The GPS Innovation Alliance opposed an FCC waiver sought by Sensible Medical Innovations (SMI) for a system that uses ultra-wideband medical imaging to obtain lung fluid measurements for congestive heart failure patients in a noninvasive way (see 1802090040). Initial comments were due in docket 18-39 Monday. SMI hasn’t offered “sufficient technical information to justify” the waiver grant, said the GPS group. “The Commission takes a conservative approach applying these waiver standards to petitioners seeking to operate equipment co-channel with incumbent operations, placing a heavy burden on the petitioner to demonstrate how it will provide adequate protection from interference,” the alliance said. “When the petitioner does not adequately demonstrate how it will avoid creating interference, the Commission has not acted favorably.” The National Public Safety Telecommunications Council urged approval. “NPSTC is guided primarily by its view that a noninvasive medical system to measure lung fluid in congestive heart failure patients provides positive benefits to patients, and potentially to emergency medical service (EMS) personnel that may need to serve these patients,” NPSTC said.
The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee passed the Department of Homeland Security Authorization Act (HR-2825) Wednesday. The measure includes a cybersecurity restructuring at the department. DHS is expected to reorganize the National Protection and Programs Directorate into the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, which would focus on cyber and infrastructure security. It would be the department’s first reauthorization since 2002. The House passed its version of the bill in July. “Passing the Department of Homeland Security Authorization Act is an important step to strengthen DHS and to establish a process for regular authorizations so that Congress clearly defines the Department’s responsibilities and authorities over time to evolve and address emerging threats,” said Chairman Ron Johnson, R-Wis.
The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee passed the Department of Homeland Security Authorization Act (HR-2825) Wednesday. The measure includes a cybersecurity restructuring at the department. DHS is expected to reorganize the National Protection and Programs Directorate into the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, which would focus on cyber and infrastructure security. It would be the department’s first reauthorization since 2002. The House passed its version of the bill in July. “Passing the Department of Homeland Security Authorization Act is an important step to strengthen DHS and to establish a process for regular authorizations so that Congress clearly defines the Department’s responsibilities and authorities over time to evolve and address emerging threats,” said Chairman Ron Johnson, R-Wis.
The State Department remains focused on ITU modernization, Robert Strayer, deputy assistant secretary for cyber and international communications and information policy, told a Wiley Rein conference Monday. Strayer said it's critical for the U.S. to promote the election of an American, Doreen Bogdan-Martin, to a top leadership role at the ITU (see 1710230052). The U.S. also wants better oversight in general of the issues on which the ITU is focused, he said.
Following President Trump's signaling of across the board tariffs on imported steel and aluminum (see 1803010029), exactly how Canadian steel fits in is among the major unanswered questions. Canada said in a March 1 statement that "as the number one customer of American steel, Canada would view any trade restrictions on Canadian steel and aluminum as absolutely unacceptable." The Defense Department has also said Canadian steel should not face Section 232 tariffs (see 1802230018).
The FCC should waive for five years its Section 79.2(b) emergency information accessibility requirement that dynamic image crawls used during breaking news and emergencies be conveyed aurally since there’s no good technology for broadcasters doing so today, its Disability Advisory Committee said Wednesday. Instead, voluntary best practices put together by broadcasters and advocacy groups are “the best and only way to pursue this,” said NAB Associate General Counsel Larry Walke.
The FCC should waive for five years its Section 79.2(b) emergency information accessibility requirement that dynamic image crawls used during breaking news and emergencies be conveyed aurally since there’s no good technology for broadcasters doing so today, its Disability Advisory Committee (DAC) said Wednesday. Instead, voluntary best practices put together by broadcasters and advocacy groups "is the best and only way to pursue this," said NAB Associate General Counsel Larry Walke.
Two groups want a probe of FCC Commissioner Mike O'Rielly's comment at Friday's American Conservative Union's Conservative Political Action Conference calling for the re-election of President Donald Trump. The Project on Government Oversight (POGO) Tuesday asked the U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) to investigate a "potential violation" of the Hatch Act, which restricts government officials' partisan political activity. That followed a similar complaint Friday from American Oversight (AO) that said O'Rielly "clearly violated" the law. O'Rielly's comment was "inadvertent" and he'll cooperate with the OSC, an aide said. There was also some controversy over a National Rifle Association award to Chairman Ajit Pai; the FCC said he's awaiting legal advice on an award rifle.
Two groups want a probe of FCC Commissioner Mike O'Rielly's comment at Friday's American Conservative Union's Conservative Political Action Conference calling for the re-election of President Donald Trump. The Project on Government Oversight (POGO) Tuesday asked the U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) to investigate a "potential violation" of the Hatch Act, which restricts government officials' partisan political activity. That followed a similar complaint Friday from American Oversight (AO) that said O'Rielly "clearly violated" the law. O'Rielly's comment was "inadvertent" and he'll cooperate with the OSC, an aide said. There was also some controversy over a National Rifle Association award to Chairman Ajit Pai; the FCC said he's awaiting legal advice on an award rifle.
The outlook for FirstNet to change the communications landscape for first responders remains uncertain even as construction gets underway, David Furth, deputy chief of the FCC Public Safety Bureau, told the Consumer Advisory Committee Monday. CAC focused largely on public safety and robocalls, with recorded remarks from Chairman Ajit Pai. Furth said interoperable communications among first responders historically varies by region. “It is very difficult to impose a top-down solution when it comes to interoperability,” he said. “It usually has to be developed from the bottom up.”