FCC video accessibility committee subgroups continue work with staff of the commission on three forthcoming reports required under last year’s communications disabilities legislation, participants said. They said efforts similar to those between career commission staffers and members of the Video Programming Accessibility Advisory Committee on the panel’s first report on Internet programming, released in July (WID July 15 p2) are underway on the forthcoming reports. The VPAAC reports will cover video descriptions for multichannel video programming distributors, user interfaces on consumer electronics and conveying emergency information.
FCC video accessibility committee subgroups continue work with staff of the commission on three forthcoming reports required under last year’s communications disabilities legislation, participants said. They said efforts similar to those between career commission staffers and members of the Video Programming Accessibility Advisory Committee on the panel’s first report on Internet programming, released in July (CD July 15 p1) are underway on the forthcoming reports. The VPAAC reports will cover video description for multichannel video programming distributors and TV stations, user interfaces on consumer electronics and conveying emergency information.
The World Customs Organization will be holding its 8th Worldwide Security Conference on "Managing Business Risk through Policy Entrepreneurship" in Brussels, Belgium on October 3-5, 2011.
The FCC delayed for a second time emergency alert system rules for traditional media to get and pass on to viewers and listeners EAS warnings that the government distributes online. The commission Friday delayed by nine months to June 30 the date when all multichannel video programming distributors and radio and TV stations must be ready for the Common Alerting Protocol format. That’s longer than the four-month compliance delay sought (CD Aug 8 p3) by CAP’s developer, the Federal Emergency Management Agency. It released the new standard in September 2010, and CAP is part of the integrated public alert and warning system (IPAWS).
House lawmakers are pointing to large costs and national security concerns as reasons not to allow LightSquared to move forward with its plan to build a national network. At a hearing Thursday before the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces, Democrats and Republicans said the cost of testing for and implementing methods to mitigate GPS interference might outweigh the benefits. The hearing also contributed to a political firestorm over an allegedly cozy relationship between LightSquared and the White House. And Subcommittee Chairman Michael Turner, R-Ohio, berated FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski for not appearing at the hearing.
Lawmakers offered high praise for the FTC’s proposed changes to the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) Thursday. Consumer advocacy groups were mixed in their reaction to the proposal, while industry groups like the Direct Marketing Association said COPPA needs no changes.
At a recent World Economic Forum Resource Summit, more than 20 mining and metal industry leaders and cross-industry partners unanimously predicted an inevitable future increase in government nationalization of critical resources over the next two decades as a growing middle class in emerging economies begins to demand higher living standards. According to the WEF, if nationalizations do take place, they will very likely have a negative impact on globalization and world trade.
Standards set by the Internet Engineering Task Force and the National Emergency Number Association are an appropriate base for next-generation 911 standards, Neustar officials said during a meeting with Amy Levine, an aide to Chairman Julius Genachowski. “They are sufficient to move forward now, and these standards, along with the processes used to develop them, are flexible enough to evolve with technology,” Neustar said (http://xrl.us/bmda6v). In each local area, there should be a single IP-based Emergency Services Network, or ESInet, the company said. “Local ESInets should be interconnected to form state ESInets. State ESInets, in turn, should be interconnected to form a national ESInet. Some modest state and national infrastructure is required to make this successful.” Neustar observed that the 911 systems now in place are not secure: “Ubiquitous, strong and interoperable security must be put in place for all public safety networks, including the ESInet."
Standards set by the Internet Engineering Task Force and the National Emergency Number Association are an appropriate base for next-generation 911 standards, Neustar officials said during a meeting with Amy Levine, an aide to Chairman Julius Genachowski. “They are sufficient to move forward now, and these standards, along with the processes used to develop them, are flexible enough to evolve with technology,” Neustar said (http://xrl.us/bmda6v). In each local area, there should be a single IP-based Emergency Services Network, or ESInet, the company said. “Local ESInets should be interconnected to form state ESInets. State ESInets, in turn, should be interconnected to form a national ESInet. Some modest state and national infrastructure is required to make this successful.” Neustar observed that the 911 systems now in place are not secure: “Ubiquitous, strong and interoperable security must be put in place for all public safety networks, including the ESInet."
The American Jobs Act’s inclusion of spectrum won praise from senators seeking to reallocate the 700 MHz D-block to public safety. The Act’s public safety section hews closely to the Senate Commerce Committee’s Spectrum Act, S-911 (CD Sept 13 p1). But House Commerce Committee Republicans who have favored a commercial D-block auction are continuing on their own path to spectrum legislation, a committee spokesman said Tuesday.