FCC opened inquiry Wed. into making additional spectrum available for unlicensed devices, including TV broadcast spectrum. Office of Engineering & Technology Chief Edmond Thomas cited Wi-Fi as example of kinds of technology that used cognitive, frequency-agile radios to share such spectrum with incumbents. FCC Chmn. Powell stressed item would balance how to use existing spectrum efficiently while not interfering with incumbents. Comr. Martin voiced concerns about unlicensed applications in current broadcast spectrum, particularly because inquiry comes during DTV transition.

FCC opened multiple notices of inquiry (NOIs) Wed. on wireless policy, including on whether existing spectrum policies impeded provision of wireless service to rural areas. That notice, adopted unanimously at agenda meeting, also examined whether changes were needed “to promote more extensive availability of spectrum-based services for rural consumers,” Wireless Bureau Chief Thomas Sugrue said. In separate inquiry, FCC sought feedback on its analysis of competition in commercial mobile wireless sector, including whether figures should be collected in new wireless areas such as Wi-Fi deployment.

Federal govt. must be more vigorous in deploying additional wireless technology to effectively support homeland defense efforts, White House official said Tues. at E-Gov Homeland Security 2002 conference in Washington. Although several public safety-related initiatives are underway to deploy secure, interoperable wireless- infrastructure, Dept. of Justice (DoJ) “is making a strong argument for a more coherent strategy” to acquire and distribute such equipment, said Office of Homeland Security Infostructure Dir. Lee Holcomb in morning keynote. New Dept. of Homeland Security (DHS) will play key role in coordinating such wireless deployment programs in conjunction with DoJ and Treasury Dept., he said.

Improvement in spectrum allocation process was key point in moderate Republican report on Dept. of Homeland Security (DHS) released Tues. Republican Main St. Partnership report, which makes recommendations for first 100 days of DHS, said Dept. should be given “place at the table” during spectrum negotiations.

T-Mobile finished deploying wireless priority access (WPA) technology Mon. in Washington for National Communications System (NCS), latest phase in broader project to give network-access priority to national security personnel and first responders nationwide. This stage of Capital-area deployment of WPA is significant, but is only beginning of eventual end-to-end national capability that will include Internet priority access, NCS Technology & Programs Div. Chief Peter Fonash said at E-Gov Homeland Security 2002 conference in Washington.

ITU said it would provide emergency support to Afghanistan govt. in its effort to restore country’s “heavily damaged” telecom and broadcasting infrastructure. ITU’s Telecom Development Bureau Dir. Hamadoun Toure signed 2-year project agreement with Afghanistan’s Minister of Communications Masoom Stanekzai saying ITU would strengthen Afghanistan’s institutional competence to govern sector. “Afghanistan has moved backwards towards the Stone Age at a time when we need to enter the Digital Age, and we need the assistance of an impartial international organization like ITU to ensure we again move forward in telecommunication development,” Stanekzai said. He said national framework was needed “to help Afghanistan leap-frog to the Digital Age and create an environment that will ensure our people have the right to access communications.” ITU said it would assist Afghanistan in restructuring its Ministry of Communications, “equipping it to deal with governance issues on a day-to-day basis during the emergency phase and beyond.” ITU said it would help Afghanistan establish internal working procedures and practices for effective functioning of Ministry, assist in drafting telecom sector policy and Telecom Act, propose regulatory structure tailored to specific needs of country and prepare program to develop competence within Ministry in policy, regulation and legislation. It said it also would help Afghanistan to plan and manage orderly national frequency spectrum, establish equipped and operational Frequency Management Unit within Ministry of Communications, develop national frequency plan, install spectrum management system and put in place coherent licensing and assignment procedures. ITU Coordinator for Asia-Pacific Ismet Hamiti said there was “great urgency” in restoring domestic and international telecom services in Afghanistan, “as they represent an essential input to all other rehabilitation and reconstruction activities taking place in the country. However… the rapid deployment of wireless-based services also highlights the importance of managing the radio spectrum efficiency.” ITU said it would fund project with contribution of more than $500,000 from ITU telecom surplus. It said U.N. Development Program (UNDP) joined ITU to provide experts to Afghanistan on cost-sharing basis.

