OMB released COVID-19 vaccination rates for numerous federal agencies Wednesday morning, but the listing doesn’t include the FCC, FTC or other nonexecutive branch agencies, and neither the FCC nor FTC provided vaccination rates to Communications Daily. The FCC declined to comment on vaccination rates. The FTC didn't respond. The chart has rates for numerous other agencies, including the State Department, the EPA and the Social Security Administration. OMB lists the National Science Foundation as having a 96.2% agency-wide vaccination rate, and the Commerce Department with a 93.9% vaccination rate. As of Tuesday, all federal employees were required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, with limited exceptions. OMB said 92% of the federal workforce has received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose. “For those employees who are not yet in compliance, agencies are beginning a period of education and counseling, followed by additional enforcement steps,” OMB said. Agencies will pause further enforcement if the employee begins the vaccination process or requests an exception. “This next stage of the process will not result in disruptions to Government services and operations and will result in more employees becoming vaccinated,” OMB said.
The Oregon Health Authority “accepts some criticisms” about a 2020 report that found insufficient evidence that cellphone exposure can cause cancer, said Center for Health Protection Administrator Andre Ourso at an Oregon Senate Education Committee virtual hearing Monday. Ourso generally defended the agency’s work after RF safety advocates urged state lawmakers to retract the report.
U.S. District Court in Vermont froze state net neutrality litigation until Jan. 3 or when the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals resolves litigation on California’s open internet law, whichever happens first. Monday’s order finalized last week’s agreement between Vermont and ISP groups (see 2111100070). Case 2:18-cv-167 would have resumed Monday without extension.
FAA’s examination of interference risks from C-band deployments could “dramatically slow” 5G buildouts, Alex Gellman, CEO of tower company Vertical Bridge, warned Wednesday. After Verizon and AT&T agreed to put off the start of deployments until January, analysts said last week the risks for the carriers are minimal, if questions are addressed by early 2022 (see 2111040042). Gellman said the agency is now asking a battery of unprecedented questions as it probes potential interference to air safety systems.
The FCC’s pause on the phasedown for voice-only Lifeline support won't stop the Oregon Public Utility Commission from seeking to make permanent its increase to the state subsidy next week, a PUC spokesperson told us Monday. The PUC temporarily increased the state’s Lifeline subsidy July 28 to $10 from $7 for Sept. 1-Jan. 31 to offset the reduction in federal support and opened a rulemaking that would make it permanent (see 2109160028). “Staff will petition the Oregon PUC at the” Nov. 16 meeting “to issue a notice of permanent rulemaking in which the Oregon subsidy is permanently set at $10.00, effective” Feb. 1, the spokesperson said. The FCC paused the phasedown Friday for one year (see 2111050058).
The FCC Wireline Bureau paused phasedown of Lifeline voice-only support until Dec. 1, 2022, said an order Friday (see 2111050051). Staff waived the increase of minimum service standards for mobile broadband until then, as expected (see 2111030038). The bureau didn't address the National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates’ petition for reconsideration and instead acted on its own motion.
The FCC Wireline Bureau paused phasedown of Lifeline voice-only support until Dec. 1, 2022, said an order Friday, in a move that some had expected (see here). Staff waived the increase of minimum service standards for mobile broadband until then. The bureau didn't address the National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates’ petition for reconsideration and instead acted on its own motion.
AT&T and Verizon agreed to postpone deploying in the first phase of the C band for a month, until Jan. 5, to give the FAA and FCC time to look more closely at the safety implications for radio altimeters. Industry experts told us the National Economic Council asked the two agencies to work together, looking at the 40 or so nations that made the spectrum available for wireless broadband. One area of frustration is that studies haven’t been released and the FCC will seek additional data, officials said. Analysts said if the two big carriers can start deploying in January it won’t be a huge problem for either.
The FCC is likely to act soon on the National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates’ petition for reconsideration of the scheduled Dec. 1 phasedown of Lifeline voice-only support, experts said in recent interviews. The service's backers anticipate the agency will at least pause, if not reverse, its 2016 decision (see 1603310056).
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit should reverse a Court of International Trade decision that found that CBP's "indirect method" for weighing importer New Image Global's tobacco wraps that included the weight of additives was legally and scientifically valid, New Image argued in its Nov. 1 opening brief. The Federal Circuit should remand the case to instruct the trade court that the original test for weighing the tobacco wraps was valid, the importer said.