The coronavirus demands swift and decisive action. We know that more Americans than ever before will need internet access for work, education, and healthcare. We also know that this crisis will expose hard truths about the scope for the digital divide. That is why today’s pledge by a number of broadband providers is a welcome first step. But we will need to do more to keep the country connected. Here are three things that the FCC can do next: First, we need to get to work to connect schoolchildren. Schools are closing and so many students are being told that their classes are migrating online. We can use our universal service powers to provide hotspots for loan for students whose school doors have closed. We need to act immediately so that no child is offline. Second, we need to get to work on connecting hospitals and patients just as the FCC did in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. The FCC should work with health care providers to ensure connectivity for telehealth services are available for hospitals, doctors, and nurses treating coronavirus patients and those who are quarantined. Third, we need to expand these pledges and make adjustments to FCC programs so that even more Americans can get online during this crisis at little or no cost. Where data caps and overage fees are in place, they need to be lifted and eliminated. But above all, we must act with urgency and use every tool at our disposal during this crisis.

Under pressure from the Federal Communications Commission, Internet service providers pledged to waive late fees and keep customers connected when they miss payments due to the coronavirus pandemic. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai announced that many ISPs signed his "Keep Americans Connected Pledge." But while the pledge prevents disconnections and late fees, Chairman Pai was unwilling or unable to convince ISPs to waive data caps during the pandemic. Pai's announcement said he "also called on broadband providers to relax their data cap policies in appropriate circumstances." But the pledge doesn't include any data-cap promises. AT&T March 12 said it is waiving home-Internet data caps during the pandemic, helping to illustrate a point we've made over the years: that monthly data caps and overage charges are for raising profits and do little, if anything, to manage congestion. But Comcast, the biggest home-Internet provider in the US, hasn't promised to waive data caps during the pandemic

Led by Chairman Pai, the Republican-majority Federal Communications Commission gave up its authority to restrict data caps and other anti-consumer practices in late 2017 when it repealed network neutrality rules and deregulated the broadband industry. That vote also eliminated requirements for ISPs to be more transparent with customers about hidden fees and the consequences of exceeding data caps, and it lifted a ban on "unjust or unreasonable discrimination" in broadband rates, practices, and services. Stripping away these regulations made it harder for the FCC to guarantee affordable broadband. 

Americans rely on high speed broadband in nearly every aspect of their lives and Charter is committed to ensuring our customers maintain reliable access to the online resources and information they want and need. To ease the strain in this challenging time, beginning March 16, Charter commits to the following for 60 days:

• Charter will offer free Spectrum broadband and Wi-Fi access for 60 days to households with K-12 and/or college students who do not already have a Spectrum broadband subscription and at any service level up to 100 Mbps. Installation fees will be waived for new student households.
• Charter will partner with school districts to ensure local communities are aware of these tools to help students learn remotely. Charter will continue to offer Spectrum Internet Assist, high speed broadband program to eligible low-income households delivering speeds of 30 Mbps.
• Charter will open its Wi-Fi hotspots across our footprint for public use.
• Spectrum does not have data caps or hidden fees.

The Federal Communications Commission adopted an Order to fully fund all eligible Rural Health Care Program services for the current funding year with an additional $42.19 million in funding. This action will help ensure that healthcare providers have the resources they need to promote telehealth solutions for patients. The total Rural Health Care Program demand for FY 2019 was $719.48 million, which exceeded the $677.29 million in previously available funding. The Order permits Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) to carry forward additional unused funds from prior years to cover this funding gap and waives the cap on multi-year commitments and upfront payments that would result in unnecessary reductions in support for rural health care providers and their patients absent the action the Commission took March 13. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said, “This is a critically important step that the FCC took today, particularly in light of the coronavirus pandemic. COVID-19 presents serious challenges to healthcare providers, and they need every tool in the toolbox at their disposal, particularly the enhanced connectivity that enables them to provide vital healthcare services to the American public. Today’s Order ensures that rural Americans will have access to the health care services they need.” 

Network reliability and network resiliency are distinct concepts that are inextricably linked. “Network reliability” means that you can rely on the fact that you will have phone service to make and receive phone calls and text messages. As an example, a network can become unreliable from a lack of network maintenance that leads to total degradation, or a lack of preparation to handle technological failure. In California, residents experienced cell phone outages due to both a lack of maintenance and preparation.   “Network resiliency” means that after a network outage, the network revives quickly to allow consumers, including emergency responders, to make phone calls and send text messages. Network resiliency is especially important today as natural disasters are on the rise and extended outages can leave people in total isolation. Network resiliency is crucial so that people can call their loved ones, 911, and other emergency responders without those calls failing. Similarly, it allows for emergency responders to contact one another and blast public safety announcements to their communities.

America is currently facing a serious crisis in network reliability and resiliency. Here are some ideas of what can be done at the state and federal level.

The 10^th Anniversary of the National Broadband Plan offers a chance to reflect on the progress made in the past 10 years and lessons for the future. My focus will be on the progress in addressing the digital divide – increasing the number of Americans with broadband at home. The National Broadband Plan’s guiding principles for broadband adoption still resonate:

• Focus on the barriers to adoption: Successful efforts address multiple barriers to adoption simultaneously.
• Focus on broadband in the home: That is critical to maximizing utilization, without neglecting libraries and other community anchors that offer connectivity.
• Promote connectivity across an entire community: This takes advantage of network effects that arise when people communicate with those nearby.
• Plan for changes in technology: This ensures that community technology programs serve clients with up-to-date technology and applications.

Internationally, we must have a vocal presence at the standards bodies that are defining the rules for 5G. We have been woefully absent and need to make participation a priority. We need to work with our allies to staunch the spread of Huawei and other Chinese companies owned by the state. We need to better communicate what Chinese dominance of 5G means. This is something we have not successfully done, as shown by Britain deciding to allow Huawei into certain elements of the 5G network. As a country, we must rethink our approach to 5G and creatively use all elements of our own national power. This is just the first of many policy challenges that will come in the future. Artificial intelligence, quantum computing, autonomous weapons, machine learning algorithms, and more are on the horizon and will define our future. 5G is just the first of these. Getting it right is vital for our economic and national security.

[Mike Rogers, a former representative from Michigan in Congress, served as chairman of the House Intelligence Committee. He is currently chairman of the group 5G Action Now.]

As the number of reported COVID-19 cases in the US increases and the World Health Organization has classified COVID-19 as a pandemic, the Federal Communications Commission, effective immediately, will no longer allow visitors into our facilities, absent special permission from the Office of Managing Director. No visitor will be granted such permission unless there is a clear operational necessity. This measure will remain in effect for the foreseeable future and is being taken to help protect the health and safety of our employees and mitigate or slow the transmission of COVID-19 within the community.

In addition, as a further step to practice greater social distancing and minimize congregating at the workplace and on mass transit, the FCC has advised employees that unless it is absolutely necessary for them to work from the office because they cannot otherwise accomplish their work, they should telework beginning March 13 until further notice. We take these steps while continuing to conduct the regular and ongoing work of the FCC and encourage parties with business before the Commission to work with Commission staff to schedule necessary meetings by teleconference. These measures will help to provide for the orderly conduct of Government business, while protecting FCC staff and outside parties.