Senate and House lawmakers released the Water Resources Reform and Development Act (WRRDA) conference report on May 15 after more than seven months of negotiations. The report targets full use by 2025 of the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund (HMTF) for harbor maintenance and dredging, with annual increases in use over the next ten years. Only half of the $1.8 billion paid by users and collectors into the fund annually is currently dedicated towards maintenance and dredging. The Senate and House still have to approve the report, before President Barack Obama can sign the bill into law.
The FCC, as expected, voted 3-2 Thursday to explore the potential of Internet fast lanes. But Chairman Tom Wheeler wanted to make one point clear: Fast lanes for some will not mean slow lanes for others. “I don’t like the idea that the Internet could become divided into haves and have nots,” he said. “I will work to see that does not happen.” Wheeler said he wants rules in which, if an ISP slows speeds below what the consumer bought, “it would be commercially unreasonable and therefore prohibited.” Republican commissioners said net neutrality rules are a government solution in search of a problem.
The FCC voted 3-2 Thursday to explore the potential of Internet fast lanes, as expected (WID May 15 p1). But Chairman Tom Wheeler wanted to make one point clear: Fast lanes for some will not mean slow lanes for others. “I don’t like the idea that the Internet could become divided into haves and have nots,” he said. “I will work to see that does not happen.” Wheeler said he wants rules in which, if an ISP slows speeds below what the consumer bought, “it would be commercially unreasonable and therefore prohibited.” Republican commissioners said net neutrality rules are a government solution in search of a problem.
The FCC voted 3-2 Thursday to explore the potential of Internet fast lanes, as expected (CD May 15 p1). But Chairman Tom Wheeler wanted to make one point clear: Fast lanes for some will not mean slow lanes for others. “I don’t like the idea that the Internet could become divided into haves and have nots,” he said. “I will work to see that does not happen.” Wheeler said he wants rules in which, if an ISP slows speeds below what the consumer bought, “it would be commercially unreasonable and therefore prohibited.” Republican commissioners said net neutrality rules are a government solution in search of a problem.
SAN ANTONIO -- With a range of wireless multiroom audio systems and standards emerging to challenge Sonos, retailers are scrambling to free up shelf space and carefully choose brands to support, ProSource dealers said at the group’s meeting.
No voluntary agreement is taking shape on standards for location accuracy for 911 calls made indoors, and it may be time for the FCC to step in and regulate, commented the National Emergency Number Association. In February, amid concerns raised by commissioners Ajit Pai and Mike O'Rielly, the FCC proposed revised rules for all 911 calls, including standards for indoor calls (CD Feb 21 p1). Pai said proposed deadlines were “aspirational” rather than based on what carriers can realistically be expected to achieve. The FCC posted comments this week in docket 07-114.
The House Judiciary Committee cleared its revamped version of the USA Freedom Act (HR-3361) Wednesday, 32-0. The manager’s amendment that several key committee lawmakers unveiled (http://1.usa.gov/1mDc447) is a bipartisan “culmination of months of oversight and collaboration between members from both sides of the aisle,” Chairman Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., said in his opening statement. The legislation, introduced last fall, faced a flurry of amendments during the markup session, some that succeeded and many that failed. The House Intelligence Committee plans a markup of its own competing surveillance revamp bill Thursday in closed session.
The House Judiciary Committee cleared its revamped version of the USA Freedom Act (HR-3361) Wednesday, 32-0. The manager’s amendment that several key committee lawmakers unveiled (http://1.usa.gov/1mDc447) is a bipartisan “culmination of months of oversight and collaboration between members from both sides of the aisle,” Chairman Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., said in his opening statement. The legislation, introduced last fall, faced a flurry of amendments during the markup session, some that succeeded and many that failed. The House Intelligence Committee plans a markup of its own competing surveillance revamp bill Thursday in closed session.
With many questions remaining on such issues as when most public safety answering points (PSAPs) will be able to accept text messages to 911, it’s too early for the FCC to even consider imposing text-to-911 rules, Verizon said in reply comments filed at the FCC. The commission in January agreed to seek further comment on items such as whether to impose a text-to-911 mandate on interconnected over-the-top (OTT) text providers like Apple’s iMessage or Samsung’s ChatOn (CD Jan 31 p3).
The lack of global standards was cited at last month’s NAB Show as the biggest “road block” inhibiting commercialization of next-gen high-dynamic-range (HDR) displays (CED April 10 p1). But it’s not lack of effort by the world’s standards developing organizations (SDOs) that’s to blame for HDR-enabling technologies’ not yet being ready for market introduction.