In what will be a devastating blow to Sony, Australia’s High Court Thurs. sanctioned the use of “mod- chips” to let PlayStation2 consoles there play videogames “regionally-coded” for use in other markets. Consequently, “Region-2” Australian PS2 owners can legally buy and play games released earlier and sold cheaper in markets such as Region-1 U.S.
The Homeland Security Dept. would get $625.5 million for infrastructure protection and information security (IPIS) work under a 2006 DHS appropriations bill agreed to by House and Senate conferees. Under the bill (HR-2360), set for House floor debate today (Wed.), cybersecurity efforts would get $93.3 million, including $30 million to continue national cybersecurity exercises and outreach. Conferees strongly backed partnerships among federal, state, local agencies and the private sector that “demonstrate the ability to transfer technologies from federal laboratories and package them into tools, training and technical assistance to meet and enhance the demands of federal, state and local end users,” the conference report said. The proposal includes DHS’s budget request for U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team operations. The measure stipulates $142.6 million for National Security & Emergency Preparedness Telecom, $180.5 million for Critical Infrastructure programs, $83.3 million for Management & Administration would get $83.3 and $20 million for the National Infrastructure Simulation & Analysis Center. Biosurveillance efforts would receive $14 million. The other $91.4 million would go toward “protective actions.” Conferees moved IPIS programs from separate offices within DHS to the Preparedness Directorate, as Secy. Chertoff proposed in an agency-wide restructuring announced in July.
Senate Commerce Committee Chmn. Stevens (R-Alaska) plans to mark up a bipartisan E-911 bill (S-1063) under which VoIP providers would have to give customers access to E-911 services, a panel spokeswoman said. The bill, introduced in May by Sens. Nelson (D-Fla.), Burns (R- Mont.) and Clinton (D-N.Y.), has a companion House version (HR-2418) sponsored by Reps. Gordon (D-Tenn.), Shimkus (R- Ill.) and Eshoo (D-Cal.). The Senate bill might be part of a budget reconciliation package set for Oct. 19 markup, or be considered with emergency communications measures that target hurricane relief. “We're definitely working on it,” a source said.
The Homeland Security Dept. would get $625.5 million for infrastructure protection and information security (IPIS) work under a 2006 DHS appropriations bill agreed to by House and Senate conferees. Under the bill (HR-2360), set for House floor debate today (Wed.), cybersecurity efforts would get $93.3 million, including $30 million to continue national cybersecurity exercises and outreach. Conferees strongly backed partnerships among federal, state, local agencies and the private sector that “demonstrate the ability to transfer technologies from federal laboratories and package them into tools, training and technical assistance to meet and enhance the demands of federal, state and local end users,” the conference report said. The proposal includes DHS’s budget request for U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team operations. The measure stipulates $142.6 million for National Security & Emergency Preparedness Telecom, $180.5 million for Critical Infrastructure programs, $83.3 million for Management & Administration would get $83.3 and $20 million for the National Infrastructure Simulation & Analysis Center. Biosurveillance efforts would receive $14 million. The other $91.4 million would go toward “protective actions.” Conferees moved IPIS programs from separate offices within DHS to the Preparedness Directorate, as Secy. Chertoff proposed in an agency-wide restructuring announced in July.
Satellite service integrators accustomed to focusing on military operations abroad said they're eager to help at home, but lack of coordination on the ground and ad hoc federal procurement leave satellite services underutilized. Amid 2005’s storms, lawmakers, U.S. agencies, and state and municipal govts. are seeing the need for back-up tools for when terrestrial systems fail and local wireless networks are down or overwhelmed. To address such needs, satellite communication services [satcom] firms told us they're adjusting their business strategies. Even so, they said, the system needs a makeover.
The FCC said it reallocated the 2155-2160 MHz band for fixed and mobile services and designated the 2155-2175 MHz band for advanced wireless service (AWS) use. The new AWS spectrum comes in addition to the frequencies already allocated at 1710-1755 MHz/2110-2155 MHz and 2020-2025 MHz/2175-2180 MHz. The FCC also launched a rulemaking on BRS channels 1 and 2 relocation.
Emergency communications would get a major boost if Congress passes DTV legislation freeing spectrum for public safety uses, Senate Commerce Committee Chmn. Stevens (R-Alaska) said at a hearing examining needs of first responders. If the bill doesn’t pass, Stevens said, future funding for interoperable communications would be difficult to get through Congress in coming years. “We want to work on this,” he said, promising a DTV bill markup Oct. 19 in preparation for delivery to the Senate Budget Committee Oct. 26. The House DTV bill is likely to be marked up the same week as the Senate’s, after an Oct. 10-14 break, industry sources said.
Sens. Wyden (D-Ore.) and Allen (R-Va.) want the govt. to implement the National Emergency Technology Guard, or NET Guard, authorized in the 2002 Homeland Security Act. The technological equivalent of the National Guard would comprise teams of local volunteers with science and technical expertise to aid local communities coping with attacks or failures that involve communications and information networks, the lawmakers said in a letter to DHS Secy. Michael Chertoff. “After both Sept. 11th and Hurricane Katrina, individuals and companies with expertise did offer their services on an improved basis,” wrote Wyden and Allen: “The implementation of NET Guard, however, could greatly increase the effectiveness of these volunteer experts.”
FCC Chmn. Martin is to testify Thurs. at a House Commerce Telecom Subcommittee hearing on emergency communications, a House source said. Other panelists include: Timothy Roemer, former congressman and member of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the U.S.; Lt. Col. Thomas Miller, Michigan State Police; David Boyd, deputy dir.-Office of Systems Engineering and Development, Dept. of Homeland Security; Art Botterell, communications consultant on interoperability, National Academy of Sciences; Satellite Industry Assn. (SIA) Chmn. Tony Trujillo; and Harold Kramer, CEO-American Radio Relay League.
According to a September 27, 2005 statement by USTR Special Textile Negotiator David Spooner, the third round of talks with the Chinese aimed at reaching agreement on textiles continued the evening of September 27th. The Textile Negotiator stated that "we have made good progress in our discussions over the past couple of days and, although we still have differences, we feel that additional time to work on the issues would be beneficial." (USTR Statement, dated 09/27/05, available at http://www.ustr.gov/Document_Library/Spokesperson_Statements/Statement_of_David_Spooner_USTR_Special_Textile_Negotiator_Regarding_the_Third_Round_of_Textile_Talks_with_the_Chinese_in_Washin.html )