The Bureau of Industry and Security has issued a final rule, effective September 7, 2010, to revise the Export Administration Regulations to implement most of the changes made to the Wassenaar Arrangement's List of Dual Use Goods and Technologies maintained and agreed to by governments participating in the Wassenaar Arrangement’s December 2009 Plenary Meeting.
The FCC acted in “injudicious haste” in adopting new Wireless Communications Service rules “without an adequate record to support its performance requirements,” AT&T said in a petition at the FCC, seeking partial reconsideration of a May 20 order. The WCS Coalition filed in support of the carrier. The FCC approved the order as the first step toward the National Broadband Plan’s goal of freeing up 500 MHz of spectrum over 10 years for wireless broadband(CD May 21 p5).
Largely dismissing an April plea from the U.S. Copyright Office to cast the Performance Rights Act (HR-848) in a more favorable light, GAO maintained that the bill would raise costs for broadcasters and boost revenue for the recording industry. A GAO report dated August 2010 and released Friday reached the same conclusion as a February preliminary report made public in June. That earlier version had prompted an April rebuke from the Copyright Office (CD June 8 p11).
FCC Commissioner Michael Copps said Thursday he’s not pleased with continuing delay on a net neutrality order, after the Wireline and Wireless bureaus posed a new series of questions on net neutrality (CD Sept 2 p1). But some industry, Hill and FCC officials said Wednesday’s public notice left the agency room to begin regulating wireline before the fall Congressional elections. Meanwhile, the outlook on industry talks conducted by the Information Technology Industry Council remains unclear.
FCC Commissioner Michael Copps said Thursday he’s not pleased with continuing delay on a net neutrality order, after the Wireline and Wireless bureaus posed a new series of questions on net neutrality (CD Sept 2 p1). But some industry, Hill and FCC officials said Wednesday’s public notice left the agency room to begin regulating wireline before the fall Congressional elections. Meanwhile, the outlook on industry talks conducted by the Information Technology Industry Council remains unclear.
FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski will put the question of whether dark fiber should be supported by E-Rate funding on the Sept. 23 meeting agenda, aides to two commissioners said. Industry opposes such measures, saying it’s a violation of Sections 254(c)(3) and 254(h) of the Communications Act. USTelecom and AT&T have had separate meetings with FCC staff in recent days to voice their opposition, ex parte filings said. “AT&T explained that the statutory language does not support making dark fiber eligible for E-rate funding,” its Tuesday filing said. If the agency does order dark fiber to be covered by e-rates, AT&T suggested the commission “should do so in a manner that furthers the national policy goal of increasing broadband deployment in un-served areas,” the filing said. USTelecom said a shift will be “enormously expensive” and raises the specter of competitive bidding violations.
The International Trade Commission announces that a section 337 patent-based complaint has been filed regarding certain liquid crystal display devices, including monitors, televisions, and modules, and components thereof.
The FCC Wireline and Wireless bureaus sought more comment in the net neutrality proceeding Wednesday. That effectively kicks key decisions on that and broadband reclassification back until after the November elections, said many agency and industry officials. Odds had already appeared slim that Chairman Julius Genachowski would circulate an order on his proposed “third way” reclassification plan Thursday, for a vote at the Sept. 23 open meeting. The development also effectively provides more time for industry discussions, like the ones underway at the Information Technology Industry Council.
The FCC Wireline and Wireless bureaus sought more comment in the net neutrality proceeding Wednesday. That effectively kicks key decisions on that and broadband reclassification back until after the November elections, said many agency and industry officials. Odds had already appeared slim that Chairman Julius Genachowski would circulate an order on his proposed “third way” reclassification plan Thursday, for a vote at the Sept. 23 open meeting. The development also effectively provides more time for industry discussions, like the ones underway at the Information Technology Industry Council.
The International Trade Commission announces that a section 337 patent-based complaint has been filed regarding certain components for installation of marine autopilots with global positioning systems (GPS) or inertial measurement units (IMU).