Conservative Stephen Harper’s Mon. victory in Canada’s national elections, ending 13 years of Liberal Party rule, has carriers and analysts there alert for shifts in telecom and other communications policy. Since he didn’t win decisively, Harper will form a coalition govt. In one of Canada’s hottest regulatory fights, the Canadian Radio-TV & Telecom Commission (CRTC) voted last year to regulate VoIP offered by traditional telecom carriers but not by Vonage, cable companies or other nontraditional players. In 2005 the old administration set up the Telecom Policy Review Panel (TPRP), which took 2 rounds of comments and is preparing a report on possible ways to change telecom oversight. One of Harper’s key moves will be to name an Industry Minister replacing Liberal David Emerson, in that job since 2004. “Everyone will hang tight and low until a new minister is announced,” Brian Sharwood, analyst with Seaboard Group, told us. The next big phase will be the TPRP report’s emergency, which will spur the new minister to introduce a telecom reform bill, Sharwood said. Action could be speedy, he said: “New governments, even in this minority situation, like to try and accomplish something early. They could probably get broad support for change, or at least across the Liberals, which is really what they need.”
Conservative Stephen Harper’s Mon. victory in Canada’s national elections, ending 13 years of Liberal Party rule, has carriers and analysts there alert for shifts in telecom and other communications policy. Since he didn’t win decisively, Harper will form a coalition govt. In one of Canada’s hottest regulatory fights, the Canadian Radio-TV & Telecom Commission (CRTC) voted last year to regulate VoIP offered by traditional telecom carriers but not by Vonage, cable companies or other nontraditional players. In 2005 the old administration set up the Telecom Policy Review Panel (TPRP), which took 2 rounds of comments and is preparing a report on possible ways to change telecom oversight. One of Harper’s key moves will be to name an Industry Minister replacing Liberal David Emerson, in that job since 2004. “Everyone will hang tight and low until a new minister is announced,” Brian Sharwood, analyst with Seaboard Group, told us. The next big phase will be the TPRP report’s emergency, which will spur the new minister to introduce a telecom reform bill, Sharwood said. Action could be speedy, he said: “New governments, even in this minority situation, like to try and accomplish something early. They could probably get broad support for change, or at least across the Liberals, which is really what they need.”
Online account takeovers -- especially those targeting retirement portfolios -- are the kind of fraud and identity theft most troubling to U.S. Secret Service cybercrime experts, said Larry Johnson, special agent in charge of the agency’s criminal investigative unit. Online accounts are being targeted more frequently because “that’s where people have the most money, as opposed to checking accounts and/or savings accounts,” he told a Capitol Hill briefing Tues. Hackers take control of an account through social engineering tactics, empty its contents and close it out, Johnson warned.
Govt. law enforcement has enough money, other resources and laws on the books to crack down on sexual predators and illegal online child pornography, Justice Dept. and FBI officials told the Senate Commerce Committee Thurs. But while recent stings have resulted in shuttering unlawful sites and putting countless sex criminals behind bars, barriers still exist, they said.
The U.S. and India will work harder to fight cybercrime, officials said Tues. at the Indo-U.S. Cyber Security Forum. Participants agreed to set up the India Information Sharing & Analysis Center (ISAC) and an India Anti-Bot Alliance to flag emerging cyberspace threats, India’s press information bureau said. The U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT)and Homeland Security Dept. National Cyber Security Division will share expertise in analyzing artifacts and traffic, as well as information exchange, officials said. Indo-U.S. seminars, workshops and expert-level meetings will take place in coming months, India’s govt. said. Since 2003 the forum has moved from philosophy to an action-oriented agenda on how to secure networked information systems, Deputy Assistant Secy. of State Michael Coulter said. He urged an ambitious program in 2006 and lauded more data-sharing in transportation and finance.
Six public safety groups told the FCC in a filing many of their members are running into a dead end as they seek reimbursement from Sprint Nextel for planning needed for 800 MHz rebanding. The groups warned that the problem “threatens to stall the entire rebanding process” set in motion by the FCC’s 800 MHz rebanding order approved in 2004. Signing the letter were the Assn. of Public-Safety Communications Officials, the International Assn. of Chiefs of Police, the International Assn. of Fire Chiefs and 3 other national police groups.
Washington Trade Daily reports that a top U.S. State Department official was optimistic that the U.S. could conclude negotiations with Vietnam to pave the way for its accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) by the end of 2006. The article states that a high-level delegation from the U.S. will visit Vietnam during the week beginning January 16, 2006, and that concluding negotiations with the U.S. will be key to Vietnam's accession to the WTO. (WTD, 01/16/06, www.washingtontradedaily.com )
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has recently posted to its Web site its quarterly report on the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) entitled Report to Congress: The Automated Commercial Environment. This report is dated September 30, 2005 and covers the July 1, 2005 - September 30, 2005 period.
