Future of work spending will be nearly $656 billion this year, up 17% over 2020, as technologies including cloud and mobile computing transition the work model toward human-machine collaboration, said IDC Wednesday. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated a shift toward a work environment “un-bounded by time or physical space,” it said. Organizations need to invest in technologies and services that support automation, human-machine collaboration, new organizational structures and leadership styles, dynamic learning opportunities and a reimagined, digital workplace, said analyst Holly Muscolino. The largest area of investment in 2021 will be $228 billion in hardware, for endpoint devices, enterprise hardware, infrastructure as a service, robotics and drones, said the researcher. More than $13 billion will be spent on services, including business, information technology and connectivity, it said. Software, including analytics and AI, will have the fastest spending growth, with a compound annual growth rate of 21% over the 2020-2024 forecast period.

The FCC’s alert reporting system (ARS) is open for the filing of state emergency alert system (EAS) plans, says Thursday’s Federal Register. Electronic submission of state EAS plans using the ARS will be required by July 1, 2022, the FR said.

Video programming distributors are required to make televised emergency information accessible to those with disabilities, said a reminder public notice from the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau Wednesday in docket 12-107. “In 2020, in addition to the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States experienced a record-breaking hurricane season and a series of devastating wildfires,” said the PN. The FCC “will continue to monitor complaints alleging violations of the emergency information rules and will review them for possible enforcement action,” the PN said.

Ronan Dunne, CEO of Verizon Consumer Group, and Tracfone CEO Eduardo Diaz Corona spoke with FCC acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel on Verizon’s proposed buy of the low-cost carrier. “Verizon is firmly committed to TracFone’s Lifeline business and the consumers it serves,” said a filing posted Wednesday in docket 21-112. The “Transaction is in the public interest, because a combined Verizon and TracFone will better serve existing and potential TracFone customers and inject further competition into the prepaid segment for value-conscious customers,” the companies said: Verizon is “eager to grow TracFone and emerge as a competitive force in the prepaid sector,” with “new, compelling offerings -- for example, 5G devices and services -- at prices that a standalone TracFone cannot offer.” The executives said Tracfone will have lower costs as part of Verizon’s network “allowing it to leverage owner’s economics, just as T-Mobile’s Metro and AT&T’s Cricket do today.” An FCC decision is expected later this year (see 2104050029).

A displacement application from Venture Technologies for its low-power television station KMRZ-LD Los Angeles “is based on an almost unfathomable misunderstanding” of the use of private land mobile radio (PLMR) entities in Los Angeles and “must be denied,” said Enterprise Wireless Alliance in an undocketed informal objection Tuesday. The application says no operating land mobile radio stations are on the channel sought by KMRZ, but EWA said the FCC's universal licensing system database identifies “hundreds of PLMR facilities” authorized to operate on that channel within 130 km of Los Angeles: “The Application is not immediately or, in EWA’s opinion, ever grantable.” Venture didn’t comment.

The FCC should update the rules on protecting TV stations from interference by land mobile systems to reflect the shift to digital television, said the Land Mobile Communications Council in an undocketed petition for rulemaking filed Friday. The rules on those protections are still based on analog broadcasting, the LMCC said. “Updated rules will maximize the interference-free use of this important band by both television stations and land mobile systems, consistent with the more advanced technologies that have been implemented by these licensees.” The shift to digital “warrants a different technical analysis to ensure continued interference-free operation.”

The FCC, NTIA and the Department of Agriculture agreed to "share information about and coordinate the distribution of federal broadband deployment funds," said the FCC Friday. They will consult and share information about funding distribution from FCC high-cost programs, Rural Utilities Services programs and NTIA-administered programs. The agencies will share information about areas served, speeds and technology, and whether an area gets funds through a program. "We’ll be better able to meet our shared goal of getting 100% of Americans connected," said FCC acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said this "lays important groundwork for collaboration between agencies to ensure the federal government’s efforts to expand broadband access are as effective and efficient as possible."

The FCC unanimously approved 911 fee diversion rules, as expected (see 2106210022). They largely mirror statutory language in the Don’t Break Up the T-Band Act of 2020, and are “reasonably broad given the diverse and evolving nature of the 911 ecosystem.” Rules take effect 60 days after Federal Register publication and fee report data collection compliance takes effect after OMB OK. The commission defined a 911 levy Friday as “a fee or charge applicable to commercial mobile services, IP-enabled voice services, or other emergency communications services specifically designated by a state or taxing jurisdiction for the support or implementation of 911 services.” The definition included multipurpose fees that support “public safety, emergency services, or similar purposes.” Replacement of 911 systems is OK. Diversion is what's used to support a political subdivision or other non-911 related purposes. Examples include “equipment or infrastructure for constructing or expanding non-public safety communications networks” and transferring money to a general fund. States will be held responsible for local jurisdictions that divert fees. The 911 strike force will consider and provide recommendations on what types of radio expenditures constitute diversion. The rules establish a procedure for jurisdictions to petition the Public Safety Bureau for determination an expenditure should be treated as acceptable. The jurisdiction must demonstrate this supports public safety answering point functions or directly affects a PSAP's ability to “receive or respond to 911 calls.” The FCC clarified that “only employees of a diverting jurisdiction” are ineligible to participate on advisory committees. Representatives of non-diverting localities within a diverting state remain eligible. An individual employed by a diverting jurisdiction may still serve on an advisory committee as a representative of a public safety organization or association. The FCC “took a big step towards eliminating the unacceptable practice of 911 fee diversion,” said CTIA Vice President-Regulatory Affairs Matt Gerst. The new rules “provide much-needed clarity on what does and does not constitute 911 fee diversion, which is essential as the stakes for diversion are raised with the potential federal NG-911 transition funding,” emailed National Emergency Number Association Director-Government Affairs Dan Henry. “To the extent that edge cases remain in certain states’ fee models, the 911 community will have to be proactive in seeking determinations from the Commission.”

The FTC plans a virtual open meeting Thursday at noon EDT, Chair Lina Khan announced Thursday. It will be the first in a series of monthly public meetings. Commissioners are expected to vote on whether to finalize the made in the USA rule, streamline “procedures for Section 18 rules prohibiting unfair or deceptive acts or practices,” and rescind a policy statement issued in relation to FTC Act Section 5 in 2015 “to better align with the requirements set out by Congress to condemn ‘unfair methods of competition.’” Commissioners will also vote on “a series of resolutions that will streamline investigations by Commission staff into specific industries or specific conduct.” The resolutions would allow “ongoing authority for a single Commissioner to approve the use of compulsory process in those investigations.” The meeting is open to public comment, with registration and comment submissions due 9 a.m. EDT June 25.

Current and future FCC registration number (FRN) registrants must give the agency a valid email address, said an order from the full commission in Wednesday’s Daily Digest (see 2106150043). The change will let the agency remove access to the legacy commission registration system (Cores) from the FCC’s website at a later date and maintain only the modernized version, the order said. After the rule change takes effect, the Office of Managing Director will announce an end date to legacy Cores, then determine how to bring FRN users without associated email addresses into compliance. “Users do not need to wait for legacy CORES to be retired or for the rule change announced here to go into effect” to begin using the system with a valid email address, the order said.