DOJ plans to file 12 to 18 amicus briefs this year in antitrust cases in which the government isn’t a party, Deputy Assistant Attorney General Michael Murray said Tuesday. That would be fewer than 2019, Murray said, citing resources needed for Antitrust Division investigations. Some briefs filed last year resulted in oral argument participation, which requires additional resources, Murray told the New York State Bar Association. He cited his argument for the division in FTC v. Qualcomm before the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals (see 2002140026). He also cited Apple v. Pepper (see 1811260039), in which the division argued in favor of Apple.
The Department of Transportation asked the FCC to drop plans to reallocate part of the 5.9 GHz to public safety. Commissioners voted 5-0 in December to examine revised rules for the band, reallocating 45 MHz for Wi-Fi, with 20 MHz reserved for cellular vehicle to everything (V2X) and possibly 10 MHz for dedicated short-range communications (see 1912180019). When the FCC will act is unclear (see 2003090059). “The preservation of the entire 5.9 GHz band for V2X communications offers the Nation an advantage for maintaining and extending leadership in the deployment of innovative V2X applications, including those related to automation,” DOT said in a filing in docket 19-138, posted Monday: “These safety innovations and improvements may be lost should the Commission proceed with its proposed reallocation of the 5.9 GHz band.” The issues are complicated, DOT said. The department “remains of the view that the Commission's proposal fails to account for all relevant factors bearing upon its proposal, including V2X spectrum benefits, technology maturity, innovation and growth in V2X applications, and the likelihood of harmful interference from adjacent-channel Wi-Fi operations.” The FCC also never “addressed the concerns that US DOT previously raised about the NPRM before it was issued,” the filling said. Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety said the entire band should be reserved for safety to curb deaths and injuries on U.S. roads. “Repurposing a section of the band reserved for vehicle safety communications to permit unlicensed operations presents substantial safety concerns,” the group said in a filing posted Tuesday: “The messages transmitted on the band for connected vehicle technologies must be secure, timely and accurate in order to save lives. If these messages were infected or altered by hackers and vehicles performed unintended maneuvers, the results could be catastrophic.”
The FCC Wireline Bureau is taking comments through March 27, replies April 10, on proposed competitive bidding procedures for Auction 904 in the upcoming Rural Digital Opportunity Fund, says Tuesday's Federal Register notice for docket 20-34 (see 2002280002).
Despite some continuing advocacy for 211 as a nationwide three-digit suicide prevention hotline (see 2002180021), 988 is the best route, mental health interests told the FCC in docket 18-336 reply comments posted Monday. No telecom party replies are posted. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration said dual use of 211 would cause user confusion and lead to crisis centers getting more of the information and referral 211 calls, diverting resources from crisis intervention. Not all 211 centers have crisis call capacity and using 988 means clear accountability and responsibility for the system, it said. The National Alliance on Mental Illness also cited possible confusion issues as it said 988 is a better choice than 211. Mental Health America said the FCC needs to guarantee universal access to 988 without dialing delays or coverage gaps, regardless of how long implementation takes. Due to the hurdles to care that minorities and the LGBTQ populations often face, it said there must be specialized training for counselors and establishment of an integrated voice response that routes calls to organizations that specialize in those populations. Crisis Text Line said texting shouldn't be part of the FCC's proposal, but if it is, the agency needs to supplement the record on the big challenges that text-based crisis counseling services face. Adding texting atop the increased call volumes the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is expected to get due to a three-digit option "risks overwhelming the system," it said.
The Communications Workers of America and consumer groups sent major broadband providers a letter Monday urging them to lift all data caps and waive cap fees for all customers as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. The companies should also “remove barriers to immediate access to service plans, including any waiting period to enroll” and “share with the FCC data collected on the number of customers served, by what packages, and where expanded services were provided during the emergency.” The letters went to Altice, AT&T, CenturyLink, Charter Communications, Comcast, Cox Communications, Frontier Communications, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon, CWA said: Groups endorsing the push include Common Cause, Consumer Reports, Free Press, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, MediaJustice, the National Consumer Law Center, the National Hispanic Media Coalition, New America's Open Technology Institute, Public Knowledge, The Utility Reform Network and United Church of Christ Office of Communication.
