October 2021

Telemedicine Startups Face Uncertain Regulatory Terrain

Telemedicine startups are confronting a hodgepodge of state regulations, complicating their efforts to expand their services nationwide. Companies that provide care over the web or through mobile devices scaled up rapidly during the pandemic, as overcrowding at hospitals led to more patients meeting doctors virtually. Aiding startups’ growth were temporary waivers of restrictions on telemedicine that many states enacted, including a requirement that doctors be licensed in their state to provide virtual care.

CPUC Issues Proposal That Would Require Consumer Protections for Verizon’s Acquisition of TracFone

This proposal that would approve Verizon Communications’ acquisition of TracFone Wireless with consumer protection conditions to ensure the proposed acquisition will be in the public interest.

Sponsor 

Federal Communications Commission

Date 
Tue, 10/26/2021 - 11:00

Panel 1 — Lessons from the Ground
Panel 1 will examine first-hand accounts from public safety and communications industry stakeholders responding to disasters with the goal of exploring what works, what doesn’t, and what lessons can we learn from their experiences.

  • Janet Britton - General Counsel and Executive Vice President of Human Resources, EATEL
  • Jeff Johnson - Chief Executive, Western Fire Chiefs
  • Polly Prince Johnson - President and CEO, Louisiana Association of Broadcasters


Sponsor 

Connect the Future

Date 
Thu, 10/28/2021 - 12:00 to 13:30

Too many rural Americans still lack access to reliable, high-speed broadband. While recent public and private investments in broadband will play a significant role in helping bridge our country’s digital divide, we must now ensure that these funds are used most efficiently and effectively to bring connectivity to our rural friends and neighbors. The online panel will discuss current obstacles to broadband deployment – such as the pole access process – and steps we can take today to help accelerate broadband access for rural and unserved communities. 



Facebook staff complained for years about their lobbyists’ power

Facebook says it does not take the political winds of Washington (DC) into account when deciding what posts to take down or products to launch. But a trove of internal documents shows that Facebook’s own employees are concerned that the company does just that — and that its DC-based policy office is deeply involved in these calls at a level not previously reported.