The FCC has adopted rules to implement Round 2 of the COVID-19 Telehealth Program, making available almost $250 million in new funding for pandemic-related telehealth initiatives by nonprofit healthcare providers....more
Foreign ownership of US wireless telecommunications and broadcast entities is capped at 25%, absent approval from the Federal Communications Commission. In recent years, the FCC has formalized its review of foreign ownership...more
The rules proposed by the US Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration in its recent petition for rulemaking asking the Federal Communications Commission to interpret Section 230 of...more
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has adopted its bidding plans for the next 5G auction, Auction 107. Auction 107 will offer 5,684 licenses in the 3.7 – 3.98 GHz band, part of what is known as the C-band. This...more
In a petition for rulemaking filed on July 27, the US Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration has asked the Federal Communications Commission to adopt new rules interpreting Section...more
At a Cooley virtual town hall last week, former FCC Commissioner Robert McDowell, co-chair of Cooley’s global communications practice, talked to Representative Greg Walden (OR-2) about a range of legislative and regulatory...more
In a widely anticipated decision in Barr v. American Association of Political Consultants, the US Supreme Court determined that an exception to the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) that allowed robocalls to mobile...more
7/13/2020
/ ATDS ,
Auto-Dialed Calls ,
Barr v American Association of Political Consultants Inc ,
Cell Phones ,
Compelling Governmental Interest ,
Constitutional Challenges ,
Content-Based Restrictions ,
Debt Collection ,
Exceptions ,
Federal Bans ,
First Amendment ,
Free Speech ,
Government Debt-Exception ,
Robocalling ,
SCOTUS ,
Severability Doctrine ,
Strict Scrutiny Standard ,
TCPA
The Federal Communications Commission has announced that, in light of the COVID-19 emergency, it will defer substantive changes in the form used by schools and libraries to solicit bids for services under the federal...more
At a Cooley virtual town hall earlier today, former FCC Commissioner Robert McDowell, co-chair of Cooley’s global communications practice, interviewed FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr in a wide-ranging discussion that touched on...more
The Federal Communications Commission and the US Department of Homeland Security's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency have sent a joint letter urging the country's governors and the mayor of Washington, DC, to...more
In light of issues raised by the COVID-19 emergency, the Federal Communications Commission has waived its rules to permit GE Healthcare to market, import and sell medical devices before those devices have completed its...more
The Federal Communications Commission has released an order making it easier for broadcasters and cable operators to rehire employees laid off as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. ...more
The FCC's application portal for the COVID-19 Telehealth Program is open as of noon on Monday, April 13. Services and devices purchased on or after March 13, 2020 will be eligible for support. While the COVID-19 program will...more
The FCC has released a public notice providing initial guidance for healthcare providers that intend to apply for funding from the FCC's $200 million COVID-19 Telehealth Program. Although the application window has not been...more
The Federal Communications Commission and Federal Trade Commission sent joint letters to three companies that provide voice over IP "gateway" service, which is used to connect voice over IP calls to the US telephone network....more
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has released an order implementing the CARES Act appropriation of $200 million for telehealth through a new program called the COVID-19 Telehealth Program and adopting a new...more
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the FCC has issued a second order waiving additional universal service rules to assist entities that participate in its Rural Health Care Program. The new order extends the filing...more
While focused on broader efforts to shore up the economy, the CARES Act contains several provisions specifically of interest to telecommunications providers, including $375 million in new funding for...more
The FCC has issued public notices announcing it has postponed two spectrum auctions and the comment deadlines in four proceedings in response to COVID-19. These are the auctions and deadlines that have been postponed...more
The FCC released a public notice announcing that schools and libraries that purchase discounted internet access service under the federal Schools and Libraries Universal Service program can make their Wi-Fi networks available...more
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the FCC has issued two orders waiving rules in its universal service program to ensure continuity of service to low-income families and to facilitate expansion of service to schools,...more
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the FCC has issued a narrow order exempting healthcare providers and certain government entities from the prohibitions on autodialed and prerecorded telephone calls and automated text...more
The FCC launched a new website to educate businesses and consumers about phone scammers that are using the COVID-19 pandemic as an opportunity to take advantage of vulnerable populations....more
The FCC's 2020 auction calendar is already full with three significant auctions scheduled before the end of the year. These auctions will unlock prime spectrum for 5G and other advanced spectrum services and help connect...more
The FCC has released a draft order and auction procedures for a December 8 auction of C-band spectrum. C-band spectrum is now used by satellite companies and will be reclaimed for use by wireless providers. If adopted at the...more