SpotHero launched dynamic pricing at more than 1,000 parking facilities in North America, it said Tuesday. The app is in over 65 cities with 100 operators.
Industry and state officials raised concern about a Maine broadband bill to increase the definition of unserved to areas with speeds less than 100 Mbps symmetrical. The standard is 25/3 Mbps, but user speed tests show many in so-called served areas lack those speeds, said LD-83 sponsor Rep. Walter Riseman (I) at the bicameral Joint Energy, Utilities and Technology Committee’s livestreamed hearing Tuesday. “The status quo is not acceptable,” he said. Telecom Association of Maine (TAM) counsel Benjamin Sanborn said 25/3 Mbps is “baseline” and “not ideal,” but he suggested focusing public dollars on getting everyone to that minimum level first. Companies usually build to much faster speeds, he said. The TAM official questioned the accuracy of user speed tests. Chairman Seth Berry (D) noted the alternative is relying on industry data that treats a census tract as unserved even if only one house is served. That’s a problem in every state, replied Sanborn, adding that Congress recently passed a law to improve maps. Changing to a 100/100 Mbps standard, as proposed in LD-83, would render nearly the entire state unserved, protested Charter Communications Regional Senior Director Melinda Kinney. The cable operator sells residential plans up to 1 Gbps download, but none has an upload speed that high, nor do consumers need that for common activities, she said. Rep. Nicole Grohoski (D) challenged Kinney, asking if people might find use for higher uploads if they were available. Maine Public Advocate Barry Hobbins shared Kinney’s concern about raising the standard to 100 Mbps symmetrical, saying that could hurt rural places because buildout historically happens in the densest areas first. Solving broadband problems takes money, "not a definition change,” said ConnectMaine Authority Chair Nick Battista. Updating unserved’s meaning through legislation is too slow, he said. The FCC should redefine broadband because it’s tough for states to leap without national support, said Peggy Schaffer, the authority’s executive director.
A Tennessee Senate panel delayed weighing a broadband bill to let municipal energy authorities provide internet service outside their service area under certain conditions. The Commerce Committee decided to study the bill (SB-580) this summer rather than vote on it after Majority Leader Jack Johnson (R) suggested at Tuesday's livestreamed meeting that legislators “wait and see” what happens with expected federal and state broadband money. Sponsor Sen. Rusty Crowe (R) suggested further study so the legislature might weigh it next session.
Walmart and Amazon are expanding major connected health initiatives, with Walmart trying to bring more customers into stores through its COVID-19 vaccine program (2103170065) and Amazon expanding Amazon Care, a healthcare service with telehealth and in-person components. Amazon Care launched in Washington state 18 months ago for company employees and their families and made it available last week to other Washington-based companies. Amazon plans to launch the telehealth service across the U.S. this summer to give “millions” of Americans access to “high-quality medical care” and advice 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, it said. Amazon will expand its virtual care to companies and Amazon employees in all 50 states this summer, while the in-person service expands to Washington, D.C., Baltimore, “and other cities” in coming months. Walmart is making COVID-19 vaccination records of vaccines given through its pharmacies available to customers digitally using the open, interoperable Smart Health Cards standard being developed under the Vaccination Credential Initiative.
The Wisconsin Public Service commission awarded $28.4 million for 58 broadband projects in unserved and underserved areas, it said Friday. The commission funded 49 fiber-to-the-premises, one fiber middle-mile, six fixed wireless and two cable projects.
NTIA will webinars through July on how to participate in three broadband grant programs, says Friday's Federal Register. Webinars on the Broadband Infrastructure Program will be on the second Wednesday and Thursday of each month, beginning April 14; on the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program, the third Wednesday and Thursday of each month, beginning April 21; and on the Connecting Minority Communities Program, the fourth Wednesday and Thursday of each month, beginning April 28. All webinars start at 2:30 p.m. EDT.
The FCC gave Emprata a contract worth up to $1.5 million to provide "custom computer programming services" as the commission builds new broadband data availability maps, records show (see 2103110050). Emprata already received $399,495 for providing "data architecture and design support services."
Delay the Lifeline marketplace report until after the FCC has a chance to assess the emergency broadband benefit program, T-Mobile said in a call with an aide to acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. “The EBB Program presents a unique opportunity for the Commission to evaluate low-income offerings available to consumers when there is less red tape for providers and the monthly discount is up to $50 per month,” said a filing posted Tuesday in docket 20-437: “The results of the EBB Program could serve as the foundation for any Lifeline reforms.” T-Mobile hasn't said whether it plans to participate in EBB, for which it previously expressed support (see 2103040049).
The California Public Utilities Commission floated proposed telecom decisions on state environmental review and small LEC rate cases. Commissioners may vote on the items at their April 15 meeting, said the items released Wednesday. Commissioner Cliff Rechtschaffen’s proposal in docket R.06-10-006 would adopt the existing 21-day expedited review process for applying the California Environmental Quality Act to telecom carriers. A plan from Commissioner Martha Guzman Aceves would adopt imputation of net positive retail broadband internet access service revenue of 10 small LECs and their ISP affiliates when calculating California High Cost Fund A (CHCF-A) support. It's “reasonable given their integrated operational connections, including the substantial sharing of personnel, equipment, and facilities in the provision of customer services,” said the proposal. The decision wouldn’t regulate broadband service or rates, nor would it require any entity to operate at a loss, it said. “Instead, we act to appropriately account for broadband-related revenues and expenses derived from the Small ILECs’ facilities infrastructure that has substantially benefited from CHCF-A Fund support by California ratepayers.”
Antitrust lawsuits against Facebook filed by the FTC and state attorneys general are “legally deficient” and lack allegations of harm to competition or consumers, the company said Wednesday in motions to dismiss. People use TikTok, iMessage, Twitter, Snapchat, LinkedIn, YouTube and other apps to connect, the company said in a statement. “Facebook competes with all of those services for people’s time and attention every day.” New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) said in a statement that “Facebook is wrong on the law and wrong on our complaint. We are confident in our case, which is why almost every state in this nation has joined our bipartisan lawsuit to end Facebook’s illegal conduct.” The FTC didn’t comment.