TechFreedom President Berin Szoka is stepping down after nearly 10 years, following tweeting earlier last week it would be poetic justice if President Donald Trump were to die from the coronavirus. He was replaced by Shane Tews, from American Enterprise Institute, a longtime member of the group's board. “I’ve been waiting for over a decade to actually write a book and spend less of my time responding to day-to-day changes in technology debates, and laying out the vision that’s always guided my work,” Szoka said in an interview: “I’m excited to do that.” He said he regrets posting the tweet: “It was a bad idea and I’ve said so.” Szoka said he views Tews as a longtime mentor and supporter: “I couldn’t ask for a better person to step in.”
The FCC will devote an additional $42.19 million to fund all eligible rural healthcare program services for the current funding year, said an order commissioners adopted Friday for docket 02-60. It permits Universal Service Administrative Co. to carry forward unused funds from prior years. It waives a cap on multiyear commitments and upfront payments that would result in unnecessary reductions in support for rural healthcare providers and patients. Chairman Ajit Pai circulated a draft order last month (see 2002210052). Pai tweeted earlier Friday that he wanted a vote so the additional funding could go to help healthcare providers address the spread of the coronavirus. After OK, he tweeted, "we finally got the votes!" This "is a critically important step that the FCC took today, particularly in light of the coronavirus pandemic," Pai said. "COVID-19 presents serious challenges to healthcare providers, and they need every tool in the toolbox at their disposal, particularly the enhanced connectivity that enables them to provide vital healthcare services to the American public. Today's order ensures that rural Americans will have access to the healthcare services they need." A commissioner's aide said there wasn't controversy among commissioners over the order's adoption.
President Donald Trump said during a Friday news conference his proclamation declaring the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic a national emergency temporarily waives parts of the Medicare, Medicaid and state children's health insurance programs and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act Privacy rule in a way that will enable more widespread use of telehealth. He called telehealth “a fairly new and incredible thing that’s happened in the not so distant past. I tell you, what they’ve done with telehealth is incredible.” There have been numerous calls for better access to telehealth resources as the virus outbreak has grown (see 2003120002). Trump also announced that a Google affiliate is working with the White House and other private sector companies on a website to aid Americans in finding tests to screen for coronavirus. Alphabet's Verily is overseeing plans for the website, which Trump said was to be ready by Sunday. The site will direct Americans to drive-through testing sites in parking lots at retailers like Target and Walmart, said White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator Dr. Debbie Birx. “It’s going to be very quickly done -- unlike websites of the past -- to determine if a test is warranted and to facilitate testing at a nearby convenient location,” Trump said. “Google has 1,700 engineers working on this right now. They’ve made tremendous progress. Our overriding goal is to stop the spread of the virus and to help all Americans who have been impacted by this.” Verily confirmed it's "developing a tool to help triage individuals for COVID-19 testing. We are in the early stages of development, and planning to roll testing out in the Bay Area, with the hope of expanding more broadly over time."
The FCC is scheduled to move to its new headquarters in late June, officials told us. The agency wouldn’t comment on the details of the move to the new building, Sentinel Square III at 45 L St. NE. Officials told us the new offices will be more “open concept” than in the current building. Real estate industry officials say that’s in line with other federal agencies that have relocated (see 1701120044). During the move, agency staff will telework from home for a week while the offices are packed up and relocated, FCC officials said. It’s not clear how the move plan interacts with the agency’s current pandemic response, which also involves telework (see 2003120063).
The FCC said Thursday its March 26 forum on 5G virtualized radio access networks was “postponed until further notice out of an abundance of caution.” This and other agencies have been making changes due to the coronavirus (see 2003120063).