The Wireless ISP Association criticized Treasury Department language in an FAQ on interim rules on what broadband projects are eligible for money from the American Rescue Plan Act (see 2105100060). It's a “marked departure from long standing U.S. policy that focuses primarily on serving the unserved,” said WISPA Vice President-Policy Louis Peraertz Thursday. It includes “an improper and unsupported focus on wireline offerings as ostensibly the only acceptable technology capable of providing 25/3 Mbps.” Comments are due July 16.

Consumer tech trends intensified during the pandemic, found an American Institute of CPAs study of 2,100 adults mid-December by Harris Poll. Thirty-one percent say their online shopping activity “increased significantly” since the start of COVID-19, per results released Wednesday. Half increased their consumption of video streaming services and 33% made more frequent use of third-party food delivery apps.

The FCC will hold a webinar June 25 on the Emergency Connectivity Fund at 2 p.m. EDT, said a public notice Tuesday. ECF's initial application filing window for prospective purchases opens June 29 for 45 days (see 2106140043).

The FCC plans a virtual listening session June 22 at 2 p.m. EDT with tribal leaders and outreach partners on the emergency broadband benefit, said a public notice Friday.

Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council CEO Robert Branson said Thursday that the emergency broadband benefit program and closing the digital divide are the major areas the FCC should be focusing on. Branson succeeds Maurita Coley (see 2105240079). There's “a groundswell of support” for making the EBB permanent, he told a virtual meet and greet, and MMTC should push for it whenever there’s opportunity. He said broadband infrastructure and the digital divide are among MMTC priorities, along with access to capital and privacy.

The Commerce Department is unsure if Wassenaar Arrangement stakeholders can meet in person this year, after the 2020 plenary was canceled, potentially creating more uncertainty about the group’s next batch of multilateral export control proposals, said Bureau of Industry and Security's Hillary Hess. Wassenaar is “putting in a lot of effort” on holding physical meetings, but the process has been “very difficult,” she told a Regulations and Procedures Technical Advisory Committee meeting. “I've heard that they will try to figure out a way to do it virtually or hybrid or something,” said Hess, BIS regulatory policy director: “I have not heard that they were successful in figuring out” in-person meetings. Tuesday's virtual meeting also heard tech industry concerns (see 2106090054).

E-commerce sales grabbed 61% share of U.S. consumer tech hardware revenue in the 12 months ended March, compared with 48% in the 2020 period, reported NPD Tuesday. Online tech revenue share peaked at 68% in 2020's Q2 during the height of COVID-19 lockdowns, and “remained above the long-term trend" at 57% in Q1 2021, it said: “This was a full seven percentage points above Q1 2020, and 14 points above the pre-pandemic share in Q1 2019.” Though tech hardware sales moved online “at a more rapid pace than other general merchandise categories, the acceleration of this change, and the passing of the 50% milestone as a consequence of the pandemic, represents an important shift,” said Stephen Baker, NPD vice president-industry adviser.

More than six in 10 mobile gamers increased gameplay during lockdowns, and 75% of the heightened activity is expected to remain two years after the pandemic subsides, reported IDC Tuesday. It teamed with LoopMe to canvass 3,850 smartphone users in Brazil, Germany, Japan, Singapore, the U.K. and U.S. in April, finding 6% of current mobile gamers didn't play pre-pandemic. “These new gamers appeared to skew male and a few years younger in age than the broader base of pre-pandemic mobile gamers,” said the companies. They estimate the global base of mobile gamers jumped 12% last year, reaching 2.25 billion. “Mobile gaming activity tended to increase more in the countries with the highest COVID-19 death rates,” said IDC analyst Lewis Ward. “Gamers in these same countries expected a larger pullback in gaming once the pandemic has subsided.”

Emergency broadband benefit program providers have an additional month, until July 15, to submit reimbursement claims for services provided in May, said an FCC Wireline Bureau order Tuesday in docket 20-445. Several providers sought waivers (see 2105280037).

Universal Service Administrative Co. data for the first three weeks of the emergency broadband benefit showed more than 2.3 million households enrolled, with more than 61,000 tribal households. USAC said Monday $3.14 billion remains. California has the most households, with 219,675. “The great need for affordable broadband support is being met,” said FCC acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. USAC data will help “inform any long-term efforts to address broadband affordability,” Rosenworcel said. The FCC says 1,000-plus providers are participating.