Thirty-one global tech companies launched the Open Radio Access Network Coalition Tuesday “to promote policies that will advance the adoption of open and interoperable solutions” for networks. The FCC had focused on the issue, but a March 26 summit on 5G-focused open RAN technology was postponed because of COVID-19 (see 2003120071). “As evidenced by the current global pandemic, vendor choice and flexibility in next-generation network deployments are necessary from a security and performance standpoint,” said coalition Executive Director Diane Rinaldo (see also personals section), former NTIA acting administrator. “By promoting policies that standardize and develop open interfaces, we can ensure interoperability and security across different players and potentially lower the barrier to entry for new innovators.” “Intrigued,” Commissioner Mike O’Rielly tweeted: “Will be reaching out to new coalition … to hear issues & agenda. I’m supportive of end goal as is most every industry segment; very leery about any mandates to get there.” Members are Airspan, Altiostar, AT&T, AWS, Cisco, CommScope, Dell, Dish Network, Facebook, Fujitsu, Google, IBM, Intel, Juniper Networks, Mavenir, Microsoft, NEC, NewEdge Signal Solutions, NTT, Oracle, Parallel Wireless, Qualcomm, Rakuten Mobile, Samsung Electronics America, Telefonica, US Ignite, Verizon, VMWare, Vodafone, World Wide Technology and XCOM Labs.
Ian Mason said Sunday he doesn't plan to work for NTIA, despite stakeholders saying otherwise Friday (see 2005010068). The agency confirmed he wasn't working there after initially not commenting.
The new FCC seal was inspired by both the original seal and those of other federal agencies, said FCC IT Project manager Umasankar Arumugam, the new seal’s designer (see 2004300060). Arumugam works for NCI Information Systems, a contractor for the agency. “I wanted to represent all of the current communication technologies in the seal and make the design a little more contemporary, while still borrowing elements from the legacy seal, such as the sky and land concepts represented by satellite and towers,” he emailed: The typography's serif font “is both formal and can evoke a sense of trust, making it ideal for an authoritative seal.” Arumugam worked on the seal during his free time, has designed user experiences for several FCC systems, and worked on Broadband.gov and the FCC Accessibility Clearinghouse, an FCC spokesperson told us.
Stakeholders disagreed how the FCC should update rules on informing state and local governments about disruptions to communications networks, in comments posted through Friday in docket 15-80 (see 2004270046). Communications Workers of America District 7 supports the proposal for access to the network outage reporting system and disaster information reporting system. The need-to-know list should include county and municipal offices of emergency services, said The Utility Reform Network. USTelecom disagrees. "Access by local governments would exponentially increase the number of individuals with access to sensitive information, thus intensifying the potential risks of breaches or inadvertent disclosures," the group said. "As local governments do not directly regulate the reporting entities, there is no compelling reason to allow cities access ... absent special circumstances." CTIA wants safeguards to confidential NORS and DIRS data and "adequate tools" to aid investigations after data breaches. If confidential data can't be protected from public view, Verizon said, "there is a risk that service providers will provide only a bare minimum of responsive information in their outage reports and be far more guarded in their discussions with Commission staff."
The public interest in the FCC disclosing the IP addresses, user-agent headers and related time stamps of net neutrality proceeding comments filed in its electronic comment filing system "is great because the importance of the comment process to agency rulemaking is great." That's according to Judge Lorna Schofield of U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York in an order Thursday (in Pacer, docket 18-cv-08607) granting a summary judgment motion by New York Times Co. It sued after the agency denied its Freedom of Information Act request for the application programming interface proxy server log containing the requested information (see 1809200023). The order denied an FCC motion for summary judgment and a Times motion for Plaintiffs’ motion for reasonable attorneys’ fees. The commission didn't comment. Litigation "should not have been necessary to get this vital information," emailed Benton Institute Senior Counselor Andrew Schwartzman. "I hope the Commission will now comply promptly rather than drag things out with appeals that will not succeed." Tweeted Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel: "It's time for the agency to come clean."
