Senate Communications Subcommittee ranking member Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, and Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, led filing of a companion version of the Healthcare Broadband Expansion During COVID-19 Act (HR-6474) Friday. The measure would allocate $2 billion more funding to the FCC’s existing $605 million Healthcare Connect Fund program (see 2004090041). HR-6474’s text was included in the House-passed Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (Heroes) Act (HR-6800), which also contains substantial broadband funding (see 2005130059). “We’ve seen a dramatic increase in the demand for telehealth,” Murkowski said. “Unfortunately, as a result, [the Rural Health Care program] has already outpaced the funding it was allocated prior to the outbreak and telehealth providers are facing significant connectivity challenges in their effort to provide care.” Six senators are co-sponsors: John Boozman, R-Ark.; Kevin Cramer, R-N.D.; Angus King, I-Maine; Ed Markey, D-Mass.; Gary Peters, D-Mich.; and Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska. Incompas, the Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition and USTelecom lauded the bill’s filing.

Blue Apron's Jason Hatcher, vice president-operations, and Greg Wysocki, vice president-procurement and supply chain, take over fulfillment and supply chain operations ... Nexstar promotes Chris Pruitt to vice president-general manager, broadcast and digital operations in Houston ... Senate confirms John Ratcliffe, 49-44, as director of national intelligence (see this section, May 20).

Net neutrality stakeholders didn't budge on three remanded issues (see 1910010018), in replies to the FCC posted through Thursday in dockets including 17-287. "Concerns noted by the Mozilla court on three discrete issues do not justify abandoning the Commission’s decision to return to [Communications Act] Title I classification as the benefits of the regulatory framework ... vastly outweigh any potential costs," USTelecom said. Common Cause, Public Knowledge and New America’s Open Technology Institute want the FCC to retain Title II common carrier authority over broadband and "restore legal certainty for the Lifeline program, empower the Commission to protect public safety during the COVID-19 pandemic." The Greenlining Institute wants the FCC to "acknowledge the lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic and the importance strong net neutrality protections" have for public safety. CTIA said "concerns regarding paid prioritization’s impact on public safety are theoretical, have not materialized." The Alarm Industry Communications Committee said "state and local laws often impose service standards that alarm companies may not be able to meet without adequate protection of their use of broadband networks." Verizon said there's ample evidence to find "no reason to revisit its decision to restore the information service classification for broadband." NCTA wants the FCC to conclude its current regime "is fully warranted from the perspective of public safety, pole access, and the Lifeline program." Incompas countered claims there have been no major net neutrality violations since the repeal: "In addition to the fact that there is no longer a federal 'cop on the beat' ... there very well could be violations occurring that customers do not realize." AT&T said the FCC "has ample ancillary authority to extend section 224 rights to standalone broadband providers if it concludes that doing so is necessary for competitive parity in non-certifying states, just as it has ancillary authority to extend Lifeline support to standalone broadband services." ACA Connects said the FCC "cannot and should not upend its entire regulatory framework for broadband merely to cater to the interests of broadband-only providers in invoking" one-touch, make-ready pole attachment rules. The Wireless ISP Association wants the FCC to use its statutory authority to eliminate practices that slow down broadband deployment, such as discriminatory infrastructure access. Other replies came from the Broadband Institute of California at the Santa Clara University School of Law (here), Center for Democracy and Technology (here) Free Press (here) and the California Public Utilities Commission (here), which unsuccessfully sought a longer deadline extension due to the pandemic (see 2005200013). Initial comments came in last month (see 2004210019).

Major associations wrote congressional leaders Thursday backing legislation funding replacement of Huawei and ZTE equipment in U.S. networks. Industry questioned the FCC approach on equipment by the two Chinese companies, in comments on how provisions in the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act affect supply chain security rules. The March law lacks funding for gear replacement (see 2003130083). Industry representatives told us they hope lawmakers fund it soon.

