Giving laptops and hot spots to students who lack good internet won’t solve distance learning problems exacerbated by COVID-19, state and local officials said Monday. The California Senate Education Committee and the Special Committee on Pandemic Emergency Response jointly held a hearing Monday about online learning gaps. Earlier in the day at the virtual Mountain Connect conference, Chattanooga public and private officials said they’re using municipal broadband to provide free fiber internet to students in low-income households.

The FCC issued the first 2.5 GHz licenses through the agency’s rural tribal priority application window to tribal entities across the U.S. The Wireless Bureau granted 154 applications allowing use of up to 117.5 MHz of spectrum. The window to apply closed Sept. 2 (see 2007310066). “Few communities face the digital connectivity challenges faced by rural Tribes,” Chairman Ajit Pai said Friday: “By prioritizing Tribal access to this mid-band spectrum, we are ensuring that Tribes can quickly access spectrum to connect their schools, homes, hospitals, and businesses.”

The FCC’s proposed 5G Fund, set for a vote Tuesday, is raising concerns, especially for Commissioners Jessica Rosenworcel and Geoffrey Starks, but it could get support from all five commissioners, industry and FCC officials said. The Democrats partially dissented on the NPRM (see 2004230046) and see the order as moving in the right direction from what was proposed in April. Partial dissents are possible, officials said. Carriers are proposing various changes.

The Lifeline national verifier fully launches Nov. 18 in Oregon and Texas, the FCC Wireline Bureau said Monday. For years, the states managed eligibility verification and duplicate checking for the federal program along with their own low-income programs, and they will continue to play a role, said the bureau, noting states have waivers from national Lifeline accountability database participation. “The National Verifier will leverage the states’ existing processes (and automated database connections) so that Lifeline consumers in Oregon and Texas can continue to apply using a streamlined state application process for both federal and state benefits,” it said. “This partnership is contingent upon the continued good faith cooperation by the states in providing necessary data and information for" Universal Service Administrative Co. to validate eligible telecom carrier "reimbursement claims and ensure consistency between state eligibility determinations and Commission rules.” The launch means the start of the Oregon Public Utility Commission handling eligibility verification for new enrollments of consumers living on tribal lands. Previously, they enrolled through ETCs. The PUC will also reverify existing subscribers on tribal lands, the bureau said. The NV soft-launched in the two states and California in December (see 1912180046). “The Bureau will issue a separate Public Notice announcing full launch of the National Verifier in California,” said a footnote.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Rep. Deb Haaland, D-N.M., led filing of the Extending Tribal Broadband Priority Act to extend the priority window for tribes to apply for 2.5 GHz licenses. The FCC let the deadline close Sept. 2 after granting a 30-day extension (see 2007310027). Congressional Democrats sought longer (see 2008200044). The measure would require the FCC to open a new window for tribal applications that would last at least 180 days. Warren said Wednesday, “This crisis is even more urgent during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

A draft order circulated by FCC Chairman Ajit Pai Tuesday would delay a 5G Fund auction until after the commission collects new data through the still-unfunded digital opportunity data collection. That means an auction is unlikely to start until 2023. Commissioners approved an NPRM in April, with dissents by Democrats, that laid out two options -- starting an auction next year based on data then available or waiting for the new numbers (see 2004230046). The Oct. 27 meeting also includes net neutrality and other items (see 2010060056), a controversial order on compound expansions of wireless facilities and revised TV white space rules.

Consult with tribes before changing FCC ex parte rules, the National Congress of American Indians commented, posted Monday in docket 20-221. Comments were due Friday on a July NPRM. “The proposed rule is a Commission action which would significantly and uniquely affect tribal nations because it sets forth a new process for exempting tribal nations from ex parte rules,” NCAI said: “Tribal nations may reasonably have questions.” The notice “requires more substantive consideration and dialogue,” the Cherokee Nation commented: “Without the proper dialogue, the Cherokee Nation cannot adequately embrace the proposal nor intimately characterize how it may impact interactions, either positively or negatively,” with the commission. “Proposals to accelerate the schedule for the submission of notices of oral ex parte presentations, and replies thereto, are neither in the public interest nor necessary to achieve the Commission’s goals,” T-Mobile said. “Requiring the same-day submission of notices of oral ex parte presentations could undermine the Commission’s efforts to increase transparency and develop a fully informed record.” Expand by a day, “to three weeks and one day, the date it makes available to the public drafts of documents to be voted on” at commissioners' meetings, ACA Connects commented: “While ACA Connects recognizes the benefits to the Commission’s decision-making that should result from adoption of the NPRM’s proposal, it does not believe these benefits must come at the expense of the public having one less day of advocacy.”

The FCC Wireless Bureau gave Pine Cellular an additional year to meet the tribal lands bidding credit construction requirements for a 600 MHz license in Texarkana, Texas, to serve Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma communities. The carrier had problems because it’s using Huawei equipment at the site, the bureau said. “Because Pine Cellular is prohibited from using USF funds to maintain, improve, modify, operate, manage, or otherwise support its Huawei equipment, it asserts that it cannot act without a significant cost burden until the Commission acts in the Supply Chain proceeding to establish a cost reimbursement program for USF recipients to replace equipment from covered companies,” said the Thursday order. “Pine Cellular is presented with limited options for network deployment to the Choctaw Nation communities: build out its existing Huawei network and try to prove it used non-USF funds (recognizing that it also may need to replace this network); or build out an expensive parallel network for which it has no guarantee of reimbursement.” The extension is through Jan. 9, 2022.

The National Tribal Telecommunications Association seconded concerns NTCA raised in August about the resurgent FCC budget control mechanism on rural LECs receiving cost-based Connect America Fund broadband loop support or high-cost loop support. NTCA said the mechanism “will reduce by more than $37 million” over the next year “the amount of universal service support to be received by several hundred small rural companies and cooperatives.” NTTA members, like rural LECs in general, “have been making significant efforts to ensure customers retain broadband service, including not disconnecting service for an inability to pay due to COVID-19 related financial difficulties many customers are facing,” said NTTA's docket 10-90 filing Tuesday: “NTCA’s request to waive the operation of the [mechanism] ‘for the pendency of the COVID-19 national emergency’ should be adopted … as soon as possible.”

FDA is issuing new regulations that allow importation of prescription drugs from Canada. Under the final rule, FDA may approve “Section 804 Importation Programs” (SIPs) sponsored by a state, tribal or territorial governmental entity. The registered wholesaler or pharmacy identified by the SIP as the importer could then import the specified drug from an FDA-registered, Health Canada-licensed wholesaler that buys the drug directly from its manufacturer. The final rule is set for publication in the Oct. 1 Federal Register, and takes effect Nov. 30.