Companies scrambled to reassure their customers that their Internet service would continue without interruption despite bankruptcy filing by Excite@Home, nation’s largest provider of Internet service over cable. Cox Communications, country’s 5th largest cable company, said it was heartened by AT&T’s decision to acquire Excite’s broadband access service before company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in U.S. Bankruptcy Court, San Francisco. “We welcome the operating strength of AT&T,” said Dallas Clement, Cox senior vp-strategy and development. He said companies would work together to “ensure the high-quality uninterrupted high-speed Internet service that our Cox@Home subscribers expect.” Cox also owns 7% of Excite@Home, and that stake may be lost or worth pennies on dollar when Excite emerges from bankruptcy. As of June 30, Cox had about 448,000 customers for Excite@Home service. Cox spokeswoman said that between now and June 4, 2002, company would “transition” all of those customers from Excite@Home to Cox-managed system. She said Cox technicians were working to ensure “seamless” transition with “absolutely no service outages.”
Black-owned broadcast stations were urged Fri. to use their First Amendment rights and “open your airwaves” to oppose erosion of Americans’ civil liberty rights, which were said to be threatened by expected govt. actions brought on by terrorist attacks. Proposal was made by Ron Walters, prof. of African- American studies at U. of Md., at National Assn. of Black Owned Bcstrs. (NABOB) conference in Washington.
Several public safety and consumer groups and members of Congress are renewing calls on FCC not to grant leeway to wireless carriers on Enhanced 911 Phase 2 deadline, citing additional urgency of issue in Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Group of 29 House members, led by Rep. Eshoo (D-Cal.), wrote to FCC Chmn. Powell Thurs., urging him to “hold firm” to deployment schedule that FCC set for E911 Phase 2. Dozens of wireless carriers have requests for waivers of Oct. 1 deadline pending at Commission, citing extent to which vendor equipment for planned solutions isn’t yet available in many cases to begin deployment 1 and suggesting alternative timelines. Consumers Union also urged Powell Thurs. not to waive E911 deadlines, or at least to “waive them for as short a period as possible.” FCC decisions on Phase 2 deadline are expected early next week.
Forty-two public safety groups, including National Fraternal Order of Police and National Volunteer Fire Council, urged FCC Chmn. Powell to “move quickly” on ultra-wideband (UWB) proceeding. In Sept. 20 letter, groups cited their interest in UWB for “providing public safety personnel with short-range communications technologies for emergencies, tracking firefighters inside a building or detecting victims under earthquake rubble.” Groups also said UWB could create “new ways for medical personnel to monitor and track the location of patients and medical equipment, enabling real-time transmission of health information to emergency personnel.” Entities also represented senior citizens and health care interests. Signatories included Houston Police Dept., L.A. County Sheriff’s Dept., Fairfax (Va.) County Search & Rescue, N.Y. Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, American College of Nurse Practitioners.
VSAT industry could receive boost as result of damage to terrestrial communications systems in terrorist attacks on N.Y. and Washington, executives said. Interest in use of VSAT systems as backup traditionally has increased after incidents of natural disaster caused damage to primary fiber networks serving affected area, they said, and typically there was scramble for redundancy for terrestrial systems in their aftermath, said David Hartshorn, secy.-gen. of London-based Global VSAT Forum: “As soon as the walls start crumbling, the phones start ringing.”
New Iridium still is awaiting FCC approval of license transfer, months after offering service under new ownership (CD June 7 p3). Space System License, Inc., Wireless SP and Motorola are waiting for Commission to act on Sept. 6 request for consent to assignment of licenses previously used by bankrupt predecessor. “It’s under review,” FCC official said: “We will take action when we finish our review.” Companies said license transfer would serve public interest because they would facilitate rejuvenation of Iridium System from bankruptcy court process and serve vital national defense needs.
Brian Mulligan resigned as chmn. of Fox TV to pursue other interests, will remain consultant… Gavyn Davies promoted to chmn., BBC… Changes in FCC Wireless Bureau: Barry Ohlson, ex- Winstar, and Scott Delacourt, ex-Wiley, Rein & Fielding, named legal advisers in Office of Bureau Chief; Roger Noel moves to deputy chief in bureau’s Commercial Wireless Div… Suzanne Toller, ex-AT&T Wireless, joins San Francisco office of Davis Wright Tremaine as head of telecom practice… Mark Floyd, ex- Efficient Networks, named pres.-CEO, Siemens Information & Communications Networks U.S… Michael Specht, ex-Juice Networks, joins Wallman Consulting to create Emerging Communications Technology Group… Francisco Navarro, ex-Global One, named head of Equant Latin American mktg… Kristen Verederame promoted to BT N. America vp-U.S. regulation & govt. relations… Michael Lawrence, ex-AT&T, named pres.-COO, Amplidyne… Jan Smith, pres., Disney Interactive, also named pres. of Disney’s new business unit, Buena Vista Entertainment Studio… Thomas Burchill, ex- Petry Media, named chmn.-CEO, Mitra Technologies… William Tafoya, ex-FBI, appointed dir., Information System Security & Education Center, National Intellectual Property Law Institute… Lee Larsen promoted to vp-mkt. mgr., Clear Channel Denver cluster… Harry Cole named partner in communications law firm Fletcher, Heald & Hildreth.
Verizon was working Wed. to restore some service to its heavily damaged West St. central office, punctured on one side by steel beams thrust down by collapse of World Trade Center’s Building #7, flooded with water, covered with inches of soot and without commercial power. Verizon Vice Chmn. Larry Babbio, who had just returned from visiting West St. facility, told reporters that scene was horrible but technicians were planning to vacuum, clean and dry every piece of equipment on 12 levels, including 5 basements, all waterlogged, in hope of getting some service restored soon. Company is bringing in generators to provide power.
SAN DIEGO -- Despite mass market adoption of wireless PDAs, 2-way messaging devices and cellphones, further partnerships among wireless hardware makers, content creators and service carriers are needed to migrate consumers to next-generation advertising, Internet browsing, games and other revenue generating enhanced content, attendees at CTIA Wireless IT & Internet 2001 conference here were told Wed.
After Tues. airborne attacks on World Trade Center and Pentagon, major cellular and wireline networks were faced with heavy congestion, but most infrastructure remained operable. Several carriers reported destruction of equipment from attacks in N.Y. and many wireless subscribers appeared to have difficulty getting calls through in N.Y. and Washington in aftermath. Telecom companies appealed to customers to use network only in case of emergencies and acknowledged that some callers might get busy signal or operator message indicating call couldn’t get through network. Even before federal govt. shut down, FCC Web site said that “as a precaution,” agency would close for rest of day Tues.