FCC Asks Public to Complain About Paperwork Again
Published Date: 7/17/2026
Notice
Summary
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is asking the public and small businesses to share their thoughts on how to make paperwork easier and less time-consuming. They want to reduce the burden of information collection, especially for small businesses with fewer than 25 employees. Comments are open until August 17, 2026, so don’t miss your chance to help shape simpler rules!
Analyzed Economic Effects
6 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 2 costs, 2 mixed.
Large network collection: 4,452 respondents, 452,623 hours
OMB Control Number 3060-0741 implements revised collections with 4,452 respondents and 450,838 responses, estimated at 0.5–4.5 hours per response for a total annual burden of 452,623 hours. The collection supports rules under 47 U.S.C. 222 and 251 and is subject to PRA review.
Faster discontinuances and blanket grandfathering
The FCC revised Part 63 to allow streamlined processing for technology-transition discontinuances if an applicant certifies one or more of five categories of replacement service is available throughout the affected area. The Commission granted blanket Section 214(a) authority for carriers to grandfather legacy voice services, data services below 25 Mbps download/3 Mbps upload, and interconnected VoIP provisioned over copper, eliminating the need to file a Section 214(a) application when grandfathering these services.
911 coordination requirement for discontinuances
Carriers seeking authority to discontinue services that support interconnection trunks or exchange of traffic must identify the specific service and include a statement that at least 90 days prior to filing they provided a designated point of contact to 911 authorities and other listed providers to coordinate the transition and ensure continued 911 connectivity.
FCC asks small businesses to suggest paperwork cuts
The FCC is asking the public and small businesses to comment on ways to reduce paperwork burden under the Paperwork Reduction Act. The agency specifically requests ideas to further reduce information-collection burden for small businesses with fewer than 25 employees; comments are due by August 17, 2026.
Part 63 collection: 78 respondents, 648 burden hours
OMB Control Number 3060-0149 (Part 63) covers a collection with 78 respondents and 90 responses, each response estimated at 6–10 hours, for a total annual burden of 648 hours. The collection is a revision of a currently approved collection and is subject to the PRA review and comment process.
Reseller forbearance with customer-notice condition
The Commission granted conditional forbearance relief allowing resellers to discontinue resold services when their wholesale provider is discontinuing, on the condition that discontinuing resellers provide reasonable notice to their customers.
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Key Dates
Department and Agencies
Related Federal Register Documents
2026-14495 — Information Collection Being Submitted for Review and Approval to Office of Management and Budget
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is asking the public and other agencies to share their thoughts on how to make paperwork easier, especially for small businesses with fewer than 25 employees. They want to reduce the hassle of filling out forms and need approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to keep collecting this info. Comments are open until August 17, 2026, so now’s the time to speak up!
2026-14496 — Information Collection Being Reviewed by the Federal Communications Commission Delegated Authority
The FCC is checking in on a form used by businesses and governments to apply for Mobility Fund support, making sure it’s still useful and not too much work. They want your thoughts on how to make the process easier, especially for small businesses, before September 15, 2026. This review won’t cost much time—just about 1.5 hours per response—and helps keep things running smoothly and fairly.
2026-14494 — Information Collections Being Submitted for Review and Approval to Office of Management and Budget
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is asking the public and other agencies to review and comment on their paperwork plans by August 17, 2026. They want to make sure small businesses with fewer than 25 employees have less paperwork to deal with. This is part of a bigger effort to cut down on unnecessary forms and save time and money for everyone involved.
2026-14134 — Radio Broadcasting Services; Whitehall, Michigan
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2026-13999 — Facilitating Implementation of Next Generation 911 Services (NG911); Improving 911 Reliability
The FCC wants to make 911 calls smarter and more reliable by making sure different 911 systems can talk to each other across states. They’re also exploring cool tech like video calls to help more people reach emergency services. If you’re involved in 911 services, get ready to test these upgrades and share your thoughts by August and September 2026.
2026-13998 — Facilitating Implementation of Next Generation 911 Services (NG911); Improving 911 Reliability
The FCC is making 911 services smarter and more reliable by upgrading to Next Generation 911 (NG911), which uses internet technology to handle calls, texts, videos, and data. This change affects emergency call centers and service providers, who must follow new rules to keep 911 working smoothly and share info across networks. The new rules start August 10, 2026, and aim to prevent outages while encouraging innovation without extra hassle or costs.
Previous / Next Documents
Previous: 2026-14496 — Information Collection Being Reviewed by the Federal Communications Commission Delegated Authority
The FCC is checking in on a form used by businesses and governments to apply for Mobility Fund support, making sure it’s still useful and not too much work. They want your thoughts on how to make the process easier, especially for small businesses, before September 15, 2026. This review won’t cost much time—just about 1.5 hours per response—and helps keep things running smoothly and fairly.
Next: 2026-14498 — Stationary and Portable Air Compressors From the People's Republic of China, Malaysia, and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam: Postponement of Preliminary Determinations in Countervailing Duty Investigations
The U.S. is delaying its first decision on extra taxes for air compressors from China, Malaysia, and Vietnam. This gives everyone more time to sort out the details before any money changes hands. If you’re a business importing these compressors, expect the new decision by mid-September 2026.