The FCC heard of efforts to provide broadband access to veterans, with NTCA and Verizon stressing importance of rural service, and Lifeline providers citing the low-income subsidy program. Comments were posted Friday and Monday in docket 18-275 on a public notice seeking input on a Ray Baum's Act report due next year. Comcast said it's "unacceptable" about one-third of low-income veterans lack internet service at home, and only 60 percent own a computer. Through expansion of its Internet Essentials, "an estimated one million low-income veterans will be eligible for the comprehensive broadband adoption program," it said. It urged the FCC to "work closely with other agencies" and veterans services organizations. NTCA said more than 40 percent of the U.S. military comes from rural America and 24 percent of veterans live in rural areas. "Access to broadband-enabled health care and educational resources can enable their greater successes," said the RLEC group, citing its pilot telehealth program for veterans. Verizon urged the FCC to focus on rural broadband needs and deployment, including 5G: "Rural veterans account for a disproportionate share of the [Veterans Affairs Department's] patient population; are significantly older than non-rural veterans (and are therefore more likely to be diagnosed with chronic conditions); and are more likely to live far from medical facilities or specialists." The National Lifeline Association (NaLa) faulted the PN not mentioning Lifeline, which it said covers up to 1.3 million veterans and was modified in 2016 to cover vets on pensions and their survivors. TracFone advised continuing to let resellers participate in Lifeline, as did NaLa, and the company sought to fix national verifier implementation "complications" (see 1810040045).

The FCC Technological Advisory Council meets Dec. 5, the agency said Friday. The year-end meeting will be longer than normal, running 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Commission Meeting Room.

A toll-free service provider asked the FCC for emergency relief or a rulemaking to declare the Communications Act doesn't let telecom carriers "block interconnection to their location platform for toll-free calls initiated on their networks." Sections 222 and 251 also shouldn't permit carriers "to impose upon connecting carriers and providers of toll-free telephone service an obligation to obtain the consent of customers to use their location for purposes of routing their calls to a toll-free number," petitioned 800 Response Information Services, posted Thursday in docket 96-115. It asked for relief to take effect by Oct. 19, when AT&T "has notified connecting carriers and toll-free service providers that it will no longer provide even 'coarse' location information for toll-free calls initiated by its own customers unless such calls are 'safety related' (a term which it does not define), while continuing to provide location information support of a full suite of location-based services to non-telecommunications users." It said Verizon also plans "to initiate in the near future a cumbersome double consent requirement forcing customers to provide consent via SMS after already having imposed an opt-in consent for call termination via an interactive voice response." AT&T emailed that it's "winding down relationships with aggregators as soon as practical in a way that preserves critical services, like roadside assistance and fraud prevention." Verizon didn't comment.

Though telecom accessibility is improving, gaps remain, said the FCC Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau in the biennial 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act report to Congress, in Wednesday’s Daily Digest. Low-end mobile phones with accessibility features are hard to find, a need for accessible alerts for video calls isn’t being met, and accessible telecom devices for the deaf-blind are lacking, CGB said. In 2016 and 2017, 24 consumer requests for dispute assistance were filed. “No consumer chose to escalate his or her RDA to an informal complaint for investigation by the Enforcement Bureau,” the report said. “Complaints received by the Bureau suggest that companies should remain aware that upgrades to their software may result in accessibility barriers if measures are not taken to test such upgrades for accessibility prior to deployment." Some aspects of telecom accessibility improved over the period, the report said. Cisco added accessibility features for wireline office phones, smartphones became more accessible for “people with a wide range of disabilities” and more hearing aid compatible headsets became available, it said.

One in six U.S. broadband households owns a smartwatch, Parks Associates blogged Tuesday. It predicts “strong growth” by year-end as the devices begin a transition from innovators and early adopters to the early majority (see 1809130062 or 1809130037).

Comments are due Oct. 17 on the World Radiocommunication Conference Advisory Committee's draft recommendations for WRC-19, said an International Bureau public notice in Thursday's Daily Digest. The bureau said it "generally support[s]" most of the draft recommendations. It sought comment on NTIA draft proposals for WRC-19. The committee said it couldn't come to consensus on Agenda Item 1.13, identifying band for future international mobile telecom; on 1.14 on high-altitude platform stations in existing fixed-service allocations; on 1.16 about wireless access systems in the 5150-5250 MHz band; or on 1.5 about use of the 17.7-19.7 GHz downlink and 27.5-29.5 GHz uplink bands by earth stations in motion communication with geostationary satellites.

Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise through year-end will “absorb” the “significant” cost increases of tariffs on Chinese imports of networking equipment and components that took effect Sept. 24, ALE said Wednesday. The Trump administration removed imports of Bluetooth headphones, smartwatches and fitness trackers under the 817.62.00 line item but let 10 percent duties stand on networking equipment imported under the classification (see 1809170052). The tariffs will rise to 25 percent after Jan. 1. “Many vendors have chosen to pass the cost through to channel partners and customers by immediately increasing prices,” but ALE “will absorb the current 10 percent increase and give partners the opportunity to place orders before a potential need to adjust pricing in the new year,” it said. Most U.S. customers “locked in 2018 budgets long ago and are already in planning cycles for next year,” said ALE. “We recognize an unexpected price increase could aggravate a budgeting process that is often already complex.” It vowed three months’ notice of any 2019 price increases.

The FCC Wireline Bureau corrected denial of 14 Lifeline provider appeals of Universal Service Administrative Co. decisions on duplicative support (see 1805080042), four of which had been withdrawn in December. The bureau partially reversed the May order that erred in including Easy Wireless, Global Connection, iWireless and Telrite in the denial, said an order in docket 11-42 and Tuesday's Daily Digest.

AT&T looks forward to helping craft privacy legislation that protects consumers with uniform rules fostering innovation under FTC authority, Senior Vice President-Global Public Policy Len Cali blogged Friday after testifying before the Senate Commerce Committee (see 1809260050). “I was gratified to hear a growing consensus among internet service providers, Silicon Valley tech companies and Members of the Committee about the need for federal legislation.”

Comments are due at the FCC Oct. 29, replies Nov. 13 on proposals for a process to resolve location discrepancies in the recent Connect America Fund Phase II auction of subsidies for fixed broadband and voice services, said a public notice in docket 10-90 set for Friday's Federal Register (calendar). The Wireline Bureau solicited input on "approaches to identify and resolve apparent discrepancies between the number of model-determined funded locations that Phase II auction support recipients are expected to serve (funded locations) and the actual number of locations that support recipients can serve (actual locations)," it said.