DirecTV cautioned the FCC against complications that could arise from a requirement to make televised emergency information on national cable channels accessible to the visually impaired. Although DirecTV has worked with national programmers on strategies to make emergency information more accessible, “the requirements currently under consideration would necessitate a significant investment of resources to develop an alternative approach,” the company said in a filing in docket 12-107 (http://bit.ly/XsOU3y). The proceeding is on FCC implementation of the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act (CVAA). If the emergency information accessibility requirements of the CVAA are deemed to apply to such national channels, the FCC “should allow distributors sufficient time ... to implement this mandate, and flexibility in developing a solution to do so,” DirecTV said. The DBS company also urged in DirecTV attorneys’ conversation with Media Bureau staff the commission to adopt a streamlined procedure for granting a waiver of any secondary audio carriage requirement in a particular market.
Allowing subscriber testing of whether an emergency text message to 911 results in the required bounce-back message saying the service isn’t available could cause big problems for 911 call centers, the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials told the FCC. The National Emergency Number Association made similar arguments. In December, the FCC approved a further notice of proposed rulemaking posing questions on how the commission can best ensure all wireless subscribers will one day be able to send emergency text messages to public safety answering points (CD Dec 13 p12). Replies were due Friday.
Policy and proposed legislation to boost European network and information security were unveiled Thursday by EU officials. At the heart of the policy is the protection of fundamental rights on the Internet, said EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton at a press briefing. The EU is determined to promote and defend its values online but also believes there should be norms of behavior among countries to protect against cyberattacks, she said. Hewlett-Packard and European telecom network operators cheered the initiative, but some of the proposals drew criticism from privacy advocates, an IT security firm and high-tech industries.
The State Department has taken the first steps toward the Congressional notification required to reclassify military articles on the U.S. Munitions List as dual-use items on Commerce Control List, according to a House Foreign Affairs Committee aide. “Consistent with the requirements of section 38(f) of the Arms Export Control Act, the Foreign Affairs Committee has begun preconsultations with the Administration on the proposed removals of certain aircraft and related items from the United States Munitions List, as well as accompanying regulatory changes to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations and the Commerce Control List,” the aide said.
Policy and proposed legislation to boost European network and information security were unveiled Thursday by EU officials. At the heart of the policy is the protection of fundamental rights on the Internet, said EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton at a press briefing. The EU is determined to promote and defend its values online but also believes there should be norms of behavior among countries to protect against cyberattacks, she said. Hewlett-Packard and European telecom network operators cheered the initiative, but some of the proposals drew criticism from privacy advocates, an IT security firm and high-tech industries.
CTIA representatives stressed the importance of liability protections at the national level for carriers and others as next-generation 911 is deployed. The comments came in a meeting with FCC Public Safety Bureau officials including Chief David Turetsky. “During the conversation, CTIA noted that comments from numerous parties in this proceeding reflect widespread support for clear, comprehensive, standardized, nationwide limitation of liability protection for all entities participating in any aspects of emergency services access, including NG9-1-1 services,” said an ex parte filing (http://xrl.us/boe8fm). The FCC should urge Congress to legislate in the area, CTIA said.
National Emergency Number Association CEO Brian Fontes encouraged the FCC to keep pressing public safety, carriers and others to move to next-generation 911. Fontes was speaking on the fourth Superstorm Sandy panel Tuesday. The panel on “new ideas” in communications closed out a day of hearings on Sandy (CD Feb 6 p1).
"There is significant room for improvement” in how wireless carriers are able to keep their systems up and running during and after disasters like Superstorm Sandy, Jack Schnirman, city manager of Long Beach, N.Y., told FCC officials Tuesday during a full day of FCC hearings on Sandy held in New York and New Jersey. FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski, the first and last speaker of the morning, said the kind of communications outages seen in the aftermath of Sandy were “simply unacceptable.”
Questions about telecom reliability and public safety dominated the first days of the winter NARUC meeting in Washington. Two resolutions addressed public safety concerns -- one proposed more emergency coordination, and another dealt with the possibility of spectrum interference and its possible dangers to public safety entities. Panelists discussed safety implications of technology transitions and the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy.
Canon’s Imaging System division had strong results in the fiscal year ended Dec. 31 that it said Wednesday were due in part to continued strong global demand for interchangeable-lens cameras. Compact camera demand “shrunk not only in developed countries, but also in China and some emerging nations,” it said in an earnings release. But “despite the significant deterioration of market conditions, sales volume remained at the same level as the previous year” for Canon’s compact models due to “robust sales” of the PowerShot Elph 110 HS and PowerShot A2300, it said. Sales of Canon’s interchangeable-lens cameras grew, driven by the “competitively priced” EOS Rebel series and the EOS 5D Mark III and EOS 60D advanced-amateur models, it said. Imaging System Q4 revenue grew 10.2 percent from Q4 2011 to $4.7 billion, while operating profit in the division grew 8 percent to $631.8 million. But Canon had weakness in its other divisions, and total company revenue dipped 1.4 percent to $10.9 billion and total operating profit fell 17.9 percent to $893.1 million. Revenue for the year slid 2.2 percent to $40 billion, while profit fell 9.7 percent to $2.6 billion, or $2.20 a share. Although there were “signs of improvement” in the U.S. economy in 2012, Canon said there were economic challenges in other countries that created a “harsh environment” for business. Demand for office color multifunction devices “showed growth” in Japan and other regions, but demand for laser printers “remained sluggish mainly in European markets” and demand for inkjet printers “waned due to the weak economy,” it said. Demand for semiconductor lithography equipment “remained restrained due to weak capital investment for memory devices,” while lithography equipment used in the production of flat panel displays (FPDs) “encountered sluggish demand” for large-size panels “despite the healthy market for mid- and small-size FPD panels used mainly in smartphones and tablet PCs,” it said. Canon predicted “the challenging conditions from the previous year will continue” in 2013. But it projected that there will be a “moderate recovery” of the global economy in the back half of the year. It predicted that demand for interchangeable-lens cameras will “continue increasing across all regions,” but the compact camera market will shrink further “due to economic conditions and the spread of smartphones.” The company expects to report 2013 revenue of $43.8 billion, a year-over-year increase of 9.5 percent, and profit will grow 13.6 percent to $2.9 billion.