The FCC will disburse $3.2 billion in emergency broadband assistance as the pandemic has boosted broadband demand and usage (see 2012220061). How the money will be spent and whether it will reach the hardest-hit communities remain uncertain, said experts in interviews this month. Some telecom stakeholders are optimistic, however.
The U.S. needs to boost its manufacturing capabilities, invest in innovation and improve its ability to export goods around the world, the President-elect Joe Biden’s two top Commerce Department nominees said. The nominees, Gina Raimondo as Commerce secretary and Don Graves as Commerce deputy secretary, were announced Jan. 8 by Biden, who urged the Senate to swiftly confirm their nominations.
The FCC Enforcement Bureau issued an advisory Thursday reminding emergency alert system participants of compliance obligations. The 2019 national EAS test identified several issues “that impair dissemination of EAS messages,” the advisory said. They include following up on messages that don’t meet EAS accessibility requirements, ensuring equipment is monitoring and transmitting, and complying with reporting procedures, the advisory said. “Failure to comply with the EAS rules may subject a violator to sanctions including, but not limited to, substantial monetary forfeitures.”
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo approved the creation of the Bureau of Cyberspace Security and Emerging Technologies (CSET), an agency that will “reorganize” the U.S.’s cyberspace and emerging technology security policy, according to a Jan. 7 notice. The agency said CSET will address national security challenges presented by China, Russia, Iran, North Korea and “other cyber and emerging technology competitors and adversaries,” and will lead U.S. efforts “on a wide range of international cyberspace security and emerging technology policy issues.”
FCC members condemned violence erupting on Capitol Hill by pro-Trump forces Wednesday. And now two FCC GOP members have explicitly acknowledged that, contrary to President Donald Trump's wishes, Joe Biden is slated to become the next president in a few weeks. See our news bulletin here. Before recent days, those commissioners were largely silent on the issue.
The Bureau of Industry and Security renewed its temporary export control on certain artificial intelligence software as it prepares to propose the control at multilateral control groups. The control, first issued in January 2020 (see 2001030024), placed unilateral restrictions on geospatial imagery software, adding it to the 0Y521 Temporary Export Control Classification Numbers Series. BIS extended the control for one year, effective Jan. 6, a notice said.
Commissioner Brendan Carr, among those in the communications sector condemning an outbreak of violence Wednesday afternoon in the Capitol, became one of the first FCC Republicans to say he believes Joe Biden is the next president. In an interview, Carr agreed with the statement that President-elect Biden will take office Jan. 20.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency will continue export restrictions for an amended list of personal protective equipment, FEMA said in a temporary final rule released Dec. 30. The rule, which now also includes syringes and hypodermic needles that deliver vaccines, expands on two previous versions issued by FEMA this year (see 2008060061 and 2004080018) and renews the export restrictions -- which were scheduled to expire Dec. 31 -- through June 30, 2021.
The FCC is monitoring telecom and 911 outages caused by the Christmas Day bombing in Nashville, a spokesperson said Monday. The bomb was in an RV parked next to a major AT&T central office, which was badly damaged in the blast and a subsequent fire. Industry officials said FCC staff will likely look more closely at the broader implications and how to better protect operations centers from similar attacks. AT&T said Monday most services have been restored. The effects were widespread, with Nashville International Airport halting flights after its internet connections went down and more than a hundred 911 call centers in Tennessee, Kentucky and Alabama losing data from some callers.
The FCC is monitoring telecom and 911 outages caused by the Christmas Day bombing in Nashville, a spokesperson said Monday. The bomb was in an RV parked next to a major AT&T central office, which was badly damaged in the blast and a subsequent fire. Industry officials said FCC staff will likely look more closely at the broader implications and how to better protect operations centers from similar attacks. AT&T said Monday most services have been restored. The effects were widespread, with Nashville International Airport halting flights after its internet connections went down and more than a hundred 911 call centers in Tennessee, Kentucky and Alabama losing data from some callers.