Globalstar urged the FCC to move forward with a rulemaking in its effort to deploy a terrestrial low-power service with its spectrum. A TLPS deployment “will quickly add 22 MHz to the nation’s wireless broadband spectrum inventory,” it said in an ex parte filing in docket RM-11685 (http://bit.ly/11WcnjZ). The filing recounts a meeting with Globalstar executives, Jarvinian Venture Fund and staff from Chairman Julius Genachowski’s office and Commissioner Ajit Pai’s office, and the Office of Engineering and Technology, it said. Globalstar was granted an authorization to test TLPS equipment in the 2.4 GHz band in Cambridge, Mass., it said. A similar request is pending for testing in Cupertino, Calif., and Jarvinian plans to submit other applications for additional locations, it said.
NPR and WBUR(FM) Boston are working to expand WBUR’s Here and Now from a one-hour program to a two-hour program. NPR also will stop production of Talk of the Nation at the end of June, it said in a press release (http://n.pr/16mDi7r). Here and Now will be updated for different time zones and it will provide a total of four hours of news programming, NPR said. The expanded program also will serve as a bridge between Morning Edition and All Things Considered, it said.
The FCC Media Bureau granted Time Warner Cable its petition for a determination that it’s subject to effective competition in two Wisconsin communities. It’s undisputed that the communities are served by both DirecTV and Dish Network, the bureau said in a memorandum opinion and order (http://bit.ly/YNwGj4). TWC has provided sufficient evidence “to support its assertion that potential customers in the communities are reasonably aware that they may purchase the service of these MVPD [multichannel video programming distributor] providers,” it said. The bureau also granted a similar petition from Comcast concluding that Comcast is subject to effective competition in 41 Pennsylvania communities, including Pittsburgh, Whitemarsh Township and Uwchlan Township (http://bit.ly/10gtoRc).
Intelsat requested modification of its authorization for Clarksburg, Md., earth station E980200. Intelsat wants to relocate the antenna to its Mountainside, Md., teleport, it said in its application to the FCC International Bureau (http://bit.ly/10ZKSn5). In a separate application, it also requested a 30-day special temporary authority for its Hagerstown, Md., Ku-band earth station (http://bit.ly/10ggQsQ). It plans to use the STA from May 7 through June 5, “to provide launch and early orbit phase services for the Eutelsat W3D satellite that is expected to be launched on May 14,” it said.
Sixteen Michigan lawmakers asked FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski, in a letter last week, to provide an update of the commission’s international coordination efforts for broadcast spectrum holdings along the borders with Canada and Mexico. “As Senators and members of Congress from a state with international borders, we are interested in ensuring that the commission works with Canada and Mexico to preserve opportunities for broadcasting, as well as maximizing the amount of nationwide spectrum made available to meet our nation’s demand for licensed mobile wireless broadband,” the letter said. Specifically the congressmen asked Genachowski to detail who will represent the U.S. in the coordination efforts, the commission’s timeline and its target date of completion, among other questions. The letter was signed by Democratic Sens. Debbie Stabenow and Carl Levin; House Republicans Dan Benishek, Bill Huizenga, Justin Amash, Dave Camp, Fred Upton, Tim Walberg, Mike Rogers, Candice Miller, Kerry Bentivolio and House Democrats Dan Kildee, Sander Levin, John Dingell, John Conyers, and Gary Peters.
The record in the FCC’s Inmate Calling Services proceeding contains “undisputed evidence” that an inmate’s regular communication with family members “aids in the inmate’s transition back to the community post-incarceration and thus lowers recidivism,” Verizon told FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn Tuesday, an ex parte filing said (http://bit.ly/ZHYt16). Verizon reiterated the position filed in its comments, that the FCC should consider “the most effective way, consistent with its jurisdiction, to reduce commissions and ensure that any reductions lead to lower calling rates.”
The Telecommunications Access Policy Division transitioned its universal service Web pages to a new domain, which affects some Web addresses, the FCC said in a public notice Friday (http://fcc.us/ZHXMF0). The notice lists the old URLs and their corresponding new URLs.
Officials from USTelecom, AT&T, Verizon, Windstream and CenturyLink met with FCC staff Tuesday to discuss the advantages of adopting a greenfield modeling platform based on a “scorched node approach” for Phase II of the Connect America Fund, an ex parte filing said (http://bit.ly/ZHSxVW). Generally, a greenfield approach estimates the full cost of constructing and operating a network from scratch, whereas a brownfield approach takes into account the existing infrastructure (CD Jan 16 p3). Adopting a greenfield model “will produce a levelized flow of support for providing voice and broadband in high-cost areas over an appropriate time period,” the ILECs said. They also urged internal consistency in the sizing of facilities and estimates of usage, and discussed the merits of using GeoResults data for customer locations and distributing remaining locations randomly along roads.
International Launch Services will launch two missions on its ILS Proton vehicle for Intelsat. The future satellite launches will allow Intelsat “to reach even further into developing regions to meet the growing demand for highly efficient and reliable connectivity,” Intelsat said in a press release (http://bit.ly/1734Ujg).
The FCC will be asked to vote in April on an NPRM and notice of inquiry circulated by FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski in March, which examines giving VoIP providers direct access to numbers for set periods in a few unspecified markets, with regular reports back to the commission. Debate over the proposal has been contentious at times (CD March 7 p2). Also on tap for the commission’s April meeting is a second report and order on streamlining foreign ownership review. Last August, the FCC released an NPRM seeking feedback on the agency’s foreign ownership practices for common carrier and aeronautical radio licensees (CD Aug 10 p11). In the initial comment round, the Satellite Industry Association asked for changes, while the Justice and Homeland Security departments jointly expressed concerns (CD Dec 6 p14). FCC officials told us they do not expect the order to be overly controversial or have implications for transactions now before the agency. Commissioners will also hear a presentation on wireless bill shock and the status of major wireless carriers in meeting an April 17 deadline for sending usage notifications to their customers. The FCC circulated its proposed agenda late Wednesday for the April 18 meeting, which could be Genachowski’s last as chairman (CD March 25 p1).