European Commission (EC) member Erkki Liikanen, who heads enterprise & information society programs, told European-American Business Council Mon. that network security had taken on “new dimensions” since Sept. 11. “Users need to feel safe,” he said in luncheon speech that was part of 2-day visit to Washington. “A growing number of users experience security and privacy problems.” As example, he said that between Oct. 2000 and last June, spamming incidents had nearly tripled and virus incidents had doubled in European Union (EU). This summer, EC published communication on network & information society proposing creation of European warning and information system to strengthen activities of computer emergency response teams in member states and improve coordination. By year-end, EC plans to publish a “major communication” that would provide road map to areas such as public-private partnerships on network security and address issues such as integrity of Internet and private networks, Liikanen spokesman said. Liikanen said: “We need to develop forward-looking responses to existing emergency security threats and we need to take careful inventory of the measures taken at the national level to guarantee that our preparedness corresponds to global characteristics.”

Okla. Corporation Commission approved Southwestern Bell Telephone petition for rate deregulation of its national directory assistance (DA) service as fully competitive. Agency in Case 2001-00277 granted petition after its staff testified that end-users no longer were dependent on SBT for access to national DA listings. Consumers have choice among multiple national DA providers using variety of technologies, staff said. National DA previously had been classed as lightly regulated emerging competitive service.

At occasionally emotionally charged meeting of Public Safety National Coordination Committee (NCC) in Brooklyn Fri., public safety officials, including several who themselves had responded to attacks on World Trade Center and Pentagon, laid out for policymakers critical spectrum needs in wake of Sept. 11. At top of many lists was clearing analog TV incumbents from 700 MHz to make way for public safety users to operate in 24 MHz that FCC has set aside from them in that band. In first days following N.Y. attack, TV stations went off air after their equipment on top of World Trade Center was destroyed, said Peter Meade, chief of Nassau County, N.Y., Fire Dept. “I didn’t hear anybody saying, ‘I need Channel 2 back,'” Meade said. “But there are literally millions of people in the New York metropolitan area who cannot live and who will not live without an augmentation to the existing public safety communications channels. So television be damned.” Other key issues that surfaced repeatedly in day-long meeting included need for better interoperability between jurisdictions, for redundant wireless data network that could function during disasters and for more govt. funding. Several new proposals were put on table as well, including one by Nextel that was receiving kudos from public safety community and would relocate users in 700 MHz and 800 MHz bands for more efficient operations.

Subcommittees of Public Safety National Coordination Committee (NCC) worked through nitty-gritty issues Thurs. on how public safety agencies could use wideband data technology to talk to each other using applications such as text messaging and video conferencing. NCC subcommittees focused in day-long meetings in Brooklyn on encryption, standards, field trials, implementation and funding issues involving 24 MHz of spectrum dedicated to public safety at 700 MHz. Participants wrestled with challenges of addressing security and equipment standards in band for which interoperable wideband data equipment hasn’t yet been built, as industry awaits outcome of standards process. Meetings were run-up to NCC general membership meeting today (Fri.) that will provide broader feedback on how interoperability and communications for public safety systems worked in aftermath of Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Saying PBS and NPR had run out of funds to continue special programming related to Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, CPB has asked Office of Management & Budget (OMB) for $15 million from $20 billion emergency supplemental appropriation recently passed by Congress. CPB said it was working closely with PBS and NPR to provide additional support to defray cost of extended coverage, but “within CPB’s FY 2002 budget we cannot provide sufficient support for this ongoing effort,” Pres. Robert Coonrod said in letter to OMB Dir. Mitch Daniels.

