The European Commission aims to deregulate 10 electronic communications markets and boost its enforcement power over remaining markets, according to draft recommendations and other documents obtained by Communications Daily. Other proposals include creation of an independent body to advise the EC on competition decisions, stronger national regulatory authorities (NRAs), and a revamp of EU spectrum management rules.
Markup will proceed on a bill reauthorizing the five- year farm bill sometime before the Oct. 8 Columbus Day recess, Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Thomas Harkin, D-Iowa, said Tuesday. The multi-title bill would set up a national center focusing on rural telecommunications to assess service and recommend strategies for extending services to rural areas, according to a discussion draft circulating in the Senate. Senate staffers are still working on the measure and changes are likely, a committee aide said.
Vehicles sold in European Commission countries should have the in-vehicle emergency notice system eCall by 2010, the European Commission said Monday. The commission said it will hold talks on the matter this year with European and Asian automotive industry groups. Up to 2,500 lives could be saved if all cars had eCall, the commission said. It’s pressing member nations that have not signed an eCall memorandum of understanding to do so this year or face regulatory action in 2008. Among the more than 50 signers of the memo are car manufacturer, parts suppliers, telecom and road operators, emergency organizations and motoring clubs in 12 countries.
The House Commerce Telecom Subcommittee announced the witness list for its Sept. 19 hearing on a 911 bill, HR-3403: National Emergency Number Association President Jason Barbour, Comcast Senior Vice President Catherine Avgiris, USTelecom Vice President for Industry Affairs Robert Mayer, EarthLink Executive Vice President Christopher Putala and Intrado Senior Vice President Craig Donaldson.
GENEVA -- Developing countries are starting to deal with cybersecurity, but business and government need new strategies to deal with cyberthreats, officials said Monday. They spoke at an ITU workshop on national frameworks for cybersecurity and protecting critical information and network protection.
GENEVA -- Voice revenue is crucial to getting Next Generation Networks into developing countries, as regulators, operators and consumers watch to see whether new technology can deliver lower prices while attracting required investment. NGNs in developing countries are likely to be built new, not overlaid on existing networks, said Tim Kelly, head of the ITU’s Telecom Standardization Policy Division. Doubts persist over NGN business models, he said during a workshop Monday and Tuesday on multimedia and NGN. “The business case is not yet proven,” he added.
A compromise FCC order giving wireless carriers five years to upgrade systems before their success in locating callers will be measured at the public safety answering point (PSAP) level (CD Sept 11 Special Bulletin) landed with a thud among carriers. The FCC approved the order late Tuesday in an unusual night meeting.
Qwest plans to refile a broadband forbearance petition at the FCC on Thursday, hoping for more regulatory relief than the commission offered late Tuesday when the company withdrew its original petition. The FCC reportedly lacked the votes to approve the petition, with some members considering a compromise that Qwest didn’t think offered very much deregulation.
GENEVA -- Voice revenue is crucial to getting Next Generation Networks into developing countries, as regulators, operators and consumers watch to see whether new technology can deliver lower prices while attracting required investment. NGNs in developing countries are likely to be built new, not overlaid on existing networks, said Tim Kelly, head of the ITU’s Telecom Standardization Policy Division. Doubts persist over NGN business models, he said during a workshop Monday and Tuesday on multimedia and NGN. “The business case is not yet proven,” he added.
Broadband services sent over existing power lines emit radio frequencies that could “adversely affect” military radio and intelligence communications in NATO countries, a NATO study found. That’s because existing power lines were not designed for broadband, NATO said. Seizing on the report, the American Radio Relay League said this finding “pretty much echoes the ARRL’s pleading during the BPL rulemaking.” ARRL is fighting a 40-dB extrapolation factor recommended by the FCC, said ARRL Laboratory Manager Ed Hare. Previously, lack of scientific models prevented precise gauging of BPL and DSL emissions, but now models, methods and tools are emerging, the report said. Noting the lack of commonly accepted regulatory limits on BPL emissions, the report called it “highly desirable” to align such limits region-wide. NATO, which has no regulatory power, should help harmonize limits by working with national and international regulatory bodies, the report said.