The World Trade Organization is steadily headed towards irrelevancy to global trade and is facing a "long, slow sunset," said Peter Harrell, former senior director for international economics and competitiveness at the White House, during remarks at the Georgetown International Trade Update on June 13.
The FCC's proposal to limit mobile supplemental coverage from space (SCS) operations to co-channel licenses held by one party in geographically independent areas (GIA) is getting pushback from some satellite and terrestrial interests, per NPRM reply comments in docket 23-65 Tuesday. There was wireless and satellite disagreement on whether a waiver system suffices or if the agency needs SCS rules. The SCS NPRM was adopted 4-0 in March (see 2303160009) and the wireless industry argued in initial comments SCS rules are premature (see 2305150007).
A ramping up of U.S. export enforcement efforts is causing companies to revisit their compliance practices, particularly as the Bureau of Industry and Security conducts more outreach to exporters, said Alan Enslen, a trade lawyer with Womble Bond. He said companies are more frequently auditing their export compliance programs amid a number of signs that the Biden administration is increasing scrutiny on potential export violations, including a multi-agency memo issued in March that Enslen said was a “shot across the bow” for U.S. exporters.
The World Trade Organization is steadily headed towards irrelevancy to global trade and is facing a "long, slow sunset," said Peter Harrell, former senior director for international economics and competitiveness at the White House, during remarks at the Georgetown International Trade Update on June 13.
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.