CTIA told the FCC the next round of testing of 911 vertical location technologies in the industry test bed will be delayed due to the impact of COVID-19. “The response to the COVID-19 pandemic is restricting building access and affecting the ability to safely and effectively test Z-axis technologies,” said a filing posted Friday in docket 07-114: “The Test Bed intends to resume Stage Zb when testing can be safely accomplished and property managers agree to provide access to buildings in the test cities.”
The COVID-19 pandemic has nearly two-thirds of Americans trading in public transit for personal vehicles and more than a third believing commuter life has “changed forever” because they plan to telework permanently, a Cars.com survey found. The website canvassed nearly 3,100 respondents Aug. 13-14.
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai believes Congress “needs to step up to the plate and make more funding available for connectivity during the COVID-19 pandemic -- including at least $430 million in funding for the highly successful but underfunded COVID-19 Telehealth Program,” a spokesperson emailed. Some lawmakers and advocates believe Capitol Hill’s inability to agree on an additional COVID-19 aid bill that includes broadband funding presents an opening for the issue to become a focus during the presidential and congressional campaigns this fall (see 2008210001). Congress provided some related funding in March via the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, including $200 million for the FCC’s telehealth program (see 2003250046).
Local governments relied on funding models based on “business as usual” with normal sales, gas and other taxes, but everything changed with COVID-19 pandemic, speakers said at the virtual International Wireless Communications Expo (IWCE) Monday. Public safety communications and other local government costs will be under continuing pressure, they said.
Two big issues dominated discussions at the virtual International Wireless Communications Expo (IWCE) on its first day Monday: the promise from 5G and the continuing threat from the COVID-19 pandemic. Both still have many unknowns, speakers said.
Lifeline providers are looking to FCC Commissioner Mike O’Rielly as a potential avenue for shifting a draft order circulated last month (see 2007300064) that would change the formula setting the minimum service standard to produce an MSS of 4.5 GB per month, said an industry attorney and an FCC official. That’s lower than the 11.75 GB the MSS will require starting in December without FCC action but higher than the freeze at the current 3 GB requested by virtually all Lifeline docket commenters. “We want them to do something, but we want it to be something that won’t harm Lifeline subscribers," said Public Knowledge Senior Policy Counsel Jenna Leventoff. “Vulnerable low-income Americans shouldn’t be left behind during this COVID-19 pandemic,” said attorney Judson Hill, who represents Lifeline provider TruConnect.
The FCC has the authority to keep regulatory fees the same as last year, said NAB in calls with aides to Commissioners Brendan Carr, Jessica Rosenworcel, Mike O’Rielly, and Geoffrey Starks last week, said an ex parte filing posted Friday in docket 20-105. The regulatory fee NPRM’s “blind adherence to the full-time employee model undermines its ability -- and responsibility -- to assess fees fair and equitably,” said the filing. The agency shouldn’t raise regulatory fees for radio stations when there hasn't been any change in the amount of agency attention radio requires, and when radio is disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, NAB said.
Senate Communications Subcommittee ranking member Brian Schatz of Hawaii, Commerce Committee ranking member Maria Cantwell of Washington and more than a dozen other Democrats urged the FCC Friday to increase funding to the Rural Health Care Program and improve its operations, citing the COVID-19 pandemic. "Cash-strapped health care providers are looking to the RHC Program for help to defray these costs, but you have so far not taken steps that would allow health care providers to receive additional support through the program,” the senators said in a letter to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai. “We urge you to address these issues as soon as possible.” Pai "has made telehealth a priority under his watch, taking actions like increasing funding for [RHCP] for the first time in its history and launching the COVID-19 Telehealth Program in a matter of weeks," a spokesperson emailed. "The FCC's record of decisive, bipartisan action to benefit consumers stands in stark contrast to the signatories of this letter." It's "disappointing that Congressional Democrats continue to prioritize partisan politics over legislative action that would give the FCC the funds it needs to extend its record of success," the spokesperson said.
All companies face uncertainties from the global pandemic, but also increasing trade tensions between the U.S. and China, said Alibaba CEO Daniel Zhang on a fiscal Q1 investor call Thursday: “As the world's largest e-commerce platform, Alibaba's primary commercial focus in the U.S. is to support American brands, retailers, small businesses and farmers to sell to consumers and trade partners in China as well as the other key markets around the world.”
Some lawmakers and advocates believe Capitol Hill’s inability to agree on an additional COVID-19 aid bill that includes broadband funding presents an opening for the issue to become a focus during the presidential and congressional campaigns this fall, they told us. Congress provided some related funding in March via the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (see 2003250046).