Brazil wants a “joint coordination activity” (JCA) between ITU-T study groups “to deal in a centralized and coordinated manner with the technical aspects of telecommunication networks to support Internet, the appropriate management of its critical resources and all other technical matters related to Internet Governance,” we've learned. The proposal was made for a Sept. 11-14 meeting in the Inter-American Telecommunication Commission, and deals with a 2010 decision from the top ITU policy-setting conference on its role in “organizing the work on technical aspects of telecom networks to support the Internet.” The matter was discussed by correspondence in an ITU-T steering group. One of the main subjects of steering group contention was the idea of ITU’s “pre-eminence” with regard to the 2010 decision. Standards bodies in China, Japan and South Korea pushed the idea in various ITU submissions. Steering group differences focused on a variety of legal, national treatment and historical factors that opponents said preclude the concept or its practical implementation. A new ITU-T study group to address the 2010 decision during the 2013 to 2016 time frame would be the least optimal approach, a steering group meeting report said, citing cost, efficiency, expertise and disruption of current activities. A draft proposal from the steering group calls for the JCA to coordinate and identify ITU-T work on aspects of “telecommunication networks to support the Internet” that help advance network evolution, capacity, continuity, interoperability and security through contribution-based work; and to coordinate the ITU-T submission on implementing the decisions of the World Summit on the Information Society. The JCA’s aim would be to identify, collect and analyze the related technical standardization being studied, and any other relevant activity, in the ITU-T. It would also aim to spur coordination with and to identify and understand the scope of activities of relevant recognized forums, standards development organizations and international Internet organizations, in particular, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, the Internet Society, the Internet Engineering Task Force, World Intellectual Property Organization and the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. No consensus appears to have been reached on any of the draft text.
Toccoa Falls College in Georgia is seeking reconsideration of the FCC Media Bureau’s proposed fine of $10,000 for a public inspection file violation by WTXR(FM). The bureau issued a notice of apparent liability in May (CD May 3 p17). Recent precedent requires the bureau to reduce the forfeiture to $1,000, the college said in its petition (http://xrl.us/bnniaf). The petition identified WWHI(FM), Muncie, Ind., owned by Ball State University, as a station that had a forfeiture reduced to $1,000. The fact that the licensee of WWHI “placed the lists in the public file but could not locate or reconstruct them does not distinguish the Ball State case from the instant matter,” TFC said. The college doesn’t reject the notion that its student-run station “should be required to comply with all FCC rules and policies,” it said. “It is the degree of sanction that is problematic."
TracFone Wireless’s plans for its proposed low-income broadband service have changed, the carrier said in a filing Monday. TracFone filed in response to FCC questions about its application to participate in the Broadband Adoption Lifeline Pilot Program. TracFone had applied July 2 for the program, proposing to offer broadband to 15,000 of its existing customers in Florida, Maryland and Wisconsin (CD July 6 p12). Under the proposed program, those customers would receive a Wi-Fi hotspot device to be used with existing equipment, according to the new filing. “TracFone advises the Commission that it will not offer its broadband plan to 15,000 current customers,” the carrier said. “TracFone has no information on the number of people in the low-income population who have equipment to use with the service offered. Therefore, TracFone is unable to estimate the take rate for its broadband service. TracFone will, however, conduct marketing for its broadband service to achieve its goal of obtaining 100 participants in each of the three states.” TracFone also clarified, among other things, how it would spend the $96,000 in funding it asked for in its application (http://xrl.us/bnnh86).
PBS installed broadcast satellite modulators from Newtec as part of its major upgrade to DVB-S2 and H.264 modulators. The upgrade supports the PBS Next Generation Interconnection System, Newtec said. Newtec’s M6100 modulators feature the Carrier ID standard “that reduces the impact of [radio frequency interference] from hours or days to minutes,” Newtec said. The upgrade “allows PBS to reduce its satellite capacity requirement from four to three transponders,” it added.
