ACA Connects pulled the plug on its postponed 2020 members' summit (see 2003050013), citing COVID-19 concerns. It said Wednesday that it might look later this year at "a streamlined Capitol Hill visit and a mini-summit of some kind ... if the crisis is well behind us and it is clearly appropriate to hold group functions once again." The summit originally had been scheduled for last week. FCC Commissioner Mike O'Rielly tweeted that the cancellation was disappointing "but understandable." He and Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel were scheduled speakers.
Ericsson will “limit the scope and duration” of the annual meeting it still plans to hold in person Tuesday in Stockholm, despite the pandemic, said the company Thursday. No live speeches will be given at the meeting, which will be webcast, it said. “The presentation of proposals will be kept to the minimum,” as will participation of board members and senior management, it said. Chairman Ronnie Leten and CEO Borje Ekholm will take part “via link,” it said. “Attendees, who nonetheless wish to attend in person, will be reminded to avoid close contact with other attendees in the common areas, and to spread out in the meeting hall while seated. Cloakrooms will be closed, and all who attend are requested to bring their outerwear into the meeting hall.”
Missouri’s telecom relay service is having higher call volumes and longer calls due to COVID-19, resulting in longer wait times, the Missouri Public Service Commission said Thursday. Average call time is five to eight minutes, up from two to three minutes normally, the PSC said. Missouri relay service provider Sprint reported higher wait times amid the pandemic Wednesday (see 2003250055).
Wait times for Sprint services like telecom relay services, captioned phone and IP relay calls may increase during periods of high call volume amid COVID-19, said Global Vice President-Sprint Accessibility Mike Ellis Wednesday. Sprint is complying with all Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations and Department of Homeland Security guidelines to ensure employee health and safety, he said. The company hasn't closed any call centers but expects staffing could be affected.
COVID-19 forced cancellation of the June 10-11 CE Week show at New York's Javits Convention Center, said its IFA organizers Wednesday. An executive order Monday from New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) enlisted the Army Corps of Engineers to build a temporary 1,000-bed hospital at Javits.
Walmart is letting in-plan employees get three free telehealth doctor visits, the company said as part of COVID-19 announcements this week. Separately, through June, associates nationwide, outside of New York, get "free access to Even, a third-party mobile app that offers financial wellness features," the retailer said. Target, meanwhile, saw "a surge in traffic and sales" in mid-March in some areas, with "strength" that included entertainment and essentials, the retailer said. Target withdrew its earnings outlook for Q1, citing costs related to COVID-19. States are relaxing some telehealth restrictions (see 2003250035).
Smith Bagley sought Lifeline changes tied to COVID-19. “Additional relief is needed given the worsening situation and the special challenges faced by low‐income populations, especially on Tribal lands,” said a filing posted Wednesday in docket 11-42. The FCC should make more support available “on a temporary basis for purchase of broadband‐capable devices and for additional data needed to access distance learning and other critical services,” the company said. It sought temporary suspension of requiring notification and de‐enrollment for nonusage of no‐charge Lifeline service of the one‐per‐household requirement.
Amazon, Craigslist, eBay, Facebook and Walmart should take rigorous action to prevent COVID-19-related price-gouging (see 2003200066), 33 state attorneys general wrote the companies Wednesday. The AGs, from both parties and including from California, Nebraska, New York and Utah, recommended price trigger tools and complaint portals for consumers. Companies “have an ethical obligation” to do everything in their power to stop the practice in real time, they wrote. The Internet Association didn’t comment.
Zoom claims the right to collect personal data, including videos and transcripts, and share it with third parties, Consumer Reports Senior Editor-Privacy Allen St. John blogged Tuesday. St. John raised the concerns in light of increased use of the video-conferencing service due to COVID-19. People aren’t expecting the information to be shared when they conference for therapy appointments, business meetings and job interviews, he said. The company didn’t comment.
DOJ and the FTC will provide expedited antitrust review and guidance for COVID-19 public health ventures, the agencies announced Tuesday. Businesses may need to combine production to provide resources in the pandemic, the agencies said. Expedited procedures will allow the agencies to respond within seven days to all COVID-19-related requests addressing public health and safety, the agencies said. This quicker turnaround is “designed to provide guidance to businesses concerned about the legality of proposed conduct under the antitrust laws,” the agencies said. The FTC is committed to “doing everything we can to help with these efforts, while continuing to aggressively enforce the antitrust laws,” Chairman Joe Simons said. DOJ said the agencies will hold accountable any entities using the pandemic to engage in antitrust violations, citing price-fixing, bid-rigging and market allocation. The FTC and DOJ also committed to expedite National Cooperative Research and Production Act requests for “flexible treatment of certain standard development organizations and joint ventures.”