The Federal Communications Commission, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork burden invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on the following information collection(s), as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 3501-3520 Comments are requested concerning: (a) 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; (b) the accuracy of the Commission's burden estimate; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information collected; (d) 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 (e) ways to further reduce the information collection burden on small business concerns with fewer than 25 employees.
The FCC may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. No person shall be subject to any penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) that does not display a valid OMB control number.
Written Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) comments should be submitted on or before December 14, 2010. If you anticipate that you will be submitting PRA comments, but find it difficult to do so within the period of time allowed by this notice, you should advise the FCC contact listed below as soon as possible.
Direct all PRA comments to Nicholas A. Fraser, Office of Management and Budget, via fax at 202-395-5167 or via Internet at
For additional information, contact Judith B. Herman at 202-418-0214 or via the Internet at
The Broadband Data Improvement Act of 2008, Public Law 110-385, Stat 4096 § 103(c)(1) directs the Commission to collect information on the type of technology used to provide broadband to consumers, the price of such services, actual transmission speeds, and the reasons for non-adoption of broadband service.
This collection of information was necessary to complete research done for the Broadband Plan on key consumer issues including transparency and actual speeds and performance of broadband service.
This information collection was revised to respond to new requirements that were initially unforeseen. Recent surveys demonstrate a majority of consumers are not able to accurately report the broadband service information approved in the first collection approved on April 30, 2010.
In recent discussions, broadband service providers (ISPs) have also noted that certain technical characteristics of broadband service may vary region to region and such information may not be available from the consumer. ISP Partners have offered to partner with the FCC in the testing and measurement trial by verifying certain consumer information collected by SamKnows and by providing associated data not directly available from the consumer. This information is crucial for good sample selection and analysis of results.
The Commission's Office of Engineering and Technology (OET), the Office of Strategic Planning and Policy Analysis (OSPPA) and the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau (CGB) and other Commission entities will use the information collected under this study to assess what actual broadband speeds and performance consumers are currently receiving from providers. Our purpose is to measure the speed of broadband services provided by ISPs across service packages and geographies, rather than assess the differences in broadband performance received by demographics. This assessment will help the Commission create standards for broadband measurements, assess the validity of ISP performance claims, and inform future steps to increasing transparency and consumer awareness of broadband service.