Senate Commerce Committee ranking member Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., told us Wednesday she and other congressional Democrats plan to push for the next bill addressing COVID-19 to include broadband capacity and distance learning provisions. A compromise of a third stimulus bill unveiled that day failed to include those priorities. Capitol Hill leaders and President Donald Trump’s administration reached a deal early Wednesday. A cloture vote on the COVID-19 legislative vehicle (HR-748) was expected to have happened Wednesday night. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and three other Republicans made that outcome more uncertain when they objected to the bill's proposed amount of unemployment insurance.
Talks on a third economic stimulus bill addressing the effects of COVID-19 appeared likely to drag on into the weekend, with telecom-related provisions likely still in the negotiations mix. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Friday he considers “inadequate” the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (S-3548) from Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. Schumer and other Democrats were pushing strongly for the third COVID-19 bill to address pandemic-related infrastructure, including broadband capacity and distance learning resources (see 2003180066), lobbyists told us.
Talks on a third economic stimulus bill addressing the effects of COVID-19 appeared likely to drag on into the weekend, with telecom-related provisions likely still in the negotiations mix. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Friday he considers “inadequate” the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (S-3548) from Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. Schumer and other Democrats were pushing strongly for the third COVID-19 bill to address pandemic-related infrastructure, including broadband capacity and distance learning resources (see 2003180066), lobbyists told us.
Senate leaders looked ahead Wednesday to plans for a third funding package aimed at economic losses and a possible recession caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The chamber approved the House-passed Families First Coronavirus Response Act (HR-6201) on a 90-8 vote, sending it to President Donald Trump for signature. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., continued his push for any additional funding legislation to also address pandemic-related infrastructure issues, including broadband capacity and distance learning resources (see 2003170014).
Senate leaders looked ahead Wednesday to plans for a third funding package aimed at economic losses and a possible recession caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The chamber approved the House-passed Families First Coronavirus Response Act (HR-6201) on a 90-8 vote, sending it to President Donald Trump for signature. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., continued his push for any additional funding legislation to also address pandemic-related infrastructure issues, including broadband capacity and distance learning resources (see 2003170014).
The FCC’s proposed 5G Fund should “take into account extreme circumstances present on remote Tribal lands,” Smith Bagley said in meetings with aides to FCC commissioners. Only 14 of its 154 towers on tribal lands are connected to the internet via fiber, the company said, posted Monday in docket 20-32: “Towers served by multiple point-to-point microwave hops cannot deliver throughput and latency performance needed to support high-quality 4G and 5G service offerings.”
The FCC unanimously approved an NPRM Friday seeking comment on proposals to allow devices that use the TV white space to operate with higher power in less-congested areas. The item’s final text hadn’t been released, but the final notice was little changed from the draft, said Office of Engineering and Technology staff. That was as expected (see 2002250084).
Commissioners Mike O’Rielly, Jessica Rosenworcel and Geoffrey Starks Friday criticized an FCC NPRM, approved 3-2, proposing sharing communications outage information with other federal and state agencies. The two Democrats dissented.
Low-income consumers shouldn't have to reveal sensitive personal information or open themselves to surveillance in exchange for Lifeline subsidies, said replies posted through Wednesday in docket 17-287. FCC commissioners voted in November on party lines for a Further NPRM (see 1911140064).
The California Public Utilities Commission discussed how the FCC can work with states as it establishes its data collection on broadband mapping, in meetings with aides to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, and Wireline Bureau staff on Feb. 13, said filings posted Tuesday in docket 19-195. CPUC supports an FCC proposal to use broadband data from states, localities and tribal governments to help validate ISP-provided broadband data. The state agency recommended its federal counterpart require that broadband serviceable location fabric information, "including its underlying location and parcel data, should be open, public, and non-proprietary." Industry wants to keep some data proprietary, citing competitive reasons (see 1909240005). The CPUC asked the FCC to include agricultural areas in its broadband serviceable location fabric framework, to support precision agriculture.