NEW YORK -- The federal government is becoming more convinced about the benefits of commercially hosted payload services, said Charles Beames, an adviser at the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics. Sequestration is “brutal” and budgets are continuing to go down, he said Wednesday at the SATCON conference. The government in general has “hit the ‘I believe’ button” on hosted payloads and other opportunities to partner with the commercial satellite industry, he said. But there’s a challenge that comes with breaking paradigms, Beames said: “No one used to believe we could do these sorts of things at a fraction of the cost of major systems."
NAB, NPR, DirecTV and other groups addressed time discrepancies, location code and other issues in comments on the first nationwide test of the emergency alert system (EAS), which took place two years ago (CD Nov 10/11 p2). Comments on the test’s equipment and operation were due last week in docket 04-296.
The House Communications Subcommittee plans hearings on the 5 GHz spectrum band and on FirstNet this month, as expected, it said in a notice Wednesday (http://1.usa.gov/1798hmE). The 5 GHz spectrum hearing will be Wednesday at 2 p.m. in 2123 Rayburn. Witnesses are Cisco Chief Technology Officer Bob Friday, Toyota Info Technology Center Principal Research Manager John Kenney, Comcast Senior Vice President-Business Development Tom Nagel, and Julius Knapp, chief of the FCC Office of Engineering and Technology. The FirstNet hearing will be the week of Nov. 18, the subcommittee said, without specifying witnesses, day, time or location. “Members will receive a status update from FirstNet and private sector entities that are working to improve the connectivity, reliability, and security of this nationwide public safety network,” the notice said. “Members will review other emergency communications technologies to better understand how their development can improve the capabilities of first responders across the nation.” In a statement, subcommittee Chairman Greg Walden, R-Ore., emphasized the need to efficiently use taxpayer dollars in building the public safety network and that the FirstNet board and stakeholders move forward and “keep pace with continuing technological innovation.”
The Department of Homeland Security inspector general found that a year after the department’s Office of Cybersecurity and Communications (CS&C) reorganized its internal structure, it “still faces challenges in sharing cyber threat information with other federal cyber operations centers.” CS&C, part of DHS’s National Protection and Programs Directorate (NPPD), reorganized in October 2012 to improve the National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center’s functionality, the DHS IG said in a report made public Monday. NCCIC has since enhanced partnerships with other federal cyberoperations centers to address specific incidents and increased interagency collaboration, the report said. The NCCIC also collaborated with the FBI and other public and private partners to release Joint Indicator Bulletins related to cyberthreats and conducted drills to improve cyberoperations centers’ capabilities and plans, the report said. But NPPD needs to address tech and workforce deficiencies -- issues NPPD told the IG it is working to improve (http://1.usa.gov/1a3ndpB).
The Department of Homeland Security inspector general found that a year after the department’s Office of Cybersecurity and Communications (CS&C) reorganized its internal structure, it “still faces challenges in sharing cyber threat information with other federal cyber operations centers.” CS&C, part of DHS’s National Protection and Programs Directorate (NPPD), reorganized in October 2012 to improve the National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center’s functionality, the DHS IG said in a report made public Monday. NCCIC has since enhanced partnerships with other federal cyberoperations centers to address specific incidents and increased interagency collaboration, the report said. The NCCIC also collaborated with the FBI and other public and private partners to release Joint Indicator Bulletins related to cyberthreats and conducted drills to improve cyberoperations centers’ capabilities and plans, the report said. But NPPD needs to address tech and workforce deficiencies -- issues NPPD told the IG it is working to improve (http://1.usa.gov/1a3ndpB).
The House Homeland Security Committee approved two Department of Homeland Security-centric cybersecurity bills Tuesday, sending them to the full House for consideration. The committee approved the bills -- the Critical Infrastructure Research and Development Advancement Act (HR-2952) and the Homeland Security Cybersecurity Boots-on-the-Ground Act (HR-3107) -- on voice votes with amendments. The bills had received unanimous support from the House Cybersecurity Subcommittee in September (CD Sept 19 p20).
The House Homeland Security Committee approved two Department of Homeland Security-centric cybersecurity bills Tuesday, sending them to the full House for consideration. The committee approved the bills -- the Critical Infrastructure Research and Development Advancement Act (HR-2952) and the Homeland Security Cybersecurity Boots-on-the-Ground Act (HR-3107) -- on voice votes with amendments. The bills had received unanimous support from the House Cybersecurity Subcommittee in September (WID Sept 19 p9).
Agencies across the federal government must embrace broadband adoption strategies, with congressional prompting if necessary, some broadband adoption advocates told a Senate Communications Subcommittee hearing Tuesday. They highlighted where gaps still exist and discussed the role of public-private partnerships and ways companies have tried to close the digital divide.
Agencies across the federal government must embrace broadband adoption strategies, with congressional prompting if necessary, some broadband adoption advocates told a Senate Communications Subcommittee hearing Tuesday. They highlighted where gaps still exist and discussed the role of public-private partnerships and ways companies have tried to close the digital divide.
Congress should set national goals and performance metrics in the deployment and adoption of broadband, Sunne Wright McPeak, president of the California Emerging Technology Fund, plans to testify Tuesday. The goals and frameworks should include a timetable and assigned responsibilities, she will say, urging continued implementation of the National Broadband Plan and use of NTIA’s broadband adoption tool kit, released earlier this year. McPeak is to be a witness before the Senate Communications Subcommittee hearing on broadband adoption, set for 10:30 a.m. Tuesday in 253 Russell. Other witnesses include Aaron Smith, senior researcher at the Pew Research Center, Comcast Executive Vice President David Cohen, Blandin Foundation Director-Public Policy and Engagement Bernadine Joselyn and Broadband for America Honorary Co-chair John Sununu. McPeak will discuss her experiences leading the California broadband fund and back the integration of broadband and information technologies into all federal policies and programs. “There is a need to ‘connect the dots’ with a set of coherent strategies that transcend ‘bureaucratic silos’ to optimize access to and use of the Internet with high-speed connections,” she will say, according to her written testimony. The U.S. Department of Education must ensure broadband is integrated throughout schools, and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development should pursue “smart housing,” she is to say. The Homeland Security Department should be a “proactive partner” to FirstNet, according to McPeak. She will ask “the FCC to structure USF reforms for a Broadband Lifeline Rate Program and eRate [sic] to encourage and reward providers who partner with non-profit intermediaries (such as EveryoneOn) and trusted [community-based organizations] with a proven track record and align with state plans,” according to her testimony. “Reimbursement and subsidies from the USF should reward public-private partnerships that drive to and achieve explicit broadband adoption goals."