PALO ALTO -- “Major disconnect” between auto and tech industry cultures must be overcome for telematics to reach its potential, academic expert said. Car makers are accustomed to installing proven, proprietary systems that can last life of vehicles and not tarnish brands, U. of Cal.- Berkeley Prof. Robert Cole told Telematics Japan symposium here late Mon., sponsored by Japan External Trade Organization. They must somehow sync up with communications and digital-content companies that have thrived on frequent revisions based on feedback about products and services launched quickly, he said. Industry lead-time differences are months vs. years, speakers said. Extensive existing partnerships can succeed, but face severe challenges, said Cole, co-dir. of Berkeley’s technology-management program. AOL Time Warner, AT&T Wireless, IBM, Intel, Microsoft and Motorola are just as used to dominating relationships as their partners at BMW, Daimler Chrysler and GM, he said.

PALO ALTO -- “Major disconnect” between auto and tech industry cultures must be overcome for telematics to reach its potential, academic expert said. Car makers are accustomed to installing proved, proprietary systems that can last for life of vehicles and not tarnish brands, U. of Cal.-Berkeley Prof. Robert Cole told Telematics Japan symposium here late Mon., sponsored by Japan External Trade Organization. They somehow must sync up with communications and digital content companies that have thrived on frequent revisions based on feedback about products and services launched quickly. Industry lead-time differences are months , not years, speakers said. Extensive existing partnerships can succeed, but face severe challenges, said Cole, co-dir. of Berkeley’s technology-management program. AOL Time Warner, AT&T Wireless, IBM, Intel, Microsoft and Motorola are just as used to dominating relationships as their partners at BMW, Daimler Chrysler and GM, he said.

Contours of “hybrid” financial model to deal with burgeoning CE waste are expected to emerge from 2-day meeting of National Electronics Product Stewardship Initiative (NEPSI) at Tampa beginning today (Thurs.), stakeholders said. For first time, NEPSI will have “working” meeting, compared with earlier sessions that dealt with procedural matters, said Scott Cassel, dir. of Mass.-based Product Stewardship Institute. Three working subgroups -- financing, infrastructure and regulatory -- will get down to business to ensure that agreement on financing model was in place by Sept. as targeted in “road map” drawn up at Nov. meeting of stakeholders, including CE industry, local govts., environmental groups and academics, he said. Financing group, which deals with difficult issue of who should bear costs of collection, recycling and reuse of CE waste, will look at 15 product stewardship models that include systems for other products such as used oil, Cassel said. Many international models, including those in operation in Australia, Japan, Netherlands and Sweden will be studied in effort to evolve hybrid system that addresses concerns of all stakeholders. Industry has expressed preference for end-of-life fees model under which consumers bear most of the costs, while local govts., which bear brunt of collection and recycling, want system that doesn’t burden taxpayers. At Nov. meeting, stakeholders reached consensus on removing taxpayer or ratepayer model and extended producer responsibility (mostly industry-financed) model. Other issues that will be dealt with include ideal infrastructure for collection, reuse and recycling and changes in existing regulations.

