The FCC mandated, in an April 25, 2023, Order, that every holder of an international Section 214 authorization will be obligated to submit current ownership information identifying certain direct and indirect interest holders (the "Information Collection") by a deadline that would be established by a later notice in the Federal Register. That notice was published in the Federal Register today, setting the deadline to respond to the Information Collection as January 22, 2024 (the "Response Deadline"). In a Supplemental Order (released on August 22, 2023), the FCC provided for a streamlining of the Information Collection limited only to certain holders whose foreign ownership has been reviewed by the Executive Branch agencies and approved by the FCC in the three years prior to the Response Deadline and which meet other criteria. Carriers that fail to respond in a timely fashion to the Information Collection risk monetary penalties and possible cancellation of their Section 214 authorizations.
We are providing an update to our May 2023 Frequently Asked Questions document regarding the Information Collection. The update reflects today's Federal Register notice and the limited streamlining in the Supplemental Order.
A separate Public Notice is to be issued shortly by the FCC's Office of International Affairs ("OIA"), reiterating the response deadline and providing further instructions, and a form, for response submissions. We will circulate and post a copy of the OIA Public Notice, when issued.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
