PUBLIC NOTICE
Federal Communications Commission
445 12
th
St., S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20554
News Media Information 202 / 418-0500
Internet: http://www.fcc.gov
TTY: 1-888-835-5322
Released: November 1, 2013
DA 13-2126
THE OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES ANNOUNCES 
MARKET FOR CRITICAL INFORMATION NEEDS RESEARCH FIELD TEST
BO Docket No. 12-30
As part of its commitment to obtain useful data about the communications marketplace, the 
FCC’s Office of Communications Business Opportunities (OCBO) today announced it has selected 
Columbia, South Carolina to field-test the Research Design for its Multi-Market Study of Critical 
Information Needs (Research Design).  The site was chosen because it is a medium-sized market that is 
racially, ethnically and linguistically diverse. Ease of travel for data collection, as well as having a nearby 
school of communications/journalism, also made it a model site.  The selection is the next step in 
OCBO’s process to ensure the Commission has a vetted research tool that can subsequently be used in 
markets nationwide.
The Commission is obligated  under § 257 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, to 
review and report to Congress on: (1) regulations prescribed to eliminate market entry barriers in the 
provision and ownership of telecommunications services and information services, or in the provision of 
parts or services to providers of telecommunications services and information services by entrepreneurs 
and other small businesses; and (2) proposals to eliminate statutory barriers to market entry by those 
entities, consistent with the public interest, convenience, and necessity.
In order to assess whether government action is needed to ensure that the information needs of all 
Americans are being met, including women and minorities, it is necessary to understand how the public 
acquires critical information, how the media ecosystem operates to provide this information, and what 
barriers exist to participation. OCBO expects to complete this next phase of its Critical Information 
Needs Research no later than July 2014.
For more information about the Research Design Model or the pilot study, contact Daniel 
Margolis, via e-mail at Daniel.Margolis@fcc.gov or phone at 202-418-1377.  
-FCC-