Public-TV stations play an “essential role” in broadband deployment and provide innovative educational content and services in many communities, members of the Association of Public TV Stations told the FCC in comments on the National Broadband Plan. “Numerous licensees are seamlessly transitioning into roles as the anchors of high-speed broadband networks that conduct advanced educational content and services to and between local schools, universities and libraries,” APTS said. It cited several public media broadband initiatives including Utah Education Network’s statewide educational wide area network, the Louisiana Educational Television Authority’s fiber network linking universities, research centers and Louisiana Public Broadcasting, a regional ultra-high-speed network by Hampton Roads Educational Telecommunications Association connecting elementary and secondary schools in southeastern Virginia and a fiber network by VegasPBS linking more than 400 public schools as well as emergency and police facilities.
The Department of Energy is requesting information from stakeholders on questions pertaining to the Buy American provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. DOE is requesting information regarding (1) the availability of manufactured goods produced in the U.S. that are needed to carry out certain projects; and (2) the application and implementation of certain Buy American provisions in Recovery Act projects. Comments are due by 11:59 p.m. on February 18, 2010. (FR Pub 02/04/10, available at http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/pdf/2010-2378.pdf)
On February 4, 2010, Commerce Secretary Locke unveiled details of the President's new National Export Initiative at the National Press Club. According to Secretary Locke, the NEI represents the first time the U.S. will have a government-wide export promotion strategy with focused attention from the President and the Cabinet.
The FCC Wireless Bureau refused an emergency stay of the commission’s wireless facility “shot clock” order requested by the National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors and others. They asked for reconsideration part of the order: the 30-day review period for local authorities to decide whether a wireless facilities siting request is complete (CD Dec 28 p6). Petitioners haven’t shown that “they would suffer irreparable harm in the absence of a stay -- a prerequisite for obtaining the relief they seek,” the bureau said. “Nor have they shown that a stay will not adversely affect the interests of other parties and the public interest.”
On February 1, 2010, the President transmitted the fiscal year 2011 budget to Congress. (FY 2011 is from October 1, 2010 through September 30, 2011.)
The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration has issued a proposed rule to increase the annual fee for certain persons who transport, or offer for transportation, certain categories and quantities of hazardous materials under its statutorily-mandated registration and fee assessment program.
The Court of International Tradehasruled against further proceedingson an Appeal Court'sruling that invalidateda CIT decision thatUPS Customhouse Brokerage violated 19 USC 1641 by not exercising responsible supervision and control.The CAFC had ruled thatCustoms was required toconsider all 10 factors listed in 19 CFR 111.1 as a prerequisite. The CIT also ruled that a discretionary remand to Customs would be inappropriate. (U.S. v. UPS Customshouse Brokerage, Inc., Slip Op. 10-11, dated 01/28/10, available at http://www.cit.uscourts.gov/slip_op/Slip_op10/Slip%20Op%2010-11.pdf)
The National Broadband Plan likely will recommend a reauction of the 700 MHz D-block for a single or possibly multiple public-private partnerships leading to a national wireless broadband network for public safety, Public Safety Bureau Chief Jamie Barnett told us Wednesday. Barnett said about 25 of the plan’s 400 pages, at this point, are dedicated to public safety issues. He spoke to the APCO winter meeting Tuesday.
The recording industry wants to protect children and parents from punitive infringement lawsuits, while the tech advocacy community wants to leave them vulnerable. That was a conclusion at the State of the Net conference in Washington Wednesday on a panel about graduated-response systems under development in the U.K. and France, and how they might face implementation problems under U.S. law. The Internet access cutoff protocol, known as “three strikes,” is a “far more effective and one might say kinder and gentler approach” than the end-user lawsuits the RIAA started wrapping up a year ago, said Shira Perlmutter, executive vice president of global legal policy for the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry.
The FCC plans a public forum Feb. 10 about setting up an emergency response interoperability center for public safety broadband communications. The forum is a follow-up to public comments in response to National Broadband Plan proceedings “which identified the need for enhanced coordination and cooperation among public safety entities to achieve broadband interoperability and operability,” the commission said. The forum will seek ideas including about how to structure the center and ways for commercial providers to “expand public safety’s access to broadband services across the nation.”