As the FCC prepares a rulemaking regarding text-to-911, it should take a “holistic approach which appreciates the complexity and diversity of issues” associated with the industry transition from the public switched telephone network to an all-Internet Protocol network, the Telecommunications Industry Association told the FCC Monday (http://xrl.us/bn4tja). An IP-based network, with public safety answering points that can receive diverse forms of communication, will “greatly benefit each citizen of the United States,” TIA said. The commission should encourage development of voluntary, consensus-based standards for interoperability, portability and security, the association said. If the commission extends 911 obligations to next-generation 911 services in the immediate future, it shouldn’t adopt requirements that would negatively impact product design cycles and investment, or force operators to retrofit existing infrastructure and equipment, TIA said.
The PS3 is now the most popular device for viewing streamed movies and TV shows via Netflix on a TV globally, Netflix and Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) said Tuesday. The companies didn’t give specific usage data. The PC is “the overall top viewing device” for Netflix content, said Netflix spokesman Joris Evers. But “this year, at times,” the PS3 “even surpassed the PC in hours of Netflix” content viewing, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings said in a news release. The PS3 has also become “the primary development platform” for Netflix, it and SCEA said. The PS3 is “a natural fit for Netflix in terms of developing and first deploying our most advanced features,” said Hastings. Netflix has more than 30 million streaming members globally, it said. The PS3 was the first computer entertainment system to offer Netflix in full 1080p video resolution with 5.1-channel Dolby Digital Plus surround sound and to offer post play, second screen controls, on device sign-up, and alternate audio options including subtitles, the companies said. The PS3 is the only platform in which a new voice user interface called “Max” is being tested, they said. Early this year, Sony and Netflix expanded their partnership by bringing Netflix streaming to the new PS Vita in the U.S. PS3 users can start watching a movie or TV show via Netflix, pause it, and continue watching on PS Vita’s 5-inch, HD OLED screen.
The South Park Telephone Co. is seeking a waiver of two USF rules, it told the FCC in a petition posted Monday (http://xrl.us/bn4tfx). The Colorado telco wants a waiver of the $250 per line monthly cap on federal support, and the limitation of high-cost loop support for reimbursable capital and operating costs. South Park serves a “large, low-density, mountainous” area of about 600 square miles, with no cities or towns that would mitigate its average cost per loop, it said. The territory’s “extensive size and rugged terrain” lead to higher construction and maintenance costs due to “poor road infrastructure, extreme weather, and the long distances required to reach different parts of the network for installation and repairs,” South Park said. Without a waiver, “all communication services” in the telco’s service area would be discontinued, it said.
The telecommunication industry’s transition from time division multiplex to Internet Protocol-based services does not justify deregulation of interconnection agreements, XO told FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn Thursday, an ex parte filing said (http://xrl.us/bn4tfi). Continued regulation is “critical to ensure competition and innovation,” XO said. XO also described its 100 Gbps coast-to-coast broadband service, and highlighted the importance of special access reform and preservation of copper facilities.
Three telephone companies want a waiver to let them include in their 2011 base period revenue amounts owing from Halo Wireless, according to a public notice (http://xrl.us/bn4te6). The telcos say Halo diverted a “large amount of traffic” through their network, and then filed for bankruptcy protection, which stayed all collection actions. Without the waiver, the companies’ stated revenue would not represent normal traffic revenue because “an inordinate amount is uncollectible,” they said. If the uncollectible intrastate excess revenue is not included, consumers there will “suffer the consequences for years to come,” the telcos said. Comments in docket 10-90 are due Jan. 2, replies Jan. 17.
Registration begins Wednesday for state regulators’ next big meeting. The National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners’ winter gathering will be Feb. 3-6 in Washington (http://xrl.us/bn4thr). Only a skeletal agenda has been released, with no details on panels or keynotes. There will be a separate NARUC event, requiring separate registration, called “Facing the Future with Interconnection-Wide Planning,” Feb. 6 and 7 following the NARUC board meeting.
G.hn, a next-generation wired home networking technology, will face stiff competition from incumbents when it attempts to capture the wired networking market in the coming months, ABI Research said Tuesday. The technology, which is being put through a series of trials, has several things in its favor -- capacity to support multiple wires, neighbor network mitigation and higher data rates than current technologies -- but hurdles remain, ABI said. The trial period for G.hn, “coupled with earlier entrances by competing technologies, however, has engendered significant advantages to the incumbent players -- particularly in North America and Europe where MoCA and HomePlug, respectively, have established a significant market presence among service providers,” said ABI analyst Michael Inouye in a news release. “Next generation MoCA 2.0 and HomePlug AV2 will also help mitigate G.hn’s purported speed advantage.” MoCA has captured the North American cable and satellite markets; HomePlug leads among European telcos, while Latin America has been a breeding ground for competition between MoCA and HomePNA alliance, ABI said. The Asia-Pacific market remains a high-growth opportunity, however, ABI said. “Asia-Pacific -- and China in particular -- is currently G.hn’s best market opportunity,” Sam Rosen, ABI’s TV and video practice director, said in a news release. “More broadly speaking, new market opportunities will come from hybrid networking and assuming the consumer space develops as planned a retail market for discrete and embedded solutions” (http://xrl.us/bn4tfc).
Vringo’s patent infringement lawsuit in Germany against ZTE moved forward last month when the German court told Vringo’s counsel that it had begun serving legal paperwork on ZTE, the video ringtone and intellectual property company said Tuesday. The suit against ZTE and its German arm, ZTE Deutschland, claims the Chinese telecom equipment provider infringed on the German part of European Patent 1,212,919. Vringo said it filed the lawsuit Nov. 15 in the Mannheim district court. Once ZTE was served, the company had two weeks to announce whether it would defend itself against Vringo’s claims, and an additional six weeks to file its response to the complaint. Vringo CEO Andrew Perlman said the company is “confident in the foundational nature of our Telecom Infrastructure patent portfolio and intend[s] to pursue additional enforcement actions when infringing companies choose not to take a license” (http://xrl.us/bn4tdi). Vringo is also suing ZTE in the U.K., where it’s alleging patent violations of the English part of European Patent 1,212,919 and two other patents (CD Oct 24 p12).
Texas released its 2013 interest rates for overbilled phone customers. Any customers who are overbilled will receive a payment of 0.21 percent interest, the Public Utility Commission of Texas said Monday (http://xrl.us/bn4s5r). The rate is based on “the 90-day prime commercial paper rate over the last 12 months,” it added. Customers will also receive 0.12 percent interest on utility deposits, the PUC said.
Revisions to FCC Forms 314 and 315 took effect Tuesday, the agency said in that day’s Federal Register (http://xrl.us/bn4s5p). It said the Office of Management and Budget approved Oct. 10 for three years information collection requirements in a December commission order on priorities for tribes in moving non-commercial radio stations to urban areas (CD Dec 30 p10).