Let E-rate funds be used for remote learning, providers, industry and advocacy groups told the FCC in comments posted Wednesday in docket 21-31 on a petition led by the Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition (see 2101260055). Granting this petition would “further the public interest by meeting pressing educational needs, and do so without jeopardizing public health, ” said Amazon, echoed by Microsoft and Apple. The homework gap has “grown into a remote learning gulf,” said Microsoft. Wireless internet access should also play a "critical role" in connecting students, as weekly wireless data use increased nearly 30% since July, said the Competitive Carriers Association, which CTIA echoed. The temporary request should be “administratively and financially separate from the traditional E-rate program,” because it would “likely substantially increase the amount of funding,” said AT&T. Consider a “supplemental application window” to support off-campus E-rate support, Verizon suggested. Speed is essential, and rules should be simplified for schools interested in applying E-rate funds for off-campus use, said USTelecom, which NCTA echoed. Allow flexibility in how E-rate funds are used to meet the needs of schools and students, said New America, Public Knowledge, Consumer Reports, the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society and Access Humboldt. "Declare that so long as remote learning connections and services are used primarily for educational purposes, cost allocation is unnecessary during the pandemic emergency and through the end of the 2021 E-Rate fiscal year." Existing mechanisms "afford the commission the ability to address this extraordinary need created by the pandemic," said ACA Connects.

More stakeholders want acting FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel to begin moving forward on USF funding revisions (see 2102010059). The current mechanism is unsustainable, experts said in recent interviews. Many disagree on changes.

Reps. Tim Walberg, R-Mich., and Yvette Clarke, D-N.Y., refiled the House companion to the Telecom Skilled Workforce Act Thursday. The bill, refiled in the Senate last week by Minority Whip John Thune, R-S.D. (see 2102020072), would increase the 5G workforce by requiring the FCC to lead an interagency working group to develop recommendations to address the telecom sector’s labor needs. The FCC would issue guidance on how states can address the telecom workforce shortage by identifying existing federal resources. “As rural communities experience the increasing need for high-speed broadband access, the demand for a qualified workforce to build out this infrastructure is greater than ever,” Walberg said. He cited support from CTIA, NATE, NTCA, USTelecom and the Wireless Infrastructure Association.

Reverse unbundling network element rules based on "material errors in fact and law, omissions, and unsupported findings," Sonic Telecom asked the FCC in a petition for reconsideration in docket 19-308 posted Tuesday (see 2101070021). The rules were "based on data it knew is untrustworthy and unsubstantiated theories and predictions," Sonic argued, and its compromise proposal didn't include any fiber-to-the-home builder serving urban areas. The regulations were a product of "many months of good faith negotiations and significant give and take on both sides" and endorsed by the FCC in a bipartisan manner, a USTelecom spokesperson emailed: "At the eleventh hour a single company is seeking to upend this historic agreement and clog the FCC’s busy docket on what is a settled matter. That is their right, but we have a solid framework in place.”

The federal court reviewing California’s net neutrality law asked how DOJ's withdrawing its challenge (see 2102080073) affects the separate lawsuit by ACA Connects, USTelecom, CTIA and NCTA. ISP plaintiffs and California should file a brief joint status report by Feb. 16 “stating their position as to whether the United States of America's voluntary dismissal in 18-cv-02660 affects this matter in any way, and, if so, how,” said Monday's minute order (in Pacer) in case 2:18-cv-02684 at U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of California. ACA opposition to the California law is unchanged, a spokesperson said. USTelecom didn’t comment Tuesday, and CTIA and NCTA declined to comment.

California’s net neutrality law still faces industry challenge after DOJ notified (in Pacer) the U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of California Monday that it moved to voluntarily dismiss the case (see 2102080059). Judge John Mendez soon afterward dismissed (in Pacer) and closed case 2:18-cv-02660, but not USTelecom, ACA Connects and other industry associations’ separate suit in case 2:18-cv-02684 before the same judge. Democrats applauded DOJ's withdrawing.

