The California Public Utilities Commission would break the law if it extended landline service-quality rules to VoIP, broadband or wireless, the telecom industry warned in comments filed Monday on a rulemaking sought by consumer advocates to update telecom service-quality standards and enforcement (see 2203170072). AT&T suggested the commission instead slash regulations for plain old telephone services (POTS). Consumer, small business and workers’ union advocates supported extending the rules.
Citing guidance from the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, multiple states told us they won't widely promote use of 988 as a way to access the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline even after the July 16 deadline for 988 to go live nationwide. At least some anticipate widespread campaigns in the second half of 2023. Lifeline administrator Vibrant Emotional Health didn't comment.
Private 5G is in the nascent stage, but adoption is starting to accelerate, speakers said during a Fierce Wireless virtual conference Monday. Speakers said the network often has to be tailored for the individual business and has to go beyond a “turn-key” solution.
Some bristled at a Louisiana legislator proposing changes to a sweeping privacy bill on the Friday before a Monday legislative hearing. The House Commerce Committee cleared HB-987 by voice with Microsoft-backed amendments. Committee members from both parties listed issues they want addressed as the bill moves to the floor.
Development of open radio access networks, and the security and reliance of 5G, require cooperation between government and industry, said Brendan Dowling, an Australian communications official, during an Open RAN Policy Coalition virtual conference Monday. The session is part of the ongoing Quadrilateral Security Dialogue among the governments of Australia, India, Japan and the U.S. Leaders of the quad countries will meet May 24 in Tokyo for a summit, where infrastructure is expected to be a main topic, speakers said.
A 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel debated whether social media platforms more closely align with common carriers or with newspapers and broadcasters in a case that could have major implications for internet speech (see 2204040039). Judges were skeptical of arguments from both the tech industry and Texas during oral argument Monday in New Orleans.
The Biden administration’s Monday announcement (see 2205060046) that 20 ISPs committed to offer low-income households broadband plans with download speeds of at least 100 Mbps at no more than $30 per month got a mixed reception among communications policy stakeholders. All of the participating ISPs -- which include Altice, AT&T, Charter, Comcast, Cox, Frontier, Mediacom and Verizon -- were already part of the FCC’s affordable connectivity program that subsidizes qualifying households’ broadband up to $30 per month. The White House said the participating ISPs cover more than 80% of the U.S. population.
It’s “reprehensible” that FTC Chair Lina Khan and her allies have attacked agency staff as “lazy and corrupt,” and it shows in the agency’s “terrible” employee survey results, Commissioner Christine Wilson said Friday at a Free State Foundation conference.
Dish Network doesn’t think it needs to ask for an "extension” of its FCC deadline to bring coverage of its mobile 5G network to 20% of the U.S. population by mid-June, said Chairman Charlie Ergen on a Q1 earnings call Friday. “We’re still on track” to meet the deadline, he said, conceding “we’re not spiking the football yet.”
FCC commissioners and industry groups stressed the need for USF changes during Free State Foundation’s annual policy conference Friday. Panelists also urged close coordination among agencies throughout the implementation of broadband programs funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.