About 17,000 AT&T landline workers in California and Nevada walked off​ the job Wednesday after contract negotiations apparently broke down. The company showed “disrespect to the bargaining process by changing the work assignments of workers without bargaining as required by federal law,” Communications Workers of America said in a news release. “AT&T reneged on an agreement to resolve the dispute without any explanation.” Striking workers picketed call centers in California and Nevada, and CWA filed an unfair labor allegation with the National Labor Relations Board, the union said. Workers are protesting a recent AT&T practice of shifting the duties of the higher-paid systems technician to the lower-paid premises technician without appropriate compensation, said Rob Pais, an AT&T technician for 18 years and a local CWA leader. Earlier this week, workers in Escondido, California, went on a grievance strike about that issue and now all 17,000 workers in California and Nevada joined in support, Pais said in an interview Wednesday. “My family depends on this job,” he said. “We’re on strike because the company is not bargaining with us in good faith on our contract.” Pais said he long had good wages, but the company moved in “the wrong direction.” Workers are prepared to strike “until we get a fair contract, no matter what it takes,” he said. The telco is in talks with the union to get employees back to work soon, a said. “A walkout is not in anybody’s best interest, and it’s unfortunate that the union chose to do that.” AT&T is “very prepared to continue serving customers,” he said. “We’re a customer service company and we plan for all contingencies, whether related to weather, natural disasters, work stoppages or any other factors.” Workers voted in December to authorize a strike, and nearly 80 elected officials supported the union workers last week (see 1703140034). Last month, AT&T wireless workers threatened a separate strike in 36 states (see 1702090054).

FCC staff are required under Chairman Ajit Pai to share information with all commissioners, not just the chairman, Commissioner Mike O’Rielly said in a blog post Wednesday. That’s in contrast to under Chairman Tom Wheeler, said O’Rielly, who also appeared to refer to Wheeler as “Brutus Buckeye,” the Ohio State University mascot. Wheeler is an alumnus of Ohio State and a vocal fan of its athletic teams. “In too many conversations, some of the most knowledgeable people in the building seemed to be under direction not to share certain information or answer certain questions,” O’Rielly said. “Sometimes I would get a wry smile, other times it was a blank stare, and occasionally there was a more honest response that the information wouldn’t be forthcoming. Frustrating indeed.” One of Pai’s “most welcomed” process reforms has been a directive that “all staff will not withhold information requested by Commissioners or fail to share information that is pertinent to the many matters before us,” O’Rielly said. The previous commission's priorities shouldn’t be the priorities of this one, he said, describing the policy as “deleting Brutus Buckeye from our memory banks.” O’Rielly’s office didn’t comment on whether the mascot’s name was a reference to Wheeler, and Wheeler declined to comment on the blog post.

District of Columbia Courts warned that some D.C.-area residents are getting robocalls, asking them to pay money they owe on a court matter. “What differentiates these calls from other scams is that the caller ID system has been manipulated and shows a DC Court-issued telephone number on the caller ID display,” said a warning message. “The District of Columbia Courts never solicit payments through telephone. All official court correspondence is processed through the U.S. Postal Service. Do not respond to these telephone calls.” FCC members are to vote on a draft NPRM and notice of inquiry on fighting robocalls at their meeting Thursday (see 1703020063). Commissioner Mignon Clyburn tweeted Tuesday: “Latest phone scam targeting @DC_Courts shows why @FCC action to target and eliminate unlawful #robocalls is critical."

