Majority Whip James Clyburn of South Carolina and other House Democrats have filed their Accessible, Affordable Internet for All Act. HR-7302 comprises the $100 billion broadband title of the Moving Forward Act infrastructure legislative package (HR-2). Clyburn said Wednesday he and other members of the all-Democratic House Rural Broadband Task Force decided to file HR-7302’s language as a stand-alone bill in a bid to provide multiple avenues to reach a bipartisan consensus. It’s “always good to get more than one bite at the apple,” Clyburn told reporters. HR-7302 would allocate $9 billion for a Broadband Connectivity Fund to give eligible households “additional broadband benefit” and $5 billion for E-rate. It would allocate $5 billion for a proposed NTIA program for communities and public-private partnerships, reflecting the Broadband Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (HR-4127). Digital equity investments language mirrors a proposal in the Digital Equity Act (HR-4486/S-1167). There's also language from the House-passed Advancing Critical Connectivity Expands Service, Small Business Resources, Opportunities, Access and Data Based on Assessed Need and Demand (Access Broadband) Act. HR-1328/S-1046 would establish an NTIA Office of Internet Connectivity and Growth.
Rural Wireless Association members collectively received an average annual $30 million in USF money over the past seven years, the group said in a report Wednesday. During that period, members “increased data speeds for rural customers from less than 10 Mbps to more than 25 Mbps,” deployed 348 new and 711 upgraded cellsites and migrated customers from 2G to 3G and LTE, RWA said.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Technology Engagement Center (CTEC) urged Congress Tuesday to appropriate additional broadband funding in future COVID-19 legislation, including money to address the homework gap separate from the existing E-rate program. Lawmakers have been offering a range of broadband funding proposals, including a push by House Democrats to allocate $100 billion as part of the Moving Forward Act infrastructure legislative package (see 2006220054). Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and House Commerce Committee ranking member Greg Walden, R-Ore., released a legislative framework last week (see 2006190062). CTEC wants Congress to ensure COVID-19 broadband funding is technology neutral and doesn’t duplicate money going to projects via other programs. The group also wants Congress to “establish funding without existing [Communications Act] Section 254 limitations, such as existing [eligible telecom carrier] requirements.” The legislation should allow funding to be used “for leasing tower space in addition to capital expenditures” and “should be distributed to those who can stand up” a broadband network “quickly,” CTEC said. COVID-19-specific homework gap funding shouldn’t come out of USF coffers, but the FCC can “borrow" from "E-rate rules” to administer it, the group said: It “should last for only the duration of the national emergency and be targeted to low-income households without a home broadband connection or in jeopardy of losing their broadband connection,” along with related equipment.
The Copyright Office announced the opening of its triennial rulemaking process for granting exemptions to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act's Section 1201 rules barring circumvention of technological protection mechanisms (see 1706300066). The goal is to identify potential classes of works “to which users are, or are likely to be in the next three years, adversely affected in their ability to make noninfringing uses due to the prohibition on circumventing access controls,” the CO said Monday. Petitions for exemption renewal are due July 22, petitions for new exemptions Sept. 8, said the Federal Register. Comments on renewal petitions are due Sept. 8. The CO said it’s again using a “streamlined” process for “renewal of exemptions that were granted during the seventh triennial rulemaking.” Renewed exemptions will remain in force through October 2024.
Maintaining European network capacity during the pandemic was largely voluntary, the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC) told us. Following a European Commission initiative, some larger content providers, such as Facebook, Netflix and YouTube, acted to ensure network capacity without further intervention by national regulatory authorities (NRAs), it said. Weekly traffic monitoring reports from NRAs will become monthly beginning in July because the situation is stable, BEREC Chair Dan Sjoblom said at a Tuesday briefing. The content providers' actions were "more or less" voluntary, BEREC said. "Punctual interventions were done by the operators, such as increasing the capacity of the networks, updating the network configuration and traffic (re)balancing." Sjoblom said traffic increased but operators managed well. Internet backbone, networks and internet exchange point supported the increased traffic, emailed EuroISPA Vice-President Innocenzo Genna: The increase was normally spread throughout the entire day, without specific peaks. Users may have experienced some congestion in the access part of their fixed connections because so many were using connectivity during the quarantine for different purposes, such as learning, working and entertainment, he said. "This problem reminds us [of] the importance for a proper Internet connection and the need to accelerate roll-out of very high capacity networks, as foreseen by the new European [Electronic Communications] Code." A YouGov survey showed a "significant increase in broadband usage in households during the lockdown" as the workforce logged on from home and friends and family kept in touch, said U.K. Internet Services Providers' Association Policy Head Till Sommer: The network "proved to be resilient."
Target CEO Brian Cornell said George Floyd could have been one of his retail employees, speaking on a Thursday National Retail Federation Leadership Series webinar. That was the executive's initial reaction to Floyd's death while under police arrest in Minneapolis, near the company's headquarters. The second reaction was to focus on safety as protests and rioting broke out after video of the killing spread on social media, Cornell said. Management reached out to African-American employees, an effort he began with a Zoom meeting with black officers, followed by another led by Target’s African-American business council that was attended by over 7,000. Cornell cited stories of store leaders that are pulled over by police routinely "for simply being black" as they're driving between stores, jogging or looking for a new home after relocating. The consensus was, "It’s enough. We have to drive change,” he said. The company set up a racial equality task force to determine "the right steps to take." Experts want more action: 2006160038. On business during COVID-19, Cornell said "millions and millions” of Americans learned to shop online during the pandemic. Target had 5 million new online users in Q1 and did $3 billion in sales. The five-year vision of retail’s future has been pulled forward “within a few months,” with new shopping methods accelerated in response to sheltering in place, said NRF CEO Matthew Shay.