Electronics industry is optimistic that consensus national model for financing management of end-of-life CE products will emerge by next Sept., said Holly Evan, dir.-environmental affairs of Electronic Industries Alliance. Echoing sentiments expressed by regulators on outcome of Nov. 8-9 meeting of National Electronics Product Stewardship Initiative (NEPSI) in Boston (CED Nov 14 p5), she said good progress was made at meeting toward putting together elements of national program. Major outcome of meeting, she said, was agreement to take off table financial models that put onus only on manufacturers or on govt. and taxpayers. Two models now being considered are advance disposal fee (front-end fee included in purchase price of product) and end-of-life fee (back-end fee paid by consumer when depositing used product for recycling and reuse). Evans said models might have to be tweaked to make program cost-effective and questions such as need for enabling legislation to enforce program would have to addressed. Asked how industry was disposed to regulators’ emphasis on redesigning products for environment, she said industry was open to considering designing for environment and “it’s already happening.” Evans cautioned that solution that depended solely on product design would be high-cost one. Industry will oppose any proposal that makes product design only criteria rather than part of solution, she said.

NARUC adopted as official policy 5 Telecom Committee resolutions that: (1) Support universal UNE-P availability to ensure that form of local entry remains viable option. (2) Call for coordination among regulatory and public safety agencies on upgrading 911 systems for demands of new telecom technologies. (3) Urge FCC-state collaboration in developing national base guidelines for incumbent telcos’ wholesale service performance. (4) Oppose Verizon Wireless’s petition to FCC for wireless number portability forbearance. (5) Support coordination among all entities involved in telecom emergency preparedness efforts. NARUC also adopted Finance & Technology Committee’s version of resolution opposing phase- out of federal Uniform System of Accounts until telecom market forces were strong enough across the board to substitute for regulation. Resolution also calls for Federal-State Joint Conference on accounting issues. Telecom Committee had adopted similar resolution that lacked F&T’s calls for longer comment cycle in FCC’s current Phase 3 review of accounting requirements, and referral of certain accounting issues to Federal-State Separations Joint Board. Telecom panel Chmn. Smith said her group would defer to F&T’s version since differences were minor. NARUC also adopted Consumer Affairs Committee resolution urging all states to participate in pending FCC remand proceeding on what methods of customer consent would form legally acceptable compromise between customers’ right to keep their proprietary network information private and carriers’ rights to use such information for lawful marketing purposes. Resolution said state government and regulators had clear and substantial interest in privacy issues and should detail their experiences on regulated utilities’ use of customer information. The resolutions were approved by NARUC board and ratified by convention floor membership. NARUC’s members also elected new slate of officers for 2002. Group without dissent elected Comr. William Nugent of Me. PUC as pres., Mich. PSC Comr. David Svanda as 1st vp, and Ga. PSC Comr. Stan Wise as 2nd vp.

PHILADELPHIA -- State regulators meeting here Mon. advanced policy resolutions addressing future of unbundled network element platforms (UNE-P), national wholesale performance standards, accounting, subscriber line charges and several other issues at NARUC annual convention.

Electronics industry and state and local regulators reached “key” understanding on financial model for management of used CE products at meeting of National Electronics Product Stewardship Initiative (NEPSI) Nov. 8-9 in Boston, said regulators involved in initiative. “The significance of last week’s meeting was that the industry agreed to take the focus away from a taxpayer or ratepayer model,” said Sego Jackson, principal planner for Snohomish County, Wash. NEPSI came up with “road map” for agreement to be on table by Sept., said Scott Cassel, dir. of Mass.-based Product Stewardship Institute.

Reflecting “post-Sept. 11 realities” and “the new [ad] landscape,” TV Bureau of Advertising (TvB) downgraded its national spot and local TV ad projections for this year and next. However, TvB Pres. Chris Rohrs said: “We remain optimistic about 2002 even while recognizing there are greater uncertainties in the outlook.” TvB predicted total TV non-network advertising would be down 15-17% this year, national spot dropping 22-24%, local off 8-10%. For 2002, TvB expects spot advertising to increase 2.5-5.5%, national up 3-6%, local up 2-5%. “There is emerging evidence that… recovery could take shape sooner rather than later if the war and counterterrorism efforts progress well,” TvB Vp-Research Harold Simpson said.