The federal govt.’s program to achieve communications interoperability has made limited progress, the General Accounting Office (GAO) reported Fri. Project SAFECOM was created to achieve wireless interoperability between first responders and public safety systems at all levels of govt., as well as realize potentially billions in savings, but neither appears likely to happen soon, GAO said. The project has made “very limited progress,” the GAO report said, and the savings of “billions of dollars” are no longer expected by program officials. The program hasn’t reached agreements with all shareholders nor established a stable funding mechanism, GAO said.
The Assn. of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) urged Sens. Sununu (R-N.H.) and Pickering (R-Miss.) to amend their VoIP bill to allow the FCC to adopt mandatory requirements that VoIP providers offer enhanced 911 to their customers. APCO said it agreed with the senators that VoIP technology could result in major improvements to telecom capabilities, including those of public safety agencies, but it’s “deeply concerned that, absent certain protections, the rapid deployment of VoIP service will have a serious, negative impact on the provision of [911] emergency communications across the nation.”
The FCC Thurs. issued a notice of inquiry, rather than launching a rulemaking, on protecting in-band on-channel (IBOC) digital radio content from home copying or redistribution over the Internet. The Commission also unanimously agreed to launch a full rulemaking on IBOC technical issues and what types of IBOC services can be offered. An inquiry is typically a step further from a final decision than a rulemaking.
The FCC Thurs. issued a notice of inquiry, rather than launching a rulemaking, on protecting in-band on-channel (IBOC) digital radio content from home copying or redistribution over the Internet. The Commission also unanimously agreed to launch a full rulemaking on IBOC technical issues and what types of IBOC services can be offered. An inquiry is typically a step further from a final decision than a rulemaking.
While VoIP is still going through its early stages in Europe, it’s clear that “some type of VoIP” will be regulated, speakers said at an audioconference sponsored by Communications Daily Wed. “The question is not whether [VoIP] should be regulated,” said Analysys Senior Consultant James Allen: “The question is what parts of VoIP will be categorized as those types of services that are regulated, and what part of VoIP might escape” regulation. For example, he said a service like BT broadband voice “will probably be considered to be a public electronic communications service, which is regulated… We should not say that this is economic regulation… this is mostly social regulation, consumer protection in a lot of senses.”
Austria is ready to be “first to jump the cliff” into commercial e-numbering (ENUM) services, Internet Foundation Austria (IPA) Chmn. Michael Haberler told us. A 2-year commercial phase will launch this year, overseen by the country’s Broadcasting & Telecom Regulatory Authority (RTR) and with NIC.at providing registry services, said Georg Serentschy, RTR managing dir.-telecom section. The plan flies in the face of claims ENUM isn’t ready for prime time in Europe because technical and regulatory issues aren’t resolved. Because no one knows how ENUM will develop, Serentschy said Thurs., regulators are exerting a light touch.
Despite the growing popularity of digital TV (DTV), the U.K. isn’t likely to meet its goal of a 95% switchover from analog to DTV by 2010 if it relies solely on the market, the Office of Communications (OFCOM) said Mon. “It is time for all interested parties -- the Government, OFCOM, the broadcasters, manufacturers and retailers -- to change gear” from planning for switchover to implementing it, OFCOM said in a report to the Secretary of State for Culture, Media & Sport. The report follows a survey showing U.K. consumers wary of the govt.’s motives for switchover, and a Council of Europe investigation into the need for regulation to ensure access to DTV in the face of increasing media concentration.
TIA said it supports VoIP legislation introduced Fri. in Congress and opposes allowing the Cal. PUC to regulate VoIP. TIA on Mon. filed comments with the Cal. PUC -- which has initiated an investigation into VoIP regulations -- arguing the PUC lacks authority to regulate VoIP. “The inherent interstate nature of such communications makes it impossible to classify them as interstate telecommunications or telephone services,” TIA said. “Furthermore, the comments note the efforts under way at the federal level to determine the appropriate national framework for IP-enabled applications, including VoIP.” TIA also said it supported legislation introduced by Sen. Sununu (R-N.H.) and House Commerce Committee Vice Chmn. Pickering (R-Miss.), which would restrict state regulation of VoIP (CD April 5 p1). “The question we face in this country is whether we will saddle emerging technologies with the regulatory baggage of the past or liberate them and afford them the opportunity to soar to new heights.” said Matthew Flanigan, TIA Pres. “It also is an issue of national competitiveness, as the U.S. fights to maintain a leadership role in developing and deploying new technologies. It is imperative that we have one national policy on VoIP.”
Despite DTV’s growing popularity in the U.K., the British aren’t likely to meet the goal of a 95% switchover from analog by 2010 by relying solely on market forces, the govt. Office of Communications (OFCOM) said Mon. “It is time for all interested parties -- the Government, OFCOM, the broadcasters, manufacturers and retailers -- to change gear” from planning for switchover to implementing it, OFCOM said in a report to the Secretary of State for Culture, Media & Sport.
Public safety groups urged the FCC in comments this week to expand the scope of Enhanced 911 requirements to include multi-line telephone systems (MLTS). The issue of how to provide caller location information to 911 centers from MLTS systems is among issues the Network Reliability & Interoperability said this week it would consider under a new 2-year charter (CD March 31 p6). But the Ad Hoc Telecom Users Committee backed an FCC decision last year to not enact E911 rules for MLTS, arguing states have clear jurisdiction and are a logical place for the issue to be resolved.