Stakeholders are seeking simple enrollment in the FCC's $3.2 billion emergency broadband benefit program, they said in replies due Tuesday in docket 20-445. Adopt a broad definition of “household," Public Knowledge asked. The National Council of Urban Indian Health raised concerns about eligibility requirements, asking the commission to let tribal citizens not residing on tribal lands participate “to the same extent that American Indians and Alaska Natives residing on tribal lands are able.” Encourage broadest adoption so the hardest-hit communities can participate, said the LGBT Technology Partnership & Institute. That includes allowing noneligible telecom carriers to take part, it and others said. The group sided with AT&T in asking the commission to provide a 90-day notice that the funds are projected to be exhausted. Starry said non-ETCs should be automatically approved if they can “objectively show that they currently offer a discounted service to low-income consumers or individuals adversely affected” by the COVID-19 pandemic. ETCs should get the opportunity to participate “even outside their designated ETC service area,” said CTIA. Others disagreed. The California Public Utility Commission said non-ETCs should “submit election notices and compliance plans that will be reviewed and approved." Others asked that the program include support for equipment like Wi-Fi routers and hot spots. The Competitive Carriers Association asked to include smartphones as a “connected device” and focus on “whether a device meets minimum requirements to support the kinds of functions needed for online learning and other similar applications.” Tracfone, which is being bought by Verizon, said the definition of “tablet” should include “4G/LTE-capable devices with a touchscreen that support video conferencing.” The Illinois Office of Broadband supported leveraging resources of state authorities to promote awareness and suggested providing financial support. The FCC should confirm that it, not states and localities, has enforcement authority because that would otherwise “disincentivize provider participation,” said Altice.
Giving laptops and hot spots to students who lack good internet won’t solve distance learning problems exacerbated by COVID-19, state and local officials said Monday. The California Senate Education Committee and the Special Committee on Pandemic Emergency Response jointly held a hearing Monday about online learning gaps. Earlier in the day at the virtual Mountain Connect conference, Chattanooga public and private officials said they’re using municipal broadband to provide free fiber internet to students in low-income households.
Giving laptops and hot spots to students who lack good internet won’t solve distance learning problems exacerbated by COVID-19, state and local officials said Monday. The California Senate Education Committee and the Special Committee on Pandemic Emergency Response jointly held a hearing Monday about online learning gaps. Earlier in the day at the virtual Mountain Connect conference, Chattanooga public and private officials said they’re using municipal broadband to provide free fiber internet to students in low-income households.
House Communications Subcommittee members in both parties delivered Thursday on expectations for a highly partisan FCC oversight hearing (see 2009160076) in which many lawmakers gave what they viewed as their final verdict on the commission’s performance under Chairman Ajit Pai. Democrats castigated what they saw as the FCC's missed opportunities on telecom policy, including not doing more to improve connectivity amid COVID-19. Republicans defended Pai as doing as much as he could under statutory authority. The House Commerce Committee’s own policy track record during this Congress came into question amid renewed pressure for a compromise on aid legislation.
House Communications Subcommittee members in both parties delivered Thursday on expectations for a highly partisan FCC oversight hearing (see 2009160076) in which many lawmakers gave what they viewed as their final verdict on the commission’s performance under Chairman Ajit Pai. Democrats castigated what they saw as the FCC's missed opportunities on telecom policy, including not doing more to improve connectivity amid COVID-19. Republicans defended Pai as doing as much as he could under statutory authority. The House Commerce Committee’s own policy track record during this Congress came into question amid renewed pressure for a compromise on aid legislation.
Communications is playing a bigger role for electric utilities as they move to a smarter grid, Vivian Bouet, chief information officer at San Antonio’s CPS Energy, told the Utilities Technology Council virtual conference on its final day Thursday. UTC also took a deep dive in a panel on a project by Central Virginia Electric Cooperative (CVEC) to bring fiber service to its customers.
California’s proposed $5 million for school broadband devices should cover more than laptops and Wi-Fi hot spots, AT&T said in Monday comments at the California Public Utilities Commission in docket R.12-10-012. Include smartphones, tablets, air cards, mobile hot spots and other wireless devices, said the carrier, backing the CPUC’s draft resolution supporting use of the state's Advanced Services Fund adoption account funds in response to the coronavirus (see 2004200041). The department clarified its proposal. Commissioners plan to vote May 7.
California’s proposed $5 million for school broadband devices should cover more than laptops and Wi-Fi hot spots, AT&T said in Monday comments at the California Public Utilities Commission in docket R.12-10-012. Include smartphones, tablets, air cards, mobile hot spots and other wireless devices, said the carrier, backing the CPUC’s draft resolution supporting use of the state's Advanced Services Fund adoption account funds in response to the coronavirus (see 2004200041). The department clarified its proposal. Commissioners plan to vote May 7.
California’s proposed $5 million for school broadband devices should cover more than laptops and Wi-Fi hot spots, AT&T said in Monday comments at the California Public Utilities Commission in docket R.12-10-012. Include smartphones, tablets, air cards, mobile hot spots and other wireless devices, said the carrier, backing the CPUC’s draft resolution supporting use of the state's Advanced Services Fund adoption account funds in response to the coronavirus (see 2004200041). The department clarified its proposal. Commissioners plan to vote May 7.
The FCC is seeking to better assess emergency communications reliability by adding data fields to the network outage reporting and 911 reliability certification systems, the Public Safety Bureau said. On an FCBA CLE webinar, also Monday, T-Mobile officials raised some related cautions. North Carolina, meanwhile, hasn’t faced major challenges with emergency-call delivery amid the coronavirus but can't “let our guard down,” the state’s 911 Board Executive Director Pokey Harris said in a Thursday interview.