Chief Administrative Law Judge Charles Bullock at the International Trade Commission granted the joint Sonos-Google motion permitting the companies to hold their May 11 settlement conference by phone amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Both sides showed “good cause” when they argued Tuesday their outside lawyers would need to travel to the conference from localities that are under stay-at-home orders (see 2004070034), said Bullock’s order (login required) Wednesday in docket 337-TA-1191. ITC staff didn't oppose moving the conference remotely. Sonos alleges Google smart speakers infringe Sonos multiroom audio patents.
ICANN is helping the domain industry in the COVID-19 pandemic, blogged Russ Weinstein, senior director-gTLD accounts and services. Registrars can temporarily delay canceling domain name registrations that can't be renewed. Weinstein said Wednesday that it's a situation that highlights the possible need for a policy to protect registrants when they are prevented from renewing their domains by natural disasters or other extraordinary circumstances.
T-Mobile and Sprint will wait to combine California operations until the California Public Utilities Commission finalizes a proposed OK at its April 16 meeting, company officials told the agency. CEO Mike Sievert and other T-Mobile officials teleconferenced Thursday with Commissioner Cliff Rechtschaffen, who's assigned to the deal review, T-Mobile said in a Wednesday filing in docket A.18-07-011. Last Thursday and Friday, Sprint and T-Mobile officials not including Sievert called aides to Commissioners Liane Randolph, Martha Guzman Aceves and Genevieve Shiroma. The carriers said "just a few key conditions needed to change," including ones on back-up power, CalSpeed testing, extending buildout requirements to 2030, maintaining the LTE network through decommissioning and in-home broadband. The carriers are committed to state LifeLine and Boost Mobile low-income pilot. The deal will support broadband that the COVID-19 pandemic showed is critically important, the California Emerging Technology Fund told aides to Randolph in a Tuesday call, CETF disclosed Wednesday. California public advocates protested Sprint's trying to give up its wireline certificate by advice letter, one of two legal moves that laid the foundation for T-Mobile to close its Sprint buy without CPUC approval (see 2004010069). Sprint must file a formal application; and the requested relief is “unjust, unreasonable, and/or discriminatory,” the CPUC Public Advocates Office wrote. The acquiree didn't address the status of its California customers “and how the technology transition was noticed, the fact that Sprint’s legal interpretation ignores the current status of state law regarding VoIP service,” and implications for T-Mobile/Sprint. Sprint didn't comment now.
The Rural Wireless Association said eligible telecom carriers need answers to questions RWA raised, to meet a May 22 deadline to report Huawei and ZTE products and replacement costs. The FCC extended the filing deadline for 30 days in response to the COVID-19 pandemic (see 2004020027). “How are invoiced costs that cover both hardware and software supposed to be broken down and allocated?” RWA asked in a filing posted Wednesday in docket 18-89: “How are software licenses to be allocated? Are they considered software? A service? Part of the core or access costs?”
House Commerce Committee ranking member Greg Walden, R-Ore., believes Congress should revisit its plans for functioning during COVID-19, hoping the crisis prompts lawmakers to further address broadband access. Congress “really isn’t fully prepared” to function well remotely, and conditions are unlikely to be “fundamentally” safe to return to Capitol Hill until at least May, Walden told a Politico webinar Wednesday. He believes lawmakers should authorize some remote Hill work during emergencies. “It also really gives those of us who've been arguing for the need to get broadband across the country and higher data speeds a new lever or two,” Walden said. Telecom networks need attention and “solid investment” to increase access, especially in rural areas, he said. Democratic lawmakers want future COVID-19 legislation to fund broadband and other infrastructure projects (see 2004030055). Walden praised the FCC response to COVID-19, including threatening to block U.S. phone network traffic of gateway providers facilitating robocalls preying on pandemic fears. He commended ISPs that agreed to Chairman Ajit Pai’s call for them to keep everyone online now (see 2003130066), and many of the actions “are sustainable.” Also, see here.
Having suspended oral arguments in March and April due to the pandemic, the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said Wednesday it's suspending oral argument for cases on its calendar for May 5-8. Even without oral argument, it's "nonetheless affording these cases equal jurisprudential rigor and attention."
U.S. telcos could take a hit from COVID-19, S&P Global reported Wednesday. Telcos have “historically been quite resistant to macroeconomic contractions,” but risks remain, the debt ratings firm said. The pandemic forced wireless carriers to close stores, “which will reduce gross postpaid subscriber additions and upgrade rates, but also lower churn,” S&P said: “Supply chain impacts could also result in lower equipment revenue for the carriers, but bolster profitability.” Wireline faces more affects, “especially among companies with greater exposure to small and midsize businesses (SMBs),” S&P said: “In a recession, we would expect many SMB customers to close locations and even go out of business.”
The FTC should issue comprehensive guidelines for companies like Zoom that provide online conferencing services, Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., wrote the agency Wednesday. Best practices should protect online safety during the pandemic and beyond, Markey said. Urging a “thorough investigation” of Zoom, he said services like Cisco WebEx, Microsoft Teams and Slack should have guidance. Zoom said it's making changes (see 2004070053) and didn't comment now. The agency merely confirmed receiving the letter.
The scope of the digital divide exposed during COVID-19 is "an inflection point for action, and we need to seize it," FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel said during a Brookings Institution webinar Wednesday. She applauded the ISPs that have taken the Keep Americans Connected pledge but said Americans shouldn't have to rely on industry generosity for internet access: "Having digital justice means getting everyone connected."
Three experts Wednesday lent support to revisiting the growing phenomenon of skepticism about technology. Their view has gained steam in recent weeks as technology companies and their platforms, products and services are being heavily depended upon by those staying at home during the COVID-19 pandemic. Not all are on board with their view.