Part 25 of the Federal Communications Commission's Rules Governing the Licensing of, and Spectrum Usage By, Commercial Earth Stations and Space Stations
ICR 202009-3060-005 · OMB 3060-0678 · Active
⚠️ Notice: This information collection may be outdated.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
No material or nonsubstantive change to a currently approved collection
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.
Please see the non-substantive change request justification for this collection which we are seeking approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
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.
The Commission also has program changes of -4 to the burden hours because of the elimination of some information collection requirements which were contained in 47 CFR 25.146.
$2,350,669
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
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.
Supporting Statement OMB 3060-0678 for Small Sats 2019 (FCC 19-81) (October 2019)(update September 2020).docx
Part 25 of the Federal Communications Commission's Rules: Governing the Licensing of, and Spectrum Usage By, Commercial Earth Stations and Space Stations