The FCC recommended in a report released Wednesday that Congress create incentives for states to become “early adopters” of next generation 911. The FCC also said the states should be in charge of NG911 deployment but with a “federal regulatory ‘backstop’ to ensure that there is no gap between federal and state authority over NG911.” It said Congress should encourage all states to establish 911 boards. The report to Congress (http://fcc.us/Y14wtA) was mandated by last February’s spectrum law.
IP-to-IP interconnection policy isn’t relevant to AT&T’s proposed wire center trials, the telco said in reply comments on its proposal Monday. The FCC need not address IP interconnection issues to OK the trials, AT&T said. Nonetheless, “because so much of the advocacy opposing AT&T’s petition focuses on these issues,” the telco took the opportunity to respond: IP-to-IP interconnection is “needless, harmful, and unlawful,” and the FCC lacks Title II authority over the interconnection of information services. Verizon argued against new regulation of broadband networks and services, and the imposition of unbundling obligations on new technologies. CenturyLink said the commission should reject attempts by CLECs to gain a “competitive advantage” by imposing “unnecessary and counterproductive regulations on next-generation IP networks and services” (http://bit.ly/XAm5ok). But state regulators, CLECs and others criticized AT&T’s request as a thinly veiled attempt to maintain ILEC power while preempting state regulations.
Crest Financial, which owns 8.34 percent of Clearwire’s Class A stock, urged the FCC to reject a move by Sprint to acquire the rest of Clearwire. Crest submitted a report to the FCC, which it said shows that Clearwire’s spectrum is worth two to three times as much as Sprint will pay. Meanwhile, Softbank, which is buying control of Sprint, and Sprint jointly rebutted comments filed by the Consortium for Public Education and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Erie, Pa., against that transaction. Dish Network weighed in as an opponent of the Softbank/Sprint transaction.
State regulators were critical of AT&T’s proposal to implement wire center trials where certain legacy regulations would be lifted. Their opinions came in early reply comments posted Monday in WC docket 12-353. Sprint Nextel also opposed the proposal, arguing the pro-competitive provisions in the 1996 Telecom Act are technology-neutral. Intel said it supported the proposal as a way to test the effect of deregulation.
Partners in the mobile emergency alert system effort are nearing the end of the technology standardization process and moving toward commercialization of the equipment and implementation of the system, said Harris Broadcast, Mobile500 Alliance and other partners. Commercial and noncommercial broadcasters have demonstrated the technology and are planning to take it up, they said. The effort began as a pilot project headed by PBS and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting aimed at distributing emergency alerts to the public using video, text messages and other media (CD June 6 p11). Mobile EAS uses the mobile DTV equipment infrastructure.
Governors considered the challenges of cybersecurity during the winter meeting of the National Governors Association. The endeavor requires sufficient state attention, speakers told governors as they gave recommendations on how to better coordinate and develop strategies in fighting existing cyberthreats.
Governors considered the challenges of both FirstNet and cybersecurity during the winter meeting of the National Governors Association. Both public safety endeavors require sufficient state attention, speakers told governors as they gave recommendations on how to better coordinate and develop strategies in both the creation of FirstNet and in fighting existing cyberthreats.
The National Initiative for Cybersecurity Careers and Studies will provide an online resource for cybersecurity career, education and training information, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said Thursday in launching the program, part of its U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team. The resources at niccs.us-cert.gov constitute a “robust, searchable catalog” of programs and certifications, letting users find trainings based on location, preferred delivery method, specialty area or proficiency level, DHS said. It was developed “in close partnership” with several agencies, including the National Institute of Standards and Technology, departments of Defense and Education, offices of the Director of National Intelligence and Personnel Management, and National Science Foundation.
Business groups are angry over New Zealand’s recent announcement of legislation mandating plan packaging of all tobacco products, which they claim violates the country’s international trade obligations. The proposed legislation effectively eliminates “the right of a business to use its trademarks in every-day commerce,” said a statement released Feb. 20 by a list of business advocacy groups, including the Chamber of Commerce, U.S. Council for International Business and the National Foreign Trade Council.
The U.S. government needs to develop a constructive long-term strategy to best engage the ITU and its members to maximize value and effectiveness of the organization’s core mandate, while addressing efforts to expand its remit, the U.S. ITU Association said in a draft policy document to the U.S. government that we obtained. Many U.S. companies doing business internationally are regulated by and must obtain operating authorizations from national regulators to do business in those countries, it said. ITU, through its regional offices, leadership, and events and activities, plays an indirect but important role in the development of national regulations in many developing and emerging economies, it said. U.S. policy should “seek to maximize” U.S. influence to ensure “the right policy directions” are taken, it said. Efforts to expand ITU’s mandate beyond its core competency should be curtailed, it said. The U.S. government “should fund the ITU at a level that will allow the U.S. to continue its active engagement and leadership” in the organization and its working groups, including ITU Council, to protect U.S. interests and promote policy principles, it said. Some executives had suggested the U.S. stop funding the organization. Relationships, especially with developing countries, need to be rebuilt, it said. The U.S. should help boost ITU’s “transparency and openness of its processes,” it said. “It is, however, important that the U.S. not appear to sanction a claim that the ITU is multi-stakeholder in the broadest sense,” it said.