Public safety and business telecom users expressed cautious optimism Wed. that negotiations could be restarted on E911 deployment requirements for multiline telephone systems (MLTS). In a further notice last fall, the FCC had concluded that state and local govts. for now were best positioned to set E911 deployment rules for MLTS, though the Commission said it would monitor their progress. Participants in an FCC E911 Coordination Initiative Wed. agreed the issue of how to locate emergency callers using private branch exchanges (PBXs) is ripe for renewed talks.
Public safety and other officials told the FCC they need better data on Enhanced 911 implementation, including the accuracy of emergency caller location information in individual markets. The National Governors Assn. (NGA) released a report at the FCC’s E911 Coordination Initiative Wed. that indicated there’s no agreed-upon method for tracking E911 progress.
The Foreign Agriculture Service (FAS) has issued a notice stating that it is seeking nominations for 15 qualified persons to serve on the Advisory Committee on Emerging Markets. According to FAS, this committee will provide information and advice, based upon knowledge and expertise of the members, useful to the Department of Agriculture (USDA) in implementing the Emerging Markets Program (EMP). Written nominations must be received by FAS by 5 p.m. on May 26, 2004. (FR Pub 04/26/04, available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/14mar20010800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2004/pdf/04-9420.pdf)
In what NCTA hopes won’t be an open for its upcoming national convention, the conference center has been found in violation of FCC rules. The FCC released an order Tues. admonishing the New Orleans Convention Center (NOCC) for violating the rules of its license for public safety radio station WPJS469. The NOCC was apparently leasing mobile units operating on its public safety frequencies to end users, the FCC said, in violation of rules that the station be used for noncommercial purposes. An NCTA spokesman declined to comment. The NCTA convention is May 2-5. The convention center’s station is for emergency service operations in and around the convention center building, and it’s authorized to operate on 8 channel pairs in the 800 MHz band. The FCC noted that the public safety frequency bands may transmit only communications related directly to imminent safety of life or property. The convention center has to submit a report to the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau within 30 days demonstrating that it’s back in compliance with the rules. The complaint was made by Two-Way Communications, which holds radio station licenses in the area surrounding the convention center. Two-Way wanted the FCC to issue an order to show cause, seeking revocation of the convention center’s license. The FCC said that was unwarranted and the admonishment enough.
Law enforcement organizations told the FCC they wanted to “go on record as continuing our strong support” for DoJ’s request for a new rulemaking to resolve any problems associated with the implementation of CALEA. DoJ, the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration filed a joint petition in March urging, among other things, that the FCC look at issues raised by the growth of VoIP. In reply comments Tues., law enforcement groups said state and local agencies administer more authorized intercepts than federal agencies. The filing was made by the International Assn. of Chiefs of Police, Major Cities Chiefs Assn., National Sheriffs’ Assn. and Major County Sheriffs’ Assn. Also filing comments, VeriSign said that “while parties… may differ on the effects and costs” of DoJ’s proposals, “a consensus exists on moving forward expeditiously” with a rulemaking. However, “the notion that the IP protocol provides immunity from the application CALEA, thereby requiring 17,000 different law enforcement agencies to go running around the country attempting to drop their own devices into the infrastructure… is not a credible solution,” the security company said. VeriSign said the capabilities sought by DoJ are “largely available or rapidly emerging in the global marketplace [but] the necessary capabilities… will not be consistently deployed by providers in the U.S. telecommunications infrastructure and available to all law enforcement absent Commission action on the Joint Petition.” VeriSign said the DoJ petition has “a blueprint for the critical components of coverage, compliance and cost recovery… and those components should emerge quickly in the form of a rulemaking proposal.” The FCC has said it plans to initiate a rulemaking soon to address the issues raised in DoJ’s petition.
FCC Chmn. Powell touted the progress of Enhanced 911 deployment the past 6 months, Tues. telling an E911 Coordination Initiative 900 more public safety answering points (PSAPs) became Phase 2 capable in that period. The Commission a year ago kicked off the initiative to examine E911 implementation issues. At the previous, Oct. initiative meeting also, Powell had cited Phase 2 deployment growth, saying rollouts had jumped 300% in 7 months. At Tues.’ meeting, he said R.I. and Vt. are the first states to report implementing Phase 2 in 100% of PSAPs. “Tennessee is expected to join the list in June,” he said. Separately, Powell cited the agreement between the National Emergency Number Assn. (NENA) and the Voice on the Net (VON) Coalition on how VoIP providers will deliver location information to PSAPs. It “exemplifies what can be achieved from public/private partnerships,” he said. “While the Commission grapples with this issue, it is encouraging to know that consumers are being provided some basic level of E911 capability for VoIP services.” In opening remarks at the 2- day meeting, Powell said the effectiveness of location capability needed to continue improving in “challenging areas.” He recently outlined the creation of a technical group to focus on E911 network architecture and technical standards issues as part of the Network Reliability & Interoperability Council (NRIC). “Measuring and improving the accuracy of E911 location information will be a priority,” he said. The council’s latest iteration, NRIC VII, will examine issues presented by IP protocol and open network architecture for E911 and public safety. “This hard work should result in more accurate and reliable E911 service to wireless subscribers across the nation, whether in small rural communities or big urban corridors,” he said. “There may be deployment challenges in bringing E911 location capability to geographically challenging environments, but the lifesaving capabilities of the service are too vital not to be extended to all subscribers, including rural subscribers.” Another focus of the 2-day meeting is how 911 services can be provided to multi-line telephone systems (MLTS). In an order adopted in Nov. on the scope of E911 regulations, the FCC declined for now to approve national rules for MLTS, instead encouraging states to use model legislation adopted by public safety groups. The Commission said it expected states to act promptly, indicating it would release a public notice in a year to evaluate their progress. “While many may need more time to act, the danger associated with not having location technology for these systems is only growing and E911 capability is just as vital to consumers in this circumstance as with wireless,” Powell said.
The Senate is moving toward a showdown over whether Internet backbone traffic should be subject to taxation. An amendment by Senate Commerce Committee McCain (R-Ariz.) is central to the debate (CD April 27 p5). Senate Majority Leader Frist (R-Tenn.) hopes to have a final vote Thurs. on S-150, a bill by Sen. Allen (R-Va.) to make permanent a moratorium on Internet access taxes. That bill includes an expanded access definition that rules out all DSL taxation.
A coalition of broadcasters, public interest groups, artists and others are pushing back against the FCC’s campaign to curb indecency over the nation’s TV airwaves. The groups allege the FCC has undertaken an “unconstitutional expansion of its regulatory authority” that is “already chilling free speech across the broadcast landscape.”
LAS VEGAS -- Senate Communications Subcommittee Chmn. Burns (R-Mont.) called FCC Media Bureau Chief Kenneth Ferree’s DTV transition proposal backwards, while MSTV announced their own DTV plans at the NAB convention Mon.
Senate Communications Subcommittee Chmn. Burns (R-Mont.) called FCC Media Bureau Chief Kenneth Ferree’s DTV transition proposal backwards, while the Assn. of Maximum Service Telecasters (MSTV) announced its own DTV plans at the NAB convention Mon. in Las Vegas.