Information Collection Being Reviewed by the Federal Communications Commission Under Delegated Authority

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 February 8, 2021. 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 Nicole Ongele, FCC, via email PRA@fcc.gov and to Nicole.Ongele@fcc.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

For additional information about the information collection, contact Nicole Ongele at (202) 418-2991.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

OMB Control Number: 3060-0745.

Title: Implementation of the Local Exchange Carrier Tariff Streamlining Provisions in the Telecommunications Act of 1996, CC Docket No. 96-187.

Form Number: N/A.

Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.

Respondents: Business or other for-profit.

Number of Respondents and Responses: 50 respondents; 1,536 responses.

Estimated Time per Response: 0.25-6 hours.

Frequency of Response: On occasion reporting requirement, recordkeeping requirement, and third-party disclosure requirement.

Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. Statutory authority for this collection of information is contained in sections 1, 4(i), and 204(a)(3) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C. 151, 154(i), and 204(a)(3).

Total Annual Burden: 4,054 hours.

Total Annual Cost: $727,800.

Privacy Act Impact Assessment: No impact.

Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: The Commission is not requesting that the respondents submit confidential information to the FCC. Respondents may, however, request confidential treatment for information they believe to be confidential under 47 CFR 0.459 of the Commission's rules.

Needs and Uses: This collection will be submitted as an extension to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in order to obtain the full three-year clearance.

In CC Docket 96-187, the Commission adopted measures to streamline tariff filing requirements for local exchange carriers (LECs) pursuant to the Telecommunications Act of 1996. In order to achieve a streamlined and deregulatory environment for LEC tariff filings, LECs are required to file tariffs electronically. The information collected under the electronic filing program will facilitate access to tariffs and associated documents by the public, as well as by state and federal regulators. Ready electronic access to carrier tariffs will also facilitate the compilation of aggregate data for industry analysis purposes without imposing new reporting requirements on carriers.