The Society of Broadcast Engineers objected to a June NPRM proposing to preserve one vacant TV channel in the UHF TV band in each area of the U.S. for shared use by white space devices and wireless mics, in a filing posted Tuesday in FCC docket 15-146. The proposal “signals the latest in a continuing, short-term series of unreasoned reversals and technically unsound retreats of the Commission with respect to reaccommodation of licensed, Part 74 [wireless mics] which were displaced from the 700 MHz band and those which now stand to be displaced from the 600 MHz band by the incentive auction,” SBE said. “Worse, this proceeding, sub silencio, abandons the Commission’s longstanding spectrum allocations policies relative to the priorities of unlicensed Part 15 devices versus licensed stations operating in allocated frequency bands.” Wireless mics “play an important role in enabling broadcasters and other video programming networks and entities to serve consumers, including delivery of breaking news, emergency information and broadcast live sports events,” SBE said. But in a series of orders modifying the UHF band plan, the FCC has “serially, in a very short period of time” reduced the amount of spectrum available for their use, the group said. The National Translator Association also objected. NTA said that those who rely on translator services to watch TV are “disproportionately lower income, elderly and frequently are minority individuals and families.” Translator TV service “has been available at low or no cost to these persons for a period approaching fifty years and, despite several previous takings of its channel space by the Federal Government, has largely survived to continue to provide service to its constituency,” NTA said. But the FCC’s proposal puts these services in jeopardy, the group said. “NTA opposes the FCC reservation of any TV channel for use by any unlicensed device which places priority of the unlicensed device's access to that channel over that of any existing licensee, including [low-power] LPTV and TV translator stations, to that channel.”
The Society of Broadcast Engineers objected to a June NPRM proposing to preserve one vacant TV channel in the UHF TV band in each area of the U.S. for shared use by white space devices and wireless mics, in a filing posted Tuesday in FCC docket 15-146. The proposal “signals the latest in a continuing, short-term series of unreasoned reversals and technically unsound retreats of the Commission with respect to reaccommodation of licensed, Part 74 [wireless mics] which were displaced from the 700 MHz band and those which now stand to be displaced from the 600 MHz band by the incentive auction,” SBE said. “Worse, this proceeding, sub silencio, abandons the Commission’s longstanding spectrum allocations policies relative to the priorities of unlicensed Part 15 devices versus licensed stations operating in allocated frequency bands.” Wireless mics “play an important role in enabling broadcasters and other video programming networks and entities to serve consumers, including delivery of breaking news, emergency information and broadcast live sports events,” SBE said. But in a series of orders modifying the UHF band plan, the FCC has “serially, in a very short period of time” reduced the amount of spectrum available for their use, the group said. The National Translator Association also objected. NTA said that those who rely on translator services to watch TV are “disproportionately lower income, elderly and frequently are minority individuals and families.” Translator TV service “has been available at low or no cost to these persons for a period approaching fifty years and, despite several previous takings of its channel space by the Federal Government, has largely survived to continue to provide service to its constituency,” NTA said. But the FCC’s proposal puts these services in jeopardy, the group said. “NTA opposes the FCC reservation of any TV channel for use by any unlicensed device which places priority of the unlicensed device's access to that channel over that of any existing licensee, including [low-power] LPTV and TV translator stations, to that channel.”
Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., raised concerns Monday about the effort to tee up the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act (S-754) for a Senate vote this week (see 1507300069), citing a letter from Department Homeland Security Deputy Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas in which Mayorkas said the bill has the potential to undermine existing cybersecurity work and could hurt existing privacy and civil liberties protections. Franken, the ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Privacy Subcommittee and an opponent of S-754, had sought information from DHS on how the potential for cybersecurity information sharing outside the department would affect DHS work. Provisions in S-754 that would allow companies to share cyberthreat information with agencies outside DHS are particularly worrisome because those provisions “could sweep away important privacy protections,” Mayorkas said. DHS is also concerned that allowing information sharing via other federal agencies “rather than initially provided through one entity, the complexity -- for both government and businesses -- and inefficiency of any information sharing program will markedly increase; developing a single, comprehensive picture of the range of cyber threats faced daily will become more difficult,” Mayorkas said. “This will limit the ability of DHS to connect the dots and proactively recognize emerging risks and help private and public organizations implement effective mitigations to reduce the likelihood of damaging incidents.” Mayorkas’ letter “makes it overwhelmingly clear that, if the Senate moves forward with this cybersecurity information-sharing bill, we are at risk of sweeping away important privacy protections and civil liberties, and we would actually increase the difficulty and complexity of information sharing, undermining our nation's cybersecurity objectives,” Franken said in a statement. A spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., didn't comment Monday about the Mayorkas letter but said Senate leaders continue to plan to bring S-754 up after the Senate considers a bill to end federal funding of Planned Parenthood (S-1881).
Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., raised concerns Monday about the effort to tee up the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act (S-754) for a Senate vote this week (see 1507300069), citing a letter from Department Homeland Security Deputy Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas in which Mayorkas said the bill has the potential to undermine existing cybersecurity work and could hurt existing privacy and civil liberties protections. Franken, the ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Privacy Subcommittee and an opponent of S-754, had sought information from DHS on how the potential for cybersecurity information sharing outside the department would affect DHS work. Provisions in S-754 that would allow companies to share cyberthreat information with agencies outside DHS are particularly worrisome because those provisions “could sweep away important privacy protections,” Mayorkas said. DHS is also concerned that allowing information sharing via other federal agencies “rather than initially provided through one entity, the complexity -- for both government and businesses -- and inefficiency of any information sharing program will markedly increase; developing a single, comprehensive picture of the range of cyber threats faced daily will become more difficult,” Mayorkas said. “This will limit the ability of DHS to connect the dots and proactively recognize emerging risks and help private and public organizations implement effective mitigations to reduce the likelihood of damaging incidents.” Mayorkas’ letter “makes it overwhelmingly clear that, if the Senate moves forward with this cybersecurity information-sharing bill, we are at risk of sweeping away important privacy protections and civil liberties, and we would actually increase the difficulty and complexity of information sharing, undermining our nation's cybersecurity objectives,” Franken said in a statement. A spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., didn't comment Monday about the Mayorkas letter but said Senate leaders continue to plan to bring S-754 up after the Senate considers a bill to end federal funding of Planned Parenthood (S-1881).
The FCC should impose broadband expansion requirements on Frontier if its proposed buy of Verizon's wireline services in California, Florida and Texas (see 1502050059) is approved, the California Emerging Technology Fund (CETF) said in a filing posted Thursday in docket 15-44. In its comment, CETF -- a nonprofit established by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) -- suggests public benefit requirements be placed on Frontier's transaction with Verizon to ensure rural broadband expansion to unserved and underserved areas, plus broadband adoption. CETF said in the filing it doesn't have an opinion on whether the transaction should be approved, but urged the commission to "put teeth into vague promises by [Frontier] as to public interest benefits from this transaction." CETF proposed several transaction conditions, including a stand-alone wireline broadband offer to eligible low-income households in Frontier's coverage area at "about $10 per month," a low-income broadband adoption performance goal spanning three years, immediate and periodic network upgrades, and submission to monitoring by a national oversight committee. CETF also suggested a commitment be required of Frontier to ensure broadband adoption until 80 percent of eligible, low-income households in targeted communities are connected. "CETF is participating in the review process at the California PUC and filed substantially the same document with the CPUC," a Frontier spokesperson told us Friday. "Frontier will respond to the CETF filing in the course of the regulatory approval process."
The FCC should impose broadband expansion requirements on Frontier if its proposed buy of Verizon's wireline services in California, Florida and Texas (see 1502050059) is approved, the California Emerging Technology Fund (CETF) said in a filing posted Thursday in docket 15-44. In its comment, CETF -- a nonprofit established by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) -- suggests public benefit requirements be placed on Frontier's transaction with Verizon to ensure rural broadband expansion to unserved and underserved areas, plus broadband adoption. CETF said in the filing it doesn't have an opinion on whether the transaction should be approved, but urged the commission to "put teeth into vague promises by [Frontier] as to public interest benefits from this transaction." CETF proposed several transaction conditions, including a stand-alone wireline broadband offer to eligible low-income households in Frontier's coverage area at "about $10 per month," a low-income broadband adoption performance goal spanning three years, immediate and periodic network upgrades, and submission to monitoring by a national oversight committee. CETF also suggested a commitment be required of Frontier to ensure broadband adoption until 80 percent of eligible, low-income households in targeted communities are connected. "CETF is participating in the review process at the California PUC and filed substantially the same document with the CPUC," a Frontier spokesperson told us Friday. "Frontier will respond to the CETF filing in the course of the regulatory approval process."
The U.S. and the 11 other Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiating countries made significant strides in closing remaining TPP gaps at the late July summit in Maui, but the failure to lock down a pact threatens to subject congressional action to 2016 presidential politics, said industry observers in interviews. All 12 parties may meet again in the coming month to six weeks, and another failure to finalize terms at that point would further dampen hopes of passing an implementation bill during President Barack Obama’s tenure, said the experts.
NTIA urged the FCC to be “prepared to address” challenges facing federal agencies and departments as the telecom industry moves from circuit-switched copper phone networks to packet-switched, IP-based systems using fiber and other broadband platforms. Most federal agencies will continue to “rely heavily” on traditional TDM services and copper-based networks to support “mission-critical communications capabilities, including national security, public safety, and emergency activities,” said NTIA Administrator Larry Strickling in a letter posted Thursday in the FCC’s docket 13-5 on the IP technology transition. Given that reliance, “an accelerated shift to IP-based services may entail significant, unexpected costs for federal users,” and that's a particular problem for federal agencies, which face complicated budgeting and implementation issues, he said.
NTIA urged the FCC to be “prepared to address” challenges facing federal agencies and departments as the telecom industry moves from circuit-switched copper phone networks to packet-switched, IP-based systems using fiber and other broadband platforms. Most federal agencies will continue to “rely heavily” on traditional TDM services and copper-based networks to support “mission-critical communications capabilities, including national security, public safety, and emergency activities,” said NTIA Administrator Larry Strickling in a letter posted Thursday in the FCC’s docket 13-5 on the IP technology transition. Given that reliance, “an accelerated shift to IP-based services may entail significant, unexpected costs for federal users,” and that's a particular problem for federal agencies, which face complicated budgeting and implementation issues, he said.
A vulnerability affecting the Uconnect software in Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) that may have allowed an unauthorized user to take remote control of an affected vehicle requires access to Sprint’s cellular network, as Sprint connects FCA vehicles to the Internet, a U.S. Cyber Emergency Readiness Team (U.S.-CERT) alert said Monday. Sprint blocked the port used for attacks, it said, and FCA and the National Transportation Safety Administration initiated a safety recall for all potentially affected Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram models, the alert said. Uconnect users are encouraged to review the recall announcement and apply the software update, it said.