A draft declaratory ruling circulated by FCC Chairman Ajit Pai Tuesday clarifies that industry can swap out antennas and other infrastructure on towers without delay under the 2012 Spectrum Act. Commissioner Brendan Carr told us Tuesday that despite the early resistance (see 2005110029) some local governments support the infrastructure clarification and the pandemic underscores the need for building infrastructure quickly.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., criticized House Democrats’ proposed Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (Heroes) Act, which contains substantial broadband funding, as a “totally unserious effort,” before a likely Friday House vote on the COVID-19 aid measure. HR-6800 proposes $8.8 billion for an Emergency Broadband Connectivity Fund to provide an “emergency broadband benefit” to qualifying households and a $5 billion Emergency Connectivity Fund for emergency E-rate funding. It would make broadcasters and other local outlets eligible for the Paycheck Protection Program (see 2005130059). HR-6800 is a “seasonal catalog of left-wing oddities” that House Democrats decided to call “a coronavirus relief bill,” McConnell said on the Senate floor. Other congressional Republicans also criticized the measure, including House Commerce Committee ranking member Greg Walden, R-Ore. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., criticized McConnell for suggesting Congress wait to appropriate further economic stimulus money amid the pandemic. “Time to press the pause button?” Schumer asked. “When we have faced the greatest health and economic crisis since the [Great] Depression?”
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., criticized House Democrats’ proposed Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (Heroes) Act, which contains substantial broadband funding, as a “totally unserious effort,” before a likely Friday House vote on the COVID-19 aid measure. HR-6800 proposes $8.8 billion for an Emergency Broadband Connectivity Fund to provide an “emergency broadband benefit” to qualifying households and a $5 billion Emergency Connectivity Fund for emergency E-rate funding. It would make broadcasters and other local outlets eligible for the Paycheck Protection Program (see 2005130059). HR-6800 is a “seasonal catalog of left-wing oddities” that House Democrats decided to call “a coronavirus relief bill,” McConnell said on the Senate floor. Other congressional Republicans also criticized the measure, including House Commerce Committee ranking member Greg Walden, R-Ore. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., criticized McConnell for suggesting Congress wait to appropriate further economic stimulus money amid the pandemic. “Time to press the pause button?” Schumer asked. “When we have faced the greatest health and economic crisis since the [Great] Depression?”
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Ala., agree that revisiting the tariff deferral for importers with lost revenue could be worthwhile for Congress. Both were responding to questions from International Trade Today on May 12, during conference calls with reporters. Grassley said, “It sounds like something we ought to be looking into.” Some other Republican senators have also offered support for the idea (see 2005050045)
Formal negotiations between President Donald Trump’s administration and Congress on a fourth major COVID-19 legislative package temporarily “paused” while the White House monitors the economic impact of the beginning of easing pandemic-related restrictions by some states, National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow told reporters Friday. Trump and congressional Democrats want a future COVID-19 bill to include major broadband funding (see 2004300058). Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Roger Wicker of Mississippi and some other Republicans also signaled interest (see 2005070055). “We just had” major aid funding via the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act and a supplementary measure to inject further money into the Paycheck Protection Program, Kudlow said: “We put all this money in, which is fine. It's well worth it. Let's see what happens. As we move into the reopening phase this month, maybe spillover to June, let's have a look at it before we decide who, what, where, when.”
Formal negotiations between President Donald Trump’s administration and Congress on a fourth major COVID-19 legislative package temporarily “paused” while the White House monitors the economic impact of the beginning of easing pandemic-related restrictions by some states, National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow told reporters Friday. Trump and congressional Democrats want a future COVID-19 bill to include major broadband funding (see 2004300058). Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Roger Wicker of Mississippi and some other Republicans also signaled interest (see 2005070055). “We just had” major aid funding via the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act and a supplementary measure to inject further money into the Paycheck Protection Program, Kudlow said: “We put all this money in, which is fine. It's well worth it. Let's see what happens. As we move into the reopening phase this month, maybe spillover to June, let's have a look at it before we decide who, what, where, when.”
Unlike for Prime Day and the holiday season, the COVID-19 crisis allowed for no preparation for “spikes in demand,” said Amazon Chief Financial Officer Brian Olsavsky on a Thursday earnings call. Customer demand remains high but “at a cost” -- for essential items with lower average selling prices, he said. It’s “up in the air” when Amazon will resume one-day delivery service for Prime members, Olsavsky said, saying it could be Q2, Q3 “or beyond.” The challenge is in speeding up warehouse operations.
Unlike for Prime Day and the holiday season, the COVID-19 crisis allowed for no preparation for “spikes in demand,” said Amazon Chief Financial Officer Brian Olsavsky on a Thursday earnings call. Customer demand remains high but “at a cost” -- for essential items with lower average selling prices, he said. It’s “up in the air” when Amazon will resume one-day delivery service for Prime members, Olsavsky said, saying it could be Q2, Q3 “or beyond.” The challenge is in speeding up warehouse operations.
The auto industry tried a new way Tuesday to preserve 5.9 GHz for safety. The Auto Innovation Alliance said it reached a “landmark consensus” on how the band could be used by vehicle-to-everything, cellular V2X and dedicated short-range communications systems. But industry and FCC officials said the plan from the main auto industry association likely won’t get much traction at the agency. Commissioners agreed 5-0 in December to examine revised rules, reallocating 45 MHz for Wi-Fi, with 20 reserved for C-V2X and possibly 10 MHz for DSRC (see 1912180019).
Comcast’s xFi internet service had a 57% daily usage rise since before the COVID-19 pandemic, the company said Thursday. XFi had a 27% uptick in parental control activation, and a 43% bump in parents activating filters for web content during browsing and searching on devices. The ISP had a 213% spike in Wi-Fi “pause” during the 11 a.m.-2 p.m. lunchtime window. More families staying home during the day has shifted rules “typically applied to dinnertime to lunchtime,” said the company, referencing Xfinity’s pause Wi-Fi feature that had an overall 75% usage hike. The median active time alert set on weekdays for kids rose an hour to four hours a day.