Education advocates and industry groups disagreed whether the FCC should allow retroactive reimbursements and set technology standards for schools and libraries in the $7.1 billion Emergency Connectivity Fund (see 2104140041). Replies were due Friday in docket 21-93. Schools that "made the decision earlier on to invest in connectivity for remote learning" should be reimbursed for purchases since the pandemic's onset, said Incompas. AT&T said retroactive payments would put schools that couldn't afford that at the "back of the line," a view echoed by the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society. Prioritizing retroactive reimbursements would help "most likely more well-off schools and libraries," said ACA Connects (see 2104120052): It "should only be allowed for eligible purchases that have not been funded by any other source." USTelecom and NTCA agreed. Reject calls to allow ECF funding for self-provisioning, said Verizon: "Because self-provisioning requires large upfront expenditures, the schools receiving" that support "would consume a disproportionate share of the ECF and leave too little support for other schools." WTA agreed: This would lead to "substantial delays in the availability of eligible services that are needed immediately." Self-provisioned networks are the "most cost-effective" for students without residential broadband, said groups including New America’s Open Technology Institute, the National Digital Inclusion Alliance, Center for Rural Strategies and Public Knowledge. Avoid minimum service standards because "there is no consensus on the appropriate capacity needed for remote learning," said the Wireless ISP Association: "To narrow the fund’s scope to include only those services offering certain broadband speeds could have the unintended consequence of penalizing students who live in areas" with slower speeds. NCTA and GCI Communication agreed. CTIA said questions about "adequacy of mobile broadband for remote learning are unsupported by the record and flatly contrary to the experience of millions of students during the pandemic." The Competitive Carriers Association, T-Mobile and UScellular said similar. Defining "connected device" should be done in a "flexible, technologically neutral way," said Apple.
Education advocates and industry groups disagreed whether the FCC should allow retroactive reimbursements and set technology standards for schools and libraries in the $7.1 billion Emergency Connectivity Fund (see 2104140041). Replies were due Friday in docket 21-93. Schools that "made the decision earlier on to invest in connectivity for remote learning" should be reimbursed for purchases since the pandemic's onset, said Incompas. AT&T said retroactive payments would put schools that couldn't afford that at the "back of the line," a view echoed by the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society. Prioritizing retroactive reimbursements would help "most likely more well-off schools and libraries," said ACA Connects (see 2104120052): It "should only be allowed for eligible purchases that have not been funded by any other source." USTelecom and NTCA agreed. Reject calls to allow ECF funding for self-provisioning, said Verizon: "Because self-provisioning requires large upfront expenditures, the schools receiving" that support "would consume a disproportionate share of the ECF and leave too little support for other schools." WTA agreed: This would lead to "substantial delays in the availability of eligible services that are needed immediately." Self-provisioned networks are the "most cost-effective" for students without residential broadband, said groups including New America’s Open Technology Institute, the National Digital Inclusion Alliance, Center for Rural Strategies and Public Knowledge. Avoid minimum service standards because "there is no consensus on the appropriate capacity needed for remote learning," said the Wireless ISP Association: "To narrow the fund’s scope to include only those services offering certain broadband speeds could have the unintended consequence of penalizing students who live in areas" with slower speeds. NCTA and GCI Communication agreed. CTIA said questions about "adequacy of mobile broadband for remote learning are unsupported by the record and flatly contrary to the experience of millions of students during the pandemic." The Competitive Carriers Association, T-Mobile and UScellular said similar. Defining "connected device" should be done in a "flexible, technologically neutral way," said Apple.
The National Treasury Employees Union found 66% of members say teleworking increased their productivity, said a news release Friday. Ninety-seven percent say teleworking during the COVID-19 pandemic kept them safe, and 92% say their telework experience was successful. “Increasing telework opportunities for federal employees was an NTEU priority even before the pandemic struck and the union will use the success of maximum telework to push for legislation to protect and expand telework at federal agencies,” said the organization. The FCC’s chapter of NTEU -- Chapter 209 -- will pursue increased opportunities for agency employees to telework (see 2104140030). The NTEU survey found 24% of the 13,800 federal employees canvassed say there's no change in productivity while teleworking; 5% think productivity decreased slightly. “Maximum telework should forever be a go-to strategy during any type of public health emergency,” said President Tony Reardon.
