Telcos and ISPs dislike elements in House Commerce Committee Chmn. Barton’s (R-Tex.) telecom bill released last week, according to House sources who've met with industry representatives. But staffers said the draft was intended to elicit comment, with changes made if need be. Final comments are due Sept. 28, after which the bill will be set for markup, predicted in mid-Oct.
The FCC is likely to set performance rules for broadband radio service (BRS) and educational broadband service (EBS) licensees in the 2.5 GHz band at its Oct. 12 meeting, several sources said. It’s also expected to act on 20 petitions to reconsider a June 2004 ruling revising rules for ITFS and MDS operators in the 2495-2690 MHz band. The items could still fall off the agenda, given the FCC’s recent hurricane-related focus, some speculated. The FCC also is circulating a rulemaking on BRS relocation for channels 1 and 2. The latter is expected to be addressed in circulation.
Telcos dislike franchising elements in House Commerce Committee Chmn. Barton’s (R-Tex.) telecom bill released last week(CD Sept 16 p1), according to House sources who've met with industry representatives. But staffers said the draft was intended to elicit comment, with changes made if need be. Final comments are due Sept. 28, after which the bill will be set for markup, predicted in mid-Oct.
At least 16 small wireless carriers filed last-minute requests with the FCC to extend a Sept. 16 deadline to comply with Commission hearing aid compatibility (HAC) rules, raising concerns among hearing impaired groups. Under FCC rules, Tier III providers must offer at least 2 HAC-compliant handset models per air interface by the deadline, and provide in-store testing in each store they own or operate. The latest round of petitioners offered various reasons for failing to meet the deadline.
Washington File reports that on September 9, 2005, Commerce Secretary Gutierrez announced a formal determination of a fishery failure in the Gulf of Mexico (including the Florida Keys, and the area from Pensacola, Florida to the Texas border) due to the major flooding, clogged waterways, damage to fishing boats and ports, and closed processing facilities following Hurricane Katrina. (Washington File, dated 09/12/05, available at http://usinfo.state.gov/xarchives/display.html?p=washfile-english&y=2005&m=September&x=20050912111545lcnirellep0.7358057&t=xarchives/xarchitem.html )
Hewlett-Packard unveiled a model e-waste bill that it said would require companies to run their own recycling programs or accept a “tax"-based approach. The bill is being circulated in state legislatures and “there is interest,” HP Dir.-Govt. Policy David Isaacs told us. Despite concerns, state officials called the HP proposal a significant step.
Hewlett-Packard unveiled a model e-waste bill that it said would require companies to run their own recycling programs or accept a “tax"-based approach. The bill is being circulated in state legislatures and “there is interest,” HP Dir.-Govt. Policy David Isaacs told us. Despite concerns, state officials called the HP proposal a significant step.
Fury stirred by sexual content woven into in rival Take-Two Interactive game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was “unfortunate” because “it casts a very negative light on the industry as a whole,” THQ CEO Brian Farrell told the Merrill Lynch Media & Entertainment Conference in Pasadena, Cal., after our Wed. deadline. Farrell said the brouhaha “created some political pressures” but will “over time, lose steam” as people realize it was an “isolated incident.”
Music copyright holders and online subscription services must bring Capitol Hill a unified proposal for licensing law reform to get a bill moving, Rep. Boucher (D-Va.) said Tues. at the Future of Music Coalition summit in D.C. Talks between the sectors broke down last month over what Digital Media Assn. (DiMA) members should pay artists and publishers. DiMA firms -- like iTunes and Napster - now pay a flat fee to rights holders, who have been demanding 14% of revenue. DiMA’s most recently offered 6.9%.
EBay’s $2.6 billion cash and stock buy of Skype, announced Mon., raised eyebrows on Wall Street over its price and over it’s wisdom. VoIP advocates, however, welcomed it as a validation of their technology.