Something legislatively needs to be done to help those bullied by lawsuits for posting critical reviews online, said several panelists during a Charles Koch Institute event. Congressional lawmakers are beginning to review legislation aimed at curbing such lawsuits.
Altice won final regulatory OK for its $17.7 billion takeover of Cablevision. At a public meeting Wednesday, the New York Public Service Commission voted 4-0 to greenlight the deal with conditions. The order furthers Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s goal of spreading first-class broadband across the state, said Chairwoman Audrey Zibelman. Conditions tracked with recommendations released last month by advisory staff for the Department of Public Service (DPS), focusing on network investment, internet speed enhancements, access, affordability, debt risk mitigation and service quality (see 1605200070).
Several House Cybersecurity Subcommittee members raised concerns during a hearing Wednesday about what they view as sluggish private sector participation in the Department of Homeland Security's Automated Indicator Sharing (AIS) program, which DHS set up as part of its implementation of the Cybersecurity Act of 2015. The Cybersecurity Act, which Congress passed in December as part of the FY 2016 omnibus spending bill (see 1512180052), codified the DHS National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center's role as the main civilian hub for cyberthreat information sharing. The bill also enacted strong liability protections for information sharing and required private sector entities to remove personally identifiable information (PII) from data prior to sharing. Industry stakeholders told House Cybersecurity they're optimistic that private sector participation in the AIS program will increase over time and attributed sluggish early uptake of the program to stakeholders' cautiousness about participating in the program's earliest stage and the need for finalized information sharing rules.
Altice won final regulatory OK for its $17.7 billion takeover of Cablevision. At a public meeting Wednesday, the New York Public Service Commission voted 4-0 to greenlight the deal with conditions. The order furthers Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s goal of spreading first-class broadband across the state, said Chairwoman Audrey Zibelman. Conditions tracked with recommendations released last month by advisory staff for the Department of Public Service (DPS), focusing on network investment, internet speed enhancements, access, affordability, debt risk mitigation and service quality (see 1605200070).
Several House Cybersecurity Subcommittee members raised concerns during a hearing Wednesday about what they view as sluggish private sector participation in the Department of Homeland Security's Automated Indicator Sharing (AIS) program, which DHS set up as part of its implementation of the Cybersecurity Act of 2015. The Cybersecurity Act, which Congress passed in December as part of the FY 2016 omnibus spending bill (see 1512180052), codified the DHS National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center's role as the main civilian hub for cyberthreat information sharing. The bill also enacted strong liability protections for information sharing and required private sector entities to remove personally identifiable information (PII) from data prior to sharing. Industry stakeholders told House Cybersecurity they're optimistic that private sector participation in the AIS program will increase over time and attributed sluggish early uptake of the program to stakeholders' cautiousness about participating in the program's earliest stage and the need for finalized information sharing rules.
The winners of the FCC chairman's fifth annual Awards for Advancement in Accessibility were announced Monday by Tom Wheeler. The awards honor innovations in communications technology that benefit persons with disabilities, said a commission release. “We can use today’s technologies to address so many of the communications barriers facing Americans with disabilities,” said Wheeler. “These innovative efforts help us move forward as a nation toward more accessible technologies.” The release said the six honorees were: SOS QR, an emergency record and alert notification app for people with cognitive disabilities; UnusTactus, an app for people with cognitive disabilities meant to simplify smartphone access; a Texas A&M wearable sign-language recognition system prototype; a Disney Movies Anywhere app for iOS devices that includes a sync function allowing users to access audio descriptions for a movie in progress; a Sesame Enable project that provides smartphones with modified Android OS installations for users who can't control smartphones with their hands; and an eSight Eyewear headset with a videocam to help people with low vision. The six winners and three recipients of honorable mention citations were being recognized Monday at a ceremony at the M-Enabling Summit in Arlington, Virginia.
The winners of the FCC chairman's fifth annual Awards for Advancement in Accessibility were announced Monday by Tom Wheeler. The awards honor innovations in communications technology that benefit persons with disabilities, said a commission release. “We can use today’s technologies to address so many of the communications barriers facing Americans with disabilities,” said Wheeler. “These innovative efforts help us move forward as a nation toward more accessible technologies.” The release said the six honorees were: SOS QR, an emergency record and alert notification app for people with cognitive disabilities; UnusTactus, an app for people with cognitive disabilities meant to simplify smartphone access; a Texas A&M wearable sign-language recognition system prototype; a Disney Movies Anywhere app for iOS devices that includes a sync function allowing users to access audio descriptions for a movie in progress; a Sesame Enable project that provides smartphones with modified Android OS installations for users who can't control smartphones with their hands; and an eSight Eyewear headset with a videocam to help people with low vision. The six winners and three recipients of honorable mention citations were being recognized Monday at a ceremony at the M-Enabling Summit in Arlington, Virginia.
The NG911 NOW Coalition backed a comprehensive national plan for the deployment of next-generation 911. NG911’s stated goal is to retire legacy 911 systems by the end of 2020. The coalition also promised in the report Monday to provide a “high-level cost estimate” for deploying NG911 across the U.S. and to “secure additional funding for NG9-1-1 through federal legislation.” Coalition officials said they're developing a legislative strategy to better bring the message to Capitol Hill. The coalition is made up of the National Emergency Number Association, the National Association of State 911 Administrators (NASNA) and the Industry Council for Emergency Response Technologies (iCERT).
PricewaterhouseCoopers plans a local number portability administration transition webinar June 21, 3-4 p.m., said the FCC Wireline Bureau. Officials from PwC, which is managing the planned LNPA transition from Neustar to Telcordia, also will be available to meet with interested parties Monday and Tuesday at the Marriott Indianapolis Downtown hotel, next to where a National Emergency Number Association meeting is being held. Registration is needed for the webcast; it isn't needed for the in-person meetings, nor do parties have to schedule appointments, but they can express a time preference, said a Wednesday public notice in docket 09-109.
House Commerce Committee lawmakers may be able to tackle “a few things left on the table” before retreating from Washington for long recesses later this year, GOP counsel David Redl said Wednesday during a FCBA lunch. He and Democratic counsel David Goldman, who works for House Commerce Committee ranking member Frank Pallone, D-N.J., agreed on several pieces of legislation they may want to find ways to advance in the remaining legislative days.