Today’s Regulatory Mix: FCC Announces $42 Million Round 2 Telehealth Program Awards, USTelecom’s Industry Traceback Group to Continue as Registered Consortium, NLAD Enhancements
FCC Announces $42 Million Round 2 Telehealth Program Awards
The FCC approved 62 applications for funding commitments totaling $41.98 million for Round 2 of its COVID-19 Telehealth Program. Health care providers in each state, territory, and the District of Columbia, including those previously unfunded in Round 1, will use this funding to provide telehealth services during the coronavirus pandemic. The FCC’s COVID-19 Telehealth Program supports the efforts of health care providers to continue serving patients by providing reimbursement for telecommunications and information services as well as connected devices necessary to enable telehealth during the pandemic. The second round is a $249.95 million federal initiative that builds on the $200 million program established as part of the CARES Act.
USTelecom’s Industry Traceback Group to Continue as Registered Consortium
In December 2019, Congress enacted the Pallone-Thune Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence Act (TRACED Act) to combat unlawful calls, including calls that unlawfully contain false or misleading caller ID, known as “spoofing.” The TRACED Act required the FCC to issue rules “for the registration of a single consortium that conducts private-led efforts to trace back the origin of suspected unlawful robocalls.” The TRACED Act also required the Commission to issue an annual public notice seeking applicants to serve as the registered consortium. The FCC released an August 25 Order selecting the incumbent, USTelecom’s Industry Traceback Group, to continue as the registered consortium.
NLAD Enhancements
The Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) announced additional enhancements to the National Lifeline Accountability Database (NLAD) today. These include:
- Application ID feature through the user interface
- Updated address functionality
- Ability to identify future device reimbursement date
- User interface will now accept “0000” as a social security number.
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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.
