Tech & Telecom Weekly Newsletter - February 1, 2021

Welcome to the Tech & Telecom Weekly, an e-newsletter keeping you apprised of the latest developments in the telecommunications and high-tech industries.

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FCC Policy

The FCC will hold a virtual roundtable discussion on February 12, 2021, at 10:00am ET, regarding administration of the $3.2 Billion Emergency Broadband Connectivity Fund that Congress allocated in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021. The event will include panel discussions (participants TBD) and is expected to last “no longer than half a day.” It will be live-streamed here. For more information, please contact Stephanie Joyce.

The Tentative Agenda for the next FCC Open Meeting, scheduled for February 17, 2021, at 10:30am ET, contains five items, including notices of proposed rulemaking on addressing the use of 911 fees for purposes unrelated to 911 and the implementation of recent amendments to the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act. For more information, please contact Stephanie Joyce.

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Compliance Alerts

The Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) has rescheduled the E-Rate Eligible Services webinar from January 27 to Tuesday, February 2, 2021, at 10:00am ET. Participants can register here and are encouraged to review the FY2021 Eligible Services List prior to attending. The webinar is primarily conducted in Q&A format. For more information about E-rate, please contact Katherine Barker Marshall.

The North American Numbering Council will hold a meeting on Thursday, February 4, 2021, at 9:30am ET, that will include several topics including the feasibility and cost of transmitting the originating locations of calls to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (988) and an update from the Secure Telephone Identity Governance Authority (STI-GA) regarding SHAKEN/STIR. The meeting will be live-streamed here. For more information, please contact Katherine Barker Marshall.

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In the Courts

Cox Communications will appeal the $1 Billion jury verdict entered in December 2019 for a group of record companies led by Sony Music. It has asked the trial court to stay execution of that final judgment pending appeal. Plaintiffs had proved that Cox, as a large provider of broadband Internet access service, had knowingly permitted users to download and distribute copyrighted music illegally. Cox spent 2020 attempting to reduce the verdict with post-trial motions. Sony Music Ent’mt v. Cox Commun’s, Inc., No. 1:18-cv-00950 (E.D. Va.). For more information, please contact Stephanie Joyce.

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