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:

The Federal Communications Commission, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork burden invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on the following information collection(s), as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995. Comments are requested concerning: (a) 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; (b) the accuracy of the Commission's burden estimate; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information collected; (d) 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 (e) ways to further reduce the information collection 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 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 currently valid OMB control number.

DATES:

Written Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) comments should be submitted on or before June 22, 2011. 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:

Direct all PRA comments to Nicholas A. Fraser, Office of Management and Budget, via fax at 202-395-5167 or via e-mail to Nicholas_A._Fraser@omb.eop.gov and to the Federal Communications Commission via e-mail to PRA@fcc.gov and Cathy.Williams@fcc.gov. To view a copy of this information collection request (ICR) submitted to OMB: (1) Go to the web page http://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, and (6) when the list of FCC ICRs currently under review appears, look for the title of this ICR (or its OMB Control Number, if there is one) and then click on the ICR Reference Number to view detailed information about this ICR.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

For additional information or copies of the information collection(s), contact Cathy Williams on 202-418-2918.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

OMB Control Number: 3060-0463.

Title: Telecommunications Relay Services and Speech-to-Speech Services for Individuals with Hearing and Speech Disabilities, Report and Order and Declaratory Ruling, CG Docket No. 03-123, FCC 07-186.

Form Number: N/A.

Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.

Respondents: Businesses or other for-profit entities; State, Local and Tribal Government.

Number of Respondents and Responses: 5,045 respondents and 5,210 responses.

Estimated Time per Response: 10-15 hours.

Frequency of Response: Annual reporting requirement; recordkeeping requirement; third party disclosure.

Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. The statutory authority can be found at section 225 of the Communications Act, 47 U.S.C. 225. The law was enacted on July 26, 1990, as Title IV of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Public Law 101-336, 104 Stat. 327.

Total Annual Burden: 27,397 hours.

Total Annual Cost: None.

Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: An assurance of confidentiality is not offered because this information collection does not require the collection of personally identifiable information from individuals.

Privacy Impact Assessment: No impact(s).

Needs and Uses: On November 19, 2007, the Commission released the Telecommunications Relay Services and Speech-to-Speech Services for Individuals with Hearing and Speech Disabilities, Report and Order and Declaratory Ruling (2007 TRS Cost Recovery Order), CG Docket No. 03-123, FCC 07-186, adopting (1) A new cost recovery methodology for interstate traditional Telecommunications Relay Services (TRS) and interstate Speech-to-Speech (STS) based on the Multi-state Average Rate Structure (MARS) plan proposed by Hamilton Relay, Inc., (2) a new cost recovery methodology for interstate captioned telephone service (CTS) and interstate and intrastate Internet-Protocol (IP) Captioned Telephone Service (IP CTS) based on the MARS plan, (3) a cost recovery methodology for IP Relay based on price caps, and (4) a cost recovery methodology for Video Relay Services (VRS) that adopts tiered rates based on call volume. The 2007 TRS Cost Recovery Order also clarifies the nature and extent that certain categories of costs are compensable from the Interstate TRS Fund (Fund), and addresses certain issues concerning the management and oversight of the Fund, including financial incentives offered to consumers to make relay calls and the role of the Interstate TRS Fund Advisory Council.

The 2007 TRS Cost Recovery Order establishes reporting requirements associated with the MARS plan cost recovery methodology for compensation from the Fund. Specifically, TRS providers must submit to the Fund administrator the following information annually, on a per-state basis, regarding the previous calendar year: (1) The per-minute compensation rate(s) for intrastate traditional TRS, STS and CTS, (2) whether the rate applies to session minutes or conversation minutes, (3) the number of intrastate session minutes for traditional TRS, STS and CTS, and (4) the number of intrastate conversation minutes for traditional TRS, STS, and CTS. Also, STS providers must file a report annually with the Fund administrator and the Commission on their specific outreach efforts directly attributable to the additional compensation approved by the Commission for STS outreach.

In the 2007 TRS Cost Recovery Order, the Commission has assessed the effects of imposing the submission of rate data, and has found that there is no increased administrative burden on businesses with fewer than 25 employees. The Commission recognizes that the required rate data is presently available with the states and the providers of interstate traditional TRS, interstate STS, and interstate CTS, thereby no additional step is required to produce such data.

The Commission therefore believes that the submission of the rate data does not increase an administrative burden on businesses.

OMB Control Number: 3060-0750.

Title: 47 CFR 73.671, Public Information Initiatives Regarding Educational and Informational Programming for Children.

Form Number: Not applicable.

Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.

Respondents: Businesses or other for-profit entities.

Number of Respondents and Responses: 2,303 respondents; 4,215 responses.

Estimated Time per Response: 1 to 5 minutes.

Frequency of Response: Third party disclosure requirement.

Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain benefits. The statutory authority for this collection is contained in Sections 154(i) and 303 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended.

Total Annual Burden: 30,865 hours.

Total Annual Cost: None.

Privacy Act Impact Assessment: No impact(s).

Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: There is no need for confidentiality with this collection of information.

Needs and Uses: 47 CFR 73.671(c)(5) states that a core educational television program must be identified as specifically designed to educate and inform children by the display on the television screen throughout the program of the symbol E/I.

47 CFR 73.673 states each commercial television broadcast station licensee must provide information identifying programming specifically designed to educate and inform children to publishers of program guides. Such information must include an indication of the age group for which the program is intended.

These requirements are intended to provide greater clarity about broadcasters' obligations under the Children's Television Act (CTA) of 1990 to air programming “specifically designed” to serve the educational and informational needs of children and to improve public access to information about the availability of these programs. These requirements provide better information to the public about the shows broadcasters air to satisfy their obligation to provide educational and informational programming under the Children's Television Act.

OMB Control Number: 3060-XXXX.

Title: Implementing a Nationwide, Broadband, Interoperable Public Safety Network in the 700 MHz Band, Third Report and Order, FCC 11-6.

Form Number: N/A.

Type of Review: New collection.

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

Number of Respondents and Responses: 100 respondents; 100 responses.

Estimated Time per Response: 5 hours.

Frequency of Response: One time reporting 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(i), 301, 303, 332 and 337.

Total Annual Burden: 500 hours.

Total Annual Cost: None.

Privacy Act Impact Assessment: No impact(s).

Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: In general, there is no need for confidentiality. However, petitioners may request confidential treatment of their information pursuant to 47 CFR 0.459 of the Commission's rules.

Needs and Uses: The Commission adopted a Third Report and Order, PS Docket No. 06-229, FCC 11-6, that requires OMB approval for a new information collection that requires public safety broadband networks to employ the Long Term Evolution (LTE) broadband standard, specifically at least 3GPP Standard E-UTRA Release 8 and associated Evolved Packet Core (EPC). The Third Report and Order further requires that these networks support certain LTE interfaces. These requirements were designed to ensure that networks operated in this spectrum band are interoperable with one another.

The Third Report and Order also requires each operator of a 700 MHz public safety broadband network to submit a certification to the Commission's Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau (Bureau), prior to network deployment, that its network will support the required LTE interfaces. This requirement will enable the Bureau to monitor network deployment and ensure that networks are supporting the interfaces necessary to achieve interoperability.

The Commission is seeking OMB approval for this new information collection which requires operators of public safety broadband networks to submit a certification to the Commission.

Accurate maintenance of this data is vital in developing a regulatory framework for this network. Since such a network is vital for public safety and homeland security, its proper operation must be assured.