The Senate Commerce Committee unanimously approved amended Internet accessibility legislation by Sens. Mark Pryor, D-Ark., and John Kerry, D-Mass., in a voice vote Thursday morning. The bill (S-3304) aims to increase the number of hearing aid-compatible phones, improve access to 911 emergency services, and expand and update closed captioning and video description requirements. Democrats and Republicans supported the bill, despite lingering concerns by consumer electronics companies (CD July 15 p12) .
The Senate Commerce Committee unanimously approved amended Internet accessibility legislation by Sens. Mark Pryor, D-Ark., and John Kerry, D-Mass., in a voice vote Thursday morning. The bill (S-3304) aims to increase the number of hearing aid-compatible phones, improve access to 911 emergency services, and expand and update closed captioning and video description requirements. Democrats and Republicans supported the bill, despite lingering concerns by consumer electronics companies (CED July 15 p6).
Communications companies will have a big role in the “smart grid” of the future, Verizon, AT&T, CTIA and other industry players said in a filing at the Department of Energy, which sought comment on the communications requirements of a smart grid. The smart grid was one of the focuses of the FCC’s National Broadband Plan, released in March.
CTIA, USTelecom, AT&T, Verizon, Qwest and Sprint Nextel said the FCC should drop, at least for now, plans for a voluntary cybersecurity certification program that the commission proposed. In an April 21 notice of inquiry, the FCC asked how such a program would work and whether it would improve security.
CTIA, USTelecom, AT&T, Verizon, Qwest and Sprint Nextel said the FCC should drop, at least for now, plans for a voluntary cybersecurity certification program that the commission proposed. In an April 21 notice of inquiry, the FCC asked how such a program would work and whether it would improve security.
The National Fraternal Order of Police broke with many other public-safety groups by urging the FCC to sell the 700 MHz D-block and take other steps to carry out the National Broadband Plan’s provisions for emergency services. “It is important that this auction go through in order to realize the full vision of the FCC’s National Broadband Plan,” President Chuck Canterbury said in a letter to FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski. “The commercial entity that purchases the D Block will need to be a partner to law enforcement, and the sooner this partnership can begin, the better for all parties involved.”
The National Broadband Plan’s suggestions for transforming funding support for voice and broadband generated a sharp divide between small, rural carriers and larger carriers that serve both urban and rural districts. The FCC received nearly 100 comments Monday, the deadline for responding to a notice of inquiry and notice of proposed rulemaking on changing legacy support systems, bringing broadband to unserved areas before the Connect America Fund (CAF) is created and using an economic model to target support. The wireless industry also weighed in, with carriers making the case that reforms have to be competitively neutral, not giving wireline any advantages.
Members of the public sent the FTC more than 45 written comments for a review of the regulations implementing the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), the commission said Tuesday, a day after the end of the comment period. Expanding the regs to cover technologies such as cellphones emerged as a major issue.
Google is looking at enterprise opportunities in its voice and other unified communications services, Rajen Sheth, group product manager for Google Apps, a service offering Web-based productivity tools, said in an interview. Communications service will play a bigger role in the company’s overall strategy in the next few years, he said.
Google is looking at enterprise opportunities in its voice and other unified communications services, Rajen Sheth, group product manager for Google Apps, a service offering Web-based productivity tools, said in an interview. Communications service will play a bigger role in the company’s overall strategy in the next few years, he said.