The Secure Telephone Identity Governance Authority (STI-GA) signed a contract with iconectiv to be STI policy administrator, it said Tuesday. It said iconectiv will be charged with enforcing STI-GA rules to make operational the signature-based handling of asserted information using tokens (Shaken) framework for call authentication. Its enforcement duties will be ensuring STI certificates go to only authorized service providers.
Claiming AT&T isn't sending negotiators with decision-making power that could lead to a new contract, Communications Workers of America said more than 20,000 technicians, customer service representatives and others in the Southeast went on strike this weekend. CWA said it filed an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board alleging AT&T isn't bargaining in good faith. The union said unfair labor practice allegations were filed in Florida for disciplining members for wearing union memorabilia and participating in activities protected by the National Labor Relations Act, and that CWA members in South Florida went on strike last week. "A strike is in no one’s best interest," AT&T said, adding its bargaining team is operating the same way it has in past CWA contracts. The carrier is "surprised and disappointed" in the strike and said the contract covers fewer than 8 percent of employees.
The North American Numbering Plan Administration estimates it needs $11.4 million for FY 2020, said an FCC Wireline Bureau public notice in docket 92-237 and Friday's Daily Digest. The contribution factor will be 0.0000908, up from the previous year's factor of 0.0000427. The fund size estimate and contribution factor are considered approved within 14 days unless the FCC acts otherwise.
The North American Numbering Council meets Sept. 12, 10 a.m., at FCC headquarters. It will vote on a recommendation from its Interoperable Video Calling group and receive an update from its Numbering Administration Oversight group, said a public notice on docket 92-237 Thursday.
Attorneys for NTS and Clarity Telecom filed a petition with the FCC Wednesday in docket 19-7 agreeing to certain commitments detailed in a DOJ letter of agreement for the sale of NTS assets to Clarity. The agreement aims "to address national security, law enforcement, and public safety concerns," the Aug. 16 letter said. When the companies OK'd a list of conditions such as updates to corporate ownership or structure and annual compliance monitoring, DOJ agreed to notify the FCC that its Team Telecom won't object to the asset transfer.
The FCC will renew the North American Numbering Council charter for two years by Sept. 18, says Thursday's Federal Register. The agency had taken nominations for the panel (see 1906200025). The next NANC meeting is tentatively Sept. 12. The FCC didn't announce a meeting schedule or the new members for NANC's next term, an agency spokesperson emailed Wednesday.
The Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau wants comment by Oct. 21 on FCC policies and practices under Rehabilitation Act Section 504. It “requires federal agencies to make their programs and activities accessible to people with disabilities,” said a Wednesday public notice in docket 10-162. CGB seeks comment on the FCC’s Section 504 handbook “and on the overall accessibility of the Commission’s activities and programs,” including availability of sign language interpreters, physical accessibility of buildings and meeting spaces, documents in alternate formats, assistive listening devices and communication access real-time translation.
The FCC is now taking nominations through Sept. 25 to fill tribal vacancies on its Native Nations Communications Task Force, said a public notice Tuesday. The deadline had been Aug. 26. Separately, FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks toured the Mescalero Apache Reservation in New Mexico Thursday and met with executives from Mescalero Apache Telecom about the tribal Lifeline program "and the need to ensure the National Verifier process does not hinder enrolling people residing on Tribal lands," plus concerns about broadband mapping inaccuracies, said a filing posted Tuesday in docket 10-90.
The FCC updated the way it subsidizes rural telehealth, in an order released Tuesday in docket 17-310. The commissioners voted on the measure at their August meeting (see 1908010041).
Comments are due Oct. 15 on an interim Federal Acquisition Regulatory rule that took effect Tuesday and prohibits DOD, the General Services Administration and NASA from procuring, or extending or renewing a contract to procure, telecom and video surveillance equipment by Huawei, ZTE, Hytera Communications, Hangzhou Hikvision and other manufacturers "reasonably believed to be owned or controlled by, or connected to, the government of the People's Republic of China" unless there's an exception, said Tuesday's Federal Register. Federal contractors are directed to report "any such equipment, systems or services discovered during contract performance" and impose the same requirement on subcontractors, it said. FAR is expected to address further prohibitions to take effect in one year in a separate rulemaking, it said.