Cal. State Sen. Sher (D-San Jose) reintroduced electronics waste (e-waste) legislation (SB-20) Mon. in Cal. Senate, measure aide said would have many elements of SB-1523 and SB-1619 vetoed by Gov. Gray Davis (D) in Oct. In message accompanying his veto of bills that, among other things, would have required manufacturers of computers, TVs and other CRT-based devices to collect $10 fee for collection and recycling of e-waste, Davis had said he was willing to sign legislation in next session that “challenges industry to assume greater responsibility for the recycling and disposal of electronics waste.” In related development, environment groups were encouraged by shift in stance of Hewlett-Packard. Company said it now would support state legislation to require computer manufacturers to bear cost of collection and recycling. Environmental groups consider HP’s opposition to previous bills to have been main factor in governor’s veto. SB-20 is “spot bill” that contains only intent language, said Mark Murray of Californians Against Waste (CAW), one of chief supporters of measure. Bill merely expresses intent to adopt a producer responsibility policy for electronics waste, he said. He said HP announcement hadn’t influenced Sher’s decision to reintroduce bill because he had made decision before that. But company’s shift to support some kind of producer responsibility policy is “definitely welcome news,” Murray said. HP spokeswoman said company had made recommendations to Cal. EPA at recent e-waste forum. Although its emphasis was on national solution rather than state-by-state approach, it had realized that states weren’t going to wait for national system, she said. HP decided to play “constructive role” in Cal. legislation to ensure that “fair, efficient and environmentally sound” system emerged offering level playing field, she said. HP also considered Cal. legislation as possible starting point for national system, she said. Reason HP decided to go along was because it realized it would get “a seat at the table” in same way as Apple was able to influence previous legislation, Murray said: “If HP is serious this time, it will have an opportunity to influence what this bill looks like.” As for prospects for new legislation, Murray said dynamics had changed, with Davis saying in veto message that he wanted to see bill next year, outrage over illegal disposal of e-waste in developing countries particularly China, HP’s shift in position. “I think that all these things combined make it extremely likely that we will see a law this year.”

“The Asia-Pacific region is poised to overtake Europe as the world’s largest [mobile] market during 2002, although mobile penetration is still below 10%,” ITU said in new report. It said effects of 2001 global economic slowdown were milder in that region and strong economic growth and greater consumer spending power contributed to positive growth in telecom services. Of 10 most profitable public telecom operators, 7 originate in Asia, and 2 of top 3 mobile economies worldwide (Taiwan and China and Hong Kong) are in that region, report said. It said mobile technologies contributed to raising total teledensity in many developing countries “that might otherwise have expected to remain locked into low levels of access.” Report said Asia-Pacific region, which has 160 million Internet users, accounts for 1/3 of total Internet users worldwide, more than any other region. Innovative schemes for community access, such as Indonesia’s warung internets (warnets), “have boosted Internet usage, as have prepaid cards and the boom in online gaming and e-government,” report said. Asia-Pacific also leads in broadband Internet with 5 Asian economies among top 12 worldwide in penetration, report said: “Capacity on Internet bandwidth has leapt eightfold over the last 2 years from 8 GBS at the end of 2001.” Report said Asia-Pacific region also distinguished itself in technology deployment and innovative and flexible nature of its policy models. It said in 2001 “the region emerged as the world’s largest telecommunication market,” and had added more than one new telephone user every second for last decade. S. Asia, currently least developed subregion with teledensity of 4 in 2001, “could provide the next great spurt of growth for the region as this is where the potential for ‘catch-up’ is greatest,” report said. It said Japan and S. Korea continued to be leaders in commercial deployment of 3G networks, but small countries such as Bhutan and Tonga also had “leapfrogged to leading edge technologies” such as wireless LAN and all-IP networks. Singapore, Hong Kong and China, report said, withdrew exclusivity of their operators’ licenses to introduce competition in international services, and Thailand and Vietnam found ways to introduce alternative suppliers and foreign investment into their markets. Author of report, Michael Minges, said Asia-Pacific region “continues to push the envelope of universal service. For those Asian countries that have crossed a threshold of 30 telephone subscribers per 100 inhabitants, the focus has shifted to providing service directly to the home and on keeping phone service affordable as cross-subsidies disappear.” Co-author Tim Kelly said: “The developing nations of Asia represent the real test of the potential of mobile communications to extend access to telecommunications services.” ITU’s Telecom Development Bureau Dir. Hamadoun Toure said: “The real reason for confidence [about Asia’s success] lies not so much in the numbers of telephone, mobile and Internet subscribers in the region, but rather the digital opportunities represented by the large numbers of those still waiting to be connected.”

Dept. of Defense (DoD) advisory panel early next year will attempt to identify where Pentagon should take lead role in development of homeland security-related technologies and systems. Defense Science Board Task Force on DoD Roles & Missions in Homeland Security, which reports to Defense Secy. and Undersecy. of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, Logistics, scheduled series of monthly closed meetings in first 6 months of 2003. Task force agenda includes discussion of need for integrated security strategy and interagency processes in response to national security emergencies. Sessions are Jan. 7-8, Feb. 19-20, March 29-30, April 22-23, May 28-29, June 24-25, July 16-17, all at Strategic Analysis hq, Arlington, Va.

Two senators are promoting use of Wi-Fi wireless broadband as alternative to cable-DSL debate that has resulted in impasse in Congress. Sens. Allen (R-Va.) and Boxer (D-Cal.) are circulating “Dear Colleague” letter that encouraged more unlicensed spectrum be devoted to broadband.