State regulators will confront the telecom industry’s transformative change to Internet Protocol-based infrastructure at NARUC’s Baltimore meeting, which starts this weekend. They'll be reviewing two new research papers on the topic, as consumers increasingly turn away from the public switched telephone network of switched circuits. The first report questions how broadband voice service quality can be maintained and measured. The second takes a strong look at telecom reliability during natural disasters and the significance of backup power. Both reports from NARUC’s National Regulatory Research Institute have an eye toward the new technology.
AT&T’s $14 billion “Project Velocity IP” plan to expand its wireline and wireless broadband network will broaden the company’s reach into areas that are “underserved and unserved” by this technology thus far, industry analysts and brokers told us. AT&T told investors at a company conference Wednesday that it plans to spend $8 billion to expand its 4G LTE wireless broadband coverage and $6 billion to increase offerings of its U-verse and U-verse IPDSLAM services.
California redistricting following the 2010 Census proved to be a killer for Republican House Commerce Committee members in the 2012 election. At our deadline, Rep. Mary Bono Mack, R-Calif., was trailing by more than 4,000 votes in her race against Democratic challenger Paul Ruiz, a physician (http://xrl.us/bnyhyp). Rep. Brian Bilbray, R-Calif., was losing his reelection bid to former San Diego Councilman Scott Peters, a Democrat, by more than 600 votes. And Rep. Dan Lungren, R-Calif., was losing to Ami Bera, a well-funded Democratic physician, by a margin of less than 200 votes, according to the California Secretary of State website (http://xrl.us/bnyhv6). House Judiciary Committee member Rep. Howard Berman, D-Calif., lost his tightly fought battle to Rep. Brad Sherman, D-Calif., who challenged Berman after the two House veterans were re-districted into the same district (WID July 5 p1).
California redistricting following the 2010 Census proved to be a killer for Republican House Commerce Committee members in the 2012 election. At our deadline, Rep. Mary Bono Mack, R-Calif., was trailing by more than 4,000 votes in her race against Democratic challenger Paul Ruiz, a physician (http://xrl.us/bnyhyp). Rep. Brian Bilbray, R-Calif., was losing his reelection bid to former San Diego Councilman Scott Peters, a Democrat, by more than 600 votes. And Rep. Dan Lungren, R-Calif., was losing to Ami Bera, a well-funded Democratic physician, by a margin of less than 200 votes, according to the California Secretary of State website (http://xrl.us/bnyhv6). House Judiciary Committee member Rep. Howard Berman, D-Calif., lost his tightly fought battle to Rep. Brad Sherman, D-Calif., who challenged Berman after the two House veterans were re-districted into the same district (CD July 5 p6).
The Edison Electric Institute said its members “are in fact among this nation’s largest users of communications networks” and need more spectrum, including access to the 4.9 GHz band. EEI represents electric utilities. “Electric utilities have a strong interest in broad, efficient use of the 4.9 GHz band by utilities and other [critical infrastructure] entities, which will go far to ensure reliability and efficiency of utility communications, particularly during and in the immediate aftermath of emergency situations, when communications may be disrupted,” EEI said (http://xrl.us/bnx44m). Motorola said a key use of the 4.9 GHz band could be wireless backhaul for the new FirstNet (http://xrl.us/bnx46b). “The Commission’s actions in this proceeding on [implementing a nationwide, broadband, interoperable public safety network in the 700 MHz band] should seek to preserve existing uses of the band while enabling continued innovation and efficiency in 4.9 GHz applications,” Motorola said. But the FCC needs to improve frequency coordination procedures for the band “through leveraging the capabilities and expertise of private land mobile radio frequency coordinators and the Regional Planning Committees,” the company said. “The Commission also should revise its 4.9 GHz band licensing policies to promote a diversity of public safety uses, including by expanding eligibility to critical infrastructure industry users and by encouraging jurisdictional licensing."
Nov. 5 Practising Law Institute “talk like a geek” webcast, 9 a.m. -- http://xrl.us/bnudjr
When it is built, FirstNet must take advantage of commercial infrastructure and “public/private partnerships,” the Association for Public-Safety Communications Officials said in a filing at the NTIA, dated Thursday, which has not yet been posted by the agency. But APCO gave a thumbs down to any proposal built around a partnership with a single national wireless carrier. PCIA - The Wireless Infrastructure Association, meanwhile, stressed the role commercial infrastructure must play in support of the national public safety network.
Companies that buy special access data services from incumbent telcos made an expansive proposal about how the FCC can regulate transactions for access to lines carrying high-speed data as the industry moves from circuit-switched to Internet Protocol technology. ILECs that sell special access services to these CLECs and other telecom companies have said the market, not the commission, is the place to set norms of behavior for the transition. The CLECs’ proposal encourages a “technology-neutral” approach, and opposes AT&T’s August filing giving the agency a “checklist” of ways to encourage the move to an all-IP telecom infrastructure while minimizing regulation.
The Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials told the FCC that public safety hasn’t given up the 4.9 GHz band. APCO asked that the National Public Safety Telecommunications Council or a committee designated by the commission be tapped to devise a national plan for the band. In June, the FCC approved a notice of proposed rulemaking seeking comment on ways it could push more widespread use of the band, set aside for public safety a decade ago (CD June 14 p 2). One possibility would be allowing use of the 4.9 band by utilities and other critical infrastructure providers and possibly other companies as well, the agency suggested.
A big question in the wake of the release of FCC data on the aftermath Hurricane Sandy is whether a public broadband safety network (PSBN) can largely ride on commercial networks, some said. The commission said 25 percent of cell sites in 158 counties across 10 states and Washington, D.C., were out of service following the storm (CD Oct 31 p1). The number was down slightly as of Wednesday. (See separate story). The new FirstNet board is starting its work developing an architecture for the national wireless public safety network. Officials noted that no network can survive every threat.