Texas laid out its plans for a statewide Public Safety Interoperable LTE network to be built in the 700 MHz band, in an FCC filing (http://xrl.us/bk43rn). “As the state which has historically led the nation in annual federally-declared disaster declarations, Texas is dedicated and committed to statewide cooperation and a collaborative effort in building and operating public safety LTE infrastructure to provide the highest level of prevention, protection, response, and recovery from acts of terrorism and other catastrophic events in the State and nation,” Texas said. It committed to ensure early deployments within its borders will be “consistent with current and future FCC orders relating to nationwide interoperability, serve as the state-level interface with the [Public Safety Spectrum Trust] and the FCC’s Emergency Response Interoperability Center (ERIC), and facilitate coordinated equipment development and purchases throughout the State."
The longer the FCC delays in providing VoIP providers with legal certainty and consistency across their multi-state operations, the more difficult it will be to replace the “growing body of disparate state regulation with a single coherent national regime,” telecom groups said. The VON Coalition, TechAmerica, National Association of Manufacturers, Telecom Industry Association and Information Technology Council wrote the FCC Wednesday. They cited growing state efforts to regulate VoIP.
The FCC was asked to delay further the emergency-alert system deadline for all multichannel video programming distributors and radio and TV stations to be capable of transmitting EAS warnings in a format developed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Associations representing cable operators big and small and commercial and public radio and TV broadcasters asked for another delay in the effective date of common alerting protocol (CAP) rules. The commission has been taking longer than industry and some agency officials anticipated in finalizing gear certification rules so that broadcasters and MVPDs can comply with CAP. In seeking comment on the Part 11 equipment certification rules, the commission asked about a further delay (CD May 27 p4). A major maker of EAS equipment told us it still opposes a further delay.
GENEVA - Participants in ITU-R meetings may try to close a gap between the level of protection needed to guard fixed satellite service (FSS) systems from interference from high altitude platform station (HAPS) gateway links, according to interviews and documents. HAPS proponents say the gateway links can spur voice and data service in rural and underserved areas. Intelsat in the U.S. WRC-12 preparatory process has been strongly opposed to new identification of bands for HAPS gateway links, we've learned.
The White House announced that the President will be extending for another year the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13441, which blocks all property and interests in property in the U.S., that come within the U.S. or within the possession or control of any U.S. person, including any overseas branch, of certain persons who undermine the sovereignty of Lebanon or its democratic processes or institutions. Presidential message is available here.
Billions of dollars are at stake in WRC-12 negotiations aimed at creating new jobs, driving economic growth and pushing forward emerging U.S. industries as global leaders, officials said in a briefing. Spectrum for mobile broadband, unmanned aircraft systems, wireless avionics intra-communications and a framework for post-shuttle era communications are some of the top U.S. objectives for the 2012 World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC) and beyond, officials said. The U.S. is heavily engaged in bilateral and regional talks to solidify support, they said.
Congress should reallocate the 700 MHz D-block to public safety as part of a debt limit agreement next week, said Senate Homeland Security Committee Chairman Joe Lieberman, I-Conn. He spoke Wednesday at a committee hearing on emergency communications, as Congress continued to wrangle over reducing the deficit and raising the debt ceiling. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., proposed giving public safety $7 billion and the D-block in a debt proposal earlier this week (CD July 27 p2). The Congressional Budget Office said Wednesday that the Reid plan would cost much less than the Senate Commerce Committee’s proposed Spectrum Act (S-911).
On July 25, 2011, the White House released a “Transnational Organized Crime Strategy” that includes 56 priority actions. The White House also issued an Executive Order and proclamation to further the new strategy.
Spectrum legislation to authorize voluntary FCC incentive auctions for broadcast spectrum appears to have become inextricably enmeshed with the debate over raising the debt ceiling. With no clear path in sight for compromise between President Barack Obama and Republicans in Congress, industry and government officials said Tuesday it’s unclear whether the debt reconciliation will emerge as the key lever for getting the commission the auction authority it seeks as part of the National Broadband Plan. Broadcasters said a debt limit amendment unveiled late Monday by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., could hurt the industry.
The Food and Drug Administration is seeking to award a cooperative agreement to the World Health Organization (WHO) in order to advance food safety initiatives that encourage closer collaboration between the health sector and other sectors, and increase action at the international and national levels, across the full spectrum of the food-production chain.