House Commerce Committee leaders urged nine ISPs and as many associations Wednesday to “raise awareness” of the FCC’s $3.2 billion emergency broadband benefit program. The FCC said Wednesday more than 200 providers say they want to participate. “It is critical that eligible customers know about the benefit, which providers are participating in the program, and how they can access the benefit,” said House Commerce Chairman Frank Pallone, D-N.J. Also signing: House Commerce ranking member Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash.; Communications Subcommittee Chairman Mike Doyle, D-Pa.; and Communications ranking member Bob Latta, R-Ohio. The letters went to: ACA Connects, Altice, AT&T, Charter, Comcast, the Competitive Carriers Association, Cox, CTIA, Frontier, Incompas, Lumen, National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, NCTA, NTCA, T-Mobile, USTelecom, Verizon and the Wireless ISP Association. For EBB “to help the greatest number of people, it will require the cooperation and support" of ISPs. While “the FCC is working to establish the start date of the program, your company can play an important role in its success by proactively raising awareness of the program to your customers and the public, including households likely to be eligible,” they said. The agency is reviewing applications and “will eventually share the names of accepted providers,” emailed a spokesperson.
House Commerce Committee leaders urged nine ISPs and as many associations Wednesday to “raise awareness” of the FCC’s $3.2 billion emergency broadband benefit program. The FCC said Wednesday more than 200 providers say they want to participate. “It is critical that eligible customers know about the benefit, which providers are participating in the program, and how they can access the benefit,” said House Commerce Chairman Frank Pallone, D-N.J. Also signing: House Commerce ranking member Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash.; Communications Subcommittee Chairman Mike Doyle, D-Pa.; and Communications ranking member Bob Latta, R-Ohio. The letters went to: ACA Connects, Altice, AT&T, Charter, Comcast, the Competitive Carriers Association, Cox, CTIA, Frontier, Incompas, Lumen, National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, NCTA, NTCA, T-Mobile, USTelecom, Verizon and the Wireless ISP Association. For EBB “to help the greatest number of people, it will require the cooperation and support" of ISPs. While “the FCC is working to establish the start date of the program, your company can play an important role in its success by proactively raising awareness of the program to your customers and the public, including households likely to be eligible,” they said. The agency is reviewing applications and “will eventually share the names of accepted providers,” emailed a spokesperson.
Public safety advocates asked the FCC not to cast a wide net in defining what constitutes 911 fee diversion, as required by the Don’t Break Up the T-Band Act (see 2102160064). Doing so runs the risk of excluding states from several federal resources due to the actions of a few bad actors, said filings in docket 20-291. Comments on proposed rules were due Tuesday. Some telecom associations also sought more certainty.
Ten Iranian nationals are charged with running a 20-year scheme to evade U.S. sanctions on Iran by disguising more than $300 million worth of transactions, the Department of Justice said in a March 19 news release. The Iranian citizens allegedly made the purchases, including two $25 million oil tankers, on Iran's behalf via front companies in Los Angeles, Canada, Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates, DOJ said. The U.S. District Court of Los Angeles case, filed in October 2020, was unsealed on March 19. A separate forfeiture complaint was filed the same day on the same individuals, seeking a money laundering penalty of $157,332,367. The individuals are accused of violating the Iranian Transactions and Sanctions Regulations, Iranian Financial Sanctions Regulations and the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. They face a maximum of 20 years in federal prison if convicted, although they are believed to be located outside the U.S.
