The FCC has issued a public notice seeking comment on a letter filed by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) requesting the FCC to require applicants for certain international authority to provide additional information and certifications as part of the application process. Specifically, NTIA on behalf of the Executive Branch has asked the FCC to require applicants seeking international section 214 authorizations (and transfers thereof), section 310 foreign ownership rulings, submarine cable landing licenses, and satellite earth station authorizations to: (1) provide information on ownership, network operations, and related matters as part of the FCC applications; and (2) certify compliance with certain law enforcement assistance requirements. The first requirement would apply to each applicant with reportable foreign ownership and the second requirement would apply to all applications. Although this is the same type of information requested by the Executive Branch in connection with its foreign ownership reviews of FCC applications, NTIA has not given any indication that collection by the FCC of the information requested would be in lieu of rather than in addition to the Executive Branch’s own detailed information requests. Comments on the NTIA information request are due on or before May 23, 2016.
