OMB 3060-0979 JUNE 2011
LICENSE AUDIT LETTER
SUPPORTING STATEMENT
A. Justification:
1. The Wireless Telecommunications Bureau (WTB) of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) periodically conducts audits of the construction and/or operational status of various Wireless radio stations in its licensing database that are subject to rule-based construction and operational requirements. The Commission’s rules for these Wireless services require construction within a specified time frame and require a station to remain operational in order for the license to remain valid. The Commission is requesting an extension for a three year clearance on this collection. A copy of an example letter is attached.
Records of the Wireless Radio Services may include information about individuals or households, and the use(s) and disclosure of this information is governed by the requirements of a system of records, FCC/WTB-1, "Wireless Services Licensing Records". However, the Commission makes all information within the Wireless Radio Services publicly available on its Universal Licensing System (ULS) webpage, except the Tax Identification Numbers (TIN) which is redacted. The public is entitled to download this public information.
Statutory authority for this information collection is contained in Sections 1, 2, 4(i), 5(c), 7, 201, 202, 208, 214, 301, 302, 303, 307, 308, 309, 310, 311, 314, 316, 319, 324, 331, 332, 333, 336, 614, and 615 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C. §§ 151, 152, 154(i), 155(c), 157, 201, 202, 208, 214, 301, 302a, 303, 307, 308, 309, 310, 311, 314, 316, 319, 324, 331, 332, 333, 336, 534, and 535.
2. This requirement will be used by Commission personnel to assure that licensees’ stations are constructed and currently operating in accordance with the parameters of the current FCC authorization and rules.
Again, information about individuals or households, and the use(s) and disclosure of this information is governed by the requirements of system of records, FCC/WTB-1. All information within Wireless Radio Services is publicly available except the TIN is redacted.
3. The Commission encourages the use of electronic filing. With the advent of ULS, 93% of all responses submitted to the FCC are now being filed electronically. Electronic filing is mandatory for certain categories of respondents and others have the choice of filing manually or electronically. (These types of requirements are identified by various public notices as the radio services are implemented in ULS.)
4. No other federal agency collects this data.
5. In conformance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Commission is making an effort to minimize the burden on all respondents, regardless of size. The Commission has limited the information requirements to that absolutely necessary to minimize the burden on all respondents.
6. This information is collected only once, accordingly, less frequent collections are not feasible.
7. Current data collection is consistent with the guidelines in 5 CFR 1320.6.
8. A notice was placed in the Federal Register on March 23, 2009 (74 FR 12130) seeking comments from the public on the information collection requirements contained in this supporting statement. The Federal Register notice required by 5 CFR 1320.8 is noted in ROCIS. No comments were received from the public.
9. Respondents will not receive any payments.
10. Respondents may request materials or information submitted to the Commission be withheld from public inspection under 47 CFR §0.459 of the FCC rules.
Information within Wireless Radio Services is maintained in the Commission’s system of records notice or ‘SORN’, FCC/WTB-1, “Wireless Services Licensing Records.” These licensee records are publicly available and routinely used in accordance with subsection b. of the Privacy Act, 5 U.S.C. 552a(b), as amended. TIN Numbers and material that is afforded confidential treatment pursuant to a request made under 47 CFR §0.459 will not be available for public inspection.
The Commission has in place the following policy and procedures for records retention and disposal: Records will be actively maintained as long as the individual remains a licensee. Paper records will be archived after being keyed or scanned into the system. Electronic records will be backed up on tape. Electronic and paper records will be maintained for at least twelve years and three months.
11. There are no requests of a sensitive nature considered or those considered a private matter being sought from the applicants on this collection.
12. This collection requires the licensees to review their authorizations that are listed in the audit letter and to certify that they are operating in accordance with their license. In most circumstances we require the licensee to respond electronically by accessing website. Those that respond manually do so by using a form that is sent with the audit letter. The Commission encourages the use of electronic filing. Electronic filing is mandatory for certain categories of respondents and others have the choice of filing manually or electronically. The Commission expects approximately 93% will respond electronically. Audits are not conducted on a regular basis and except in rare instances less than 25,000 letters will be sent with an estimated response time of .5 hours each, for a total burden of 12,500 hours annually.
Total Number of Respondents: 25,000
Total Number of Annual Responses: 25,000 letters
Estimated Annual Burden Hours: 25,000 letters/responses x .5 hours/response = 12,500 hours
Estimated “in-house cost” to respondents: We assume that the respondents would use administrative personnel to prepare the information at an hourly wage of $20 per hour. $20/hour x 25,000 responses x .5 hour = $250,000.
13. Estimate of cost to respondents.
a. There are no capital or start-up costs.
b. There are no operational or maintenance costs
c. There are no costs to the respondents.
14. Estimate of cost to Federal Government:
$ 22.92 per hour (GS‑7/5 Legal Instruments Examiner)
X .5 hours per letter examined
X 25,000 letters reviewed per year
+ 10% overhead
$315,150
15. The Commission completed an extensive review of collection 3060-0979 and has determined that with its last submission to OMB that the number of respondents, responses and annual burden hours were extremely over estimated. The Commission wants OMB inventory to reflect a more accurate burden for this information collection. Therefore, we are adjusting/decreasing the number of respondents after our extensive analysis by 285,000, responses by 285,000 and burden hours by 142,500 to more accurately account for the audit letters. There are no program changes to this collection.
16. The data will not be published for statistical use.
17. We do not seek approval to not display the expiration date for OMB approval of the information collection.
18. There are no exceptions to the “Certification Statement” in Item 19.
B. Collections of Information Employing Statistical Methods:
No statistical methods are employed.
| File Type | application/msword |
| File Title | 3060-0308 |
| Author | JSHAFFER |
| Last Modified By | cathy.williams |
| File Modified | 2011-06-28 |
| File Created | 2011-06-28 |