Dozens of ISPs of all sizes agreed to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai's suggestion the industry not take adverse action against customers for the next two months amid the coronavirus pandemic, he announced Friday morning. Those companies won't terminate service to any residential or small-business customers because of inability to pay due to such disruptions; will waive any related late fees; and will open their Wi-Fi hot spots to anyone. Pai is also seeking that the providers make other changes, including related to bandwidth caps.

USTelecom proposed an FCC robocall mitigation framework (see 2002240049) incorporating voice traffic not yet covered by current mitigation strategies, such as enterprise and TDM traffic, and a way to act against voice service providers with deficient robocall mitigation programs. A newer robocall law recognizes that the secure telephone identity revisited standards and signature-based handling of asserted information using tokens "call authentication framework is a set of protocols developed for IP voice traffic," USTelecom said in filing posted Monday on docket 17-59. "Equivalent protocols for non-IP voice traffic do not presently exist. Likewise, the authentication of enterprise calls remains a subject of ongoing development work." Incompas and members Bandwidth, BT, Microsoft and TelNet met Wednesday with staff from the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau, asking them to publicly identify what they consider reasonable factors for opt-out call-blocking measures. "Call blocking in a highly complex communications environment carries a high risk of unintended consequences, including the possibility that lawful traffic may be inadvertently intercepted," Incompas filed. It wants more guidance to help prevent false positives. Commissioners will vote at their March 31 meeting on mandating Stir/Shaken (see 2003090050).

DOJ Antitrust Division Competition Policy Section Chief David Lawrence noted the FCC cited “remarkable efficiencies” in T-Mobile’s proposed purchase of Sprint as among the reasons the commission approved the deal in October (see 1910160058), speaking at a Tuesday Incompas event (see 2003030064). Lawrence temporarily transferred to the commission as head of its T-Mobile/Sprint Transaction Task Force (see 1806270068). FCC engineers found “real complementarities between” the T-Mobile and Sprint networks, and the commission’s order approving the deal requires the two carriers to build out their combined network “to a tremendous swath of the country,” Lawrence said. He wouldn’t discuss DOJ’s separate review of T-Mobile/Sprint, saying the agencies’ merger reviews are usually very similar and “tend to be very long” and “very thorough.” Lawrence noted a belief that good antitrust policy “puts competition in control.” That approach is especially important to the telecom sector because it’s now “really at the heart” of the U.S. economy, he said. It's "the goose that lays the golden eggs,” with 5G now poised to “be the next golden egg,” Lawrence said. U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero ruled last month against states’ challenge to T-Mobile/Sprint (see 2002110026). The California Public Utilities Commission will vote on the deal April 16 (see 2002240053).

DOJ Antitrust Division Competition Policy Section Chief David Lawrence noted the FCC cited “remarkable efficiencies” in T-Mobile’s proposed purchase of Sprint as among the reasons the commission approved the deal in October (see 1910160058), speaking at a Tuesday Incompas event (see 2003030064). Lawrence temporarily transferred to the commission as head of its T-Mobile/Sprint Transaction Task Force (see 1806270068). FCC engineers found “real complementarities between” the T-Mobile and Sprint networks, and the commission’s order approving the deal requires the two carriers to build out their combined network “to a tremendous swath of the country,” Lawrence said. He wouldn’t discuss DOJ’s separate review of T-Mobile/Sprint, saying the agencies’ merger reviews are usually very similar and “tend to be very long” and “very thorough.” Lawrence noted a belief that good antitrust policy “puts competition in control.” That approach is especially important to the telecom sector because it’s now “really at the heart” of the U.S. economy, he said. It's "the goose that lays the golden eggs,” with 5G now poised to “be the next golden egg,” Lawrence said. U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero ruled last month against states’ challenge to T-Mobile/Sprint (see 2002110026). The California Public Utilities Commission will vote on the deal April 16 (see 2002240053).

There's a need for a new federal broadband plan, with different metrics and tasked outside the FCC, panelists said Tuesday during the Incompas Policy Summit. They commented on the 10-year-old FCC National Broadband Plan.

There's a need for a new federal broadband plan, with different metrics and tasked outside the FCC, panelists said Tuesday during the Incompas Policy Summit. They commented on the 10-year-old FCC National Broadband Plan.

House Commerce Committee ranking member Greg Walden, R-Ore., expressed some doubt about reaching a deal on legislation to allocate proceeds of a coming FCC auction of spectrum of the 3.7-4.2 GHz C band (see 2002070044), amid ongoing talks with committee Democrats. Senate Appropriations Financial Services Subcommittee Chairman John Kennedy, R-La., finalized plans for a hearing on his concerns with the FCC’s plan for the C-band auction.

The consortium selected to manage industry efforts to trace illegal robocalls to comply with the Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence Act "should enable the participation of a diverse range of voice service providers in the tracebacks that it conducts and allow the participation of any and all providers that are identified in the call path of a traceback," USTelecom told the FCC. Comments were posted through Tuesday in docket 20-22. The agency opened a rulemaking this month (see 2002060038). NCTA wants the consortium to create an executive committee represented by different industry sectors "given an equal voice in the management." The cable group wants budget transparency if fees are collected. It asked whether a traceback group must be independent from a single association. Incompas wants the FCC to spell out how it will evaluate a registrant's claim of neutrality, and it wants to know what criteria the agency will use to select a single consortium for the private-led traceback efforts. Incompas suggested the North American Numbering Council advise the FCC here. The FCC also got comments this week on technical requirements for a reassigned numbers database (see 2002250062).

The consortium selected to manage industry efforts to trace illegal robocalls to comply with the Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence Act "should enable the participation of a diverse range of voice service providers in the tracebacks that it conducts and allow the participation of any and all providers that are identified in the call path of a traceback," USTelecom told the FCC. Comments were posted through Tuesday in docket 20-22. The agency opened a rulemaking this month (see 2002060038). NCTA wants the consortium to create an executive committee represented by different industry sectors "given an equal voice in the management." The cable group wants budget transparency if fees are collected. It asked whether a traceback group must be independent from a single association. Incompas wants the FCC to spell out how it will evaluate a registrant's claim of neutrality, and it wants to know what criteria the agency will use to select a single consortium for the private-led traceback efforts. Incompas suggested the North American Numbering Council advise the FCC here. The FCC also got comments this week on technical requirements for a reassigned numbers database (see 2002250062).

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai released a compilation of comments Wednesday supporting his proposal for converting 280 MHz of C band spectrum to 5G through an auction later this year. Whether the order will include aggregation limits is emerging as a key issue on the eighth floor at the FCC. FCC Democrats Jessica Rosenworcel and Geoffrey Starks both appear to favor some limits, while Commissioner Mike O’Rielly is a hard no, industry and FCC officials told us.