The FCC hasn’t suspended an inquiry into complaints that Comcast blocked peer-to-peer file transfers via BitTorrent, said four agency officials. A Thursday settlement between the cable operator and the P2P content distribution Web company hasn’t prompted Chairman Kevin Martin’s office to tell other commissioners of any changes to the inquiry, said agency officials. “The complaint against Comcast is pending,” said an FCC spokesman. “We are following that complaint as we do any other.” But Commissioner Robert McDowell said the settlement “obviates the need for any further government intrusion into this matter.”
GENEVA -- International talks to change or terminate the International Telecommunication Treaty should keep in mind the “tangible benefits” of the treaty’s regulations, the U.S. told a three-day meeting on the accord. The treaty is critical to reliable flow of international telecom traffic and funds, the U.S. said. Nations agreed in 2006 to review the regulations and gave preliminary approval for a conference, possibly in 2012, to consider treaty revisions (CD Nov 21/06 p6). The regulations, last updated in 1988, sometimes are known as the “Melbourne Agreement” or the “Melbourne Convention.”
Stung by regulatory and legislative setbacks (CD March 3 p1), low-power stations sued the FCC for not requiring all digital TV converter boxes to include tuners to get their analog signals, which they will continue to air after Feb. 17. The Community Broadcasters Association Wednesday asked the U.S. Appeals Court for the District of Columbia to issue a writ of mandamus requiring the commission to require analog and digital tuners on all boxes. CBA had promised to sue if the agency didn’t act quickly on its Dec. 6 petition for a declaratory ruling that coupon-eligible boxes that don’t pass on analog signals violate the All-Channel Receiver Act and sections 15.115(c) and 15.117(b) of commission rules.
AT&T’s U-Verse pay-TV service was excused from following FCC emergency alert system rules, in an order issued Wednesday by the Public Safety Bureau. The new rules took effect Dec. 3 and require AT&T, Verizon and other wireline companies selling subscription TV to pass along EAS warnings to video subscribers. But AT&T told the commission Nov. 14 it wouldn’t be able to do so until July 31 because the company was upgrading the Internet Protocol service. Bureau Chief Derek Poarch granted AT&T’s request. “Given the important role that EAS serves in the nation’s public safety awareness and response, we emphasize that, based on the detailed and specific assurances made by AT&T in its waiver petition, we will not look favorably upon any future request for additional” delay, he wrote. Poarch conditioned the waiver on AT&T telling subscribers about the limits of its emergency notifications. By March 31, the company must be able to send alerts to its super hub office for all standard definition and 1080 interlace high definition national channels. By July 31, AT&T must be able to transmit alerts to all video hub offices in every city where U-Verse is sold, said the order. If AT&T fails to meet its benchmarks, the order said, “the Bureau will consider all appropriate action, including recommendations regarding enforcement.”
Stung by regulatory and legislative setbacks (CED March 3 p1), low-power stations sued the FCC Wednesday for not requiring all DTV converter boxes to include tuners to get their analog signals, which they will continue to air after Feb. 17.
The FCC shouldn’t force VoIP providers to implement any more N11 numbers, Qwest and the VON Coalition said in comments. The FCC previously required VoIP to support 911 and 711. The other N11 codes would be burdensome to implement and “are not so critical to the overall public welfare” to warrant a requirement, Qwest said. VON agreed, saying the VoIP industry already was “making enormous progress” by adding 411 directory and other N11 services on its own. The National Emergency Number Association (NENA) said N11 services “are as important for VoIP customers” as traditional wireline and wireline. But NENA acknowledged “significant routing issues” to implement N11 on VoIP. To address these concerns, the FCC should consider a “generic routing solution” for N11 and similar 800 emergency services, “rather than having each service develop, and subsequently fund, its own unique and separate solution,” it said. FCC and other agencies should also ensure call routing information is “easily available, preferably in a single location” to carriers, it said.
Two Ohio groups representing the public safety answering points handling 911 services for Ohio’s 88 counties asked regulators to launch a rulemaking on standards for next- generation 911 systems able to handle any type of communication from any type of telecom device, and accommodate emerging 911 marketplace competition. The joint petition to the Public Utilities Commission by the Ohio chapters of the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials and National Emergency Number Association said Ohio incumbent telcos haven’t kept up with technological changes in 911 service, acting instead to “delay and obstruct alternative offerings.” The petitioners want the rulemaking to address processing, routing and transporting 911 calls containing voice, text and video from any kind of landline or mobile device so first responders can get all information possible. They urged the PUC to explore use of IP technology to provide automatic location identification, and to address pricing, interconnection, and interoperability issues associated with leveling the playing field for 911 service competition. The groups said Intrado’s proposed 911 service standards could be a starting point for the rulemaking. The petitioners urged that the PUC put the rulemaking on a fast track so an order is out within 90 days. They said the PUC’s February decision to authorize Intrado Communications as a competitive emergency services telecom carrier indicated the agency’s agreement that 911 competition will help the public by improving 911 service. Incumbent telcos have challenged the Intrado order, claiming the PUC denied them due process and violated its own administrative procedures.
The FCC shouldn’t force VoIP providers to implement any more N11 numbers, Qwest and the VON Coalition said in comments. The FCC previously required VoIP to support 911 and 711. The other N11 codes would be burdensome to implement and “are not so critical to the overall public welfare” to warrant a requirement, Qwest said. VON agreed, saying the VoIP industry already was “making enormous progress” by adding 411 directory and other N11 services on its own. The National Emergency Number Association (NENA) said N11 services “are as important for VoIP customers” as traditional wireline and wireline. But NENA acknowledged “significant routing issues” to implement N11 on VoIP. To address these concerns, the FCC should consider a “generic routing solution” for N11 and similar 800 emergency services, “rather than having each service develop, and subsequently fund, its own unique and separate solution,” it said. FCC and other agencies should also ensure call routing information is “easily available, preferably in a single location” to carriers, it said.
The Rural Telecommunications Group and the Rural Cellular Association Friday sharply criticized the FCC for badly designing the 700 MHz auction. The auction played into the hands of major wireless carriers to the detriment of rural carriers, they said. Verizon Wireless and AT&T emerged as dominant bidders in the auction, which ended Tuesday (CD March 21 p1). Meanwhile, sources said Friday that Dish’s acquisition of E-block spectrum seems unlikely to open the door to launch of a national wireless broadband player to challenge incumbents.
A new “political mashup” site aims to reduce special interests’ influence in Congress, “the one institution that really needs to change,” it said. Stanford law professor Lawrence Lessig, founder of the school’s Center for Internet & Society, and political strategist Joe Trippi Thursday launched the Change Congress movement, in Lessig’s words “a Silicon Valley approach to the problem” of corruption, at the National Press Club in Washington. After a Draft Lessig movement emerged on the Internet, Lessig recently considered and declined a run for the House seat vacated when Rep. Tom Lantos (D-Cal.) died.