Today's Regulatory Mix: FTC Releases Agenda for PrivacyCon 2020, FCC's Pai Asks for Response on 5G Strategy, FCC Approves 13th Set of COVID-19 Telehealth Program Applications

FTC Releases Agenda for PrivacyCon 2020

The FTC has released the final agenda for its fifth annual PrivacyCon event, which will be held online on July 21, 2020.  PrivacyCon 2020 will bring together a diverse group of stakeholders to discuss the latest research and trends related to consumer privacy and data security.

Andrew Smith, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, will give opening remarks to kick off the event and will be followed by six panel discussions.  The three morning sessions will focus on research related to health apps, artificial intelligence, and Internet of Things devices.  The three afternoon sessions will feature discussions on research related to the privacy and security of specific technologies such as digital cameras and virtual assistants, international privacy, and miscellaneous privacy and security issues.

FCC’S Pai Asks for Response on 5G Strategy

Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO) has asked FCC Chairman Ajit Pai to answer criticisms from a report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) criticizing the FCC’s strategy for deploying 5G mobile networks. The GAO specifically criticized the FCC for failing to establish a coherent, measurable strategy for reallocating mid-band spectrum, which is vital given its favorable attributes for 5G, and for not taking adequate steps to ensure that 5G deployment does not exacerbate the digital divide.  Bennet asks for a response to the following questions by July 31, 2020:

• Will you follow GAO’s recommendation to “develop, in coordination with NTIA and other relevant stakeholders, specific and measurable performance goals – with related strategies and measures – to manage spectrum demands associated with 5G deployment”? If so, what will your timeframe be to do so? 
• Will you follow GAO’s recommendation to “develop specific and measurable performance goals – with related strategies and measures – to determine the effects of 5G deployment and any mitigating actions may have on the digital divide”? If so, what will your timeframe be to do so?
• What actions would you recommend Congress take, if any, to strengthen strategic coordination across the executive branch to help deploy secure and reliable 5G networks nationwide? 

“I am concerned about the Government Accountability Office’s recent report about the Federal Communications Commission’s inadequate strategic planning to deploy 5G mobile communications networks nationwide,” said Bennet. “The emergence of 5G networks presents vast opportunities for America’s economic competitiveness and global leadership…Unlocking its potential – and ensuring its gains are distributed evenly across the United States – only becomes more urgent as communities nationwide struggle to recover from a historic economic downturn and maintain social distancing to combat the pandemic.” 

FCC Approves 13th Set of COVID-19 Telehealth Program Applications

The FCC announced it approved an additional 70 funding applications for the COVID-19 Telehealth Program. Health care providers in both urban and rural areas of the country will use this $31.63 million in funding to provide telehealth services during the coronavirus pandemic.

To date, the FCC’s COVID-19 Telehealth Program, which was authorized by the CARES Act, has approved 514 funding applications in 46 states plus Washington, D.C. for a total of $189.27 million in funding.

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The Regulatory Mix, Inteserra’s blog of telecom related regulatory activities, is a snapshot of PUC, FCC, legislative, and occasionally court issues that our regulatory monitoring team uncovers each day. Depending on their significance, some items may be the subject of an Inteserra Briefing.