Wireless Telecommunications

Verizon will improve its 4G capacity in New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Indiana, and Kentucky thanks to a deal with two companies you've probably never heard of—Spotlight Media and MCG—according to Brian Goemmer from Allnet Insights. Spotlight and MCG are controlled by the family of Michael Gelfand, a Florida doctor with a long history of investing in wireless.

On March 9, 2020,  Senators Roger Wicker (R-MS), John Thune (R-SD), Roy Blunt (R-MO), Fischer (R-NE), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Ron Johnson (R-WI), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), and Todd Young (R-IN) sent a letter to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai expressing concern as to having reliable underlying coverage data used to determine funding eligibility for a 5G fund for rural America. They urged the FCC to focus on ensuring that accurate data is available — including updates to the collection of coverage data as outline in the Broadband DATA Act. 

House Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), Ranking Member Greg Walden (R-OR), and Reps Brett Guthrie (R-KY) and Doris Matsui (D-CA) introduced the “Utilizing Strategic Allied (USA) Telecommunications Act of 2020“ in the House of Representatives. The bill would authorize up to $750 million for a grant program administered by the US Department of Commerce, in consultation with the Federal Communications Commission and other federal agencies, to promote and accelerate the deployment and use of open interfaced, standards-based, and interoperable 5G networks throughout the US.

The Federal Communications Commission issued Orders to Show Cause against four companies that are ultimately subject to the ownership and control of the Chinese government: China Telecom Americas, China Unicom Americas, Pacific Networks, and ComNet. The Orders direct the companies to explain why the FCC should not start the process of revoking their domestic and international section authorizations enabling them to operate in the US.

The Federal Communications Commission adopted a notice of proposed rulemaking seeking comment on the 5G Fund for Rural America. The auction process would be two-phase – and where the controversy comes in relates to which areas would be included in the first phase and when that auction would occur.

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai says the FCC is committed to holding ISPs to their Keep Americans Connected pledge to keep subscribers connected during the COVID-19 pandemic. When asked how the FCC would enforce the pledge, Chairman Pai said he has been personally working with the FCC's Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau to "make sure that providers are following through with the commitments that they made." But the pledge is voluntary, so it's not something the Enforcement Bureau can enforce.

The Federal Communications Commission adopted a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking seeking comment on establishing the 5G Fund for Rural America. The Notice proposes to distribute up to $9 billion through the Universal Service Fund across rural America for 5G wireless broadband connectivity. The 5G Fund would help ensure that rural Americans enjoy the same benefits from our increasingly digital economy as their urban counterparts—more than 200 million of whom already have access to major providers’ 5G networks—and would include a special focus on deployments that support precision agriculture.

According to the latest Verizon Network Report, overall data volume across its networks has increased 19% compared to pre-COVID levels. While data usage remains at elevated levels, the changes in how people are using the network has stabilized. Peak data usage in several categories shows small week to week changes, though peak usage numbers remain high compared to typical pre-Covid-19 levels. In the US, there has been a notable decline in people’s movements during the course of the global pandemic.

5G could help solve the last-mile problem by bringing high-speed internet from the fiber backbone to the home. This hybrid solution could be a more realistic approach to connecting some areas of the country. However, the effort might still remain financially prohibitive for some providers, which might result in the need for the government to step in and subsidize part of the effort.

The Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC) launched a customer service phone line for people who need help locating phone or internet service during the COVID-19 public health emergency.