More than 5,000 wireless devices have been stolen this year in Michigan, the state’s public service commission warned. The Michigan PSC described the rising popularity of cellphones and “encourages customers to take a moment to protect themselves against theft by following the helpful tips provided ... by the FCC,” it said Wednesday (http://xrl.us/bn768e). It cited efforts from national entities such as the FCC and CTIA to monitor and prevent such thefts.
Suddenlink Communications CEO Jerry Kent visited the FCC last week to discuss retransmission consent with Media Bureau staff and aides to commissioners Mignon Clyburn and Jessica Rosenworcel, an ex parte notice shows (http://xrl.us/bn73p9). He discussed three potential legislative options for changing retrans rules. They are: Creating national standardized costs through a neutral third-party, allow for a modified “a la carte” option for distributors to sell higher cost programming separately, or eliminate local marketing agreements among TV stations in the same market.
The FCC Media Bureau pushed back to Jan. 25 the deadline for reply comments on its proposed cable-TV technical and operational rules, said an order released Friday (http://xrl.us/bn73pz). NATOA had sought an extension of the Jan. 7 reply comment deadline.
The FCC Wireless Bureau sought comment on an application by Small Ventures USA to sell its 700 MHz C block license in the Gulf of Mexico to Verizon Wireless. The two companies agreed to the deal Dec. 3, the bureau said Friday. “The Applicants contend that grant of their applications would serve the public interest, allowing Verizon Wireless (who currently holds no spectrum in the Gulf) to provide broadband data and other wireless products in a new service area while increasing competition,” the bureau said (http://xrl.us/bn73o4). “Meanwhile, they contend, Small Ventures has not begun to provide service and thus there will be no reduction in service or customer transition issues as a result of the requested assignment.” Comments are due Jan. 22, replies Feb. 6.
James Mooney, 69, former NCTA president, died Friday at his home in Bainbridge Island, Wash., after a fight with kidney cancer. After leaving NCTA in 1993 following a nine-year stint as CEO, he founded with his wife Louise JLM Partners, a public relations firm with cable, wireless and consumer electronics clients. Before NCTA, where he helped get the 1984 Cable Act passed in Congress, he was chief of staff to House Majority Whip John Brademas, D-Ind. Besides his wife, Mooney is survived by a son. Donations can be made in Mooney’s honor to the Hospice of Kitsap County, Wash.
The FCC shouldn’t stay a recent order requiring online video distributors (OVDs) disclose certain confidential licensing information when seeking access to NBCUniversal programming, Comcast and NBCU said in recent filing. It responded to a request by six of the largest media companies that the FCC stay a the Media Bureau order (CD Dec 20 p14). The order clarified that OVDs seeking to take advantage of the benchmark condition to the FCC’s order approving Comcast’s takeover of NBCU must disclose the contents of their agreements with peer media companies to Comcast’s outside attorneys and consultants. “The Content Companies’ Request for Stay reflects their collective and continued disagreement with the wisdom of the Benchmark condition; however it does not demonstrate any justification, immediate or otherwise,” for the order to be stayed, the filing said (http://xrl.us/bn73nt). The content companies probably won’t prevail on the merits of their arguments and won’t suffer irreparable harm absent a stay, the filing said. The bureau had authority to issue the order, because Comcast and NBCU’s request for clarification did not seek any modification to the commission-level order approving the underlying transaction, it said. The bureau’s order does not violate the Trade Secrets Act as the content companies claimed, Comcast/NBCU said. Attorneys for the content companies separately met with aides to commissioners Robert McDowell, Ajit Pai, Mignon Clyburn and Jessica Rosenworcel, an ex parte notice shows (http://xrl.us/bn73ob). CBS, Disney, News Corp., Sony Pictures Entertainment, Time Warner and Viacom said the clarification order “completely subverts the negotiation process that the Commission devised for use with the Benchmark Condition” and made “radical modifications” to the order approving Comcast/NBCU.
SES Americom seeks modification of the license for AMC-16 “to permit a change in the pointing of the satellite’s Ka band beams,” it said in its application to the FCC International Bureau. Sirius XM requested authority of 60 days beginning Jan. 11, “to activate the XM-5 communications payload in order to conduct performance testing,” it said in a separate application.
Tests Progeny performed on a joint basis with three other parties examining whether the company’s Multilateration Location and Monitoring Service (M-LMS) network would cause harmful interference to unlicensed devices in the 902-928 MHz band (CD Dec 26 p13), raise concerns for utilities, the Utilities Telecom Council said in comments filed at the FCC. “The test reports show that Progeny’s operations will substantially degrade the operational performance of millions of smart grid devices,” UTC said (http://xrl.us/bn73nk). “It will also undermine substantial investments -- including $4.5 billion in Federal smart grid grants -- which utilities and others have made in these operations. Moreover, federal policies to promote the deployment of smart grid will be frustrated, if Progeny causes widespread interference to smart grid communications.” Questions remain about whether the system would interfere with the E·ZPass system used by 24 toll agencies in 14 states, the New Jersey Turnpike Authority said. “The NJTA relies on the FCC to protect its systems operation against harmful interference from entities requesting to use the same spectrum by requiring the entities to provide evidence in the form of technical analyses to show that their operations will not interfere with existing operations” (http://xrl.us/bn73n7).
The Wireless Internet Service Providers Association filed a petition for reconsideration of a Dec. 5 FCC Wireline Bureau public notice seeking comment on areas shown as unserved on the National Broadband Map for Connect America Fund Phase I support. The bureau seeks comment on a collection process that “has not been approved by the full Commission following required notice-and-comment procedures,” WISPA said (http://xrl.us/bn73ms). “The Public Notice is unduly burdensome and subject to imminent obsolescence. It requires fixed broadband providers to review the accuracy of the December 2011 National Broadband Map (NBM) when, according to information provided by the Commission’s Geographic Information Officer, release of the updated and more accurate June 2012 version of the NBM is expected in January 2013. If the Bureau does not rescind the Public Notice, it should afford parties an indefinite extension of time until final rules are effective and the updated NBM is available."
Samsung is asking the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) to issue an import ban on some Ericsson products. The complaint, as posted on the USITC website, asks the commission to investigate under Section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930 (http://xrl.us/bn73k7). “We have sought to negotiate with Ericsson in good faith,” Samsung said in a statement. “However, Ericsson has proven unwilling to continue such negotiations by making unreasonable claims, which it is now trying to enforce in court. The accused Ericsson products include telecommunications networking equipment, such as base stations."