The National Treasury Employees Union found 66% of members say teleworking increased their productivity, said a news release Friday. Ninety-seven percent say teleworking during the COVID-19 pandemic kept them safe, and 92% say their telework experience was successful. “Increasing telework opportunities for federal employees was an NTEU priority even before the pandemic struck and the union will use the success of maximum telework to push for legislation to protect and expand telework at federal agencies,” said the organization. The FCC’s chapter of NTEU -- Chapter 209 -- will pursue increased opportunities for agency employees to telework (see 2104140030). The NTEU survey found 24% of the 13,800 federal employees canvassed say there's no change in productivity while teleworking; 5% think productivity decreased slightly. “Maximum telework should forever be a go-to strategy during any type of public health emergency,” said President Tony Reardon.
The National Lifeline Association asked the FCC to begin a rulemaking to "substantially increase the Lifeline reimbursement" and implement changes to ensure it's the "best possible 'landing place' for low-income consumers" after the emergency broadband benefit program ends, said a filing posted Thursday in docket 11-42. NaLA asked to extend the de-enrollment waiver for Lifeline subscribers to Aug. 1 so consumers can "opt-in" to EBB "and reestablish usage of their Lifeline service without having to complete the more onerous EBB enrollment process or re-enroll in Lifeline."
The National Lifeline Association asked the FCC to begin a rulemaking to "substantially increase the Lifeline reimbursement" and implement changes to ensure it's the "best possible 'landing place' for low-income consumers" after the emergency broadband benefit program ends, said a filing posted Thursday in docket 11-42. NaLA asked to extend the de-enrollment waiver for Lifeline subscribers to Aug. 1 so consumers can "opt-in" to EBB "and reestablish usage of their Lifeline service without having to complete the more onerous EBB enrollment process or re-enroll in Lifeline."
Noting the high use of texting by populations particularly at risk to suicide, such as kids and minorities, the four FCC members on Thursday approved a Further NPRM on a mandate that carriers provide capabilities to text the 988 National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (see 2103310030). Also getting unanimous approvals at the commissioners' meeting were an order allocating spectrum for commercial space launches and an NPRM on setting a framework for informing 911 centers of network outages affecting them, as well as an NPRM on wireless mics in the TV and other bands and an order ending the 800 MHz rebranding process (see 2104220056). Commissioners also OK'd a $4.1 million slamming fine.
Commenters in docket 15-94 on FCC-proposed changes to wireless emergency alerts, state emergency communications committees (SECCs) and false alert reporting rules largely supported the plans. Some raised concerns about alert fatigue, confidentiality and how future “presidential” alerts should be designated to avoid public backlash. Proposed rule changes in a unanimously approved March NPRM (see 2103170070) stem from the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act, which gives the FCC until June 30 to implement new rules.
While the U.S. needs a comprehensive technology strategy, it first should create new bureaucratic processes to implement that strategy or else risk uncoordinated policies with little impact, the Center for a New American Security said in an April 20 report. The report, which builds off previous research (see 2103160047) by the think tank that called for a better technology strategy to counter China, argues that current U.S. agencies and government bodies are unequipped to maximize the effectiveness of export controls and other trade policy tools.
House Communications Subcommittee members of both parties largely agreed during a Wednesday hearing that to secure U.S. leadership on 5G technology, Congress must fully fund work on speeding adoption of open radio access networks, and that agencies should return to a unified spectrum policy approach during President Joe Biden’s administration. Tech policy bipartisanship was also evident as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., and others of both parties introduced, as promised, a revised version of the Endless Frontier Act. It appears to be back on track (see 2104140069) for swift action after earlier GOP misgivings.