COVID-19 forced Mozilla into a restructuring that will eliminate 250 jobs, including the shutdown of operations in Taiwan, said CEO Mitchell Baker in a memo to employees Tuesday. Mozilla’s pre-pandemic plan for 2020 was “a year of change” by speeding the infusion of more “product value” in Firefox and “adjusting our finances to ensure financial stability over the long term,” she said. The pandemic “accelerated the need and magnified the depth for these changes,” said Baker. “Our pre-COVID plan is no longer workable. We have talked about the need for change -- including the likelihood of layoffs -- since the spring. Today these changes become real.” Mozilla’s “new focus” will be on product, technology, community and economics, blogged Baker: “Recognizing that the old model where everything was free has consequences, means we must explore a range of different business opportunities and alternate value exchanges.”

COVID-19 is a “significant headwind” at ON Semiconductor, which reported a 10% revenue drop in Q2 to $1.2 billion, said Chief Financial Officer Bernard Gutmann in the quarterly statement Monday. ON had “moderate improvement in business conditions” on a pickup in global macroeconomic activity, Gutmann said. The company is having “strong momentum” in its power, analog and sensor products. Networking and wireless accounted for $255 million, 21% of Q2 revenue, up 3% on strength in 5G, but Q3 volume will be down due to “delayed launches of certain platforms and geopolitical issues related to a specific customer,” said CEO Keith Jackson on a call. Responding to a question on whether the semiconductor company is concerned about risks that the U.S. will expand targets in China beyond Huawei, Jackson said, “We are very concerned about some of the increasing tensions on global trade.” Much of global trade is “essential for technology and the growth of semiconductors,” he said, “so clearly, would not like to see further there.” The consumer end-market contributed $126 million in the quarter, 10% of revenue, dropping 22%, due to consumer tech market weakness. The company forecasts Q3 revenue of $1.2 billion-$1.3 billion compared with $1.38 billion in Q3 2019. The stock closed 5.2% higher at $21.92.

The FCC Wireless Bureau approved requests allowing reviews to proceed under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act for various critical infrastructure projects by Windstream and Frontier Communications, during the pandemic, said orders in Monday’s Daily Digest.

There needs to be “lots of innovation for various display technologies” so they can adapt to “our new normal life” of COVID-19 work-from-home and remote-learning mandates, Frank Ko, president-chief operating officer of panel maker AU Optronics, told the virtual Display Week conference. His keynote was prerecorded and screened for the first time Friday. Telework and remote learning means people will spend a great deal more time with their displays than before the pandemic, said Ko. AUO is responding by bringing more “eye care display technologies” to market, he said. E-paper displays are “more natural for humans” because they have no backlights and no “light emissions,” he said. “AUO has launched notebook and desktop displays with low blue light.”

COVID-19 is affecting "near-term demand” in Universal Electronics Inc.'s traditional home entertainment and security businesses, said CEO Paul Arling on a quarterly call (See Q2 materials here). UEI's MVPD and security customers’ “ability or willingness to install hardware in consumers' homes” for new service or upgrades “has been disrupted," he said Thursday. Arling said a recent falloff in MPVD activations was driven by “operator policies that restrict new installations due to the risk of COVID-19 to their installers, while in other cases, consumers are reluctant to allow installers in their homes.” Declines in MVPD subscriber counts have been due to “a decrease in professional installations and hence new activations.” Lack of live sports contributed to new connections declines, he said. Generally, the executive noted, “lines defining content sources have blurred." Comcast generated 19.3% of sales. Revenue “continues to be challenged by headwinds related to customers relying on truck rolls for new installs,” Colliers analyst Steven Frankel wrote investors Friday. Sales were $153.1 million vs. $193.9 million in the year-ago quarter. Frankel sees UEI’s shift to advanced voice remotes and software licensing as higher margin opportunities, but growth “is likely to remain challenging in the next several quarters.” Chief Financial Officer Bryan Hackworth said the company’s restructuring efforts allowed it to reallocate expenses to R&D. The Q3 guidance is for revenue of $150 million-$160 million vs. $200.7 million in Q3 2019. Shares closed down 5.89% Friday at $44.48.

K-12 educators bought nearly 600,000 more notebooks January through June than a year earlier, boosting spending 56% on notebooks and 30% on desktops, blogged NPD's Mike Crosby Thursday. The analyst cited fears of a novel coronavirus resurgence.

The FCC Wireless Bureau approved a request allowing reviews to proceed under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act for various wireless facilities that FirstNet plans to build, during the pandemic.

The Competitive Carriers Association dropped plans for its in-person annual meeting and will instead hold a virtual conference Oct. 27, the group said Friday. “Due to current circumstances and concerns for the health and safety of our attendees and exhibitors, it is not possible to move forward with the in-person portion of CCA’s 2020 Annual Convention,” said President Steve Berry: “The day will be chock-full of keynotes and panels featuring industry thought-leaders and key government officials, and attendees can interact in panel discussions and network with exhibitors showcasing their latest innovations though the virtual exhibit hall.”

Sage Telecom asks the FCC to extend an order that waives dropping Lifeline subscribers based on recertification, reverification, usage and certain other enrollment requirements during the pandemic. That order expires Aug. 31. “Unfortunately, not much has changed with new US unemployment claims increasing again this week,” the company told an aide to Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, said a Friday posting in docket 17-287.

COVID-19 sent GoPro Q2 revenue tumbling 54% from the 2019 quarter, up 12% sequentially, said CEO Nicholas Woodman on a Thursday call. “Demand for GoPro cameras consistently improved throughout the second quarter, and we've seen a faster-than-expected rebound in sell-through at retail,” he said. “We remain on track with our product launches slated for the second half." The company's shift to a more direct-to-consumer business model with lower operating costs is working, said Woodman. “GoPro has adapted to the pandemic, and we believe our consumers are learning to live with the pandemic, too.” The stock closed 11% lower Friday at $4.94.