Establish a new information portal for reporting suspected illegal robocalls, USTelecom commented Tuesday in FCC docket 20-374 (see 2012080065). The portal should be "distinct from the existing informal complaint process for consumers, and should instead be available principally for private organizations and others that intend to report broader patterns of suspected" violations, USTelecom said. It should be voluntary and monitored to ensure consumer complaints don't inadvertently appear, and it should direct consumers to the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau instead, CTIA said. Twilio disagreed: Two portals would be "likely to create confusion and could lead to duplicative reporting." Commenters agreed private entities should work with the Traceback Consortium before submitting information through the portal. Safe Credit Union asked for clarification on the "escalation and reporting process to a business or service provider when reviewing information submitted by private entities."

The North American Numbering Council met Thursday to discuss costs, feasibility and consumer privacy issues of the 988 suicide prevention hotline that goes live in July 2022. Acting FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel thanked NANC for its work on this front: “I’m glad the FCC has been working on it for years and glad for the work my predecessor has done on it as well.” The commission is required to submit a report to Congress by April that includes 988 geolocation (see 2101130051). NANC members largely agreed that additional discussion is needed about the technological challenges, policy issues and potential costs before making a recommendation. Wireline voice service providers have a “significant history” of providing location information for a 911 call, but “it’s not just as easy as leveraging that system and flipping a switch” for the hotline, said Kristine Hackman, USTelecom vice president-policy and advocacy. Privacy concerns about automatic location information “warrant further consideration” by the commission, said Matt Gerst, CTIA vice president-regulatory affairs. “There are privacy questions and a lot of folks saying people in a mental health crisis want to maintain their privacy,” Gerst said: “It’s not the same as a 911 call.” Time can be “critically of the essence” for a call placed to a crisis center, said James Wright, acting deputy director of the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Veterans Crisis Line, and at times, there can be a “significant challenge” in trying to identify a caller's location. Operational questions must be answered on how a 988 call affects callers because it's a “highly complex issue,” said Comcast's Tim Kagele, co-chair of the North American Portability Management (see 2101110055). He cited call routing. It’s important to understand what's necessary to facilitate a call and how it’s used appropriately, said Philip Linse, Lumen director-public policy. Call centers might need the ability to transfer a call placed to 911 that involves a mental health crisis, Linse said. Glenn Clepper, Charter director-regulatory, said the FCC should have industry experts to identify operational requirements. The commission could consider using a general fund to cover operational costs instead of applying fees to telecom services or on access lines or channels rather than phone numbers and capping the total number of lines per customer in which a state should impose fees, Clepper said.

Don't compel voice service providers to adopt FCC Hospital Robocall Protection Group best practices (see 2012140035) because “substantial ongoing efforts on multiple fronts” are ongoing to stop illegal robocalls, Lumen said in docket 21-7: The group’s recommendations on preventing and mitigating robocalls could be applied more broadly. USTelecom backed Lumen’s recommendations and supported the HRPG's report. Promote the transition to IP-to-IP voice interconnection, NCTA said, "especially given that the full potential” of the secure telephone identity revisited and signature-based handling of asserted information using tokens “framework will only be realized when the IP transition is complete." Ribbon Communications, which recently combined with ECI Telecom Group, recommended providers route potential robocalls to a “voice captcha” or indicate a call is “potential spam” so the called party can decide whether to answer. Let hospitals adopt cloud-based mitigation services, “whereby the hospital takes ownership and control over the prevention and mitigation of robocalls and fraud attempts,” Ribbon said.

The FCC Wireline Bureau seeks comment by Feb. 17, replies 10 days later, in docket 18-156 on USTelecom's petition for reconsideration of part of an 8YY access charge order, says Tuesday's Federal Register. The group asks the commission to reconsider its revenue recovery mechanism for price cap carriers.