Coronavirus and Connectivity

Through our Headlines news service, Benton is tracking the role of broadband in the response to coronavirus (COVID-19). Click on titles below for full summaries of articles and links to sources.

Newly Unemployed Need Lifeline

Over 10 million newly-unemployed Americans are being urged if not ordered to shelter in place for their own health and that of their communities. A broadband connection makes it possible for their children to continue to learn, for workers to look for new jobs, and for families to connect with doctors and loved ones. Fortunately, the Federal Communications Commission has a tool that can keep these people connected, the Lifeline program.

Commissioner Rosenworcel on Weekly Jobless Report Showing 6.6 Million New Unemployment Claims

Today’s announcement is a sad indication of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the country’s economy and on the livelihood of so many people that find themselves newly out of work. As the coronavirus places new strains on our economy and households across the country, we need to make sure that no one is left behind when it comes to communications. Now is the time to see how we can modernize our Lifeline program and extend its reach to so many in need. This includes the millions of recently unemployed, seniors, and others at risk at this difficult time.

Federal broadband stimulus should be guided by state experience

Federal funding and expertise are necessary to achieving universal connectivity, but every level of government has a role to play in bridging the digital divide — especially for completing the “last mile,” the part of the network that connects a local internet provider to residences and small businesses.

Prison Phone Providers Seek Fee Waiver on Calls Amid Coronavirus

As prisoners increase their reliance on phone visits during the new coronavirus, telecommunications companies are asking the Federal Communications Commission to waive a fee on inmates’ interstate and international calls. The push by Securus Technologies LLC and Network Communications International Corp. highlights a years-long policy debate at the FCC over how to rein in prison call rates. The phone providers must pay a fee equal to 20% of revenue from every interstate and international prison call to the FCC’s Universal Service Fund.

Enhanced Wireless Emergency Alerts Available for Coronavirus Pandemic

The Federal Communications Commission's Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau (PSHSB) reminds authorized alert originators, including state and local governments, that the Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) system is available as a tool to provide life-saving information to the public during the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic. In recent years, the Federal Communications Commission, together with the Federal Emergency

Senators Markey, Van Hollen, Bennet, and Schatz Lead Colleagues in Renewed Push to Ensure All Students Can Continue Education Online During Coronavirus Pandemic

Sens Ed Markey (D-MA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Michael Bennet (D-CO), and Brian Schatz (D-HI) led 31 of their colleagues in a letter to House and Senate leadership requesting robust funding for all K-12 students to have adequate home internet connectivity if their schools close due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The Senators expressed their disappointment with the lack of such funding in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act that recently passed Congress, despite their repeated call for resources dedicated to distance learning.

Lawmakers look to infrastructure spending to help economy recover from coronavirus

Leaders in Washington signaled that they are looking to steer more money to infrastructure projects as a way to help the economy recover from the damage the virus has wrought. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and key lieutenants pitched an existing five-year, $760 billion infrastructure investment plan as a recovery proposal.

FCC Provides Relief That Enables Rural Broadband And Phone Providers To Immediately Waive Consumer Fees

The Federal Communications Commission paved the way for hundreds of rural phone and broadband providers to waive fees that would otherwise be incurred by customers experiencing economic challenges as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

House Committee Chairs Request Extension of Public Comment Periods During Coronavirus National Emergency

Fourteen House Committee Chairs sent a letter to Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Acting Director Russell Vought requesting an immediate extension of public comment periods, hearings and meetings due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The House Committee leaders asked that OMB direct agencies to extend public comment periods by at least 45 days beyond the end of the declared national emerg

Telehealth Gets Whole New Boost From CMS

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will pay for a wider range of telemedicine services during the coronavirus pandemic including remote patient monitoring for both chronic and acute conditions, not just related to coronavirus treatment, and allowing doctors to collect Medicare payments for making phone calls to patients. CMS previously required that consultations have both audio and visual elements. Some medical groups had pushed the agency to remove that requirement, arguing that some sessions can easily be conducted over the phone.