FCC Wireless Bureau granted requests from some digital wireless carriers for more time to become able to transmit 911 calls made by users of text telephone (TTY) devices. Bureau granted limited relief for carriers migrating away from TDMA technology and gave AT&T Wireless less time than it sought to implement digital TTY capability in GSM part of its network that uses Nokia switches. FCC rules required that by June 30, digital wireless service providers be able to transmit 911 calls made using TTY devices. “Overall, digital wireless services providers are timely implementing TTY capability in their networks, which is necessary to enable TTY users to make emergency 911 calls and enjoy the benefits of digital wireless services,” Bureau said. At recent TTY Forum, order said, 5 national wireless carriers said they were implementing TTY capability “widely” as of June 30 and that capability was expected to be available in most areas as of July 1. Group of mostly small, rural carriers sought limited extensions of June 30 deadline, ranging from 3 months to one year, attributing requests to vendor delays associated with software and hardware upgrades. Among larger carriers, AT&T Wireless told FCC it expected to meet nationwide compliance deadline in its TDMA network, which serves most of its subscribers. Company sought extension for 3 months beyond date on which Nokia delivers functional product for deployment in parts of its GSM network. Carrier said it expected to deploy TTY capability in all operational GSM markets served by Nokia switches by Sept. 30. AT&T said it found errors in initial versions of Nokia software in tests in April. For Ericsson TTY solution, AT&T Wireless said it expected to implement technology before June 30. Bureau turned down AT&T petition “to the extent that it requests an extension of the compliance deadline for a period of time triggered solely by the timing of a vendor’s delivery of a product for deployment,” order said. “To grant such relief from a regulatory obligation would effectively remove the obligation of carriers to take the steps necessary to satisfy that obligation.” Order gave AT&T Wireless until Sept. 30 to implement TTY capability in GSM part of network served by Nokia switches. For carriers migrating from TDMA, order granted conditional extension of time to deploy TTY capability for 911 calls until Dec. 31, 2003. Order said that would give additional 18 months for affected carriers to transition from TDMA and move subscribers to TTY-capable network. “Because of recent developments related to larger carriers’ moving away from TDMA and the resulting loss of vendor support for these systems, these small carriers are in an unusual position of having to change their underlying technology on the eve of the Commission’s regulatory deadline for implementing TTY-capability in their systems,” order said. Bureau stipulated that if carrier still was operating TDMA network at end of 18-month extension, agency would have to implement TTY solution in that network.

With National Electronics Products Stewardship Initiative (NEPSI) dialog making virtually no headway on financing system for collection and recycling of electronics waste (e-waste) at penultimate round of talks last month, representatives of state govts. have signaled they're proceeding with plans to develop model state legislation to deal with the growing problem.

U.S. Army Communications & Electronics Command (CECOM) seeks contractors capable of providing on-demand telecom and electronic supplies and services. Companies must be able to provide voice, data, graphics and video and “respond to emergency or contingency requirements as directed by the government.” Contractors would be responsible for tasks including cable installation, testing of satellite terminal antenna equipment, gaining necessary earth-station operation approvals from respective nations or territories. CECOM said it expected to issue requests as part of that procurement for “portable, expandable modular communications system” which enable users to send and receive communications “to and from anywhere in the world” -- (732-532-5537).

BOSTON -- One of hottest topics in fixed wireless arena for World Radio Conference (WRC) in 2003 is potential global harmonization for wireless access systems at 5 GHz, said Veena Rawat, deputy dir.-gen., spectrum engineering branch of Industry Canada. “It will be one of the most controversial, one of the most difficult items,” Rawat said in Thurs. panel at Wireless Communications Assn. conference here. One fundamental point of debate is whether those systems should have primary or secondary use of band, she said. While there has been interest in fixed wireless sector for creating global harmonization for wireless access services in that spectrum, Linda Wellstein, partner with Wilkinson, Barker, Knauer, said NTIA had raised interference concerns as part of WRC planning process in U.S.

As Washington awoke Wed. to realization that major long distance provider, Internet backbone operator, Web hoster and wireless operator faced possibility of bankruptcy for questionable accounting practices (see separate story, this issue), it also was not lost on many that WorldCom was active player in Washington lobbying scene. WorldCom spent just under $4 million in lobbying alone in 2001, and was 5th- largest campaign donator of all telecom companies. Its political action committee as of May 31 had nearly $2 million on hand for more donations. But on smaller scale, WorldCom also is major backer of various grass-roots lobbying efforts fighting for competitive local exchange carriers (CLECs) and ISPs on Capitol Hill and at FCC, including Voices for Choices, U.S. ISP Assn. and group born only last week, BroadNet. Executives of all 3 of those groups expressed confidence they would be able to continue if WorldCom funding were to dry up.

