FCC workers and their National Treasury Employees Union praise the agency's precautions to protect employees from COVID-19. But NTEU filed an unfair labor practices grievance against the agency Monday over continuing contract negotiations during the pandemic, President Tony Reardon emailed us. The FCC acted faster than some other federal agencies, but critics told us none has responded quickly or well.
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.
The California Public Utilities Commission teed up a COVID-19 resolution for members' April 16 meeting to retroactively apply emergency customer protection measures from March 4 until the emergency ends. Meanwhile, industry opposed CPUC plans for power backup, among other comments. Also Friday, the CPUC clarified a state LifeLine rule.
The FCC rejected Free Press’ emergency petition for inquiry into broadcasters airing allegedly false information about COVID-19 (see 2004060026). FCC Republicans slammed the petition as an attack on free speech. “At best, the Petition rests on a fundamental misunderstanding of the Commission’s limited role in regulating broadcast journalism,” said a Monday letter from General Counsel Tom Johnson and Media Bureau Chief Michelle Carey. “At worst, the Petition is a brazen attempt to pressure broadcasters to squelch their coverage of a President that Free Press dislikes.”
NTIA proposes potential changes to the spectrum relocation fund (SRF) as an appendix to a report to Congress the FCC was required to file under the Mobile Now Act. The commission didn’t provide the report or comment Thursday. “The most significant challenge to using the SRF to support sharing with unlicensed operations is likely to be funding, in terms of both ensuring a sufficient balance in the SRF and the budgetary implications of providing such funding,” NTIA reported: “Any increase in demand for funding from the SRF is potentially problematic, given the limited resources.” Federal agencies are under increasing pressure to share spectrum with industry and the public. Citizens broadband radio service relies on using Navy and other federal spectrum, and the FCC indicated agencies should have their sharing costs reimbursed (see 2002180061). One option would be to use “a portion of the anticipated or actual revenue from future (not yet scored) auctions,” NTIA said. Funds could come from current SRF balances, the agency said: “This option offers the potential for funding to be made available without the delay that is likely in connection with identifying a future, not-yet-scored auction. Significant obstacles to this approach are the need to identify scoring offsets for the new costs and the risks associated with directing SRF funds to this purpose that potentially could be needed for other uses.” Usage fees or fees charged to communications equipment makers or distributors is another option but “would require substantial further study to determine whether the collection of such fees would be practical” and would be “logistically complex and might not generate sufficient income.” Location costs would be supported by leasing fees for federal spectrum, the agency said, though “significant resources would be required by NTIA and other federal agencies to negotiate and manage these spectrum leases.”
The FCC proposed a $6 million fine against Lifeline prepaid wireless service provider TracFone, in a Thursday notice of apparent liability. The Enforcement Bureau said that in 2018, TracFone obtained federal Lifeline support for hundreds of ineligible subscribers in Florida. The 5-0 NAL came with statements from the two Democratic commissioners, citing in part the coronavirus. Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon and 21 other Senate Democrats pressed TracFone and 20 other ISPs that receive Lifeline funds to improve service to low-income customers amid the pandemic.
T-Mobile US said Wednesday it “officially completed” buying Sprint and its CEO transition, with Mike Sievert replacing John Legere ahead of schedule. Analysts expect a relatively smooth transition, much quicker than that which followed Sprint/Nextel 15 years ago. The deal got final federal signoff with the Tunney Act clearance by the U.S. District Court in Washington, hours after the carriers said they finished combining (see 2004010018). DOJ welcomed the decision.
In court documents emailed to stakeholders a few hours after deal completion was announced, T-Mobile got the final federal nod for buying Sprint. The final judgment on the deal and divestiture to Dish Network was in U.S. District Court in Washington, which had been reviewing the transaction on antitrust grounds.
T-Mobile/Sprint opponents rang alarm bells after the carriers laid the foundation to possibly close their deal without California OK (see 2003310017). Sprint advised the California Public Utilities Commission Monday evening it's relinquishing its state certificate. The two carriers moved to withdraw their wireline transfer-of-control application. It could mean the companies close the multibillion-dollar combination as soon as Wednesday, analysts said.
State commissioners should keep watch on telecom to protect consumers during the COVID-19 outbreak, said NARUC President Brandon Presley in a Thursday interview. “Once this crisis is behind us, we’ve got to view broadband service as a national security issue, in the sense of economic security,” he said. “I won’t have much toleration for anybody that comes to tell me that internet is a luxury.”