OXON HILL, Maryland -- FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler called for making a “fresh start” in the business data service market (his new name for special access), starting on April 28 with a Further NPRM and tariff order and moving quickly to a conclusion (see 1604080055) later this year. “Now is the time for action. I assure you that I will treat this issue with the urgency it deserves,” he said at the Incompas Show Monday, drawing applause with the first of several applause lines (prepared remarks here). He said he is counting on Incompas members and others to have the same sense of urgency. Wheeler also defended the FCC's proposal for set-top box competition -- while expressing an openness to modifications -- and its net neutrality rules and oversight.
OXON HILL, Maryland -- FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler called for making a “fresh start” in the business data service market (his new name for special access), starting on April 28 with a Further NPRM and tariff order and moving quickly to a conclusion (see 1604080055) later this year. “Now is the time for action. I assure you that I will treat this issue with the urgency it deserves,” he said at the Incompas Show Monday, drawing applause with the first of several applause lines (prepared remarks here). He said he is counting on Incompas members and others to have the same sense of urgency. Wheeler also defended the FCC's proposal for set-top box competition -- while expressing an openness to modifications -- and its net neutrality rules and oversight.
Automotive components supplier Bosch backs a “step-by-step approach” to development and deployment of autonomous vehicles, Ana Meuwissen, director-federal government affairs, told a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration public meeting Friday. NHTSA's meeting was to gather input for the development of operational guidelines on driverless cars the agency has said it hopes to release this summer (see 1601140051).
U.S. telecom and tech firms seeking to take advantage of the trade opening to Cuba face many challenges in navigating that country's structures, policies and pride, speakers said at an FCBA panel Thursday. Cuba isn't interested in stimulating U.S. competition to its state-owned telecom monopoly, particularly given historical tensions and continued suspicions about American motives, they said. But Cubans are interested in targeted business partnerships that meet their needs, and the younger generation's interest in U.S. contact and modern technology creates the potential for longer-term change, they said.
Automotive components supplier Bosch backs a “step-by-step approach” to development and deployment of autonomous vehicles, Ana Meuwissen, director-federal government affairs, told a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration public meeting Friday. NHTSA's meeting was to gather input for the development of operational guidelines on driverless cars the agency has said it hopes to release this summer (see 1601140051).
Automotive components supplier Bosch backs a “step-by-step approach” to development and deployment of autonomous vehicles, Ana Meuwissen, director-federal government affairs, told a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration public meeting Friday. NHTSA's meeting was to gather input for the development of operational guidelines on driverless cars the agency has said it hopes to release this summer (see 1601140051).
Five states will attend a policy academy on emergency communications interoperability, the National Governors Association said Thursday in a news release. Alaska, Hawaii, Illinois, Utah and West Virginia will participate in the academy, which will focus on developing strategies to strengthen statewide interoperability plans, including assessing governance structures and standard operating procedures, the NGA said. An NGA policy academy is an interactive, team-based process in which multiple states develop and implement a plan to address a complex public policy issue. Participating states receive guidance and technical assistance from NGA staff and faculty experts, plus consultants from the private sector, federal agencies, research organizations and academia. “All governors share the priority of ensuring first responders are prepared and equipped for an emergency,” Alaska Gov. Bill Walker said in a statement. “In Alaska’s vast and forbidding terrain, it is essential that all levels of response work together. This opportunity with NGA will help states plan for the constantly changing emergency communications landscape.”
U.S. telecom and tech firms seeking to take advantage of the trade opening to Cuba face many challenges in navigating that country's structures, policies and pride, speakers said at an FCBA panel Thursday. Cuba isn't interested in stimulating U.S. competition to its state-owned telecom monopoly, particularly given historical tensions and continued suspicions about American motives, they said. But Cubans are interested in targeted business partnerships that meet their needs, and the younger generation's interest in U.S. contact and modern technology creates the potential for longer-term change, they said.
The value of cybersecurity training for local public safety agencies may outweigh its cost, Texas fire and police officials said in testifying Thursday at a field hearing of the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Cybersecurity at Austin College in Texas. But providing staff with affordable training can be a challenge, they said. Finding skilled staff also is difficult, a state-and-local panel said at a workshop in Gaithersburg, Maryland, on the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Cybersecurity Framework (see 1604060047). Separately, the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) released a states’ guide to cyber disruption response planning.
Complications for an FCC headquarters move are mounting. A lawsuit was filed Wednesday by the owner of its current building, and the General Services Administration ruled that its current location is considered to be on a floodplain. The commission has been seeking extra money from Congress for the move, which in part is needed because agency staff has shrunk (see 1602100058).