Public safety answering points are adapting to call-volume changes from the coronavirus and adjusting internal procedures to keep call takers healthy, 911 officials said in interviews this month. The New York City Fire Department Bureau of Emergency Medical Services (FDNY EMS) is having “record call volume,” Deputy Commissioner Frank Dwyer emailed.
A proposed ad hoc Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee working group held a single call after last month’s BDAC meeting, aimed at making sure wireless infrastructure gets built despite COVID-19. Citing complications of working within the rules, members told us they shifted to informal discussions between industry and local governments and likely won’t seek a charge from FCC Chairman Ajit Pai to make coronavirus issues an official BDAC issue. Other WGs hold weekly meetings.
The Trump administration’s reported plan to create a COVID-19 data surveillance program with healthcare and tech companies lacks transparency, Democratic lawmakers wrote the White House Friday. They noted the industry's “checkered history” protecting patient and user privacy. Some stakeholders also raised concerns.
The telehealth industry fears the $200 million the FCC has available for emergency COVID-19 funding will quickly run out, before all forthcoming applications are considered. Stakeholders we spoke with this month are seeking additional funding, but called the funds included in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act a good start. Reps. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., and Don Young, R-Ala., proposed an additional $2 billion in such spending Friday via their Healthcare Broadband Expansion During COVID-19 Act (HR-6474).
Following limited waiver of kids' TV programming preemption rescheduling, the FCC could get other requests for broadcast rules waivers or changes in the face of the pandemic, experts told us late last week. The agency got kudos from the children's programming advocacy universe and the White House for Thursday's waiver.
Almost a year after denying China Mobile’s application for certification under Section 214 of the Communications Act, the FCC appears poised to revoke authorization for at least China Telecom as well. Those certifications were left as unfinished business when commissioners denied 5-0 China Mobile’s application at their May meeting (see 1905090039). Executive branch agencies, led by DOJ, recommended last week the FCC revoke China Telecom U.S. authorizations for international telecom services (see 2004090060).
European telcos will provide cellphone location data to help analyze COVID-19's spread, under recommendations unveiled Wednesday by the European Commission. The proposed "toolbox," which is intended to support steps to return to normality and which the EC said will be finalized April 15, includes a common EU approach for modeling and predicting the virus' evolution via aggregated, anonymized mobile location data. The use of telecom metadata has buy-in from mobile operators and EU data protection officials. Some privacy advocates are concerned.
Some seek to upgrade rural internet speeds amid the public health crisis by overhauling the California Advanced Services Fund (CASF). Increasing standards could fit into a legislative agenda likely focused on COVID-19, rural officials said in interviews this week. Consumer advocates urged the California Public Utilities Commission to reprioritize CASF. Comments were due Thursday.
Big data could be used to track and curtail COVID-19, Senate Commerce Committee leaders from both parties said Thursday, noting the need to scrutinize pandemic data collection (see 2004080068). Lack of a federal privacy law is undermining efforts, witnesses told the committee during a "paper hearing." Groups highlighted potential data pitfalls that need to be avoided. There was no real-time testimony, but documents were exchanged.
NAB signed on to the push for Congress to include emergency funding for local media and stations in the next stimulus bill addressing COVID-19. Some Democrats and other groups made similar requests in recent days (see 2004080069). Officials from some pro-funding groups are hopeful Congress will provide in the coming measure, perhaps billions of dollars. Lobbyists we spoke with were divided on whether it will be a top priority.