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.
The Commerce Department's Digital Economy Board of Advisors (DEBA) delivered recommendations Thursday that included focuses on the job market within digital sectors, improving metrics to gauge the health of the digital economy and the role of platforms in enabling competition. The recommendations are aimed at guiding President-elect Donald Trump's incoming administration's thinking on digital economy issues, the group said during a meeting Thursday. The recommendations also would help Commerce “establish itself as a lead organization for matters relating to the digital economy,” DEBA said in its report. Leaders of DEBA, which formed a little over a year ago to give recommendations to Commerce (see 1511240034 and 1605160058), said the group hopes to continue its work well into the next administration.
Commissioners approved 5-0 an FCC order on a common standard for the transition from text technology (TTY) to real-time text (RTT), in what is expected to be one of the final orders of substance of Tom Wheeler’s chairmanship (see 1612150034). TTY machines are the typewriter-like devices that for decades were the only way for the deaf and hard of hearing to communicate over the phone. RTT is expected to make communications simpler and more natural for many with disabilities, FCC officials said Thursday. Officials said Wednesday the order appeared headed for a yes vote (see 1612140067).
The Commerce Department's Digital Economy Board of Advisors (DEBA) delivered recommendations Thursday that included focuses on the job market within digital sectors, improving metrics to gauge the health of the digital economy and the role of platforms in enabling competition. The recommendations are aimed at guiding President-elect Donald Trump's incoming administration's thinking on digital economy issues, the group said during a meeting Thursday. The recommendations also would help Commerce “establish itself as a lead organization for matters relating to the digital economy,” DEBA said in its report. Leaders of DEBA, which formed a little over a year ago to give recommendations to Commerce (see 1511240034 and 1605160058), said the group hopes to continue its work well into the next administration.
Commissioners approved 5-0 an FCC order on a common standard for the transition from text technology (TTY) to real-time text (RTT), in what is expected to be one of the final orders of substance of Tom Wheeler’s chairmanship (see 1612150034). TTY machines are the typewriter-like devices that for decades were the only way for the deaf and hard of hearing to communicate over the phone. RTT is expected to make communications simpler and more natural for many with disabilities, FCC officials said Thursday. Officials said Wednesday the order appeared headed for a yes vote (see 1612140067).
CTIA offered the FCC clarity on aspects of its proposed Wireless Network Resiliency Cooperative Framework, answering questions from staff. Under the framework, four of the five prongs -- roaming during disasters, mutual aid during disasters and mutual aid during emergencies, and improving public awareness on service restoration status -- would kick in when the National Response Coordination Center declares Emergency Support Function 2 (ESF-2) “for a given emergency or disaster and the Commission activates the electronic Disaster Electronic Response System,” CTIA said. The association acknowledged that the “NRCC may not be the only entity that may initiate the ESF-2 function and that other authorized entities may also trigger the system,” in a filing in docket 13-239.
Emerging risks of drones, including privacy concerns, are subject of updated aviation safety rules making their way through the EU institutions. As the European Commission, European Parliament and Council prepare to begin talks on the rules, a drone industry representative and data protection attorney told us privacy is an important issue in operation of unmanned aircraft, but it hasn't attracted as much attention as it has in the U.S. That could be because of Europe's good data protection laws or that drone use isn't as extensive as in the U.S., they said.
The government will have to hold off awarding a contract to build FirstNet’s network until a Rivada Mercury protest is resolved by the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, Jason Karp, the authority’s chief counsel, said at the close of a board meeting Wednesday. The board met for more than two hours in Sacramento to hear a series of updates. Officials emphasized that work on the network is moving forward despite the legal questions. The meeting was scheduled to be the board’s last before the Trump administration takes office in January.
Emerging risks of drones, including privacy concerns, are subject of updated aviation safety rules making their way through the EU institutions. As the European Commission, European Parliament and Council prepare to begin talks on the rules, a drone industry representative and data protection attorney told us privacy is an important issue in operation of unmanned aircraft, but it hasn't attracted as much attention as it has in the U.S. That could be because of Europe's good data protection laws or that drone use isn't as extensive as in the U.S., they said.
Emerging risks of drones, including privacy concerns, are subject of updated aviation safety rules making their way through the EU institutions. As the European Commission, European Parliament and Council prepare to begin talks on the rules, a drone industry representative and data protection attorney told us privacy is an important issue in operation of unmanned aircraft, but it hasn't attracted as much attention as it has in the U.S. That could be because of Europe's good data protection laws or that drone use isn't as extensive as in the U.S., they said.