Michigan State University law professor Adam Candeub joined the Commerce Department as deputy assistant NTIA secretary (see 2005010060), making him the agency’s deputy administrator, NTIA said Friday. Doug Kinkoph remains acting administrator “performing the non-exclusive functions and duties” of the assistant secretary of commerce-communications and information, the agency said. Kinkoph has led NTIA since December, when former acting head Diane Rinaldo left (see 1912230065). There hasn’t been a permanent NTIA administrator since former head David Redl left in May 2019 (see 1905090051). Candeub in the past has focused on social media and First Amendment (see 1911150047). Last year, he represented Canadian blogger Meghan Murphy in a lawsuit against Twitter, which had permanently banned her because of tweets about transgender people. He previously worked in the FCC Media and Wireline bureaus. Candeub didn’t comment and referred us to NTIA. Former Charter Communications Group Vice President-Advanced Engineering Jim Medica joined NTIA as a senior adviser. He previously worked from Time Warner, Cisco, MCI and Skadden Arps. After we reported that industry officials believed that former Breitbart reporter Ian Mason joined the agency in a junior policy adviser role, Mason said that was incorrect. He had applied for a job there but decided against accepting a job offer, he said by phone on Sunday. The agency hadn't initially commented on reports of Mason’s appointment. Sunday, it confirmed he's not working there.
The FCC adopted a new seal, before its planned move to new headquarters near Union Station in Washington said a public notice Thursday. The seal, depicting an eagle positioned behind a shield decorated with a satellite, microwave and broadcast dishes and a cellular tower facing strung communications wires, was chosen through an agencywide contest that began in November. The winning design, by Umasankar Arumugam, was voted on in December and announced internally in January, an agency spokesperson told us. Arumugam’s LinkedIn profile lists him as a director for IT company NCI Information Systems, which mentions analytic work for the FCC on its website. Arumugam didn’t comment. The seal has four stars as a call-back to FCC predecessor the Federal Radio Commission and 18 stars representing the agency's bureaus and offices, the PN said. Because of the move and need to create new seals for the new building regardless, the overall cost “was minimized as much as can be,” a spokesperson said. The FCC said it will begin officially using the new seal after the move, which is delayed by COVID-19 concerns (see 2004130057). The U.S. Institute of Heraldry, which provides heraldic services to federal agencies and the military, didn’t comment. American College of Heraldry Executive Director David Wooten said the seal leans “toward the logo end of the spectrum.” The "logic behind the FCC’s new seal is certainly clear, though it would not necessarily qualify as heraldry,” Wooten said.
Stakeholders wanting to weigh in on whether the FCC COVID-19 telehealth fund program should be expanded to include for-profit healthcare facilities should file comments, Commissioner Brendan Carr said during a Connected Health Initiative webinar Wednesday. “It's a live issue,” he said of docket 20-89 (see 2004270044). “You should let us know if we've made the right cut.” During a pandemic nonprofits and for-profits treating COVID-19 look more similar than different, said Carr. The program's rules were borrowed from the Rural Health Care program, which limits healthcare provider eligibility. Carr said he's eager to raise visibility for the program to drive more applications. When we asked how soon he expects the program to spend through its $200 million in funding, he said, “the sooner the better.” He's pleased with the pace the Wireline Bureau adopted and the "cadence," about twice a week, with which it's awarding funds. He's not micromanaging the bureau's work, he said, and awards go out quickly because commissioners don't vote. They will vote on participants in the $100 million Connected Care pilot, he added. The FCC announced earlier Wednesday 13 new awardees were granted $4.2 million. They include rural and urban healthcare providers in Colorado, Georgia, New York, Washington, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Michigan and Minnesota.
The FCC is opening Lifeline enrollment to those newly unemployed during the pandemic. Instead of requiring three consecutive months of income documentation, new enrollees can submit an unemployment benefits statement or other official evidence of current income status, it ordered Wednesday. The order extends, also through June 30, previous waiver of recertification, reverification, general de-enrollment and usage requirements. Many advocacy groups and companies wrote Congress backing more spending on broadband for the underserved (see 2004240014) as part of COVID-19 stimulus. Signers include NTCA, the Fiber Broadband Association, Incompas, Mozilla, Twitter, NATOA, Public Knowledge, NAACP and the R Street Institute.
FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks plans an hour-long roundtable Monday, livestreamed via the FCC website at 1 p.m. EST, on ways to ensure broadband access for students from historically black colleges and universities learning remotely during the pandemic, his office told us Tuesday. He commended a letter from 144 members of Congress asking FCC Chairman Ajit Pai to cooperate with other federal agencies in promoting Lifeline (see 2004280058).