The FCC and Universal Service Administrative Co. plan a computer matching program with Nevada to verify eligibility of applicants to Lifeline through the national verifier database, says Wednesday's Federal Register notice. Comments are due June 12. The 18-month program will launch then unless the agency determines otherwise through comments.
The FCC granted Applied Information two more experimental licenses for testing cellular vehicle-to-everything connected vehicle applications on roads in Arlington, Texas, and Honolulu, the company said Tuesday. The licenses allow testing in "diverse transportation ecosystems,” said President Bryan Mulligan: “Among the unique applications being developed are interactions with at grade railway crossings, traffic queue warnings and dynamic speed harmonization.”
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) vetoed a proposed digital tax Thursday, citing pandemic-related unemployment and financial struggles. The Association of National Advertisers applauded, after calling for veto and raising the specter of litigation (see 2003170057). The legislature can overturn the veto with a two-thirds majority.
Expect more ISPs to join small cable operators in considering the switch from traditional cable TV service to streaming service offerings, CCG Consulting President Doug Dawson blogged Friday. Operational cost savings are a big motivator because ending traditional cable means far fewer customer service calls and truck rolls and the expenses of set-top boxes, he said. That would also mean cable operators can quit collecting local franchise fees assessed on cable service, and also avoid all the local obligations that come with a cable franchise, he said.
Kansas and Oklahoma projects got $71 million for rural fiber infrastructure from the ReConnect pilot, the Department of Agriculture said Thursday. “The need for rural broadband has never been more apparent than it is now” during the pandemic, said Secretary Sonny Perdue. Totah Communications got an $18.9 million loan and matching grant; KanOkla got $15 million/$15 million; Cross Cable Television a $2.2 million grant; and Carnegie Telephone a $1.2 million loan.
The California Public Utilities Commission voted unanimously to provide $5 million from the California Advanced Services Fund adoption account to public schools and school districts in response to COVID-19 (see 2004200041). The draft order was adopted Thursday as part of the consent agenda at the livestreamed meeting conducted by videoconference with dial-in public comments. CPUC members also unanimously adopted a resolution to send nearly $11 million from the CASF infrastructure fund to a middle-mile broadband project covering tribal lands in Humboldt County. Policymakers should treat broadband as a basic utility and seek to empower local government and tribal solutions, said Commissioner Martha Aceves Guzman. In Minnesota, Sen. Patricia Torres Ray (D) introduced SF-4580 to spend $8 million on distance-learning grants this fiscal year. Minnesota senators passed SF-4494 earlier this week (see 2005050008). The House version of SF-4494 is HF-3029, but the chamber also proposed HF-1507, including $15 million for education, plus the same telehealth and rural broadband funding as the other bills.
Increased pressure on states and counties to upgrade 911 systems amid the COVID-19 pandemic could mean that by 2025, contracts will be closed to cover 85% of the population with next-generation 911, up from 48% at the end of last year, Frost & Sullivan said Wednesday. Population covered by deployed networks could jump to about 69% from 31% over the same period, though not all the networks may be in live usage, the report's author Brent Iadarola told us. Possible federal funding for NG-911 through coronavirus response bills could boost growth, F&S said. It forecasts the revenue opportunity will grow to $836 million by 2025 from $441.6 million in 2019.
California LifeLine providers urged expanding the state low-income program to better support families needing broadband. “Average consumer mobile data usage nationwide is far higher than the current service offerings in California,” so LifeLine "should support more robust broadband data offerings, including potentially family plans with additional subsidized lines,” the National Lifeline Association commented in docket R.20-02-008 on a California Public Utilities Commission scoping memo (see 2004140013). Also filed Monday, Sprint said the CPUC should consider funding family plans and expanding voice and data support to other members of eligible households. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Lifeline providers have seen “that other household members have an ever-growing need for individual access” to voice and data, Sprint said. AT&T and Charter Communications warned the CPUC to make participation in LifeLine broadband programs voluntary. Synchronize with the federal Lifeline broadband program to maximize consumer benefits and simplify provider participation, said AT&T. As in the federal program, California LifeLine customers should be required to choose between voice and broadband support so as not to overburden the fund, it said. Rather than specify a low-income broadband service tier, the CPUC should consider coupons that could be used on any internet plan, proposed Charter. The cable operator opposed "on jurisdictional grounds the use of any program that would purport to regulate pricing and terms and conditions for broadband services.” Cox Communications warned the CPUC to address legal and policy issues first. Don't impose minimum service standards for wireless broadband, cautioned TracFone.
California Assembly members weighed telecom and privacy bills responding to COVID-19 at Tuesday hearings. The Communications and Conveyance Committee cleared an anti-robocalls bill (AB-3007) brought to the legislature by Consumer Reports. It’s even more important now, with more telemarketing robocalls about COVID-19, and with rising unemployment increasing the need for protections from debt-collection robocalls, said CR Policy Analyst Maureen Mahoney. CTIA and the California Cable & Telecommunications Association representatives supported the robocalls bill after it was amended to remove a section requiring companies to provide call mitigation technology. The communications panel voted 9-0 for a California LifeLine bill (AB-3079) meant to increase participation and reduce administrative barriers in the low-income subsidy program. Assembly sponsor Eduardo Garcia (D) said participation increased about 10% during COVID-19 but the program remains underutilized. Assemblymember Jay Obernolte (R) opposed using surcharges paid only by phone companies for broadband. He said the legislature itself should decide whether to expand the program rather than punt the decision to the CPUC. The panel unanimously cleared AB-2189 to authorize small independent telcos to request rate cases at the California Public Utilities Commission through advice letters, a process that would be faster than a formal rate case. The Privacy and Consumer Protection Committee will prioritize privacy bills that respond to the coronavirus, said Chairman Ed Chau (D) at the panel’s separate hearing. The panel voted 10-0 for AB-2004 by Majority Leader Ian Calderon (D) to allow blockchain for securely sending medical test results to patients. No members opposed AB-3116 by Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin (D) to clarify bike-share trip location data is protected under the California Electronic Communications Privacy Act. Other bills included AB-2261 by Chau to make rules for public and private usage of facial recognition technology, including an opt-in requirement for entering or disclosing an individual’s facial information; and AB-2320 by Chau to require state contractors maintain cyber insurance to cover losses from possible unlawful access to or disclosure of personal information. Chau and many other committee members wore masks and spoke into a bagged mic, though three Republican members didn’t wear masks. Californians for Consumer Privacy said Monday it submitted more than 900,000 signatures for a ballot initiative to tighten the California Consumer Privacy Act (see 1912180012). That’s about 280,000 more than needed to get on 2020’s ballot, though signatures must be verified. The initiative’s author sponsored the 2018 ballot initiative that led to the legislature quickly passing CCPA.
North Carolina will provide $21 million for internet connectivity through a COVID-19 relief bill signed by Gov. Roy Cooper (D), the governor’s office said. Also Monday, Minnesota state senators voted 66-0 to pass SF-4494 allocating $8 million for student connectivity, $2 million for telehealth and $10 million for broadband in unserved areas (see 2005010035).