Wireless carriers are backing request to FCC that seeks clarification about when public safety answering points (PSAPs) are ready to receive data under Enhanced 911 rules. Sprint PCS in Nov. filed petition for reconsideration seeking changes to documentation requirements for PSAPs that FCC had created. Cingular Wireless also has filed petition for reconsideration, challenging overall decision by Commission on PSAP readiness and citing procedural and substantive grounds. Richardson, Tex., originally asked FCC to better define what constituted valid PSAP request for E911 service. Oct. decision by FCC now under challenge had said that PSAP submitted valid E911 request: (1) If any upgrades needed on PSAP network would be completed within 6 months of request. (2) If PSAP had made “timely request” to LEC for trunking and other facilities needed for E911 data to be transmitted. Assn. of Public-Safety Communications Officials-International (APCO), National Emergency Number Assn. and National Assn. of State Nine One One Administrators told FCC in comments that they disagreed with changes Sprint sought on LEC readiness part of order. Sprint said PSAPs should be required to document that necessary LEC upgrades will be completed within 6 months of E911 data request or LECs should publish their Phase 2 database upgrade schedule. “Such a LEC publication requirement should not, however, alter the basic obligation of carriers to respond to a PSAP request, so long as the PSAP can document that a database upgrade request has been submitted to the relevant LEC.” But CTIA said it agreed with Sprint petition to ensure PSAP request for Phase 2 E911 service was granted after PSAP verifies it was ready to use information. “Requiring wireless carriers to deliver Phase 2 services when the PSAP will not be capable of utilizing the data within the 6-month implementation period is a waste of resources,” CTIA wrote. Group said “despite the best intentions of the PSAPs,” they have record of not being able to receive and use Phase 1 data even if mechanism is in place for recovering costs of system upgrades. Even in states where PSAPs have access to state funding for preparing for E911 compliance, “it is anticipated that a majority of states have or will raid funds dedicated to wireless 911 to cover budget deficits,” CTIA said. To make sure carriers have protection from spending “unnecessary resources” and that PSAPs will be ready to use E911 data, CTIA said FCC should give wireless operators more time for installation when PSAP “fails to substantiate Phase 2 readiness.” CTIA agreed with Sprint proposal that Phase 2 service only can become operational when automatic identification location database capabilities needed from LECs have been upgraded for Phase 2. Nextel also filed comments siding with Sprint, saying valid PSAP request for E911 has to demonstrate technical upgrades by wireless carrier, PSAP and LEC. “If any prong is not in place, Phase 2 E911 cannot be deployed,” Nextel wrote. VoiceStream also stressed in comments that FCC can’t assume that because PSAP has requested database upgrade from LEC, that system will be in place in 6 months.

Dept. of Commerce official called on Congress to adopt export control legislation that would establish consistent export review regime. Absence of “coherent, modern statutory basis” for current export law creates uncertainty for U.S. makers of dual-use items such as satellites and computers and harms U.S. credibility in dealing with foreign govts., Asst. Commerce Secy. for Export Enforcement Michael Garcia said Thurs.

Qwest won contract modification from General Services Administration (GSA) to offer services to federal customers on $1.5 billion FTS 2001 long distance contract for first time. Last summer, Qwest had submitted proposal to GSA as part of crossover program that allows Metropolitan Area Acquisition (MAA) contract holders for local telecom service and long distance FTS contract-holders to compete for each other’s business. WorldCom and Sprint hold FTS contracts and carriers such as AT&T, BellSouth, Qwest, Verizon, Winstar and others have won local MAA awards. Qwest said MAA contract modification that GSA has approved allows it to become first carrier to offer Web hosting services to all parts of federal govt. GSA said that contract change is first time that local telecom provider has crossed over under its new policy. Qwest won broader marketing capability with GSA approval of modification of its Boise, Ida., MAA contract. But any federal agency can order hosting services using option provided by Boise MAA contract change, Qwest said. “This contract award to Qwest promises to further the goals of the MAA program -- fostering greater competition in the telecommunications marketplace and accelerating the deployment of new telecommunications technologies,” said Rep. Davis (R-Va.), who chairs House Govt. Reform Subcommittee on Technology & Procurement Policy. GSA Federal Technology Service Comr. Sandra Bates called contract modification “important milestone” in federal govt.’s strategy for acquiring telecom services. “The availability of highly secure hosting services is timely in light of the recent national security initiatives emerging Sept. 11,” said James Payne, Qwest Govt. Systems Div. senior vp. Under program that GSA started in Aug., MAA contractors wanting to vie for part of FTS business can submit proposal to GSA that modifies existing MAA contract. FTS vendors also can submit similar proposals on their contracts to compete for local telecom business covered by MAA agreements. AT&T last year also had outlined plans for submitting MAA contract modification to GSA to also market national services. Spokesman said carrier was in “the final stages of negotiating a wide range of nationwide services,” but said he couldn’t elaborate until agreement was finalized.