The FCC and FTC sent a second round of letters demanding gateway providers cut traffic allowing pandemic-related scam robocalls originating outside the country into the U.S. "or face serious consequences," said a Wednesday news release. The warning letters went to IntelePeer Cloud Communications, PTGi International Carrier Services and RSCom. The agencies recognized USTelecom industry traceback efforts. "IntelePeer has zero tolerance for companies participating in unlawful robocalls, and we shut down offending customers immediately," Senior Vice President-Marketing Alison Haynes emailed. "We have, and will continue, to work with the FCC and USTelecom to combat illegal robocalling and malicious spoofing to help protect consumers." PTGi and RSCom didn't comment.

Smaller carriers that haven’t converted landline systems to VoIP seek extensions to comply with the secure telephone identity revisited (Stir) and secure handling of asserted information using tokens (Shaken) caller ID authentication framework requirements from the Traced Act, in comments posted through Monday in docket 20-67. They face implementation challenges (see 2002260058). NTCA wants the deadline extended to June 2023 for rural LECs. The FCC should “adopt compliance timeframes tied to RLECs’ ability to obtain and integrate into operating budgets vendor solutions," NTCA said. Extensions "without regard to the actual circumstances impacting implementation would only risk holding back the pace of the IP transition," AT&T said. USTelecom urged "proceed[ing] with caution" because in its experience "virtually all illegal robocalls are either originated by small IP-based providers" or gain network access through them. USTelecom said it supports a one-year implementation extension "due to undue hardship for small voice providers, on a case-by-case basis." Establish "policies that address the robocall and spoofing challenges differently for TDM than for IP," Verizon said. ACA Connects members need time and flexibility to overcome implementation barriers, it said. Consider transition costs and the amount of TDM that remains in the network, WTA suggested: Encourage research and deployment on alternative call authentication methodologies. WISPA asked for waivers. "Unlike larger nationwide providers, small providers often are dependent on third-party vendors" in such situations, the Competitive Carriers Association said: "Any delay by a vendor would be out of a provider’s control." T-Mobile wants the FCC to extend the mandate to intermediate carriers because otherwise terminating carriers can't verify a call's identification. Include wireline, wireless, VoIP providers and over-the-top voice services, NCTA said. Facilitating the VoIP transition could maximize effectiveness, Comcast said.

Executives from USTelecom, the Wireless ISP Association and their members spoke with officials from the FCC Wireline and Wireless bureaus, Office of Economics and Analytics and Office of Engineering and Technology about their proposal for reporting fixed wireless propagation for digital opportunity data collection, said a filing posted Friday in docket 19-195. They said requirements for mobile wireless and fixed wireless can be similar but not identical because "designing and calibrating networks to serve discrete fixed locations presents different challenges than ensuring broad wireless coverage to mobile users."

Despite the Covid-19 surge in the use of residential landline phones, stakeholders don't expect a reversal in the long-term trend toward mobile-only households. Residential landline voice traffic rose dramatically this spring as Americans sheltered in place, with volume reaching traditional Mother's Day levels in March.

Senate Commerce Committee members signaled interest in including further emergency broadband funding in the next COVID-19 package. Some senators urged their colleagues to think beyond the crisis. The Wednesday hearing featured few references to House Democrats' Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (Heroes) Act (HR-6800), which contains substantial broadband funding. The bill also includes language to make broadcasters and other local outlets eligible for the Paycheck Protection Program. Both issues drew increasing support since the March enactment of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (see 2004300058). The House is expected to vote on HR-6800 as soon as Friday.

Some telecom companies taking part in the FCC Keep Americans Connected pledge are warning of mounting KAC costs -- hundreds of millions of dollars so far -- from not disconnecting subscribers for unpaid bills during the pandemic. Analysts said in interviews this month they don't expect expenses to be material -- for now. Chairman Ajit Pai asked telecom providers to extend their pledges through June (see 2004300044).