Faced with declining CD sales, Musicland came up short in the race to find new revenue sources, filing for bankruptcy protection late last week. The Minneapolis- based chain, which operates more than 800 stores under the Sam Goody, Media Play and Suncoast Motion Picture Co. banners, listed assets of $371.5 million and debts of $485.6 million, according to a filing with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, N.Y.C. Musicland received commitments for up to $75 million in financing from its existing bank group, which will allow it continue operating during the restructuring. Musicland’s largest creditor was Deluxe Media Services, $7.9 million owed, followed by: NBC Universal, $6.8 million; Navarre, $6.6 million; Ventura Distribution, $5.8 million; and ABC One Stop Group, $3.7 million. Further down on the list of the top 30 creditors are Electronic Arts, $2.8 million; Virgin Mobile, $2.27 million; Image Entertainment, $2.25 million; Activision, $2 million; Baker & Taylor, $1.2 million and Ubisoft, $1.18 million. Musicland’s plunge into bankruptcy comes 3 years after Sun Capital Partners purchased the chain from Best Buy with a goal of turning around operations. It spend $10 million revamping the 61-store Media Play chain in 2004, but decided in Dec. to close it (CED Dec 14 p5). It also tested a new prototype in N.M. for its 366 Suncoast stores earlier this year and in Nov., unveiled “Graze,” a new design for the mall-based Sam Goody outlets. Graze was designed for the Sam Goody chain to double as an interactive area within stores or a standalone kiosk in malls. The design featured a lounge- like setting with listening stations and gaming stations. Sun Capital also infused Musicland with additional $27 million in April to fund upgrades to the stores. In the end, however, the new strategies and funding weren’t enough to ward off sales lost to music download services and discount and national CE chains that frequently undercut Musicland’s prices. Best buy bought Musicland for $696 million in 2001, with a goal of bringing its CE format to malls. But it sold the chain to Sun Capital 2 years later for no cash. Musicland said it will emerge from bankruptcy protection with fewer stores, but didn’t disclose how many will close. It has 6,000 employees. Musicland will retain Sam Goody and Suncoast, but may seek to reject some leases, 85% of which apply to mall locations. Musicland has suffered declining sales for years. Revenue plunged 42% from $1.89 billion in 1999 to an estimated $1.1 billion in 2005.
Ian Dillner, Wireline Bureau counsel, named acting legal adviser to FCC Comr. Tate… Appointed to FCC independent panel reviewing Hurricane Katrina’s effects on telecom networks (first meeting Jan. 30 at FCC hq): Lisa Fowlkes, designated federal officer; Nancy Victory, Wiley Rein & Fielding; Patrick Yoes and Joseph Booth, La. State Police; Edwin Smith, Baton Rouge Fire Dept.; Stephen Dean, Mobile, Ala. Fire Chief; Edmund Sexton, National Sheriffs’ Assn.; Michael Sauter, New Orleans Police Dept.; Kevin Beary, Orange County, Fla. sheriff; Robert Bailey, Harrison County, Miss. Emergency Communications Commission; Jonathan Linkous, American Telemedicine Assn.; William Smith, BellSouth; Marion Scott, CenturyTel; Dave Flessas, Sprint; Jim Jacot, Cingular; Steve Davis, Clear Channel; Martin Hadfield, Entercom; Greg Bicket, Cox; Kay Sears, PanAmSat; Carson Agnew, Mobile Satellite Ventures; Kelly Kirwan, Motorola; Robert Dawson, SouthernLINC Wireless; Michael Anderson, PART-15.org; Billy Pitts, Notification Technologies; Adora Obi Nweze, NAACP; Eduardo Pena, League of United Latin American Citizens… Board changes at BT: Lou Hughes steps down; new members Matti Alahuhta, Kone Corp., and Phil Hodkinson, HBOS… Craig Marrs, ex-KRON-TV San Francisco, becomes pres.-gen. mgr., WHNT-TV Huntsville, Ala… Charter names Megan Delany, ex-Joseph Group, senior dir. & legislative counsel, federal govt. affairs… Daryl Smith, ex-Cox, moves up to ESPN senior vp-human resources… Dara Altman, ex-Discovery, becomes XM Satellite exec. vp-business & legal affairs… Gannett promotes John Williams to new position of pres., Gannett Digital… Parks Assoc. names Stuart Sikes, ex-AT&T, pres.