Cable ISP WOW is "encouraged by [the] progress" of CEO Teresa Elder's condition while she's hospitalized in the Denver area with COVID-19, it emailed us Monday. She had been working remotely since March 16 and was hospitalized Friday, it said Sunday. The company made related personnel moves (see personals section, this issue).

COVID-19 forced cancellation of the Audio Engineering Society’s May 25-29 convention in Vienna, said the society Monday. Organizers are “working diligently” to put together a “virtualization” of the convention’s technical program as “an engaging, compelling, educational and productive online experience," said AES. The virtual event will feature video presentations of technical program content “along with live- and forum-based dialog with presenters,” it said. Details will be shared as they become available.

The federal government should let women use telehealth to access an abortion prescription drug Mifepristone during COVID-19, said Democratic attorneys general from California, 19 other states and the District of Columbia. Monday's letter urged the Department of Health and Human Services and Food and Drug Administration to waive or not enforce its risk evaluation and mitigation strategy designation. “Forcing women to unnecessarily seek in-person reproductive healthcare during this public health crisis is foolish and irresponsible,” said California's Xavier Becerra (D). HHS didn't immediately comment. The federal government is facilitating other types of telehealth (see 2003300048).

Sony by local “mandate” shut down both its consumer electronics factories in Malaysia on March 18, said the company Friday. That the Malaysian plants will stay closed at least through April 14 is expected to have severe repercussions on Sony’s core consumer tech business, it said: The flow of “resources” from Asian suppliers “has become unstable” amid COVID-19. This is having a “wide-ranging impact on the manufacturing of goods” in the consumer audiovisual segment, it said. There has been no “material impact” on making CMOS image sensors, it said. Sony’s main CMOS customers are smartphone makers that rely on supply chains in China, it said. Sony’s four factories in China restarted operations in “increments” beginning Feb. 10, said the company. “Supply chain issues remain, but operations are returning to the level they were before the spread of the virus.” Though recovery in Chinese supply chains “has led to sales gradually returning to normal levels, there is a risk that going forward sales could be impacted by a slowdown in the smartphone market,” it said.

The FCC Wireline Bureau gave Inteliquent waiver of access arbitrage rules through June 30, in an order Friday on docket 18-155. The company requested waiver in response to increased teleconference traffic stemming from social distancing measures during the COVID-19 pandemic (see 2003180062). It can seek an extension as needed. The LEC terminates traffic for Cisco's WebEx, Zoom and other large clients. Access arbitrage rules targeted companies that have been "generating inflated call volumes to pad their bottom lines," Chairman Ajit Pai said: "They weren’t intended to ensnare companies that, during a national emergency, are experiencing unprecedented call volumes that would push them out of compliance.” Access arbitrage rules were updated in the fall (see 1909260055).

Families with increased demand for in-home connectivity while sheltering in place should check to see if their plans have as much speed as they need, said an FCC consumer guide Friday. It recommended checking download and upload performance using an online speed test. Home equipment issues may be at play, the agency advised: Be sure routers aren't outdated, because some may not be capable of matching speeds of current broadband plans, the guide said, and check Wi-Fi settings.

The FCC approved special temporary authority for 33 wireless ISPs in 29 states to use the lower 45 MHz of the 5.9 GHz band for 60 days during the COVID-19 pandemic. Each WISP must evaluate other operations in the band, including current uses for road safety, and not cause interference, the FCC said Friday. When the grant expires, each must cease operations in the band and “retune equipment to operate in compliance with the Commission's equipment certifications,” the agency said. “The pandemic’s shut-in orders have really increased demand on this nation’s networks,” said WISP Association President Claude Aiken: WISPs are seeing a 35% increase in traffic in peak hour use and 90% are getting customer requests to add more speed to individual plans.

Comscore found “notable year-over-year growth” in households watching over-the-top content and time spent watching on connected TVs and streaming boxes/sticks. March 13-16, households streaming were up 39% on connected TVs, hours up 34%, Comscore reported Friday: Boxes/sticks households rose 47%, hours 20%. Netflix had 37% of traffic, YouTube 21%, Amazon Prime Video 16% and Hulu 12%. "The millions of Americans who are remaining indoors to comply with Coronavirus public health measures are hungry for news and entertainment, and streaming options are an increasingly important piece of the consumption pie along with traditional TV," said Comscore CEO Bill Livek. CTA said Friday more than a third of U.S. households bought tech devices over the past week to help them keep up as they stay at home. Smartphones led the list, with 14% of households purchasing, followed by laptops (12%), TVs (11%), wireless earbuds/headphones (11%) and wired earbuds or headphones (9%). CTA found 42% are using social media platforms more often. A quarter of U.S. households are now buying non-food items online more often, and 12% are considering doing so. As gyms and fitness centers close, 11% of households say they are using health and fitness apps more often.

Broadcasters airing free commercials during the COVID-19 pandemic don’t have to factor them into their lowest unit rate for political advertisements, said guidance from the FCC Media Bureau in Thursday's Daily Digest. MB also issued a public notice about COVID-19-related waivers for the percentage of content allowed under sharing agreements. It responds to questions from NAB and broadcasters about the effects of airing free spots for advertisers affected by the pandemic, the bureau said. “Because of current financial difficulties arising from the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, many commercial customers are canceling their advertising contracts,” the lowest unit rate PN said. “To fill excess inventory and build goodwill, broadcasters are seeking to air free advertisements for merchants.” Those free ads don’t need to be factored into lowest unit rate calculations “provided the free time is not associated with an existing commercial contract for paid time or otherwise considered bonus spots,” the bureau said. “We anticipate that this guidance is applicable only to the current period and not necessarily applicable when more ordinary conditions are restored.” Local ownership rules limit to 15% the amount of programming one station can provide for another though local marketing agreements or shared service agreements, but that limit can be waived during the pandemic, MB said. During the COVID-19 national emergency “individual licensees may request temporary waivers of the Local Television Ownership Rule to provide more news coverage.”

The FCC acted to shore up its Rural Health Care program, in an order Thursday on docket 02-60. It extends the RHC program application filing window to June 30, eases competitive bidding requirements for healthcare providers with expiring evergreen contracts, and extends procedural deadlines. It's meant to let healthcare providers "focus their attention on their immediate task at hand -- addressing the influx of patients associated with the COVID-19 outbreak and maintaining care for existing patients, thereby helping to control the spread of this serious pandemic, without the diversion of near-term RHC administrative requirements," the order said. "The disruption to health care providers throughout this country as a result of this pandemic is indisputable," Chairman Ajit Pai said, and the FCC is working to address the challenges. The Wireline Bureau is encouraging RHC participants to file forms 462 and 466 funding requests before the new June 30 deadline when possible "so that funding decisions can be issued in a timely manner." The contract exemption is limited to healthcare providers that screen for COVID-19, treat patients or otherwise mitigate its spread. A 14-day deadline for responding to information requests from Universal Service Administrative Co. is extended to 28 days. Among other extensions is the invoice filing deadline. The Schools, Health and Libraries Broadband Coalition last week requested some of the changes. Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel tweeted Wednesday on the topic.