The FCC should concentrate on public awareness of cybersecurity instead of adopting a massive security road map that would conflict with other federal agencies’ work and ultimately weaken protections, telecommunications players said in comments filed Wednesday and Thursday with the commission. The comments responded to an Aug. 9 notice about how the FCC should deal with cybersecurity in line with a National Broadband Plan recommendation.
A rulemaking paving the way for the FCC to auction TV stations’ spectrum for wireless broadband use and give part of the proceeds to the affected broadcasters won’t be approved until after the deadline envisioned by the commission in its agenda to deliver on the National Broadband Plan. The plan called for action this quarter on an item on “broadcast TV spectrum innovation” that would seek comment on proposals to increase spectrum efficiency and innovation (http://xrl.us/bhf9kj). Instead, Chairman Julius Genachowski is expected to circulate in Q4 a rulemaking notice that could be voted on at the November or December FCC meetings, agency officials and industry executives said. The FCC has missed several other deadlines in the agenda (CD Sept 1 p1).
Ivi TV, selling a $5 monthly subscription for online access to a handful of TV stations, sought a declaratory ruling against TV program suppliers in federal court because other options weren’t available to it, said its counsel. “Our investigation demonstrated to us that this wasn’t the FCC’s province at all,” said Lawrence Graham of Black Lowe & Graham. He pointed to a recent Media Bureau decision in the Sky Angel program access complaint (CD April 23 p9) and other public statements that the agency doesn’t regulate Internet content. “A number of things told us the FCC doesn’t have anything to do with video content over the Internet,” Graham said.
A handful of companies have turned down loan awards from the Broadband Initiatives Program, and officials in the U.S. Agriculture Department’s Rural Utilities Service are in negotiations to get the companies to stay with the program, a RUS spokesman said. “Fewer than 10” of about 300 grant winners have turned down awards, he said.
The FCC approved an order letting schools and libraries lease dark fiber for broadband use, community use of schools’ broadband networks after hours and tying the E-rate cap to inflation. Indexing E-rate to inflation, as had been expected (CD Sept 8 p1), may mean the $2.25 billion annual cap will be raised for the first time in its history. The inflation measure caused Republican Commissioners Meredith Baker and Robert McDowell to part ways with their Democratic colleagues. Baker concurred on inflation and McDowell dissented. Both said they thought the Universal Service Fund -- of which E-rate is a part -- requires comprehensive reform.
Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., will hold as many hearings as it takes to pass his public safety bill, the Senate Commerce Committee chairman said at a hearing Thursday. He conceded Congress probably won’t pass legislation this year. His bill (S-3756) would give the 700 MHz D-block to public safety, and fund the network with money from incentive auctions of broadcaster spectrum. Ranking Member Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, said she’s “prepared to support” the Rockefeller bill, but still has funding questions. Public Safety Bureau Chief Jamie Barnett maintained that the government should commercially auction the D-block.
Almost two years after the FCC’s initial white spaces order the agency Thursday unanimously approved final rules allowing the use of unused frequencies in the TV band for wireless broadband. The order offers some concessions to various interests, from wireless mic makers to broadcasters, and to advocates of setting aside part of the band in rural areas for wireless backhaul. But the order changed little in most ways from what was proposed by Chairman Julius Genachowski three weeks ago.
The FCC imposed new wireless location accuracy mandates on carriers Thursday, adopting a compromise that had been worked out between major carriers, APCO and the National Emergency Number Association. The commission also approved a notice of inquiry examining changes to 911 for VoIP and a notice of proposed rulemaking on future changes for wireless. None of the documents had been released at our deadline.
Ad sales on pay-TV and broadcast networks should continue to increase into 2011 despite signs that the overall economy is still struggling to recover, executives said at a Goldman Sachs investor conference this week. Cable networks are attracting new advertisers to their programs, and the demand for political ads on broadcast networks should translate into increased demand from non-political marketers well past the elections, they said. CBS is selling ads at rates 30 percent higher than during the upfront ad buying season this year, CEO Leslie Moonves said. Demand is so high and inventory so scarce, that even without political spots, pricing would be up almost as high, he said.
Open Range Communications got more time from the FCC to find spectrum other than the S-band spectrum it has been leasing from Globalstar, the agency said on reconsideration Thursday. The International and Wireless bureaus and Office of Engineering and Technology extended what was originally a 60-day special temporary authority to Jan. 31, 2011, during which the company must find alternative spectrum for its service. Open Range has leased Globalstar’s terrestrial spectrum since 2008. The FCC recently denied a waiver request from Globalstar that would have let Open Range continue its service in that spectrum (CD Sept 16 p6).