Facebook and Google aren’t sharing location data with the government for tracking COVID-19, the companies said Thursday after reports of such industry consultation. Ed Markey, D-Mass., raised privacy concerns and other senators criticized the tech industry’s response to online misinformation.
In a key early test of the FCC’s ability to wrap up big items in a coronavirus world, commissioners are expected to vote in April to allow Wi-Fi to share the 6 GHz band (see 2003050058). The Office of Engineering and Technology hadn’t completed work on the order before FCC staff was ordered to telework last week, but most industry and FCC officials said they still expect the order to be ready for a vote at the April 23 meeting, though questions remain difficult.
The telecom and other high tech communities continued to respond to COVID-19 with telework and cancellation and postponement of events, or moving them virtual.
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., told us Wednesday he’s optimistic about the bipartisan coalition pushing amendments for Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act reauthorization (see 2003160065). It’s a “small miracle” the Senate is considering amendments after Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., tried to force a decision on the underlying bill through a cloture vote, Paul said.
Regulatory reviews of mergers and acquisitions aren't expected to face major COVID-19-related slowdowns despite FTC suspension of early terminations (see 2003130075) or DOJ Antitrust Division announcing it will seek extra time to complete its review work and leaving the door open to extending that timeline further, experts told us. Few deals necessitate second information requests by DOJ and that extra time won't materially change how transactions play out, said Holland & Knight antitrust lawyer David Kully, former chief of the DOJ radio and TV M&A section.
Senate leaders looked ahead Wednesday to plans for a third funding package aimed at economic losses and a possible recession caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The chamber approved the House-passed Families First Coronavirus Response Act (HR-6201) on a 90-8 vote, sending it to President Donald Trump for signature. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., continued his push for any additional funding legislation to also address pandemic-related infrastructure issues, including broadband capacity and distance learning resources (see 2003170014).
Keeping 911 call takers safe is critical to maintaining emergency call systems during the U.S. COVID-19 outbreak, said stakeholders in interviews this week. APCO, the National Emergency Number Association and National Association of State 911 Administrators (NASNA) leaders are less worried about a potential surge in calls as there might be in a hurricane. Wider deployment of next-generation 911 would give call takers and responders more flexibility, they said.
Some communications stakeholders are on board with calls to halt retransmission consent blackouts for the next 60 days during the COVID-19 pandemic. Tuesday, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai made such a request, and ACA Connects quickly endorsed it. NAB CEO Gordon Smith in Q&A with us Wednesday made a similar request and supported broadcasters doing their part. After he spoke, some cable operators made similar comments.
Broadcasters having satellite phones on hand and pressing more stations to sign up for the FCC's disaster information reporting system are among items the FCC Communications Security, Reliability and Interoperability Council is considering for dealing with emergencies. CSRIC adopted two working group reports Tuesday, one on broadcaster best practices and one on 911 interoperability in the transition from legacy to IP-based networks. The approved reports weren't posted Tuesday.
The rapid escalation in the number of confirmed U.S. cases of COVID-19 Tuesday continued turning life topsy-turvy for millions in various sectors, including telecom and consumer electronics. New Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance urging Americans to avoid crowds larger than 10 people was making telework the new normal and sending more events and functions to the virtual domain.