Today's Regulatory Mix:  FCC and FTC Commissioners Postpone 5G Hearing, California Publishes Second Set of Modifications to CCPA Regulations, USDA ReConnect Application Deadline Extended

FCC and FTC Commissioners Postpone 5G Hearing Due to COVID-19

In a press release, the FCC and FTC Commissioners announced that they are postponing their field hearing on 5G technology and big data, which was scheduled to take place on Monday, March 16, at Wayne State University Law School in Detroit, Michigan, because of the danger posed to travelers and field hearing attendees by the novel coronavirus, COVID-19.

“Out of an abundance of caution, we believe that the best course of action for this field hearing is to postpone the event.  I am thankful for all the contributions of Congresswoman Brenda Lawrence, Wayne State University, the larger Detroit community, and our witnesses,” said Commissioner Starks.  “One of the great joys of my job as an FCC Commissioner is getting outside of Washington and hearing from the American people about their concerns.  The events that have unfolded over the last few weeks are a reminder that the intersecting conversations about internet inequality, privacy, and artificial intelligence are more important than ever.” 

“We are disappointed to postpone this event, but we remain committed to holding a Field Hearing in Detroit on these novel civil rights issues, and will reschedule this exciting event for the fall,” said Commissioner Slaughter.  “The fact that school and worksite closures will disproportionately harm vulnerable communities in the coming months will underscore the urgency of tackling these questions.”     

See the Regulatory Mix dated 2/28/2020.  

California Publishes Second Set of Modifications to CCPA Regulations 

In a notice, the California Department of Justice (Department) released a second set of modifications to its proposed California Consumer Privacy Act Regulations (CCPA) regulations.  This Notice, the text of the second set of modifications to the proposed regulations, and comparison of the text as originally proposed with both the first and second set of modifications reflected are available here.  The originally proposed regulations and all documents relating to the first set of modifications to the proposed text are also available at this website.  The Department will accept written comments regarding the proposed changes until March 27, 2020. 

See the Regulatory Mix dated 10/11/19 and 2/11/2020.  

USDA ReConnect Application Deadline Extended 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that USDA has extended the deadline or ReConnect Pilot Program applications to March 31.  Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development Bette Brand said: “By extending the ReConnect Program application deadline, we are helping even more qualified organizations access the essential funding to make high-speed broadband connectivity a reality for rural communities across America.  Under the leadership of President Trump and Agriculture Secretary Perdue, USDA has made deploying this critical infrastructure in rural America a top-priority, because when rural America thrives, all of America thrives.” 

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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.