FCC, Telecom Networks Stand Up to COVID-19 Stress Test, Carr Tells FCBA

Recent strength in U.S. internet performance will help prepare industry to restart the economy, FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr told an online FCBA audience Monday. "We're resilient," Carr said. "We're going to get through this thing." Third parties have helped the FCC monitor network capacity during the pandemic, Carr said. Networks are holding up "very well" in the U.S., he said. Networks seem to have capacity to support the use, he said. Fixed voice call volume is up 20-25%, Carr said, with mobile call volume up 10% or less, Carr said: it indicates people are staying home, and fixed networks have necessary capacity. The COVID-19 telehealth program is in good shape now, Carr said: "We'll see what happens when we get closer" to spending the $200 million Congress allocated. The coronavirus pandemic has highlighted vulnerabilities of the telecom networks from foreign threats, Carr said. Steps to protect the networks from companies that may be owned or influenced by China are underway. "This isn't just about phone calls and emails," Carr said, and is increasingly about other network traffic, such as telehealth and online banking. "If these networks are threatened, then everything we value is threatened," he said. Carr wants Congress to consider funding in its next COVID-19 relief bill to address ways to mitigate network vulnerabilities.