The U.K. plans to update its export control regime to better restrict sensitive technology transfers and streamline flows of defense goods to close allies, the country said in a joint declaration with the U.S. released last week. The U.K. also said it’s planning to study how it can “respond effectively” to risks posed by outbound investments as the U.S. prepares to launch its own outbound screening mechanism (see 2305310075).
T-Mobile asked the FCC for grants of emergency special temporary authority “to provide vital communications services to the Guam National Guard and other relevant public safety officials it may designate” for 60 days. The STAs are needed because of the “compromised communications services resulting from the crippling effects of Super Typhon Mawar,” T-Mobile said Thursday.
The National Emergency Number Association said it’s receiving reports of recent increases in accidental calls to 911, apparently tied to interface updates to some Android phones. Calls to 911 are up by as much as 30% in some locations, with similar reports from agencies in Europe, NENA said Wednesday. “We have been informed that by mid-June major Android handset vendors will have completed rolling out updates to address this issue,” the group said. NENA said the public can help by not abandoning accidental calls and not hanging up when a phone accidentally dials 911, letting call takers know there's no emergency.
The satellite industry is playing defense at the 2023 World Radiocommunication Conference against potentially opening some bands allocated for satellite use to terrestrial mobile service, said Hogan Lovells space lawyer George John Thursday at an ABA space law symposium in Washington.
The FCC approved 4-0 NPRMs on expediting the transition to next-generation 911 and giving consumers more choice on the robocalls and robotexts they’ll receive (see 2305180069). Both were approved with limited comments from commissioners.
Technology academics and industry officials this week cautioned Congress about potential U.S. export controls over quantum technologies and research, saying new restrictions without clear guidance could hamper U.S. competitiveness and innovation. But one current government official suggested the administration needs to be more “proactive” in protecting the most sensitive research from being stolen.
State Emergency Communications Committees will now be able to file state emergency alert system plans year-round, said updated guidance released by the FCC Public Safety Bureau in Tuesday’s Daily Digest. The changes will “streamline the Bureau’s review and approval process for updated plans,” the public notice said. The PN also provides guidance for SECCs on amending their EAS plans to seek approval for updated assignments on which sources stations monitor for alerts. “Previously, SECCs could file EAS Plans in [the Alert Reporting System] for review and approval only once annually,” the PN said. "Although the traditional monitoring waiver process will continue to be available, the Bureau encourages SECCs to use the newly automated EAS Plan amendment process incorporated into ARS whenever possible,” the PN said. SECCs should configure their monitoring by assigning as many EAS Participants as possible “to directly monitor (with no intermediate links) one or more sources that receive the National Emergency Message (EAN) signal directly from the Federal Emergency Management Agency,” the PN said.
The House Commerce Committee’s appetite for advancing the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act (HR-3413/S-1669) proposal to mandate automakers include AM radio technology in future vehicles remains in doubt after multiple Communications Subcommittee members from both parties voiced skepticism during a Tuesday hearing, despite near-unanimous concern about potential public safety implications. House Communications ranking member Doris Matsui, D-Calif., told us she’s among those questioning the need for legislation in the short term to prevent AM radio’s removal from future vehicles. Chairman Bob Latta, R-Ohio, said in an interview he remains undecided on HR-3413/S-1669 (see 2305260034) after the hearing.
The U.S. should push the World Trade Organization to end trade-related intellectual property waiver conditions, experts told a House subcommittee this week, saying the waiver may help China acquire sensitive U.S. technologies and leapfrog American innovation in biopharma. Several experts during the hearing suggested the waivers could act as a loophole to U.S. export controls and allow Chinese companies to better compete with the U.S. in the biotechnology industry.
The Alliance for Automotive Innovation is “committed to ensuring drivers have access to free, public alerts and safety warnings through” FEMA’s Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) system, but access to emergency alerts “is not limited to one mode of communication” like AM radio, says Vice President-Safety Police Scott Schmidt in written testimony for a Tuesday House Communications Subcommittee hearing. Schmidt’s testimony doesn’t mention the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act (HR-3413/S-1669) proposal to mandate automakers include AM radio technology in future vehicles, but witnesses representing broadcasters and public safety officials strongly endorse the measure in their written responses. House Communications Chairman Bob Latta, R-Ohio, is evaluating whether to back HR-3413/S-1669 (see 2305260034).