Home Technology Specialists of America (HTSA) dealer Audio Video Systems, Plainview, New York, will manage the Connected Loft in the new Pirch showroom in New York City’s SoHo neighborhood, AVS Chief Operating Officer Franklin Karp told us ahead of Pirch’s grand opening Thursday evening. Pirch, the “experiential” luxury appliance and bath retailer that encourages customers to “try before they buy,” was set to open its first New York City store Saturday joining eight other locations around the country. AVS is the first HTSA dealer to be a Pirch Synergy Partner under a collaboration forged between HTSA member Joe Barrett and Pirch in select markets. Barrett is president of Barrett’s Technology Solutions, Naperville, Illinois.
Altice may face a flurry of New York Public Service Commission conditions when the PSC rules next month on the company’s $17.7 billion takeover of Cablevision. The commission sought comment Friday on conditions recommended by the advisory staff for the Department of Public Service. The staff said the conditions, if approved, would result in $245 million in benefits. “Recommended conditions focus on the areas of network investment, internet speed enhancements, access, affordability, debt risk mitigation, and service quality,” the advisory staff said in a Friday filing. Altice had committed to some of the items (see 1603090081). Imposing conditions would make them enforceable.
Altice may face a flurry of New York Public Service Commission conditions when the PSC rules next month on the company’s $17.7 billion takeover of Cablevision. The commission sought comment Friday on conditions recommended by the advisory staff for the Department of Public Service. The staff said the conditions, if approved, would result in $245 million in benefits. “Recommended conditions focus on the areas of network investment, internet speed enhancements, access, affordability, debt risk mitigation, and service quality,” the advisory staff said in a Friday filing. Altice had committed to some of the items (see 1603090081). Imposing conditions would make them enforceable.
Home Technology Specialists of America (HTSA) dealer Audio Video Systems, Plainview, New York, will manage the Connected Loft in the new Pirch showroom in New York City’s SoHo neighborhood, AVS Chief Operating Officer Franklin Karp told us ahead of Pirch’s grand opening Thursday evening. Pirch, the “experiential” luxury appliance and bath retailer that encourages customers to “try before they buy,” was set to open its first New York City store Saturday joining eight other locations around the country. AVS is the first HTSA dealer to be a Pirch Synergy Partner under a collaboration forged between HTSA member Joe Barrett and Pirch in select markets. Barrett is president of Barrett’s Technology Solutions, Naperville, Illinois.
The Trans-Pacific Partnership would decrease the costs of moving goods within the agreement’s covered region, and bring modest gains to the U.S. economy over its first 15 years, but the deal would also exacerbate the U.S.’ existing trade deficit, according to the summary (here) of a Congressionally mandated 792-page report on TPP released May 18 by the International Trade Commission (here).
Nationwide number portability raises several challenges and concerns, including about duplicative costs if carried out before the IP transition is complete, but it shouldn't affect phone number exhaustion, the North American Numbering Council said in a report Monday to the FCC. NANC recommended the commission do a more detailed public inquiry on the potential costs of nationwide number portability (NNP) and associated cost recovery; the impact on tolls, tariffs and taxes; potential negative fallout for state regulators; possible uniform 10-digit dialing; and potential federal rule changes. The report was approved without dissent among NANC's voting members.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control is updating its Burma general licenses to continue the authorization of transactions related to trade of goods, technology, or non-financial services; remove the general license requirements for transactions with two financial institutions; and allow some transactions that would enable the “maintenance” of U.S. nationals living in the country, OFAC said (here). The agency has removed Myanma Economic Bank (MEB) and Myanma Investment and Commercial Bank (MICB) from its Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List (SDN List), and transactions with those entities no longer require a general license, OFAC said. Additionally, OFAC is adding Innwa Bank and Myawaddy Bank to the general license in Section 537.531 of the Burmese Sanctions Regulations, authorizing most transactions with the institutions.
The Department of Commerce’s Digital Economy Board of Advisors (DEBA) will kick off its work by examining possible digital economy metrics to inform policymaking, along with how to improve U.S. workers’ skills to adapt to the growth of digitization and ways to close the “digital divide” between small and large businesses, DEBA leaders said Monday. Commerce formed DEBA in November as part of the department’s Digital Economy Agenda to encourage growth in the digital economy by promoting Internet freedom, ensuring users’ access to the Internet and promoting trust in online services. DEBA will provide recommendations to the secretary of commerce and the NTIA administrator on policy issues (see 1511240034).
Federal funding for 911 will likely be hard to come by for the foreseeable future, said the ranking Democrat on the House Commerce Committee at the APCO Summit Monday. Republicans usually block new funding efforts, and no spectrum auction legislation is on the horizon, said Rep. Frank Pallone and his telecom aide, David Goldman. States and localities will be the biggest source of 911 funding, said an FCC official.
The Department of Commerce’s Digital Economy Board of Advisors (DEBA) will kick off its work by examining possible digital economy metrics to inform policymaking, along with how to improve U.S. workers’ skills to adapt to the growth of digitization and ways to close the “digital divide” between small and large businesses, DEBA leaders said Monday. Commerce formed DEBA in November as part of the department’s Digital Economy Agenda to encourage growth in the digital economy by promoting Internet freedom, ensuring users’ access to the Internet and promoting trust in online services. DEBA will provide recommendations to the secretary of commerce and the NTIA administrator on policy issues (see 1511240034).