state license remains unavailable for reassignment to other applicants until the Commission's database reflects the parameters of the modified state license. By Public Notice released April 7, 2014, DA 14-467, the Commission provided guidance on information licensees may provide to demonstrate substantial service, including the kind of public safety service that the licensee is providing with the system; which state channels are in use in the system; whether the licensee's has made its showing based on territory or population served; the percentage of territory/population served by the system footprint; and what signal level is being used to determine the system footprint. Section 90.531 of the Commission's rules sets forth the band plan for the 763-775 MHz and 793-805 MHz public safety bands. This section covers channel designations for base and mobile use, narrowband segments, combined channels, channel pairing, internal guard band, and broadband. Narrowband general use channels and low power channels require regional planning committee concurrence.

Commission staff will use the information to assign licenses for interoperability and General Use channels, as well as renewal of State licenses. The information will also be used to determine whether prospective licensees operate in compliance with the Commission's rules. Without such information, the Commission could not accommodate State interoperability or regional planning requirements or provide for the efficient use of State frequencies. This information collection includes rules to govern the operation and licensing of 700 MHz band systems to ensure that licensees continue to fulfill their statutory responsibilities in accordance with the Communications Act of 1934, as amended. Such information will continue to be used to verify that applicants are legally and technically qualified to hold licenses, and to determine compliance with Commission rules.

Federal Communications Commission.

Marlene H. Dortch,

Secretary, Office of the Secretary, Office of Managing Director.

FR Doc. 2014-08467 Filed 4-14-14; 8:45 am

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