NTIA plans to develop guidelines outlining how federal govt.’s Interdepartment Radio Advisory Committee (IRAC) process works, including general time frames in which coordination applications are taken up, NTIA Dir. Nancy Victory said in interview. More broadly, Victory said that after more than year at helm of NTIA, spectrum management still remains her biggest priority, with 700 MHz likely looming as next biggest challenge now that federal govt. has taken first cut at allocating additional spectrum for 3G.

Network Reliability & Interoperability Council (NRIC) took first step in its new focus on homeland security Fri. by voting to set up emergency contact procedures to speed interaction among telecom companies in times of disasters. At NRIC’s quarterly council meeting, top executives of more than 4 dozen companies and associations voted to set up system that would identify key industry representatives at every company and set up protocol for contacting them without sacrificing time or security.

FCC Thurs. asked for comments on whether and in what ways it should update and improve its rules on telemarketing and junk faxes. Commission said it was looking for ways to improve consumer privacy protection without putting unnecessary burdens on telemarketers. “Given the number of consumer inquiries and complaints about telemarketing the Commission has received, and in light of technological and market changes, we have determined that it is time to review the rules under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) of 1991 on unsolicited advertising using telephones and facsimile machines,” said FCC Chmn. Powell. He said FCC was also seeking comments on establishment of national do-not- call list that would cover most telemarketing calls.

Public safety groups urged FCC Wed. to refer to Enforcement Bureau waivers for Enhanced 911 Phase 2 filed by small wireless carriers that weren’t covered in July 26 order that applied to 110 operators that already had sought relief. National Emergency Number Assn., Assn. of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) and National Assn. of State 911 Administrators said that among largest wireless carriers, AT&T Wireless and Cingular previously were referred to Enforcement Bureau to explain their tardy waiver requests. “We see no reason to avoid similar referrals of smaller carriers, particularly those whose late-filed requests are devoid of specific reasons for not acting earlier,” public safety groups said. FCC last month pushed back Phase 2 deadlines 7 months for medium (Tier 2) carriers and 13 months for smallest (Tier 3) carriers for rolling out Phase 2 E911, keeping final implementation date of Dec. 31, 2005, intact. Last fall, Commission adopted compliance plans for extended E911 implementation timelines for 6 national wireless carriers. Staying of compliance dates on interim basis for smaller carriers applied only to 110 carriers whose requests for more time already were on file, groups said. They said that since July 26 order was issued, 8 additional small carriers had filed waiver requests and more were expected. “Absent an effort to build specific records on these pending waiver requests, it will look as if either the carriers or the FCC don’t care about noncompliance by smaller carriers,” public safety filing said. “The public safety organizations are sure that is not the case.”

State and local govt. officials are predicting surge of electronics waste (e-waste) legislative initiatives in next legislative year, basing their forecast on passage of first front-end fee bill in Cal. and fact that at least 6 of more than dozen e-waste bills still are alive in state legislatures. National Electronics Product Stewardship Initiative (NEPSI), voluntary effort by various stakeholders to find national solution to e-waste problem, had kept state and local officials from pushing state legislation, officials said, so most of current initiatives have come from citizens’ groups and lawmakers themselves. But that situation could change if NEPSI fails to produce results, they said. They said efforts were under way to draft model state legislation. Besides Cal., where legislation (SB 1523 and SB 1619) was awaiting expected signature of Gov. Gray Davis (D), bills that dealt with recycling programs to advance disposal fees were pending in Mass., N.C., Neb., N.J., N.Y.

Satellite companies still are cashing in on post-9/11 fears over terrorism, representatives and executives of several companies told us Wed. as nation marked one-year anniversary of attacks. Satellite communications systems have proved to among best weapons in fight against terrorism when ground systems fail during emergencies or when extra security is needed, officials said. Despite being unable to compete commercially with land-based cellular networks, Globalstar, Iridium, Orbcomm and Qualcomm said they developed GPS tracking and satellite telephone systems that are being used for emergency communication backups and tracking systems with built-in high-tech security features that can help in fight against terrorism. Govt. and military have supported effort in last year by awarding several contracts to companies and closely scrutinizing technological advances, companies said.

