Global digital music delivery sales rose 4.3 percent in 2013 to $5.9 billion, due mainly to “steep growth” in subscription services and “stable income from download sales in most markets,” IFPI said Tuesday in its annual state of the industry report (http://bit.ly/1lLJw8r). “Globally, digital now accounts for 39 per cent of total industry global revenues and in three of the world’s top 10 markets, digital channels account for the majority of revenues,” said IFPI, formerly the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry.
Two more states, Colorado and Kentucky, may ease carrier of last resort (COLR) obligations to provide landline services, as a wave of deregulation proposals continues flowing through the states. For AT&T, the passage of the Kentucky bill would put it on the verge of “running the table” on deregulating the shift to IP, said National Regulatory Research Institute Principal Sherry Lichtenberg.
Global digital music delivery sales rose 4.3 percent in 2013 to $5.9 billion, due mainly to “steep growth” in subscription services and “stable income from download sales in most markets,” IFPI said Tuesday in its annual state of the industry report (http://bit.ly/1lLJw8r). “Globally, digital now accounts for 39 per cent of total industry global revenues and in three of the world’s top 10 markets, digital channels account for the majority of revenues,” said IFPI, formerly the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry.
The Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security updated the Code of Federal Regulations legal authority in the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) to extend the National Emergency With Respect to Terrorists Who Threaten To Disrupt the Middle East Peace Process. The extension is in accordance with the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. This final rule is procedural and has no impact on EAR compliance. The rule is effective March 19.
NCTA estimated it would cost about $3,500 per location to order and install new emergency alert system equipment required to recognize a new nationwide EAS code, in comments in FCC docket 04-296 (http://bit.ly/1d221jx). The development and testing processes for the new code for downstream equipment is significantly more time- and resource-intensive “than the encoder/decoder review process and any subsequent modifications,” it said. The aggregate capital and operational cost of deploying a new nationwide location code is about $1.1 million for about 85 percent of cable customers, it said. At least one year is needed to deploy the new location code once it’s adopted by the FCC, NCTA said. Requiring the National Periodic Test Code to filter location codes and to last longer than two minutes is more costly and complex to implement than adopting a nationwide location code, it said. This would cost about $4.4 million for about 85 percent of cable customers, NCTA said. Public Safety Bureau staff discussed with NCTA the importance of achieving a consistent regulatory approach to EAS over an ad hoc interim approach to the handling, routing and security of EAS alerts, said the association.
The FCC Public Safety Bureau plans a workshop on technology transitions and public safety, it said in a public notice Friday (http://bit.ly/1impmSg). The 1.5-day workshop is scheduled for April 17 and 18, and representatives from public safety agencies and other stakeholders will “explore the impact of the technology transition on key public safety, emergency response, and national security functions,” the notice said. “The workshop will seek to identify the conditions, rebuttable presumptions, and relevant factors that are needed to ensure that core public safety values are supported in the transition to an all IP-based infrastructure.” The workshop will focus on day-to-day public safety operations in an all-IP world, disaster preparations, and additional risk factors from “cyber exploits” on commercial and public networks. Deadline for registration is April 11.
Big data and online accessibility and access should be among the Council of Europe’s top priorities for its 2016-2019 Internet governance strategy, speakers said Friday at a webcast CoE conference in Graz, Austria, on ensuring online rights. Government and civil society panelists said the 47-country human rights organization could play a leading role in helping stakeholders share best practices and in making sure that compliance with rules on Internet human rights is monitored properly.
Big data and online accessibility and access should be among the Council of Europe’s top priorities for its 2016-2019 Internet governance strategy, speakers said Friday at a webcast CoE conference in Graz, Austria, on ensuring online rights. Government and civil society panelists said the 47-country human rights organization could play a leading role in helping stakeholders share best practices and in making sure that compliance with rules on Internet human rights is monitored properly.
Senior Cybersecurity Director Andy Ozment will leave the White House to become assistant secretary of homeland security for cybersecurity and communications, DHS officials said Wednesday in a blog post. Ozment will head the National Protection and Programs Directorate’s (NPPD) Office of Cybersecurity and Communications, which will be leading DHS work on implementation of President Barack Obama’s cybersecurity executive order, including industry use of the National Institute of Standards and Technology-created Cybersecurity Framework, DHS said. Retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Gregory Touhill will become DHS deputy assistant secretary-cybersecurity operations and programs, said Phyllis Schneck, DHS deputy undersecretary-cybersecurity and communications, and Suzanne Spaulding, DHS deputy undersecretary-NPPD. Roberta Stempfley, who was acting DHS assistant secretary-cybersecurity and communications, will become deputy assistant secretary-cybersecurity strategy and emergency communications (http://xrl.us/bqppcc). Ozment will join DHS April 7. Former FCC Public Safety Bureau Chief Jamie Barnett, now co-chairman of Venable’s telecom and cybersecurity practice, said in a statement that Ozment “has done a superb job” leading development and implementation of Obama’s cybersecurity executive order, which mandated creation of the Cybersecurity Framework. Ozment’s work on the implementation has “has dramatically strengthened the public-private partnership on cybersecurity,” Barnett said.
Senior Cybersecurity Director Andy Ozment will leave the White House to become assistant secretary of homeland security for cybersecurity and communications, DHS officials said Wednesday in a blog post. Ozment will head the National Protection and Programs Directorate’s (NPPD) Office of Cybersecurity and Communications, which will be leading DHS work on implementation of President Barack Obama’s cybersecurity executive order, including industry use of the National Institute of Standards and Technology-created Cybersecurity Framework, DHS said. Retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Gregory Touhill will become DHS deputy assistant secretary-cybersecurity operations and programs, said Phyllis Schneck, DHS deputy undersecretary-cybersecurity and communications, and Suzanne Spaulding, DHS deputy undersecretary-NPPD. Roberta Stempfley, who was acting DHS assistant secretary-cybersecurity and communications, will become deputy assistant secretary-cybersecurity strategy and emergency communications (http://xrl.us/bqppcc). Ozment will join DHS April 7. Former FCC Public Safety Bureau Chief Jamie Barnett, now co-chairman of Venable’s telecom and cybersecurity practice, said in a statement that Ozment “has done a superb job” leading development and implementation of Obama’s cybersecurity executive order, which mandated creation of the Cybersecurity Framework. Ozment’s work on the implementation has “has dramatically strengthened the public-private partnership on cybersecurity,” Barnett said.