On August 24, 2006, President Bush notified Congress of his intent to sign a free trade agreement (FTA) with Colombia. Negotiations on this FTA, which is entitled U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement, were completed on February 27, 2006.
Companies as disparate as SES Americom, Qualcomm, ViaSat and Maritime Telecom Network endorsed a General Dynamics call for the FCC to set rules for vehicle-mounted antennas. They want to widen use of FSS Ku-band for mobile broadband services to consumers and to military and emergency vehicles, they said. General Dynamics in May petitioned for a rulemaking that would ease licensing of such terminals, suggesting the FCC use a framework it set up in 2005 for similar terminals on ships, known as ESVs.
EchoStar may need 12-18 months after creation of a Dept. of Homeland Security emergency alert portal to upgrade its network for disseminating local alerts, it told the FCC. In separate meetings, DirecTV predicted a 12-month lag. EchoStar told the FCC set-top boxes now in production could be capable of generating a text pop-up EAS message and an audible tone -- assuming DHS’s portal uses certain technical protocols and message limits. DHS hasn’t defined protocol specifications for a central EAS portal it’s working on, EchoStar said. DHS should perform a coordinated EAS test among multiple platforms before implementing its final system, it said. Sirius and XM are assessing the utility of sending local alerts via their national satellite platforms. Sirius told FCC staff it could send alerts if DHS aggregates and authenticates them at a central portal. State or local alerts would air on one of 11 Sirius traffic and weather channels, it said. Those channels cover 20 U.S. metro areas, Sirius said: “If federal agencies make available consolidated and authenticated information regarding emergencies affecting one of those cities, Sirius has volunteered to broadcast such an alert on the appropriate channel.” Sirius said subscribers could be warned that an emergency alert is being broadcast on another channel much as “game alerts” air on certain Sirius radios. Current receivers wouldn’t be capable of such an alert cue, but that could be technically feasible on future units, Sirius said.
EchoStar may need 12-18 months after creation of a Dept. of Homeland Security emergency alert portal to upgrade its network for disseminating local alerts, it told the FCC. In separate meetings, DirecTV predicted a 12-month lag. EchoStar told the FCC set-top boxes now in production could be capable of generating a text pop-up EAS message and an audible tone -- assuming DHS’s portal uses certain technical protocols and message limits. DHS hasn’t defined protocol specifications for a central EAS portal it’s working on, EchoStar said. DHS should perform a coordinated EAS test among multiple platforms before implementing its final system, it said. Sirius and XM are assessing the utility of sending local alerts via their national satellite platforms. Sirius told FCC staff it could send alerts if DHS aggregates and authenticates them at a central portal. State or local alerts would air on one of 11 Sirius traffic and weather channels, it said. Those channels cover 20 U.S. metro areas, Sirius said: “If federal agencies make available consolidated and authenticated information regarding emergencies affecting one of those cities, Sirius has volunteered to broadcast such an alert on the appropriate channel.” Sirius said subscribers could be warned that an emergency alert is being broadcast on another channel much as “game alerts” air on certain Sirius radios. Current receivers wouldn’t be capable of such an alert cue, but that could be technically feasible on future units, Sirius said.
SAN FRANCISCO -- Private corporate phone networks seem safe for now from FCC VoIP E-911 rules -- but only because the agency is relaxed about it, not because the regulations were written to apply to service providers alone, an expert said Tues. “The current administration isn’t very rigorous” in enforcing E-911 or any other rules, attorney Andrew Brown said at the VoiceCon show here. And federal telecom bills stalled over net neutrality wouldn’t impose E-911 duties on end users, either, he said.
Cyber criminals are evolving from proud pranksters to hardened felons, holding networks hostage for profit, experts said Tues. at the InfraGard conference. “We've seen a lot of extortion of companies through chats where hackers threaten denial of service,” said Jerry Dixon, deputy dir.-Dept. Of Homeland Security’s National Cyber Security Div. (NCSD).
Don’t assume that “security research community” is a euphemism for hackers, a security liaison to the Dept. of Homeland Security (DHS) told supervisory control & data acquisition (SCADA) sector officials at the InfraGard conference Tues. Securicon consultant Francisco Ramirez -- who supports the Control Systems Security Program at the National Cyber Security Div. (NCSD) -- said SCADA systems in places like public utilities aren’t immune from hacker interest, and security researchers can be helpful in protecting systems if vendors respond gracefully. He also gave behind-the-scenes details on the Windows hole that prompted DHS itself to take the unusual step of releasing a public warning, citing critical infrastructure vulnerabilities (WID Aug 10 p6).
The Department of Transportation's Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) has issued a proposed rule which would modify 49 CFR 107 by, among other things, increasing the 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 registration fees paid by persons who transport or offer for transportation certain categories and quantities of hazardous materials (hazmats), for those registrants not qualifying as a small business or not-for-profit organization.
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has issued a report entitled Transportation Security Administration (TSA): Oversight of Explosive Detection Systems Maintenance Contracts Can Be Strengthened. The full report (GAO-06-795, dated July 2006) is available at http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d06795.pdf and highlights of the report are available at http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d06795high.pdf.
EU officials want to shutter suspicious websites as part of a 6-point plan to boost joint antiterrorism activities, they said Wed. Ministers representing the Finnish Presidency, the future EU presidencies of Germany, Portugal, Slovenia and France, U.K. Home Secy. John Reid, and EC Vp Franco Frattini said the Internet must be made a “hostile environment for terrorists and those who seek to radicalize young people, spread messages of hate and plan mass murder.” Details won’t emerge until next month, but ISPs are keeping a wary eye on the situation.