Team Telecom recommended the FCC deny OK for the portion of a Pacific Light Cable Network undersea cable system directly linking the U.S. to Hong Kong, DOJ announced Wednesday (see 2006170041). The interdepartmental body cited national security concerns; the commission declined to comment. Commissioner Geoffrey Starks tweeted Wednesday that the FCC "must protect" undersea cables because they are "critical to the future of cloud computing." He responded to our news of Team Telecom's recommendation. Starks added that it's the first Team Telecom committee recommendation. Team telecom found the application raised concerns PLCN would advance the Chinese government’s "goal that Hong Kong be the dominant hub in the Asia Pacific region for global information and communications technology and services infrastructure, which would increase the share of U.S. internet, data, and telecommunications traffic to the Asia Pacific region traversing [People’s Republic of China] territory and PRC-owned or -controlled infrastructure before reaching its ultimate destinations in other parts of Asia." But the DOJ, DOD and Department of Homeland body, formally called the Committee for the Assessment of Foreign Participation in the U.S. Telecom Services Sector, recommended the commission grant links of PLCN connecting the U.S. to Taiwan and the Philippines. That part lacks China-based ownership and is "separately owned and controlled by subsidiaries of Google" and Facebook, DOJ said. It would have a "condition that the companies’ subsidiaries enter into mitigation agreements." April 8, the FCC granted Google’s request for special temporary authority to commercially operate the segment of PLCN connecting the U.S. and Taiwan for six months. The other deployment "would have allowed for the highest capacity subsea cable connection between" the U.S. and Asia and "the first direct connection between" the U.S. and Hong Kong, Justice said Wednesday. "This raised national security concerns, because a significant investor in the PLCN is Pacific Light Data," which is part of Dr. Peng Group, China's No. 4 telecom services provider. Google has worked through established channels for many years to obtain cable landing licenses for various undersea cables, "and we will continue to abide by the decisions made by designated agencies in the locations where we operate,” a spokesperson emailed. Facebook looks "forward to working with Team Telecom and the FCC toward obtaining a full license that is consistent with this petition and the FCC’s views," a spokesperson emailed. China's embassy in Washington, PLCN and Dr. Peng Group didn't comment. There's heightened U.S. scrutiny of China and its trade and IP practices and threats over cybersecurity.
Apple may have breached EU competition law by requiring app developers to use its proprietary in-app purchase (IAP) system and restricting them from telling iPhone and iPad users about other, cheaper purchasing possibilities outside of apps, the European Commission said Tuesday. The antitrust probe concerns the application of the rules to all apps that compete with Apple's apps and services. The investigation follows complaints by Spotify and an e-book/audiobook distributor on the impact of App Store rules on competition in music streaming and e-books/audiobooks. Apple appears to have a "gatekeeper" role in the distribution of apps and content to users of its devices, said EC Executive Vice President Margrethe Vestager, who handles competition policy. The EC wants to ensure the rules don't distort competition in markets where Apple competes with other app developers, such as with its music streaming service or Apple Books. The commission is also looking into whether the tech giant's conduct on Apple Pay violates competition rules. The opening of a formal investigation doesn't prejudge its outcome, the EC noted. Apple didn't comment. The App Store makes it possible for thousands of small European developers to create and distribute their products and services worldwide, emailed ACT|The App Association Chairperson Mike Sax. ACT wants to ensure the EC "hears the voice of small app makers." An EC decision shouldn't affect the U.S. unless presumptive presidential candidate Joe Biden wins, emailed Cowen's Paul Gallant. Apple "appears to have forged the best relationship with Trump among Big Tech CEOs," but if Biden wins, all four tech platforms will face more Democratic scrutiny, the analyst said: If the EC forces Apple to allow non-IAP payments next year, a Biden DOJ is likely to ask, "Why not for US consumers too?"
U.S. broadband homes have an average of 12 connected devices, growing to an expected 20 in five years, said Parks Associates Monday. That will mean challenges in capacity and security, said analyst Brad Russell: “The number of connected devices in the home is increasing just as people are adding strain to the home network with more work-at-home and video streaming activities.”
“Recurring racial violence and hostility against the Black community, compounded by the disparate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on communities of color, have lain bare the ages-old social, health, and economic inequities and systemic racism that continue,” said the FCC Advisory Committee on Diversity and Digital Empowerment in Friday's Daily Digest. The group helps the agency “promote policies that favor diversity of media voices” and the public interest, as the agency is statutorily obligated to do, it said. “We invite members of the public to continue to engage with the ACDDE in its examination of these issues.” The group believes in "protection of constitutional rights." It supports "inclusive and smart solutions that enable all Americans to thrive in a digital world."