The FCC acted to shore up its Rural Health Care program, in an order Thursday on docket 02-60. It extends the RHC program application filing window to June 30, eases competitive bidding requirements for healthcare providers with expiring evergreen contracts, and extends procedural deadlines. It's meant to let healthcare providers "focus their attention on their immediate task at hand -- addressing the influx of patients associated with the COVID-19 outbreak and maintaining care for existing patients, thereby helping to control the spread of this serious pandemic, without the diversion of near-term RHC administrative requirements," the order said. "The disruption to health care providers throughout this country as a result of this pandemic is indisputable," Chairman Ajit Pai said, and the FCC is working to address the challenges. The Wireline Bureau is encouraging RHC participants to file forms 462 and 466 funding requests before the new June 30 deadline when possible "so that funding decisions can be issued in a timely manner." The contract exemption is limited to healthcare providers that screen for COVID-19, treat patients or otherwise mitigate its spread. A 14-day deadline for responding to information requests from Universal Service Administrative Co. is extended to 28 days. Among other extensions is the invoice filing deadline. The Schools, Health and Libraries Broadband Coalition last week requested some of the changes. Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel tweeted Wednesday on the topic.

ACA Connects pulled the plug on its postponed 2020 members' summit (see 2003050013), citing COVID-19 concerns. It said Wednesday that it might look later this year at "a streamlined Capitol Hill visit and a mini-summit of some kind ... if the crisis is well behind us and it is clearly appropriate to hold group functions once again." The summit originally had been scheduled for last week. FCC Commissioner Mike O'Rielly tweeted that the cancellation was disappointing "but understandable." He and Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel were scheduled speakers.

Missouri’s telecom relay service is having higher call volumes and longer calls due to COVID-19, resulting in longer wait times, the Missouri Public Service Commission said Thursday. Average call time is five to eight minutes, up from two to three minutes normally, the PSC said. Missouri relay service provider Sprint reported higher wait times amid the pandemic Wednesday (see 2003250055).

Walmart is letting in-plan employees get three free telehealth doctor visits, the company said as part of COVID-19 announcements this week. Separately, through June, associates nationwide, outside of New York, get "free access to Even, a third-party mobile app that offers financial wellness features," the retailer said. Target, meanwhile, saw "a surge in traffic and sales" in mid-March in some areas, with "strength" that included entertainment and essentials, the retailer said. Target withdrew its earnings outlook for Q1, citing costs related to COVID-19. States are relaxing some telehealth restrictions (see 2003250035).

Amazon, Craigslist, eBay, Facebook and Walmart should take rigorous action to prevent COVID-19-related price-gouging (see 2003200066), 33 state attorneys general wrote the companies Wednesday. The AGs, from both parties and including from California, Nebraska, New York and Utah, recommended price trigger tools and complaint portals for consumers. Companies “have an ethical obligation” to do everything in their power to stop the practice in real time, they wrote. The Internet Association didn’t comment.

Wait times for Sprint services like telecom relay services, captioned phone and IP relay calls may increase during periods of high call volume amid COVID-19, said Global Vice President-Sprint Accessibility Mike Ellis Wednesday. Sprint is complying with all Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations and Department of Homeland Security guidelines to ensure employee health and safety, he said. The company hasn't closed any call centers but expects staffing could be affected.

Smith Bagley sought Lifeline changes tied to COVID-19. “Additional relief is needed given the worsening situation and the special challenges faced by low‐income populations, especially on Tribal lands,” said a filing posted Wednesday in docket 11-42. The FCC should make more support available “on a temporary basis for purchase of broadband‐capable devices and for additional data needed to access distance learning and other critical services,” the company said. It sought temporary suspension of requiring notification and de‐enrollment for nonusage of no‐charge Lifeline service of the one‐per‐household requirement.

COVID-19 forced cancellation of the June 10-11 CE Week show at New York's Javits Convention Center, said its IFA organizers Wednesday. An executive order Monday from New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) enlisted the Army Corps of Engineers to build a temporary 1,000-bed hospital at Javits.

The COVID-19 pandemic shows the critical need for internet access, said state broadband officials on a Schools, Health and Libraries Broadband Coalition webinar Tuesday. “When we get through this, the silver lining for me will be if we’ve identified where we need broadband, how we’re going to fund that broadband and set a national and state strategic plan to getting there,” said Colorado Broadband Office Director-Federal Broadband Engagement Teresa Ferguson. The coronavirus “has brought home the point many of us have been trying to make for years” that broadband must be a priority, she said: “It is not enough just to fund to the anchor institutions,” but to go “through to the home.” Tennessee “will continue to focus on funding the deployment of infrastructure as well as digital literacy and adoption,” said Department of Economic and Community Development Broadband Director Crystal Ivey. Many states with broadband funding lack dedicated digital literacy support, so Ivey will watch whether the pandemic affects the amount of funding dedicated to increasing adoption, she said. “We’ve known the importance of connectivity for our communities, but as more of us are being asked to stay home from work and school, the issue is being elevated even further.” With so many working at home, broadband’s importance is “really becoming increasingly evident” (see 2002270006), said Pew Broadband Research Initiative Officer Anna Read.

DOJ and the FTC will provide expedited antitrust review and guidance for COVID-19 public health ventures, the agencies announced Tuesday. Businesses may need to combine production to provide resources in the pandemic, the agencies said. Expedited procedures will allow the agencies to respond within seven days to all COVID-19-related requests addressing public health and safety, the agencies said. This quicker turnaround is “designed to provide guidance to businesses concerned about the legality of proposed conduct under the antitrust laws,” the agencies said. The FTC is committed to “doing everything we can to help with these efforts, while continuing to aggressively enforce the antitrust laws,” Chairman Joe Simons said. DOJ said the agencies will hold accountable any entities using the pandemic to engage in antitrust violations, citing price-fixing, bid-rigging and market allocation. The FTC and DOJ also committed to expedite National Cooperative Research and Production Act requests for “flexible treatment of certain standard development organizations and joint ventures.”