The FCC Wireless Bureau granted a limited waiver of Section 1.935 of the FCC’s rules to allow more discussions between companies with mutually exclusive applications to offer service in the Wireless Communications Service band. “Section 1.935 limits the consideration that may be exchanged among parties to resolve mutually exclusive applications,” said a public notice (http://xrl.us/bnnh5p). “The Bureau finds that the public interest will be served by temporary waiver of this limitation to foster resolution of mutually exclusive (i.e., competing) applications for certain 2.3 GHz Wireless Communications Service licenses.” The competing renewal applications “have clouded the status of licenses” in the band, the bureau said. “The Bureau believes that a limited waiver of Section 1.935 will advance the public interest by helping eliminate the uncertainty that has encumbered these spectrum licenses. Moreover, a limited waiver of Section 1.935 will serve the public interest by enabling resolution of the competing renewal applications without the cost and delay attendant to potentially protracted litigation.” The commission’s goal is to “spur the significant investment needed to deploy valuable, next-generation broadband services to the American public in the affected spectrum,” the bureau said.
The value of the public access channel in Trumbull, Conn., to local communities is questionable, Trumbull Community Television Committee (TCTC) said in comments in docket 12-103 on the state of competition in the delivery of video programming (http://xrl.us/bnnh35). Because the channel operates on a regional basis “none of the communities served have the benefit of a local public access channel.” Funds for the public, educational, and governmental (PEG) channels are collected by Charter Communications and AT&T, which are given to Charter “for its exclusive use by its public access channel,” TCTC said. No PEG fees are distributed to support education channels, it said. The state ordered Charter and AT&T to work together “so that Charter will provide their public access programming for broadcast on Uverse [sic].” Neither company “had made any serious effort to accomplish this interconnection and the state has done nothing to enforce its edict,” TCTC said. The committee also said U-verse subscribers don’t get that channel because the companies have refused to work together to provide a common public access channel. “Yet they are charged PEG fees on their billing.” TCTC said it suspects that local Internet services compete with the public access channel, “but that may be due to the lack of local focus of the regional public access channel."
Dish Network’s DishWorld IPTV service is available for subscribers using Mac and PC computers. The international channel service was initially available only on the Roku platform, Dish said. Subscribers can go to the DishWorld website, “create an account and download an application to watch their favorite international programming on their computers,” it said. Dish also debuted Family View, a feature that allows customers to watch content through DishWorld on up to three devices without the need for multiple accounts. New customers can use a free two-week trial on any compatible device, Dish said.
Verizon service restoration efforts are still underway in Lawrence, Mass., after a bridge fire damaged the carrier’s cables (CD Aug 28 p12), Verizon said late Monday. “Verizon crews are on the scene splicing new cables and, working with state and local officials, have already rerouted emergency lines for public safety agencies,” the carrier said (http://xrl.us/bnnhiz). “Verizon trailers have been set up at the scene, and crews will work in round-the-clock shifts until all services are restored.” Assessment continued due to “the severity of the damage,” Verizon said. On Tuesday, the carrier announced “service has been restored for thousands of Verizon customers, and restoration efforts continue for thousands more” and described Verizon crews as working through the night splicing cables (http://xrl.us/bnnht3).
Verizon Washington, D.C., incorrectly billed 380 customers in the region, the carrier told the D.C. Public Service Commission Monday (http://xrl.us/bnnhrt). Verizon attributed the Aug. 24 problem to a coding error in which contractual Expansion PAK bundle customers “were auto-renewed on their anniversary date for their main lines to the [new] current price” and additional lines weren’t auto-renewed. The bundle is “an optional business package that includes a network access line (or CustoPAK), calling features and Voice Messaging service offered for a month-to-month or two-year term commitment -- as well as three additional line types that are offered on a month-to-month basis,” a Verizon spokeswoman said. Customers won’t be back-billed and the coding error itself was resolved in May, Verizon said. “Customer notification is still pending,” the carrier added.
Mobile Future released an infographic illustrating what it feels is the need for more spectrum to support wireless broadband (http://xrl.us/bnnhqq). “The U.S. government has assigned just 409.5 MHz of spectrum to support commercial wireless services according to CTIA,” Mobile Future said. “With the radio waves best suited for providing high speed, commercial wireless broadband services situated between 400 MHz and 3 GHz, that means wireless network operators have access to just less than 16 percent of these critical airwaves. A significant majority -- nearly 85 percent -- of the crucial spectrum needed to support consumer demand is occupied primarily by government agencies and television broadcasters.” The group is a coalition of technology and telecom companies and non-profit organizations who support investment and innovation in wireless.