China's COVID-19 response “can stand the test of time and history,” said a Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesperson Wednesday. “China's enormous sacrifice and contribution to the global fight against COVID-19 is there for all to see.” President Donald Trump postponed trade negotiations with China because he regards its handling of the pandemic as “not even thinkable,” he told reporters in Yuma, Arizona, Tuesday. “With what they did to this country and to the world, I don’t want to talk to China right now,” said Trump. Asked if he was going to pull out of the phase one trade deal, Trump responded: “We’ll see what happens.”
The FAA’s Unmanned Aircraft System Integration Pilot Program, which ends in October, has been a success and led to “some of the most advanced drone operations in the world,” Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao said Wednesday during a virtual conference sponsored by the agency and the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International. An FAA official downplayed the need for more spectrum for drones, which is being examined by the FCC.
The FCC's local franchise authority (LFA) order 12 months ago (see 1908010011) opened the door for cable operators to renegotiate their cable LFA agreements to account for the expense of in-kind services they provide, but few have done so, lawyers and localities interests told us. Some expect cable operators will try to come up with valuations for such services as institutional networks (I-Net) and free service to public buildings, while others wonder if the industry isn't that interested in getting into what could be protracted fights with local communities over cable franchise fee amounts.
New Mexico should raise its broadband speed standard to 25 Mbps download and 3 Mbps upload to align with the national standard, the state attorney general office replied Monday in the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission’s State Rural USF proceeding (case 19-00286-UT). New Mexico’s current standard is 4/1 Mbps. "A key consideration, particularly in the context of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, is that the 25/3 Mbps standard can support videoconferencing that the existing 4/1 standard cannot,” the AG office wrote. Require 25/3 Mbps with “additional language to allow a carrier that is proposing a worthwhile project which does not meet the 25/3 Mbps threshold to petition the Commission to approve of its proposed project for good cause to serve for instance, in an extremely rural area,” New Mexico PRC staff wrote in a footnote of its reply comments. CenturyLink said the broadband fund should prioritize higher speeds, without specifying numbers. Other states are also weighing USF updates (see 2008110047).
Some 54% of Americans opted for virtual medical visits during the coronavirus pandemic, and 70% plan to continue them, but privacy and data protection are major concerns, said a Tuesday report from CynergisTek. Telehealth was the preferred alternative to in-person visits and elective care during the pandemic, but half of survey respondents said they would limit use if a telehealth data breach occurred. “Major vulnerabilities are emerging around privacy and security standards for video conferencing and messaging apps when used for telehealth (such as consumer technologies like Zoom), which can be easily infiltrated -- providing hackers with additional opportunities to breach highly-sensitive information,” said CynergisTek CEO Caleb Barlow. Of those who have used telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic, 73 percent report they'll continue virtual visits after the pandemic passes, said the cybersecurity firm. Nearly 80% of men who have used a telehealth solution during the pandemic will continue using them post-COVID-19 vs. 67% of women. Among age groups, 81% of millennials plan to continue using telehealth options post-pandemic, 79% of Gen Xers.
The National Association of Chain Drug Stores sought clarification of a March 20 FCC Consumer Affairs Bureau ruling on the Telephone Consumer Protection Act and public health communications during the COVID-19 pandemic (see 2003200074). The group sought clarity that the ruling “applies to calls and texts related to COVID-19 vaccines, when available, as well as flu vaccines, during the pandemic” in a filing posted Tuesday in docket 02-278.
Employers could be facing a potential exodus of supply chain talent exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, reported DSJ Global Tuesday. The global recruiter canvassed 650 supply chain professionals worldwide March-May, finding 41% reporting they’re unlikely to stay with their current employer in the next six months, it said. “Career progression remains the biggest motivator for making a move, beating compensation or security,” said DSJ. The pandemic is clearly affecting how supply chain professionals are feeling about the job market, “mostly bringing an expectation or acceptance that a move is more likely," it said.
The FCC said a forum on 5G open radio access networks, postponed in March because of the COVID-19 pandemic, will happen virtually Sept. 14. Chairman Ajit Pai and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo are scheduled to speak. Pai will moderate an industry panel on virtualized networks. “Open and virtualized radio access networks may help operators deploy more secure, cost-effective 5G networks,” Pai said Tuesday. The U.S. must “lead the way in researching and developing innovative approaches to mobile network deployment,” he said. The session starts at 10:30 a.m. EDT. "Open RAN networks enable providers to bring together best-in-class vendors, including from the U.S., unleashing innovation and unlocking the economic potential enabled by 5G,” emailed Stephen Bye, Dish Network executive vice president-chief commercial officer, saying Dish is building "the nation's first cloud native Open RAN based 5G network.”
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) and state legislators expect to talk broadband, after the governor set a goal of 100 Mbps download speeds through executive order Friday, said the governor’s office and an aide to Sen. Lena Gonzalez (D) this week. Legislators are weighing two bills to raise the state standard from 6 Mbps download and 1 Mbps upload for the California Advanced Services Fund. The executive order put legislative negotiations in flux, said Electronic Frontier Foundation Senior Legislative Counsel Ernesto Falcon.
With the UAS Integration Pilot Program (IPP) to expire in October (see 2006150056), FAA officials stressed Tuesday that drones are moving to a new stage with long-awaited rules almost ready for release, during a virtual conference sponsored by the agency and the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI). The much-watched annual conference went virtual because of COVID-19, with sessions in July and this week, continuing Wednesday (see 2007080059).