Misuse of IP Relay, a service to help deaf people communicate, is becoming a serious problem, consumer and industry groups told the FCC this week. But there didn’t appear to be full agreement on how to fix the problem.

CAMBRIDGE, U.K. -- Google’s goal of making all the world’s information accessible raises major privacy issues, Privacy Counsel-Europe Peter Fleischer said here Wed. The search giant is moving to relieve user discomfort with new offerings such as Google Earth, he said at the Privacy Laws & Business conference. It’s also backing change to U.S. privacy laws and entering the debate over national adoption of EU Internet data traffic retention rules.

The FCC Media Bureau is weighing 2 rounds of June comments on alleged violation of DBS noncommercial set-aside rules by agricultural channel RFD-TV. RFD-TV airs farming and horse training how-to programs, tractor and 4-H shows and all sorts of agriculture-related events on airtime the 1992 Cable Act set aside for noncommercial programming. But other RFD-TV content -- livestock auctions and ads for Elvis Presley CDs, saddle pads, horse vitamins and log splitters -- will get scrutiny after complaints of DBS “set-aside” abuse.

Odds are dimming that Congress will pass a comprehensive data security bill before recessing in Aug., sources told us. In the House, 3 bills have emerged from committee and await floor consideration. So have 3 Senate bills. But deciding which bills reach each chamber’s floor and reconciling them will test lawmakers’ abilities to deal with their own brief, crammed calendars no less than their will to fight breaches.

Germany’s Deutsche Telekom Wed. rejected European Union proposals for telecom companies to separate their networks from their services to stimulate competition. The plan would include examining benefits of that separation, particularly in areas like broadband Internet. A Deutsche Telekom spokesman said “Commissioner [Viviane] Reding is basing the discussion she has raised about structural separation of networks and the services provided over them on… competition problems.” He cited a positive view of the market in a European Commission report earlier this year on implementation of telecom laws in 25 member states. Reding and Deutsche Telekom, which have a history of disputes, are battling over regulation of a new high-speed broadband network Deutsche Telekom has begun to build. Ms. Reding reiterated a threat to act against the German government unless its draft law, which protects Deutsche Telekom, is changed.

PHILADELPHIA: Judges gave mixed signals in their questions and reactions to attorneys as the 3rd U.S. Appeals Court, Philadelphia, Wed. heard oral arguments on the FCC’s designated entity order. Arguments unfolded over nearly 90 minutes in a case that will determine whether the long-awaited advanced wireless services auction will begin as expected Aug. 9. Lawyers watching the proceedings said the court’s direction was difficult to augur.

Germany’s Deutsche Telekom Wed. rejected European Union proposals for telecom companies to separate their networks from their services to stimulate competition. The plan would include examining benefits of that separation, particularly in areas like broadband. A Deutsche Telekom spokesman said “Commissioner [Viviane] Reding is basing the discussion she has raised about structural separation of networks and the services provided over them on… competition problems.” He cited a positive view of the market in a European Commission report earlier this year on implementation of telecom laws in 25 member states. Reding and Deutsche Telekom, which have a history of disputes, are battling over regulation of a new high-speed broadband network Deutsche Telekom has begun to build. Ms. Reding reiterated a threat to act against the German government unless its draft law, which protects Deutsche Telekom, is changed.

The Mo. PSC suspended a McLeod Telecom proposal to raise its intrastate access charges above its price cap. The PSC acted after AT&T objected that McLeod failed to justify its need for an increase. Mo. regulations cap CLEC access charges at the rate of the directly competing incumbent telco. McLeod said it needed the access increase to recover legitimate service costs. McLeod said market conditions have changed since the cap rule was adopted in 1998 and it’s no longer reasonable or appropriate to tie CLECs to incumbent access rate structures. But the PSC staff agreed with AT&T that more cost justification is needed for the increase. The PSC set a July 17 prehearing conference.

The satellite industry is excited to see the FCC moving to open 17/24 GHz spectrum for video broadcasting, DBS officials (and even launch services) said this week. But satellite firms commenting in the proceeding have their work cut out, we're told. The 17/24 GHz NPRM released last Fri. by the Commission raises so many satellite policy and engineering questions that most satellite officials we spoke with this week said they're still absorbing the text.

Eighteen months of talks on broad telecom reform paid off with a comprehensive draft incorporating input from all members of the Senate Commerce Committee, Chmn. Stevens (R- Alaska) said Thurs. during opening statements before the bill’s markup. The draft folds in recommended language and in some cases entire bills backed by committee members from both parties, he said. But after starting promptly, the committee abruptly ended markup after only 2 hours. Work resumes Tues.