The FCC Public Safety & Homeland Security Bureau (PSHSB) should coordinate with the National Communications System and U.S. Customs Service to ensure access to handsets and other satellite terminals during disasters, the Commission said in the text of an order following up on Hurricane Katrina panel recommendations. The satellite industry has made much of its reliability after the storm lay waste to New Orleans and its terrestrial systems.
ICANN’s definition of geographical regions keeps some nations from participating fully in ICANN processes, a country-code Names Supporting Organization (ccNSO) working group is preparing to tell the Internet body. ICANN’s decision to create its own regions rather than adopting those defined by the U.N. or other international bodies rankles some country-code top-level domain (ccTLD) managers who believe they belong to other areas. Possible solutions include allowing such ccTLDs to self-select their regions and urging ICANN to align its definitions with the U.N.’s.
HEILIGENDAMM, Germany -- G8 leaders agreed upon several intellectual property issues at their Summit here Fri. Chief among them: Better protection of IP in emerging economies; streamlining and harmonizing the patent system; an IP rights (IPR) protection task force; and a new dialogue on IP between G8 countries and the emerging economies using the Organization of Economic Cooperation & Development (OECD) as a platform. The IP issues were easier to compromise on among the 8 -- Germany, U.S., U.K., Canada, France, Italy, Russia and Japan -- than a binding compromise to fight climate change.
Telecom ministers urged the EC to deal with emerging trends such as next-generation networks, to strengthen links between information & communications technology (ICT) policies and EU hopes to be the world’s most knowledge-driven economy by 2010. Meeting this week in Luxembourg, the Telecom Council urged removal of roadblocks hobbling investment in Web 2.0, ubiquitous wireless technologies, migration to very high speed networks and other emerging technologies. Policies are also needed on user and consumer roles, including the explosion of user-generated content, e- inclusion and information security, govts. said. The EC should “go beyond” efforts to erase barriers to providing pan-EU services by tackling internal market challenges sparked by ICT, the Council said. Ministers recommended, among other things, that member nations and the EC: (1) Acknowledge ICT’s contribution to the “i2010” agenda by weighing how new laws and policy measures affect information society development, especially regarding consumers. (2) Create environments encouraging jobs- and growth-boosting steps like rapid rollout of radio frequency identification, mobile TV, e--commerce and other services. (3) Encourage standardization and harmonization of technical regulations.
Telecom ministers urged the EC to deal with emerging trends such as next-generation networks, to strengthen links between information & communications technology (ICT) policies and EU hopes to be the world’s most knowledge-driven economy by 2010. Meeting this week in Luxembourg, the Telecom Council urged removal of roadblocks hobbling investment in Web 2.0, ubiquitous wireless technologies, migration to very high speed networks and other emerging technologies. Policies are also needed on user and consumer roles, including the explosion of user-generated content, e- inclusion and information security, govts. said. The EC should “go beyond” efforts to erase barriers to providing pan-EU services by tackling internal market challenges sparked by ICT, the Council said. Ministers recommended, among other things, that member nations and the EC: (1) Acknowledge ICT’s contribution to the “i2010” agenda by weighing how new laws and policy measures affect information society development, especially regarding consumers. (2) Create environments encouraging jobs- and growth-boosting steps like rapid rollout of radio frequency identification, mobile TV, e--commerce and other services. (3) Encourage standardization and harmonization of technical regulations.
Internet companies with “11th hour concerns” about notice and consent provisions in the SPY Act (HR-964) can’t expect the House to halt a bill passed before in similar form, Rep. Stearns (R-Fla.) said Wed. in floor debate. The antispyware measure passed Wed. with the 2/3 House majority required under suspension of the rules. That may set up a conflict with the I-SPY Act (HR-1525) passed earlier; I-SPY’s House Judiciary sponsors laud its focus on criminal behavior, deriding the Commerce bill’s “technology” approach (WID May 23 p10). The SPY Act would give the FTC enforcement authority that the I-SPY bill would give to DoJ.
The proposed establishment of an E-block in the 700 MHz band for a public-private partnership to build a public- safety nationwide interoperable network gained momentum at the FCC’s First Responder Summit Fri. -- though one panelist, representing a group that gets Verizon money, kept trying to kill the idea.
Broadcasters are fighting harder against the Sirius-XM merger than they have any other item, NAB Pres. David Rehr told an investor conference last week, according to an analyst who organized it. “NAB has entered a much more proactive stage,” Wachovia’s Jeff Wlodarczak wrote Fri.: “NAB thinks their efforts are starting to gain traction and believes the view of policy makers are turning more in favor to block the merger.” Rehr spoke Thurs. in N.Y. at an invitation-only face off with NCTA Pres. Kyle McSlarrow. There was no transcript of their remarks; the event was closed to media, a Wachovia official said.
Broadcasters are fighting harder against the Sirius-XM merger than they have any other item, NAB Pres. David Rehr told an investor conference last week, according to an analyst who organized it. “NAB has entered a much more proactive stage,” Wachovia’s Jeff Wlodarczak wrote Fri.: “NAB thinks their efforts are starting to gain traction and believes the view of policy makers are turning more in favor to block the merger.” Rehr spoke Thurs. in N.Y. at an invitation-only face off with NCTA Pres. Kyle McSlarrow. There was no transcript of their remarks; the event was closed to media, a Wachovia official said.
The FCC Thurs. approved a rulemaking proposing that wireless carriers be required to improve their systems so they can more accurately locate subscribers who make 911 calls. The FCC also began an examination of whether carriers should have to report by PSAP, rather than by statewide averaging, how they perform in reaching emergency callers rather than through statewide averaging. PSAP reporting is more lenient and is favored by carriers. The Commission is also examining requirements for VoIP providers.