BOSTON -- Attendees at Wireless Communications Assn. (WCA) show here Tues. urged FCC to update operational and technical rules for MMDS and ITFS licensees to reflect use of band that once was home to one-way video services but now is eyeing how to compete better against cable and DSL in broadband arena. “One fairly common theme I've heard from the various constituencies involved in this band is that current rules are in need of fixing, [although] they may have been a good first step at the time they were done,” FCC Wireless Bureau Chief Thomas Sugrue said. He and other officials in bureau that recently inherited all MMDS policy in FCC reorganization urged industry to provide proposal on rule changes by Sept. “I would urge you not to let it slip much beyond that, we are anxious to get going,” he said. Industry is crafting proposal that would provide rules in band that more closely resembled those for PCS, which offers flexibility for wide range of uses. Related issue raised repeatedly was how to address interleaved nature of ITFS spectrum, with several industry representatives calling for more flexibility.

FCC granted series of waivers to small cable operators on installation of Emergency Alert Systems (EAS). Commission rules require cable systems with fewer than 5,000 subscribers per headend to either provide national level EAS messages on all program channels or install EAS equipment and provide video interrupt and audio alert on all program channels and EAS audio and video messages on at least one program channel by Oct. 1. In 1992, Commission amended rules to provide financial relief for small systems, giving them waivers on case-by-case basis. Centre TV of Wheeling, W.Va., received temporary 1-year waiver; company, which has 1,478 subscribers, had asked for 3 years. Bayou Cable of Ark. and La. asked for and received 2-year waiver for its system in Sterlington, La. (603 subscribers), 3 years for systems in Huttig (284 subscribers), Strong (319), Ark., Marion (255) and Rocky Branch (201), La. Branch Cable of Miss. received 1-year reprieve for 2 systems and 3-year waivers for 7 systems. Company said systems had 89-869 subscribers. KRM Cablevision of Wis. received 1-year waivers for 5 systems and 2-year waiver for 5 systems that have 62-307 subscribers. Mattawamkeag Cablevision was granted 2-year waiver for system with 300 subscribers. Milestone Communications, with systems in W.Va., Pa. and N.Y., got 3-year waivers for each of its 17 systems, which serve 19-800 subscribers.

National Research Council report on technology use to fight terrorism includes recommendation for priority wireless access to emergency responders during crisis. Report, released Tues., said interoperability among public safety officers should be priority research focus. “Existing interoperability solutions are ad hoc and do not scale well,” report said. Other recommendations include: (1) Learn how to transition gracefully and with minimal disruption from a unit-specific communication system to systemwide structure. (2) Define new communication protocols and develop generic technology to facilitate interconnection and interoperation of diverse information sources. (3) Develop approaches for communication systems to handle surge capacity and function in a saturated state. (4) Develop methods to provide more capacity for emergency communication and coordination. (5) Understand special security needs of rapidly deployed wireless networks.

Interoperability of communications and computer equipment that would be used by proposed Dept. of Homeland Security and by state and local first responders is one of top goals of White House plan, Office of Homeland Security Dir. Tom Ridge said Thurs. He appeared in separate hearings before Senate Governmental Affairs and House Govt. Reform committees to explain proposal by President Bush that would consolidate numerous federal entities and functions into one cabinet-level department. Department would consist of 4 units, including Information Analysis & Infrastructure Protection and Emergency Preparedness & Response divisions, latter of which would: (1) Develop communications technology interoperability programs and ensure “emergency response providers acquire such technology.” (2) Consolidate existing federal emergency response plans into “single coordinated emergency response plan.”

After 2 weeks of downturns, national rental spending on videogames in U.S. edged up in week ended June 16, Video Software Dealers Assn. (VSDA) said in VidTrac report Thurs. VSDA said rental spending edged up 1.6% in week to $12.2 million from $12.05 million in comparable week year ago. Rental spending on category had dropped 6.8% in week ended June 9 and 9.2% in week ended June 2, VSDA had said. Year to date, rental spending jumped 5.6% to $320.3 million from $303.4 million year ago. PlayStation 2 (PS2) games again dominated top-10 rental chart in week with 9 titles for Sony’s next-generation console system making list. Only non-PS2 game in top 10 was again Activision’s Spider-Man: The Movie for Xbox, which VSDA said earned additional $120,000 for total of $1.41 million since April 2. Version of title for PS2 held onto #1 spot with $470,000 for total of $5.25 million in same time period. Grand Theft Auto 3, Star Wars: Jedi Starfighter and State of Emergency held onto #2, 3 and 4 spots, respectively. Only title in top 10 not there week earlier was No One Lives Forever from Vivendi Universal at #10.