Upcoming event

COVID-19 and enforced physical distancing has made it clear just how vital digital technologies are to work, commerce, education, and entertainment. The new digital reality is likely to have permanent repercussions for enterprises and society as society relies increasingly on the digital world. Shifts to more online and IT-driven health care, manufacturing, retail, education, and other sectors will only accelerate. What will this mean for existing organizations? Start-ups? Government agencies?

As COVID-19 pandemic rapidly unfolds, the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”), Congress, and states have been active to keep communications services available through various waivers and actions. Kelley Drye’s Communications practice group is tracking these actions and what they mean for communications service providers.

In the scramble to combat COVID-19, a number of worrying initiatives have been proposed, both here and abroad, to fight this virus. This has included geotracking individuals to see if they are complying with social distancing, directing individuals to screening tools that don't have to comply with health privacy laws, and publishing the identities of those who have been infected. While personal data collection and analysis may be necessary to fight the virus, it's important to be conscious of the potential harms that could arise from those uses.

The committee and witnesses will submit written statements, questions, and answers to examine recent uses of aggregate and anonymized consumer data to identify potential hotspots of coronavirus transmission and to help accelerate the development of treatments. The committee will also examine how consumers’ privacy rights are being protected and what the U.S. government plans to do with COVID-related data collected at the end of this national emergency.

 Witnesses:

Presenters:

• Gary Bolton, Vice President Global Marketing, ADTRAN
• Ryan Keel, Vice President - Technical Operations, EPB
• Jon Sallet, Benton Senior Fellow, Benton Institute for Broadband & Society

The coronavirus outbreak has exposed just how wide the digital divide is in the United States. With more than 50 million students at home, many school districts are struggling in their transition to remote learning. Telehealth services are being expanded to help protect front line health workers and avoid patient overloads at hospitals. Hundreds of thousands of workers are being asked to telecommute and conduct business digitally.

The widespread work and school closures that are disrupting daily life and the economy have highlighted how critical it is to have affordable, high-capacity internet connectivity throughout every home. Stay-at-home orders are turning homes into classrooms and offices, with parents and kids sharing available bandwidth on multiple laptops, tablets, and smartphones.

Even homes with gigabit-capable fiber or cable service are discovering that today’s Wi-Fi is constrained in supporting multiple users engaged in video conferencing, streaming video, and other high-bandwidth applications.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, most communities have been asked to restrict their movements and access education, work, socializing, and healthcare online at home. However, more than 20% of households lack a laptop or desktop computer at home or in-home broadband. The percentage climbs for low-income and older adult community members. Join the National League of Cities and the National Digital Inclusion Alliance to learn what steps local leaders can take right now to help low-income and vulnerable families access broadband connections and devices to get online during the crisis.