As expected, Sen. Landrieu (D-La.) introduced legislation Tues. that would order FCC to grant licenses in 12.2-12.7 GHz range on basis of merit, not licenses (CD Sept 6 p11). Bill, Emergency Communications & Competition Act (ECCA) (S-2922), apparently is designed to aid Northpoint, which seeks to share spectrum with DBS service providers in that range of spectrum. In Senate floor speech, Landrieu said bill was essential to ensure rapid deployment of Multichannel Video Distribution & Data Service (MVDDS), which will provide competition for both cable and broadband services. It has several notable co-sponsors, including Senate Minority Leader Lott (R-Miss.), Senate Commerce Communications Subcommittee ranking Republican Burns (Mont.), Senate Judiciary Committee Chmn. Leahy (D-Vt.), Senate Small Business Committee Chmn. Kerry (D-Mass.). Other co-sponsors are Sens. Baucus (D-Mont.), Dodd (D-Conn.), Mikulski (D- Md.), Gregg (R-N.H.). Bill was sent to Senate Commerce Committee, of which Landrieu isn’t member. She said FCC decision to subject MVDDS providers, and not satellite companies, to auction process was “discriminatory tax on an innovative new technology.” She also said auction process was producing effects opposite of original intention. “In this case, industry incumbents can use the auction to block the introduction of new competition.” Under ECCA, applicants that can demonstrate through independent testing that technology won’t cause harmful interference to DBS operators would be granted licenses. Bill also would require services to build out systems within 5 years, not 10 now required by FCC. Parties that apply for licenses under that provision would have to assume specific public interest obligations, including full must-carry of local television stations, Landrieu said. Also, 4% of system capacity must be set aside for other purposes, such as telemedicine and distance learning. ECCA would require MVDDS licensees to air Emergency Alert System warnings, Landrieu said, which often aren’t seen by DBS viewers. Licensees would have to make transmission systems available to national security and emergency preparedness personnel in national emergency, she said. Landrieu said Consumers Union supported legislation since it would foster competition with cable, which she said had raised rates 45% since it was deregulated in 1996. “MVDDS can go head-to-head with incumbent cable systems everywhere, and I believe that this good old-fashioned competition will result in lower prices and better service for consumers -- even those who don’t choose to subscribe to MVDDS,” Landrieu said. Legislation also has been endorsed by National Grange, farm and rural public interest organization, she said. Burns said bill would give rural TV viewers in Mont. opportunity to get local TV stations, where DBS providers don’t offer local TV to residents.

One year after Sept. 11 attacks, some proposed federal wireless funding is either being eyed for cutbacks or has been put on hold pending changes in interoperability and priority access for national security and emergency personnel. Unclear funding scenario in some areas comes as scrutiny has intensified in last year over issues such as providing interoperable equipment for public safety agencies and other first responders. In case of priority access service (PAS) funding, which would give emergency access to wireless networks for certain national security and emergency responders, House and Senate appropriations bills have scaled back President Bush’s original $73 million request for program. Office of Management & Budget (OMB) official recently said he also was putting on hold plans for how $1.5 billion in federal wireless funding would be disbursed until it became clearer how overlaps among existing programs could be reduced.

National Communications System (NCS) will use GSM wireless technology for initial national rollout of full- blown priority access service (PAS) that will start next year for key national security and emergency personnel. Because of funding constraints, NCS had to make choice between CDMA and GSM for initial national debut of national PAS, which offers wireless service to key govt. and emergency workers in emergencies, said John Graves, program dir. of NCS’s Govt. Emergency Telephone Service (GETS), which is wireline equivalent to PAS.

SonicBlue restructuring announced late Thurs., including 25% work force reduction, will achieve “important objectives” of cutting overhead, consolidating operations into single Santa Clara hq and streamlining Asian-based production costs, interim CEO Gregory Ballard told financial analysts in conference call Fri. Layoffs included departure of high-profile executives such as Senior Vp-Sales Roger Hackett, who was pres.-COO of Sensory Science before it was acquired by SonicBlue, and Andy Wolfe, chief technology officer. Ballard said Wolfe would remain SonicBlue consultant.