Comcast’s initial brief in its appeal of the FCC’s Tennis Channel carriage order is due at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit Oct. 4, a scheduling order said. The FCC’s brief is due Nov. 5, as is Tennis Channel’s. Comcast’s reply is due Nov. 19 and its deferred appendix is due Nov. 26. Final briefs are due Dec. 3.
The FCC should share various reports that are written and the record developed on the effects of the June 29 “derecho” wind storm with the new FirstNet board of directors “as it begins its work in planning the nationwide, interoperable public safety wireless broadband network,” the National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors said in a filing at the FCC (http://xrl.us/bnodts). “One of the Board’s duties is to ensure the resiliency of the new network,” NATOA said. “Unfortunately, the comments submitted to date show that even though emergency procedures had been put in place to address the potential loss of commercial power, current network monitoring practices, backup power plans (batteries and generators), and efforts to improve network diversity and redundancy failed in many jurisdictions."
Pre-registration begins Wednesday for the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners annual fall meeting. It will take place in Baltimore Nov. 11-14. The tentative agenda, posted online now, includes such panels as regulating in the face of cyber uncertainty and post-derecho wind storm lessons as well as a talk from AT&T Senior Executive Vice President of External and Legislative Affairs James Cicconi (http://xrl.us/bnodrm). Pre-registration ends Oct. 26.
Intelsat chose a Boeing 702MP platform for its Intelsat 29e satellite. The satellite is scheduled to be launched in 2015. It will offer “high-performance communications coverage spanning North and South America, the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic aeronautical route connecting North America and Europe,” it said. Intelsat 29e will be the first satellite within the Intelsat Epic NG system, which is “designed to address wireless and fixed telecommunications, enterprise, mobility, video and government applications that require broadband infrastructure,” Intelsat said.
Level 3 Communications has begun offering content delivery network (CDN) services to government agencies under its Washington Interagency Telecommunications System (WITS 3) contract. The contract provides negotiated prices for telecom services for all federal agencies within the National Capital Region, Level 3 said Tuesday. Level 3’s addition of CDN services through WITS 3 helps agencies reduce infrastructure costs and comply with Office of Management and Budget (OMB) mandates like the Cloud First Policy, the company said. Level 3 said its CDN additions also support compliance with OMB’s Open Government Directive by enhancing information-sharing tools like high-performing websites and media streaming. “As the only provider with its own CDN and IP backbone network, Level 3 enables agencies to deliver high-quality, high-bandwidth content -- from video to large file libraries,” Edward Morche, Level 3’s senior vice president for government markets, said in a news release. “Content is delivered to locations across the globe quickly, reliably and in a way that scales to meet unpredictable demand without the burden of owning costly infrastructure” (http://xrl.us/bnodno).
Iowa celebrates Lifeline Awareness Week Sept. 10-16, the Iowa Utilities Board announced Tuesday. The board “is reaching out to Iowans who may qualify to participate in the Lifeline program, which provides assistance with basic telephone service through a monthly reduction of $9.25 on their local telephone bill,” it said (http://xrl.us/bnodm7). The awareness week is happening on a national level, and other commissions, such as the Georgia Public Service Commission (CD Sept 4 p15), are also promoting the program.
Free Mobile, a prepaid wireless carrier seeking eligible telecommunications carrier status, filed an amended version of its application. “Given the severe economic environment that is forcing many low-income customers to forego wireless service, Free Mobile respectfully requests expeditious approval of this plan so that the Company, upon designation as an ETC, may quickly deploy much-needed Lifeline services to qualified low-income customers,” Free Mobile said (http://xrl.us/bnodks).
Green Flag Wireless, Snapline and a number of other small Wireless Communications Service licensees have settled a dispute with AT&T, said a filing at the FCC. “As the Commission is aware, AT&T, the other WCS licensees ... and the Competing Applicants have been involved in a prolonged dispute concerning the status of the WCS licenses held by the WCS Licensees,” the filing said (http://xrl.us/bnodj7). “This dispute has ‘clouded the status’ of the vast majority of the WCS licenses.” The Wireless Bureau “has recognized that settling this dispute is in the public interest, and, to that end, has waived Section 1.935 of the Commission’s rules for 120 days to the extent that provision limits the consideration that may be offered or accepted for resolution of competing applications. Accordingly, and consistent with that waiver, it should now approve this Agreement.” Other WCS licensees part of the agreement are CWC License Holding, Corr Investments and James McCotter. AT&T and the other WCS licensees also filed a redacted copy of the agreement itself at the commission (http://xrl.us/bnodkb).
Higher education is ready to work with the commission on a connections-based contribution system, or an adjusted revenues-based system, the nonprofit association Educause told FCC officials (http://xrl.us/bnodj9). Under a numbers-based regime, higher education would pay up to 20 times more in USF fees than under the current revenues-based system, Educause said. Without end-users from whom to recover these additional fees, the added funds would ultimately have to come from staff salaries, and reduced student services, the group said.
Harms Bergung, a Germany-based maritime services company, deployed Inmarsat XPressLink for its Anchor Handling Tug fleet. XPressLink offers a fully-integrated Ku-band and L-band solution, Inmarsat said. The agreement includes an option for a free upgrade to Inmarsat’s next-generation network Global Xpress in 2014, it added.