Higher Ground (HG) doesn't understand possible interference issues arising from its planned satellite earth station network for various broadband applications, with its "deficiencies in the relevant physics and engineering" putting fixed services (FS) at risk, said the Fixed Wireless Communications Coalition in an FCC International Bureau filing Tuesday. FWCC said HG's promise to comply with out-of-band emissions limits -- in response to concerns raised about adjacent channel interference -- is "troubling" since those are different problems. The coalition said HG assertions that low signal strength and small likelihood of proximity to an FS station means low risk of adjacent channel interference have no analysis to back them up. It said HG shows deficient technical understanding when it tries to argue there won't be interference from unwanted reflections in the environment. The filing responded to an HG ex parte filing earlier this month on meetings between CEO Rob Reis and International, Wireless, Public Safety and Homeland Security bureau and Office of Engineering & Technology representatives about FCC authorization of its earth stations and the subsequent opposition (see 1702100055). The firm argued the earth station transmit power levels will be a hundredth of point-to-point microwave stations' and that its software will let an earth station transmit only if its emissions are at least 6 dB below thermal noise at an FS receiver in line of sight. The Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association in filings Monday (see here, here and here) said it opposed HG's use of 5925-6425 MHz band, which it said could interfere with 6 GHz microwave paths. HG outside counsel Adam Krinsky of Wilkinson Barker -- echoing language in HG's consolidated opposition to the applications for review filed by FWCC, Enterprise Wireless Alliance, Utilities Technology Council and APCO -- emailed us Tuesday that the FCC, after more than 18 months of dialogue with the company and numerous demonstrations, concluded its interference protection regime "provides necessary safeguards against harmful interference and granted Higher Ground’s application. The applications for review are based on ‘what if’ speculation, they don’t provide any technical analysis or support, and they disregard the Order’s finding.” FWCC in a reply Tuesday said the only proof HG's system will prevent interference comes from the firm's statements. With no one ever before having done unilateral coordination of mobile transmitters among fixed receivers, "the stakes here warrant the Commission asking for more in the way of assurance than a further repetition of HG's own claims," FWCC said.

The FCC approach to spectrum interference should take into account the level of sunk investments behind any use of the airwaves, the Phoenix Center says in a paper set to be released Wednesday. “Put bluntly, regulatory policy towards interference concerns should favor those licensees with more ‘skin in the game,’” said co-author and Phoenix Chief Economist George Ford in a news release. “While federal agencies must repurpose spectrum to create value, they also must avoid destroying value through the unartful management of interference.” The FCC must avoid any repurposing of spectrum that doesn’t take into account the significant investments of network operators, the center said. Otherwise, companies will cut their investments and the value of the spectrum will also deteriorate, the center said. “The Center’s model of interference dictates that license holders who have made little or no sunk investment in capital to generate benefits from their license would receive little relief under an optimal rule, but those licensees with substantial sunk network investments would receive expansive treatment by the regulator.” The paper offers as an example the “saga” of LightSquared, since rebranded Ligado. “Ligado has labored for years to repurpose 40 MHz of satellite spectrum for terrestrial mobile broadband use, thereby increasing the spectrum’s market value,” the paper said. “However, Ligado’s proposal has been held up by serious and ongoing interference concerns.” Ligado "will review today’s report closely, but at first glance, it does not appear to contain any new or updated information,” an official said. “We have demonstrated that we are committed to working collaboratively with all stakeholders. ... We are confident that our planned satellite and ground-based network can peacefully co-exist with our spectrum neighbors.”

FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn said Tuesday she's still reviewing the draft order and Further NPRM on contraband cellphones in correctional facilities that is slated for a vote at Thursday's commissioner's meeting. Clyburn, a former state regulator in South Carolina, said she met with a top correctional official there, plus former Republican Gov. Nikki Haley, about the problem. “I want to make sure that whatever managed system that we have in place is directly targeted to the problems that exist,” Clyburn said. “I lived next door to a community that was adversely impacted when the last system was put in place and it was too broad and it disrupted home services in a neighboring community. This is a community where my parents live -- that is not so far from them. I would not want them or anybody else in a community to be adversely impacted by any item. So I will, again, read this for a second and third time.” Clyburn said security protocols and public safety are very important to her. “We also have to keep in mind that the safety of the surrounding communities and the integrity of their phone systems are vital, too,” she said. Clyburn said she's sympathetic to arguments that prisoners and their families shouldn't have to bear the costs of systems set up to keep the devices out of correctional facilities (see 1703130062). “I do not think it would be fair for the families who are seeking rate justice to be unfairly financially burdened,” she said. “If the costs are proportional to that particular class, then we can have a conversation. But they should not, I don’t believe, compensate for overarching security protocols if indeed that cannot be directly shown to be appropriate for inmate calling.” Clyburn said some contraband cellphones have been used to facilitate crimes, but that shouldn’t drive up the cost of calling to and from correctional facilities. Clyburn spoke to reporters after speaking at a Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council Lifeline event (see 1703210045).

