Zebra sought FCC action on its waiver request to operate its Dart positioning system in the 7.125-8.5 GHz band, in a call with an aide to FCC acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. The need is urgent due to the growing use of unlicensed devices in the 6 GHz band “requiring immediate alternate solutions,” said a filing posted Monday in docket 20-17. The request was filed in December 2019, the company said. The system is primarily used to track balls and players at NFL facilities.
The National Treasury Employees Union found 66% of members say teleworking increased their productivity, said a news release Friday. Ninety-seven percent say teleworking during the COVID-19 pandemic kept them safe, and 92% say their telework experience was successful. “Increasing telework opportunities for federal employees was an NTEU priority even before the pandemic struck and the union will use the success of maximum telework to push for legislation to protect and expand telework at federal agencies,” said the organization. The FCC’s chapter of NTEU -- Chapter 209 -- will pursue increased opportunities for agency employees to telework (see 2104140030). The NTEU survey found 24% of the 13,800 federal employees canvassed say there's no change in productivity while teleworking; 5% think productivity decreased slightly. “Maximum telework should forever be a go-to strategy during any type of public health emergency,” said President Tony Reardon.
The FCC text-to-988 Further NPRM adopted unanimously Thursday (see 2104220036) cites somewhat different legal authority to justify the proposed rules, per our side-by-side comparison of the draft and the approved FNPRM released Friday. The draft cited the Communications Act Title III and Section 251(e). The adopted version cites Title III and the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act.
Point Broadband may receive Casair's remaining Connect America Fund Phase II support and assume the company's deployment and service obligations, said an FCC Wireline Bureau public notice Friday. Casair won $27.3 million over 10 years to serve 17,619 Michigan locations.
The National Lifeline Association asked the FCC to begin a rulemaking to "substantially increase the Lifeline reimbursement" and implement changes to ensure it's the "best possible 'landing place' for low-income consumers" after the emergency broadband benefit program ends, said a filing posted Thursday in docket 11-42. NaLA asked to extend the de-enrollment waiver for Lifeline subscribers to Aug. 1 so consumers can "opt-in" to EBB "and reestablish usage of their Lifeline service without having to complete the more onerous EBB enrollment process or re-enroll in Lifeline."
Education advocates asked FCC acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel and Commissioner Geoffrey Starks to mirror the E-rate category II funding mechanism for the emergency connectivity fund, said a filing posted Wednesday in docket 21-93 (see 2104060042). The Consortium for School Networking, International Society for Technology in Education, State Educational Technology Directors Association and Software & Information Industry Association participated. Some asked the commission to consider allowing reimbursements for services since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Several proposed defining broadband as 25/12 Mbps and expressed concern that "some service providers were failing to connect or providing inadequate bandwidth to student homes after internet service contracts had been signed." Commissioners may vote on ECF rules in mid-May (see 2104140041).
The U.S. Department of Agriculture was asked to be more flexible on ReConnect, during a virtual listening session Tuesday. Consider changing more program loans to grants, said Yurok Tribe Council member Lana McCovey. "The repayment process would be hard to do." Akiak Technology CEO Kevin Hamer agreed: "The only way that we're going to get access as an unserved area is through infrastructure grants, not loans." Exclude low earth orbit satellites, Hamer said. Aleut Community of St. Paul Island Tribal Government Project Manager Dylan Conduzzi asked for reconsideration of satellite technology: "There are no other back-haul options available to us." Allow more flexibility in the grant application process, said Raymond Concho, Acoma Pueblo transportation planner. "We just don't have the matching funds, especially after the past year." Guiding principles from tribal leaders in recent months included requiring tribal government resolutions of support for broadband applicants, increasing flexibility for applicants, enabling tribal governments to serve their own lands, allowing tribes to certify whether they're served or underserved, and requiring compliance with tribal government regulations for all broadband recipients serving tribal lands, USDA staff said. Comments on eligibility requirements are due April 27 (see 2102260044).
The FCC Wireline Bureau OK'd Verizon's request for limited waiver of emergency broadband benefit program rules, said an order Tuesday (see 2103040049). Verizon asked to waive the requirement it file reimbursement claims by the 15th of each month for new subscribers. It got a one-month delay.
The FCC will host a consumer webinar April 27 at 3 p.m. EDT to give the public more information about the $3.2 billion emergency broadband benefit program, said a public notice Friday. The event will cover eligibility and enrollment procedures and provide an outreach tool kit to help create awareness of the program. The FCC didn't respond to a question about whether acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel or other commission members will participate.
The COVID-19 telehealth program round two application filing window opens April 29 at noon EDT, said an FCC Wireline Bureau public notice Thursday in docket 20-89. The filing window closes May 6 (see 2103300063). “Telehealth has been at the forefront of this effort, and I’m pleased to announce that additional support is just around the corner,” said acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel in a statement. “Today the FCC announced it will open the application process for the second half of COVID-19 telehealth program funding later this month. The FCC is dedicated to moving quickly to review and approve applications for this funding to support health care providers and patients across the country.”