Samsung estimates a billion telehealth visits globally by Dec. 31. It's teaming with Medicare and Medicaid services provider Meridian to expand access to telehealth in rural and underserved localities in Michigan, the two companies said Wednesday.

Oregon Public Utility Commissioners voted 3-0 Tuesday to lower the state USF surcharge to 5%, effective Jan. 1, a spokesperson said. The current rate is 8.5% (see 2010070029).

T-Mobile appreciates the proposed decision of the California Public Utilities Commission to partly modify the mid-April order clearing the carrier to buy Sprint, a T-Mobile spokesperson emailed Friday. The carrier is “particularly pleased” it would “correct the three- and six-year benchmark dates for measurement of our speed commitments to 2023 and 2026,” the spokesperson said. Commissioners may vote Nov. 19 on the proposal that would deny the carrier’s other requested changes on job and speed conditions (see 2010160059). T-Mobile declined further comment Monday whether the carrier will continue to challenge those requirements.

The Lifeline national verifier fully launches Nov. 18 in Oregon and Texas, the FCC Wireline Bureau said Monday. For years, the states managed eligibility verification and duplicate checking for the federal program along with their own low-income programs, and they will continue to play a role, said the bureau, noting states have waivers from national Lifeline accountability database participation. “The National Verifier will leverage the states’ existing processes (and automated database connections) so that Lifeline consumers in Oregon and Texas can continue to apply using a streamlined state application process for both federal and state benefits,” it said. “This partnership is contingent upon the continued good faith cooperation by the states in providing necessary data and information for" Universal Service Administrative Co. to validate eligible telecom carrier "reimbursement claims and ensure consistency between state eligibility determinations and Commission rules.” The launch means the start of the Oregon Public Utility Commission handling eligibility verification for new enrollments of consumers living on tribal lands. Previously, they enrolled through ETCs. The PUC will also reverify existing subscribers on tribal lands, the bureau said. The NV soft-launched in the two states and California in December (see 1912180046). “The Bureau will issue a separate Public Notice announcing full launch of the National Verifier in California,” said a footnote.

The California Public Utilities Commission may mostly deny T-Mobile’s request to modify conditions from the agency’s mid-April order clearing the carrier to buy Sprint (see 2007230050). Under a proposed decision Friday in docket A.18-07-011, the CPUC would grant the carrier’s request for more time to comply with network deployment and performance conditions, but Administrative Law Judge Karl Bemesderfer rejected on procedural grounds the carrier challenging a condition to hire 1,000 more employees. T-Mobile needed to file an application for rehearing but missed the deadline, Bemesderfer said. The CPUC would decline to change another challenged condition that T-Mobile comply with the agency’s CalSpeed program. “While we recognize that there is a possibility of conflict between state and federal performance standards, we find that the benefits of measuring T-Mobile’s compliance with California-specific conditions with the CalSPEED test outweigh the possible inconvenience of having the same activity measured two different ways,” wrote Bemesderfer. Commissioners may vote on the proposal at their Nov. 19 meeting. T-Mobile couldn’t be reached for comment.

Thousands of K-12 students were affected by 99 reported data breaches July 2016 to May 2020, GAO said Thursday. Fifty-eight involved academic records, “including assessment scores and special education records,” GAO said. Data including personally identifiable information like Social Security numbers was in 36 breaches. Staff was responsible for 21 of 25 accidental breaches, and students for 27 of 52 intentional breaches, most often to change grades, with the remaining 22 of “unknown intent,” GAO said: “Reports of breaches by cybercriminals were rare but included attempts to steal PII.”

California’s net neutrality law is preempted under the U.S. Constitution’s supremacy clause, argued DOJ Wednesday in support of its motion for preliminary injunction against SB-822. “This constitutional infringement alone constitutes irreparable harm, but SB-822 piles on by reinstating rules that the FCC determined have more costs than benefits, and imposing separate state requirements that the FCC found could inhibit broadband investment and increase costs to consumers,” the government replied (in Pacer) at the U.S. District Court in Sacramento. “California argues that it needs SB-822, but the State has not enforced the law for more than two years.” The case resumed this summer (see 2008200034).

The California Public Utilities Commission should write a broadband plan, said the agency’s independent Public Advocates Office (PAO) in comments posted Tuesday in docket R.20-09-001. The agency opened the rulemaking last month to get more involved in broadband despite jurisdictional questions (see 2009180038). The CPUC should assess whether current state subsidy funds will be enough and consider contribution revisions, PAO said. Small LECs warned not to take an overly generous view of jurisdiction. Charter Communications urged the CPUC to focus on removing regulatory barriers, including those on permitting and pole access. If the CPUC is considering utility-style broadband regulation, it “risks exceeding its jurisdiction and interfering with federal law,” the company warned. Crown Castle said “the quickest and most cost-effective reform” would be to require local and state authorities to approve broadband permits within 90 days, with a deemed granted remedy if the shot clock runs out. California’s previous governor vetoed a bill to streamline small-cells deployment by preempting localities in the right of way.

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly (D) tagged $50 million for broadband and signed an executive order to create a state broadband office, her office said Thursday. Stanley Adams, currently broadband initiatives director for the Kansas Commerce Department, will lead the department’s new Office of Broadband Development, it said. The broadband funding for 67 fiber and fixed wireless projects comes from federal coronavirus relief. Also Thursday, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) announced $12.7 million in broadband grants. The Wisconsin Public Service Commission voted 2-1 Thursday to spend about $5.3 million of federal coronavirus relief on 12 broadband projects.

The California Public Utilities Commission will consider regulating inmate calling services intrastate rates, the CPUC said in a news release. The commission opened a rulemaking Thursday, seeking comments by Nov. 9, replies by Nov. 19. A 15-minute call in some areas can cost $26.75, the agency said. “Incarcerated people are people; they are Californians; they are ratepayers; they have not lost the legal protections afforded to all ratepayers; and this Commission therefore has a legal obligation and -- I think -- a moral duty to ensure they are treated fairly,” said Commissioner Martha Guzman Aceves in the release. The CPUC should act on intrastate rates while the FCC works on interstate rates, said Commissioner Genevieve Shiroma. The FCC and NARUC, coordinating on the issue, noted statutory limits to reducing intrastate rates (see 2009220051).