Part 25 of the Federal Communications Commission's Rules Governing the Licensing of, and Spectrum Usage By, Commercial Earth Stations and Space Stations
ICR 201912-3060-009
OMB: 3060-0678
Federal Form Document
⚠️ Notice: This information collection may be outdated. More recent filings for OMB 3060-0678 can be found here:
Part 25 of the Federal
Communications Commission's Rules Governing the Licensing of, and
Spectrum Usage By, Commercial Earth Stations and Space
Stations
On August 2, 2019, the Commission
released a Report and Order, FCC 19-81, in IB Docket No. 18-86,
titled “Streamlining Licensing Procedures for Small Satellites”
(Small Satellite Report and Order). In this Report and Order, the
Commission adopted a new alternative, optional licensing process
for small satellites and spacecraft, called the “Part 25
streamlined small satellite process.” This new process allows
qualifying applicants for small satellites and spacecraft to take
advantage of an easier application process, a lower application
fee, and a shorter timeline for review than currently exists for
applicants under the Commission’s existing Part 25 satellite
licensing rules. The Commission limited the regulatory burdens
borne by applicants, while promoting orbital debris mitigation and
efficient use of spectrum. The Commission’s action supports and
encourages the increasing innovation in the small satellite sector
and helps to preserve U.S. leadership in space-based services and
operations. This information collection will provide the Commission
and the public with necessary information about the operations of
this growing area of satellite operations. While this information
collection represents an overall increase in the burden hours, the
increase is due to an anticipated overall increase in number of
applications as a result of additional applications being filed
under the streamlined process adopted in the Small Satellite Report
and Order. This information collection represents a decrease in the
paperwork burdens for individual operators of non-geostationary
orbit (NGSO) satellites who may now qualify for streamlined
processing as small satellites, and serves the public interest by
streamlining the collection of information and allowing the
Commission to authorize small satellites and spacecraft under the
new process established in the Report and Order.
The Commission has the
following program changes to this collection as a result of the
information collection requirements adopted in FCC 19-81: +8 to the
number of respondents, +8 to the total annual responses and +148 to
the annual burden hours, and -$311,895 to the annual cost. We
estimate that there will be approximately 8 additional respondents
as a result of the program changes adopted in FCC 19-81, and 8
corresponding additional responses. Although the overall annual
burden hours have increased as a result of the additional number of
responses, we expect that some respondents will experience a
decrease in burden hours on an individualized basis from what they
would have experienced prior to the program changes adopted in FCC
19-81. The program changes resulting in a change to the annual cost
of -$311,895 include: (1) a change to the estimated cost of outside
legal or engineering assistance of +$9,680 to reflect the increased
number of overall estimated respondents and responses; and (2) a
change to estimated application filing fees of -$321,575 to reflect
the creation of a new application fee category which may result in
some applicants paying a lower filing fee in this new application
fee category than the applicants would have paid under the prior
application fee schedule. This collection was also adjusted as
follows: +4 to the number of respondents, +4 to the total annual
responses, -192 to the annual burden hours, and -$180,722 to the
annual cost. The adjustments to the number of respondents,
responses, and burden hours are a result of corrections to the
numbers specified in the existing information collection. The
adjustments resulting in a change to the annual cost of -$180,722
include: (1) an adjustment of +$838,572 to reflect the application
fee costs from the most current application fee filing schedule;
and (2) an adjustment of -$1,019,295 to reflect a correction in the
number of estimated application fee filers for FSS GSO and FSS NGSO
initial space station licenses to reflect only applicants for
U.S.-licenses, consistent with the description for the number of
respondents in these categories.
$2,350,669
No
No
No
No
No
No
Uncollected
Merissa Velez 202
418-0751
No
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that
the collection of information encompassed by this request complies
with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR
1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding
the proposed collection of information, that the certification
covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a
benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control
number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of
these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked
and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.
Form FCC Form 312 - Mai Part 25 of the Federal Communications Commission's Rules: Governing the Licensing of, and Spectrum Usage By, Commercial Earth Stations and Space Stations
Supporting Statement OMB 3060-0678 for Small Sats 2019 (FCC 19-81) (October 2019).docx
Part 25 of the Federal Communications Commission's Rules: Governing the Licensing of, and Spectrum Usage By, Commercial Earth Stations and Space Stations