House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., pivoted Friday from recent insistence the next COVID-19 bill advance long-sought funding for broadband and other infrastructure projects (see 2004010071). “While I'm very much in favor of doing some things we need to do to meet the needs -- clean water, more broadband, the rest of that -- that may have to be for a bill beyond” the fourth one, Pelosi told CNBC. There's opposition from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and other GOP leaders. Eight Senate Democrats Friday asked to include language from Don’t Break Up the T-Band Act (HR-451/S-2748) in the next pandemic bill (see 2004030054).
Ed Markey of Massachusetts and seven other Senate Democrats urged Senate leaders Friday to include language from the Don’t Break Up the T-Band Act in the next legislative package addressing COVID-19. President Donald Trump and Democratic lawmakers have been eyeing the next bill as a vehicle for infrastructure funding (see 2004010071). House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., walked back her initial enthusiasm for such a move Friday (see 2004030055). HR-451/S-2748 would repeal a provision of the 2012 spectrum law that mandates public safety move off the 470-512 MHz T band by 2021. “Access to T-Band spectrum is essential to first responders,” the other Senate Democrats wrote Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.; Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.; Commerce Committee Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss.; and ranking member Maria Cantwell, D-Wash. “At a time when first responders already face enormous pressure and economic strain to address the pandemic, the last thing we should do is saddle them with millions of dollars in costs to needlessly alter their critical communications systems.” Other signers: Judiciary Committee ranking member Dianne Feinstein of California, Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, Kamala Harris of California and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts. The senators noted support from more than a dozen groups, including the National League of Cities, National Sheriffs’ Association and International Association of Fire Fighters. The House Communications Subcommittee advanced HR-451 in March. Lawmakers attempted to advance language from HR-451/S-2748 via the 5G Spectrum Act (S-2881) and House Democrats’ Take Responsibility for Workers and Families Act counterproposal to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (HR-748).
NAB and NCTA estimated members' COVID-19 public service announcements were worth about $142 million. NCTA members will run $100 million-plus in PSAs through June, the group said Wednesday. That includes televised, digital and social media spots. The figure remained current Friday, an NCTA spokesperson said. That day, NAB said broadcasters donated $42 million-plus in airtime since a PSA campaign began March 12. More than 175,000 spots aired. Experts called such announcements an effective way to educate people about the pandemic (see 2004030013).
With Mediacom "stable both operationally and financially," CEO Rocco Commisso Friday said it has no plans for layoffs and it will "continue to provide [its 4,500 workers] with gainful employment, pay and benefits through at least May 31, 2020." The hope is by then, "this pandemic will be over and our business and lives will return to normal," he said.
The FCC and FTC told USTelecom gateway providers facilitating robocalls preying on COVID-19 fears would have all calls blocked to U.S. phone network traffic if they don't stop transmitting the robocalls within 48 hours, in a letter Friday to CEO Jonathan Spalter. The USTelecom Industry Traceback Group identified VoIPMax from the Philippines and Oberlo Peer BPO from Pakistan as originators, the letter said. The FTC sent cease and desist letters to SipJoin, Connexum and VoIP Terminator/BL Marketing. In a statement Friday, Spalter said, “Robocall scammers are out in force during this public health emergency, using COVID-19 to prey on vulnerable consumers. As soon as these scams started popping up, we began aggressively tracing them -- literally around the world." Gateway providers have a choice, said FCC Chairman Ajit Pai. "Move forward as responsible network providers or see themselves cut off from the phone system. ... To any other service provider that’s carrying or is thinking of carrying such traffic, be warned: If you do so, you too will find yourselves excluded from our phone system.” The FTC "will not stand for illegal robocallers that harm the public, particularly in the middle of a health crisis,” said Chairman Joe Simons. The number of robocalls "is INSANE," tweeted Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel. "It shouldn’t have taken this crisis for the FCC and FTC to join forces to do something about it. But it’s a good thing it’s happening. Because scam calls are multiplying during this pandemic and stopping them at the source is vital."
TV and radio public service announcements are a good choice for spreading information about the COVID-19 pandemic in the fractured U.S. media landscape, said academics and marketing CEOs asked about the White House and FCC Chairman Ajit Pai's focus on PSAs as a virus response (see 2003170068). “Considering how broken up mass media is, the ability to reach a large audience is something they have to take advantage of,” said Joseph Cappella, University of Pennsylvania professor of communication.
The FCC Office of General Counsel and Media Bureau won't investigate any allegedly inaccurate statements by President Donald Trump on COVID-19 that broadcasters carried. FCC staff "today wholly rejected a petition by Free Press demanding a government investigation into broadcasters that have aired" such statements during White House Coronavirus Task Force briefings and related commentary "regarding the coronavirus pandemic by other on-air personalities." That's per a letter/order the commission announced Monday.
The COVID-19 epidemic is clouding the timeline for the Senate to act on Commissioner Mike O’Rielly’s renomination to a second full FCC term. He nonetheless stands a good chance of confirmation, communications sector officials and lobbyists told us last week. President Donald Trump renominated O’Rielly in March to a term ending in 2024 (see 2003180070). O’Rielly’s current term ended in June. He would have to leave in January absent a Senate vote.
Eligible telecom carriers have until May 22 to report their Huawei and ZTE products and replacement costs. That’s half the extension sought by the Rural Wireless Association, which cited pandemic disruptions (see 2003250037). “An additional 30 days will provide enough time for ETCs to provide accurate and complete responses to the information collection while still allowing the Commission to expeditiously move forward with its efforts to increase the security of the communications supply chain,” said Thursday's FCC Wireline Bureau and Office of Economics and Analytics order in docket 18-89. Whether the extension is sufficient “depends on what happens with the COVID-19 pandemic,” RWA General Counsel Carri Bennet told us: “If it isn’t, we will be back to ask for more time.”
The FCC Wireline Bureau approved National Exchange Carrier Association and John Staurulakis requests for rural rate-of-return carriers to waive late payment, cancellation and installation fees for consumers subscribing to or switching providers of DSL broadband service for telework or remote learning, said Thursday's Daily Digest. This gives companies "the flexibility to meet the Keep Americans Connected pledge during the COVID-19 pandemic," a statement said.