The FCC's 2016 nationwide test of the emergency alert system showed the system to be “significantly improved” from the 2011 nationwide test, said a preliminary report on the test released Wednesday by the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau. “The Nationwide EAS Test was successful,” said the bureau. “Initial test data indicates that the vast majority of EAS Participants successfully received and retransmitted the National Periodic Test (NPT) code that was used for the test.”
President Barack Obama’s signing into law of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for FY 2017 (S-2943) Friday sets up next steps for the administration on both the Broadcasting Board of Governors and cybersecurity policy. The White House announced opposition to what’s widely known as dual-hat leadership of the National Security Agency and U.S. Cyber Command. The new law also includes language on spectrum, initially negotiated in the House version earlier this year and re-emerging in the conference report several weeks ago (see 1612050042).
President Barack Obama’s signing into law of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for FY 2017 (S-2943) Friday sets up next steps for the administration on both the Broadcasting Board of Governors and cybersecurity policy. The White House announced opposition to what’s widely known as dual-hat leadership of the National Security Agency and U.S. Cyber Command. The new law also includes language on spectrum, initially negotiated in the House version earlier this year and re-emerging in the conference report several weeks ago (see 1612050042).
APCO, the National Emergency Number Association and National Association of State 911 Administrators jointly expressed concerns about a CTIA proposal for quarterly 911 live call reports by the carriers, due at the FCC starting in February. “CTIA included a proposed template for the reports and explanatory information regarding the carriers’ intent to exclude certain categories of 9-1-1 calls from consideration,” the public safety groups said. But the proposal wouldn't include some important calls to 911, the associations said. “APCO, NENA, and NASNA are particularly concerned that the carriers intend to exclude 9-1-1 calls made from roaming handsets and non-service initialized (NSI) devices,” said a filing in docket 07-114. Location accuracy rules, meanwhile, “make no exceptions when it comes to the collection and reporting of aggregate live 9-1-1 call location data,” the groups said. CTIA didn't comment Wednesday.
Global government requests to Facebook for user account data rose to 59,229 for the first half of 2016, up 27 percent from the second half of last year, said Deputy General Counsel Chris Sonderby in a Wednesday news release. U.S. law enforcement made 23,854 requests, but most of those requests contained a nondisclosure order that prevented the website from notifying users, he said. "As for content restriction requests, the number of items restricted for violating local law decreased by 83% from 55,827 to 9,663," he said. "Last cycle’s figures had been elevated primarily by French content restrictions of a single image from the November 13, 2015 terrorist attacks" (see 1604280039). The report also includes, for the first time, information on requests from governments to preserve data, he said. These are records that won't be disclosed until Facebook gets a formal and valid legal process, wrote Sonderby, adding that the company received 38,675 preservation requests for 67,129 accounts. The social media service expanded reporting of emergency requests to include countries outside the U.S -- 3,016 requests for 4,192 accounts. It also said the U.S. government lifted a gag order for one national security letter received in the second half of 2015 due to transparency changes introduced this year by the USA Freedom Act.
Global government requests to Facebook for user account data rose to 59,229 for the first half of 2016, up 27 percent from the second half of last year, said Deputy General Counsel Chris Sonderby in a Wednesday news release. U.S. law enforcement made 23,854 requests, but most of those requests contained a nondisclosure order that prevented the website from notifying users, he said. "As for content restriction requests, the number of items restricted for violating local law decreased by 83% from 55,827 to 9,663," he said. "Last cycle’s figures had been elevated primarily by French content restrictions of a single image from the November 13, 2015 terrorist attacks" (see 1604280039). The report also includes, for the first time, information on requests from governments to preserve data, he said. These are records that won't be disclosed until Facebook gets a formal and valid legal process, wrote Sonderby, adding that the company received 38,675 preservation requests for 67,129 accounts. The social media service expanded reporting of emergency requests to include countries outside the U.S -- 3,016 requests for 4,192 accounts. It also said the U.S. government lifted a gag order for one national security letter received in the second half of 2015 due to transparency changes introduced this year by the USA Freedom Act.
APCO, the National Emergency Number Association and National Association of State 911 Administrators jointly expressed concerns about a CTIA proposal for quarterly 911 live call reports by the carriers, due at the FCC starting in February. “CTIA included a proposed template for the reports and explanatory information regarding the carriers’ intent to exclude certain categories of 9-1-1 calls from consideration,” the public safety groups said. But the proposal wouldn't include some important calls to 911, the associations said. “APCO, NENA, and NASNA are particularly concerned that the carriers intend to exclude 9-1-1 calls made from roaming handsets and non-service initialized (NSI) devices,” said a filing in docket 07-114. Location accuracy rules, meanwhile, “make no exceptions when it comes to the collection and reporting of aggregate live 9-1-1 call location data,” the groups said. CTIA didn't comment Wednesday.
The FCC decided not to impose reliability requirements on mobile networks, after problems seen following Superstorm Sandy in 2012. Instead, commissioners signed off on a voluntary framework proposed by CTIA and the major wireless carriers.
The FCC decided not to impose reliability requirements on mobile networks, after problems seen following Superstorm Sandy in 2012. Instead, commissioners signed off on a voluntary framework proposed by CTIA and the major wireless carriers.
Spectrum overhaul was a dominant effort this Congress for Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune, R-S.D., and he pledges to continue fighting for spectrum legislation in 2017 under the administration of President-elect Donald Trump. Emails acquired by Communications Daily through an open records request show a complicated back and forth as Thune tussled with the Obama administration throughout 2015 and 2016 over initial drafts of his Mobile Now bill (S-2555), revealing in detail for the first time publicly specific administration objections that he and other lawmakers referred to in negotiating over the measure. Those debates may pick up next year.