Reporting On Foreign
Ownership of International Section 214 Authorization Holders
No
material or nonsubstantive change to a currently approved
collection
No
Emergency
06/09/2023
08/23/2023
Requested
Previously Approved
12/31/2023
12/31/2023
1,500
1,500
4,500
4,500
1,350,000
1,350,000
The Federal Communications Commission
(Commission) seeks emergency processing under the Paperwork
Reduction Act (PRA), 5 C.F.R. § 1320.13, for a one-time information
collection. The Commission is requesting approval from the Office
of Management and Budget (OMB) for this information collection no
later than 37 days after it is received at OMB. The Commission
established a new one-time information collection associated in the
Review of International Section 214 Authorizations to Assess
Evolving National Security, Law Enforcement, Foreign Policy, and
Trade Policy Risks, IB Docket No. 23-119; Amendment of the Schedule
of Application Fees Set Forth in Sections 1.1102 through 1.1109 of
the Commission’s Rules, MD Docket No. 23-134, Order and Notice of
Proposed Rulemaking (Evolving Risks Order and Notice). The other
requirements adopted in the Evolving Risks Order and Notice do not
include information collections or are part of other information
collections for which the Commission will request separate
approval. The Commission is submitting this non-substantive change
request to the Office of Management and Budget for review and
approval. Please see the justification behind the change request
submission.
The Federal
Communications Commission (Commission) requests Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) approval to submit the information
collection described herein under the “emergency processing”
provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 (5 CFR §
1320.13). The Commission is requesting clearance for a new one-time
information collection. We respectfully request OMB approval for
this one-time collection no later than 37 days after it is received
at OMB. Promotion of national security is an integral part of the
Commission’s public interest responsibility and one of the core
purposes for which Congress created the Commission. In the Evolving
Risks Order and Notice the Commission is taking another important
step to protect the nation’s telecommunications infrastructure from
threats in an evolving national security and law enforcement
landscape by proposing comprehensive changes to the Commission’s
rules that allow carriers to provide international
telecommunications service pursuant to section 214 of the
Communications Act of 1934, as amended (Act). Through the proposals
in the Evolving Risks Order and Notice the Commission is acting to
ensure that the Commission is exercising appropriate oversight of
international section 214 authorization holders to safeguard U.S.
telecommunications networks. To make sure that these proposals are
effective and efficient the Commission needs up-to-date information
about the carriers that are providing service using international
section 214 authorizations. Consequently, as part of the Evolving
Risks Order and Notice the Commission adopted a one-time collection
of foreign ownership information from international section 214
authorization holders. The collection of this information is a
necessary first step for the Commission to make an informed
decision concerning the proposed rules and procedures set forth in
the Evolving Risks Order and Notice. The Commission has incomplete
and outdated information about international section 214
authorization holders. For example, the Commission’s records in its
electronic database for international section 214 authorization –
the International Communications Filing System (ICFS) – reflect
there are approximately 7,000 international section 214
authorization holders, though we estimate the more accurate number
is closer to approximately 1,500 active authorization holders.
Additionally, we do not have visibility on authorized carriers’
current foreign ownership. The information derived from this
one-time collection will allow the Commission to determine the
number of active authorization holders and whether they have
reportable foreign ownership. In addition, the information will
enable the Commission to identify those authorization holders that
are no longer in business or are in business but discontinued
service under their international section 214 authority. Overall,
the information will assist the Commission in developing a timely
and effective process for prioritizing the review of international
section 214 authorizations that are most likely to raise national
security, law enforcement, foreign policy, and/or trade policy
concerns.
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.
DA-23-746.docx
Emergency Justification Letter (FCC 23-28).pdf
Reporting On Foreign Ownership of International Section 214 Authorization Holders