[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 187 (Thursday, September 26, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 78871-78872]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-22098]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[OMB 3060-1228; FR ID 247230]


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 (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.

DATES: Written PRA comments should be submitted on or before November 
25, 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 Nicole Ongele, FCC, via email 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#3d6d6f7c7d5b5e5e135a524b"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="93c3c1d2d3f5f0f0bdf4fce5">[email protected]</span></a> and to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#e987808a86858cc786878e8c858ca98f8a8ac78e869f"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="402e29232f2c256e2f2e27252c25002623236e272f36">[email protected]</span></a>.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information about the 
information collection, contact Nicole Ongele, (202) 418-2991.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 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.
    OMB Control Number: 3060-1228.
    Title: Connect America Fund--High Cost Portal Filing.
    Form Number: N/A.
    Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit, not-for-profit 
institutions.
    Number of Respondents and Responses: 2,015 unique respondents; 
4,590 responses.
    Estimated Time per Response: 8 hours-60 hours.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion, quarterly reporting 
requirements, annual reporting requirements, and recordkeeping 
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, 155, 201-206, 214, 218-220, 251, 252, 254, 256, 303(r), 
332, 403, 405, 410, and 1302.
    Total Annual Burden: 86,263 hours.
    Total Annual Cost: No Cost.
    Needs and Uses: Through several orders, the Federal Communications 
Commission (the Commission) has recently changed or modified reporting 
obligations for high-cost support. Pursuant to the following orders, 
this

[[Page 78872]]

collection includes location reporting and related certification 
requirements of high-cost support recipients: Connect America Fund et 
al., Report and Order, Order and Order on Reconsideration, and Further 
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, 31 FCC Rcd 3087 (2016) (2016 Rate-of-
Return Order); Connect America Fund et al., Report and Order and 
Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, 31 FCC Rcd 5949 (2016) (Phase II 
Auction Order); Connect America Fund et al., Order, 31 FCC Rcd 12086 
(2016) (ACS Phase II Order); Connect America Fund et al., Report and 
Order and Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, 29 FCC Rcd 876 (2014) (Rural 
Broadband Experiments Order); Connect America Fund et al., Report and 
Order, 29 FCC Rcd 15644 (2014) (Price Cap Order); Technology 
Transitions et al., Order et al., 29 FCC Rcd 1433 (2014) (Tech 
Transitions Order); Connect America Fund et al., Report and Order and 
Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, 31 FCC Rcd 10139 (2016) (Alaska 
Plan Order); Connect America Fund et al., Order, 32 FCC Rcd 968 (2017) 
(New York Auction Order); Connect America Fund et al., Report and 
Order, Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, and Order on 
Reconsideration, 33 FCC Rcd 11-893 (2018) (2018 Rate-of-Return Order); 
The Uniendo a Puerto Rico and the Connect USVI Fund et al., Report and 
Order and Order on Reconsideration, 34 FCC Rcd 9109 (2019) (PR-USVI 
Stage 2 Order); Rural Digital Opportunity Fund et al., Report and 
Order, 35 FCC Rcd 686 (2020) (2020 Rural Digital Opportunity Fund 
Order); Enhanced A-CAM Report and Order, FCC 23-60; Connect America 
Fund et al., WC Docket No. 10-90 et al. WT Docket No. 10-208, Notice of 
Proposed Rulemaking and Report and Order, FCC 23-87 (Oct. 20, 2023) 
(Administrative Order).
    This information collection addresses the requirement that certain 
carriers with high-cost reporting obligations file information about 
the locations to which they have deployed broadband service meeting 
applicable public interest requirements (location information). The 
HUBB, a web-based portal, is used to accept this information. The 
Commission and the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) will 
use this information to monitor the deployment progress of reporting 
carriers, to verify the reporting carriers' claims of service at the 
reported locations, and to conform broadband deployment data between 
the HUBB and BDC. Such activities help the Commission ensure that 
support is being used as intended. In addition, because data filed in 
the HUBB is publicly accessible, the reporting helps ensure public 
accountability and transparency.
    This information collection further addresses the Commission's 
efforts to develop and establish a uniform national dataset of 
locations where broadband could be deployed and upon which new coverage 
data could be overlaid using a single methodology to harmonize fixed 
broadband reporting nationwide with granular location data as part of 
the BDC and required by the Broadband Deployment Accuracy and 
Technology Availability Act, Public Law 116-130, 134 Stat. 228 (2020) 
(Broadband DATA Act). In furtherance of its obligations, the Commission 
established the Broadband Serviceable Location Fabric (Fabric), which 
consists of a single, nationwide fabric that will contain geocoded 
information for all locations where a broadband connection can be 
installed in the United States and territories (Broadband Serviceable 
Location or BSL). Each BSL contained in the Fabric is provided a unique 
identification number. The HUBB portal will be updated in order to have 
support recipients include the unique Fabric identification number when 
reporting or revising high-cost broadband deployment location data. 
Including the BSL Fabric Identification Number in HUBB reporting will 
improve the accuracy and reliability of the broadband data used to 
monitor progress and ensure accountability with Commission programs. 
All BSL Fabric Identification Numbers are associated with the latitude, 
longitude, address, and number of units at the location. Accordingly, 
reporting the BSL Fabric Identification Number associated with a 
location encompasses the latitude, longitude, address, and number of 
units at the location.
    This information collection addresses the location reporting and 
related certification requirements of high-cost support recipients 
electing to receive support through the Enhanced A-CAM program, see 
generally Enhanced A-CAM Order, and other programs. On October 30, 
2023, the Wireline Competition Bureau (WCB) authorized 368 rate-or-
return carriers to receive Enhanced A-CAM support in various states. Of 
this number, 100 electing carriers had been receiving cost-based CAF 
BLS support in 118 unique study areas, and 216 electing carriers had 
been receiving model-based support (A-CAM). The interim and final 
deployment milestones required for the Enhanced A-CAM program will 
supersede the existing interim and final deployment milestones for the 
carriers participating in eligible programs. However, Enhanced A-CAM 
carriers were required to still report in the HUBB their deployments 
for calendar year 2023 prior to the start of the support term for 
Enhanced A-CAM program (January 1, 2024) to ensure carriers continue in 
good faith to deploy broadband pursuant to existing commitments.
    Carriers receiving high-cost support to serve locations are subject 
to specific public interest obligations related to speed, usage, 
latency, and price as well as certain deployment milestones. 
Specifically, the Commission imposed defined deployment obligations and 
associated HUBB reporting requirements (annual location reporting and 
build-out certifications) for all fixed support recipients as well as 
annual reporting and certification requirements for Uniendo a Puerto 
Rico Fund and Connect USVI Fund Stage 2 mobile support recipients.
    We therefore propose to revise this information collection. 
Finally, we propose to modify the burdens associated with existing and 
new reporting requirements to account for additional carriers that will 
be subject to these requirements.

Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene Dortch,
Secretary, Office of the Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2024-22098 Filed 9-25-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P


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