The FCC should issue a policy statement aimed at improving deal reviews, Free State Foundation President Randolph May wrote Monday. Congressional action is needed to provide a "full measure of reform," he said, but the commission could advance the ball by issuing a policy statement that makes at least two commitments: to complete transaction reviews in timely fashion -- within 180 days "except in exceptional circumstances" -- and to refrain from imposing conditions "unless they are narrowly tailored to address harms uniquely presented" by a deal.

Facebook's efforts to combat fake news seem to be working, but several journalists said they would like to see the company publish data that shows its efforts are working. "My understanding is [the efforts are] having the desired effect, but until and unless Facebook publishes these numbers, it's hard to tell," said Alexios Mantzarlis, who leads Poynter's International Fact-Checking Network, during a Society of American Business Editors and Writers webinar on Monday fake news. Facebook, which has gotten the most attention on this issue, launched measures to fight fake news on its site (see 1611210002, 1612150035 and 1701310068). BuzzFeed News media editor Craig Silverman said the measures Facebook and Google are using could be deterring people trying to publish fake content to make money, but he would like to see some data. He defined fake news as having three components: it's completely false, created by someone who knows it's false, and done with an economic motive, whereas propaganda is typically ideologically driven. Fake news has become more prevalent in part because it's easy to launch a website and get ads, he said. Rather than take time to build an audience or niche, "if they just make stuff up and tell people what they want to hear, you can actually earn a decent amount of money," he said. Social networks, media and schools will all need to fight fake news, said Mantzarlis. He said he thinks the internet then will have more context and it will "easier to differentiate between types of information in a way that our news feed and Google searches do not really allow us to do." The Associated Press' Amy Westfeldt said AP ramped up fact checking of disputed stories and writing stories about the financial motivation of fake news and automated ads.

Consumer privacy and security issues for connected and self-driving cars will be the focus of a June 28 workshop by the FTC and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, said the commission in Monday news release. The event will discuss: data collection, storage, transmission, and sharing and the benefits and risks associated with it; privacy and security practices of automakers; the role of government agencies in this area; and self-regulation that might apply. Acting FTC Chairman Maureen Ohlhausen will provide opening remarks. The event will be at 400 7th St. SW and be webcast live.

AT&T urged the FCC to make permanent a waiver it gave Jewish community centers and carriers serving them so law enforcement authorities can trace threatening calls. The Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau provided an emergency temporary waiver March 3 of a rule "prohibiting terminating carriers from passing the calling party number (CPN) to the called party where a privacy request has been made by the caller," and it sought comment on making it permanent (see 1703030062). "Permanent waiver of Rule 64.1601(b) prohibiting the overriding of the caller ID privacy indicator is clearly necessary to protect the JCCs in light of the recent threats" described by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., "and is fully justified by the Commission’s rules and precedent," said AT&T comments posted Monday in docket 91-281. The telco said bureau conditions on the emergency waiver "protect any legitimate" caller privacy expectations "by preventing the disclosure of CPN information to unauthorized personnel." TDR Technology Solutions commented that recent threats to JCCs highlighted a continuing issue, and said it would prefer the FCC include all religious organizations and all schools. Because it can ensure privacy safeguards are met on only systems it manages, TDR asked that all New York State school districts be included in the waiver.