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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 9 (Friday, January 12, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2224-2225]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-00495]

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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[OMB 3060-1272; FR ID 196129]

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 burdens, 
and as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), the 
Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) invites the 
general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to 
comment on the following information collections. 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 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 PRA comments should be submitted on or before March 12, 
2024. 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 Cathy Williams, FCC, via email to 
[email protected] and to [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information about the 
information collection, contact Cathy Williams at (202) 418-2918.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    OMB Control Number: 3060-1272.
    Title: 3.7 GHz Band Space Station Operator Accelerated Relocation 
Elections and Transition Plans; 3.7 GHz Band Earth Station Lump Sum 
Payment Elections.
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities.
    Estimated Number of Respondents and Responses: 3,010 respondents 
and 3,010 responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: 16 hours per response for accelerated 
relocation elections, 2,720 hours per response for transition plans, 
and 32

[[Page 2225]]

hours per response for lump sum payment elections.
    Frequency of Response: One time reporting requirement.
    Obligation to Respond: Statutory authority for this information 
collection is contained in sections 1, 2, 4(i), 4(j), 5(c), 201, 302, 
303, 304, 307(e), and 309of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 
47 U.S.C. 151, 152, 154(i), 154(j), 155(c), 201, 302, 303, 304, 307(e), 
309.
    Total Annual Burden: 109,680 hours.
    Total Annual Cost: $900,000.
    Needs and Uses: Under this information collection, the Commission 
will collect information that will be used to determine when, how, and 
at what cost existing operations in the lower portion of the 3.7-4.2 
GHz band will be relocated to the upper portion of the band. This 
collection will serve as the starting point for planning and managing 
the process of efficiently and expeditiously clearing of the lower 
portion of the band, so that this spectrum can be auctioned for 
flexible-use service licenses.
    The transition relocation process began in 2020. Initial Transition 
Plans were filed on June 19, 2020 with final Transition Plans due 
August 14, 2020. Throughout the relocation process, the Wireless 
Telecommunications Bureau (Bureau) opened limited windows to amend 
their Transition Plans on several occasions. In addition to submitting 
and modifying Transition Plans during these periods, eligible space 
station operators were required to file quarterly status reports with 
the Commission beginning on December 31, 2020 to demonstrate their 
efforts to ensure a timely transition.
    The 3.7 GHz band auction, Auction 107, took place from December 8, 
2020 to February 17, 2021, and, on February 24, 2021, the Commission 
announced the winning bidders of the C-band auction for all 5,684 
licenses. In the same year, the Bureau directed eligible space station 
operators to submit updates for their final Transition Plans during 
limited windows opened for operators to provide these updates.
    Later that year, on August 4, 2021, the Bureau issued a Public 
Notice implementing filing procedures for Phase I Certifications. 
Originally, Phase I's deadline was set for December 5, 2021, but the 
deadline was met eleven days earlier than anticipated. On November 24, 
2021, the Commission validated the certification of Phase I.
    The C-band transition continued into 2023. On May 15, 2023, the 
Bureau announced procedures for filing C-band Phase II Certifications 
of Accelerated Relocation and implementation of the Commission's 
incremental reduction plan for Phase II Accelerated Relocation Payments 
as part of the ongoing transition. The C-Band Relocation Payment 
Clearinghouse (RPC) is responsible for disbursing the Accelerated 
Relocation Payments within a certain time period.
    On June 1, 2023, all eligible space station operators were 
permitted to submit their Phase II certifications. Also on June 1, 
2023, the Bureau opened a limited, final window for eligible space 
station operators to file modified Transition Plans to accurately 
account for any updates since September 30, 2021.
    Phase II's deadline to complete the transition of space station 
operations to the upper 200 megahertz of the band was originally set 
for December 5, 2023. Instead, on August 10, 2023, the last of the 
Phase II Certifications was deemed granted. Even though Phases I and II 
of the satellite transition are complete, the Commission continues to 
work through the C-band relocation process. On October 13, 2023, the 
Bureau released a Public Notice seeking comment on proposed deadlines 
for claimants to submit reimbursement claims. The Public Notice stated 
that the RPC's operations are currently scheduled to conclude on June 
30, 2025, which is still more than a year and a half away. The 
relocation of the fixed service licensees is also ongoing.
    On December 5, 2023, the Commission issued a Public Notice adopting 
two final reimbursement claims submission deadlines for eligible 
incumbents and other eligible stakeholders to submit any outstanding 
transition-related claims to the RPC for processing as part of this 
ongoing transition. The two deadlines are: (1) February 5, 2024 as the 
submission deadline to the RPC for all reimbursement claims for costs 
incurred and paid by claimants as of December 31, 2023, and (2) July 1, 
2024 as the submission deadline to the RPC for all reimbursement claims 
for costs incurred and paid by claimants after December 31, 2023. In 
the Public Notice, the Commission stated that these adopted dates are 
important because they will aid in facilitating a timely conclusion of 
the C-band reimbursement program. Furthermore, the Commission 
highlighted the fact that all lump sum electees and many other eligible 
claimants and eligible stakeholders have had ample time within which to 
submit their claims to the RPC.
    It is important to continue to collect information because it is 
crucial to ensure that managing this process is efficiently and quickly 
done, and that transition is still underway. Because this process 
remains ongoing, this information collection should be renewed to 
ensure that a complete set of information is maintained. If this 
collection were to expire now, stakeholders would be missing ongoing 
information about the transition process. Renewing this collection will 
provide stakeholders with complete information instead of an 
information collection that ends before the entire transition process 
is officially accomplished in 2025.

Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene Dortch,
Secretary, Office of the Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2024-00495 Filed 1-11-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P
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