Continuing 911 problems in the nation's capital were raised at a District of Columbia Council hearing Thursday. Witnesses complained of long hold times, plus problems sending first responders to the correct location when the emergency is at a place such as a freeway or park, instead of a street address. Many problems cited by government officials, an expert, a union representative and advocates during the city council's Judiciary and Public Safety Committee hearing have been reported in our ongoing series on the Office of Unified Communications, which sends out rescuers. (For our latest reports, see here and here.) Stakeholders expressed hope that inaccuracies sending the correct response to the right place are being addressed. They cited better communication between OUC and agencies like Washington's Fire and EMS Department, as well as more transparency by OUC when 911 mistakes occur. Committee Chairman Charles Allen (D) noted that Fire and EMS Chief John Donnelly and witnesses including 911 expert Dave Statter expressed hope. Describing himself as "one of DC 911’s biggest critics," Statter had some "optimism" with the end of OUC denials and double-talk on mistakes. "It’s refreshing to finally hear an admission that there are problems," he said. Interim Director Cleo Subido is "moving the ball forward," Statter said: "Her challenges" are "many," and "there have been some recent serious mistakes." Subido and others agreed that waits occur. D.C. Bicycle Advisory Council Chair Rachel Maisler, who says she was testifying for herself, recounted being on hold two times when she contacted 911, including for a gunshot victim. "Minutes were ticking away" as she waited on hold at OUC, whose operators' performance the District resident praised -- once the office had capacity to answer her call. Washington Area Bicyclist Association Outreach Manager Ursula Sandstrom recounted problems sending assistance to places like trails. "OUC needs to ensure that dispatchers are set up for success" with the necessary technology and tools, she testified, so "that residents are confident that if they call, they receive prompt and accurate help." Union official Debbie Hart-Knox cited her concerns of "negative depictions of those members I serve" from reports about dispatching errors, which she doesn't "refute." Members are "questioning ourselves while performing in a stressful job," Hart-Knox added. She blamed managers for a "negative work environment" and said "we can only do what we have been taught and instructed to do." DC 911 is "absolutely committed to being forthright and transparent about any identified performance gaps," said Subido, "taking the steps necessary to learn and improve when mistakes are made." For further comments, see here.
To address threats to 5G security, the FCC needs to work closely with the rest of the federal government, said acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel and Congressional Spectrum Caucus co-Chair Rep. Doris Matsui, D-Calif., at a Center for Strategic and International Studies webinar Thursday. That was Rosenworcel’s theme as a minority commissioner -- that spectrum conflicts occurred in the past four years because agencies weren’t working together.
To address threats to 5G security, the FCC needs to work closely with the rest of the federal government, said acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel and Congressional Spectrum Caucus co-Chair Rep. Doris Matsui, D-Calif., at a Center for Strategic and International Studies webinar Thursday. That was Rosenworcel’s theme as a minority commissioner -- that spectrum conflicts occurred in the past four years because agencies weren’t working together.
The FCC unanimously approved two Public Safety Bureau items on outage reporting and the emergency alert system Wednesday, as expected (see 2103120057). Though the final versions haven’t been released, industry officials told us they don’t expect either the NPRM on wireless emergency alerts (WEAs) and state emergency alert plans nor the order on outage reporting to have undergone significant changes from their drafts. The FCC “needs to fundamentally refresh its playbook for disaster preparedness and resiliency,” said acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel at Wednesday’s meeting of commissioners.
FM broadcasters offering geotargeted content have every incentive to reduce self-interference and are required by the FCC to do so, said GeoBroadcast Solutions in replies posted Friday in docket 20-401. REC Networks replied earlier (see 2103100057). GBS, the primary proponent of such proposed changes to booster rules, resisted arguments this would lead to radio advertising “redlining.” All other media can geotarget ads, and those were an ATSC 3.0 selling point, GBS said. “Yet there was no mention of redlining in the hundreds and hundreds of pages of comments filed in that proceeding by the broadcast industry and its trade association.” The Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council and the National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters called for a pilot program to test the technology in three markets. They "recommend that the pilot be designed to address all of the questions raised in the comment round of this proceeding, including the impact of the technology on local advertising markets." The FCC simply can't "ignore the concerns of the radio industry,” said the New York State Broadcasters Association, opposing the rule change. “Objectionable interference is certain under the Geo proposal,” said broadcast engineer Alan Kirschner of Nashville. Ad agency Media Negotiator, Urban One DJ and restaurant owner Sam Sylks and Roberts Broadcasting supported the option to geotarget as helpful to radio and local businesses. GBS said it has “no plans” for such targeting of emergency alert system messages, though the company and proponents of the tech have touted targeted alerts (see 2006040024).
Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, reintroduced the Global Trade Accountability Act, a bill that would not allow any presidential hike in tariffs, tightening of tariff-rate quotas or other import restrictions without congressional approval. Sens. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., and Rand Paul, R-Ky., co-sponsored the bill, which was first introduced in 2017. Temporary tariffs or quotas would be allowed under a national emergency but would expire after 90 days without congressional approval. “Congress has ceded far too much of its lawmaking power to the executive branch, including the power to unilaterally raise tariffs,” said Lee Thursday. “Sudden hikes in trade barriers can have real and devastating impacts on American small businesses, farmers, and families, including in my home state of Utah.” Paul said that "as a constitutional republic, tax increases should never be imposed by the whim of one person.”