This submission is being made for
non-substantive changes to an existing information collection
pursuant to 44 U.S.C. § 3507. This submission now includes the most
current form, FCC Form 161 (see justification). The non-substantive
changes requested here are necessary to assist the Commission in
fulfilling requirements under the Broadband Deployment Accuracy and
Technological Availability (DATA) Act. In this legislation,
Congress directed the FCC to “develop a process through which the
Commission can collect verified data for use in [its] coverage maps
from [ ] State, local, and Tribal governmental entities that are
primarily responsible for mapping or tracking broadband internet
access service coverage for a State, unit of local government, or
Indian Tribe, as applicable.” 47 U.S.C. § 642(a)(2)(A). The
Commission will use its Commission Registration System (CORES) to
authenticate that a particular user and FCC Registration Number
(FRN) is an authorized representative of a state, local or Tribal
governmental entity that files data under section 642(a)(2)(A). We
therefore would like to add a “Tribal Govt Agency” Entity Type to
FCC Form 160 (OMB 3060-0917) and Form 161 (OMB 3060-0918) and to
the online version of these forms. This submission is being made
for a proposed non-substantive change to an existing information
collection pursuant to 44 U.S.C. § 3507. This submission seeks to
make a non-substantive change to reflect a change in burden hours
for this information collection as a result of the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC) June 22, 2021 Order adopting
changes to requirements for the FCC’s Commission Registration
System (CORES). See Amendment of Part 1 of the Commission’s Rules,
Concerning Practice and Procedure, Amendment of CORES Registration
System, Report and Order, FCC 21-79;
https://www.fcc.gov/document/2021-cores-modification-order. Section
1.8002 of the FCC’s rules require an FCC Registration Number (FRN)
to be supplied by anyone doing business with the FCC, including,
but not limited to, remitting payments, applying for licenses,
participating in auctions, and filing certain applications.
Registrants use the FCC’s system called CORES to obtain FRNs with
the associated passwords necessary to enter into a variety of
transactions with the FCC and for participating in FCC programs. As
of 2016, the FCC has maintained a legacy online version of CORES
that does not require email address information and a new version
of CORES that does require email address information. Section
1.8002(b)(1) of the Commission’s rules lists the information
currently required from entities seeking to register for an FRN.
The rule is amended by the June 2021 Report and Order to require
email address information as part of the registration information
and will allow the FCC to retire the legacy version of CORES.
Section 1.8002(b)(2) requires that the information used to register
for an FRN be kept current by the registrants. Registrants that
obtained their FRN through legacy CORES and have not associated a
valid e-mail address with their FRN, may continue to use that FRN
without an associated valid e-mail address for a limited period but
will be gradually transitioned to the new system and will be
required provide email address information at some point over the
next (approximately) 1 to 3 years. This information that applicants
(entities) submit on FCC Form 161 is used to change or update
information in the CORES system for entity's name, address,
Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), telephone number, email, fax,
contact representative address, telephone number, email and fax.
The Commission Registration System (CORES) assigns each entity
doing business with the Commission a FCC Registration Number (FRN).
The FRN is used to collect and to report any delinquent amounts
arising from such applicant's (entity's) relationship with the FCC.
The respondents are anyone doing business with the FCC.
The Commission is reporting
adjustments/increases to this information collection. The total
number of respondents and total annual responses increased from
5,500 to 101,200 (+95,700 respondents/responses) and the total
annual burden hours increased from 919 hours to 16,900 (+15,981
hours). These adjustments are based on the Commission’s most
currently available data.
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 161 CORES Update/Change Form, FCC Form 161
Non-substantive Change Request_FCC Forms 160 and 161_final .docx
CORES Update/Change Form, FCC Form 161