FCC Chmn. Powell’s endorsement “in principle” of market- based approaches to broadband infrastructure investment is encouraging, but falls short of addressing need for immediate action in stimulating growth in communications industry, Verizon Pres. Ivan Seidenberg said Wed. at U.S. Chamber of Commerce luncheon: “Consensus is growing behind this issue. But agreeing in principle isn’t enough. Now it’s time for the FCC, along with the Congress, to take action to open the gates to broadband investment and let us put our resources to work where they can do the most good for America.”

Public safety and wireless experts led by ComCARE Alliance unveiled recommendations Tues. for bridging communications gaps among hospitals, public health agencies and emergency responders to respond to homeland security and other emergencies. Group called for electronic directories of emergency agencies that would allow federal, state and local officials to disseminate information on threats such as bioterrorism without “alerting the public on CNN or the emergency broadcast system.” At Washington news conference, officials said they wanted to be able to share mapping data to coordinate responses to incidents. ComCARE Founder David Aylward said group still was working on overall projection of program’s cost, but told reporters that for communications infrastructure, federal component could come to $150 million, including possible reprogramming of existing funds. Program, developed after emergency communications problems cropped up in Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, also calls for better training and increased deployment of 911 capabilities.

Two Bell Company CEOs gave speeches Mon. in Fla. that exhorted regulators to eliminate what they called cable’s unfair advantage in providing broadband transmission services. Speeches by SBC CEO Edward Whitacre and BellSouth CEO Duane Ackerman at Emerging Issues Policy Forum at Amelia Island, Fla., appeared to set stage for continued Bell company lobbying on Tauzin-Dingell broadband bill when Congress returns. Whitacre told group that telecom industry could help pull U.S. economy out of doldrums if policymakers would develop more “symmetrical national policy” on provision of broadband services. Not only are there disparities between cable and DSL in federal regulation, he said, there also are disparities among 50 states. Remedy is “coherent, preemptive federal broadband policy” that allows all to compete under same rules, Whitacre said. By failing to correct policy imbalance, he said: “Policymakers have put themselves in a tough spot. They may not be perceived as having picked the winner in the broadband race, but they could be viewed as having settled on a loser.” Ackerman argued that highly-regulatory model didn’t work anymore because telecom industry was so competitive, with wireless, cable and Internet competitors. He said BellSouth wasn’t asking that cable modem service be regulated but rather that telcos DSL service be deregulated. He suggested “minimalist” approach for telcos that recognized growth in competition. AT&T spokeswoman called CEOs’ comments “same old Bell rhetoric, looking for regulators to confirm their monopoly.” She said that, just recently, BellSouth “was touting its DSL growth rate” and saying its DSL service was growing faster than any other cable or DSL provider. “It comes to a point where you have to ask which BellSouth do you believe,” she said. Forum is nonprofit organization that promotes public policy discussions.

Under newly accelerated timeline, govt.-industry group now is aiming to have agreement by late spring or early summer to streamline siting decisions for both wireless and broadcast towers. Telecom working group organized by Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) has been working on streamlining Sec. 106 historic preservation siting requirements by spelling out for both state historic preservation officers and industry what is needed for compliance. Sec. 106 of National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) requires federal agencies to consider effects of their undertakings on historic properties. Target of first half of this year for crafting prototype program agreement marks acceleration of timelines for groups to put process in place. FCC also has clarified that broadcast facilities -- as well as telecom towers -- were covered by that language. In related development, FCC Wireless and Mass Media Bureaus on Thurs. released long-awaited fact sheet to provide guidance on nationwide program agreement for colocation of wireless and broadcast towers, which had been finalized in March. That agreement streamlines review procedures for colocations of antennas under NHPA, while pending prototype covers new sites.