Measurement Lab submitted a draft framework for the creation of an FCC Measurement Program Technical Advisory Committee (http://xrl.us/bnh67f). The draft came after Chief Technologist Henning Schulzrinne proposed the committee during a discussion with M-Lab representatives (CD July 25 p19). M-Lab proposed the Technical Advisory Committee comprise an Internet Engineering Task Force-style working group tasked with advising the broader measurement collaborative on the technical quality and openness of the FCC’s broadband measurement efforts. The committee would focus on test specifications, statistical and analytical methodologies, open data publication and infrastructure. The group would be limited to those with a technical and engineering background, and have Schulzrinne as chairman.
Tribune asked to withdraw a retransmission consent complaint against East Texas Cable over carriage of KDAF-TV Dallas (http://xrl.us/bnh667). “The parties have reached an agreement retroactive to and effective as of January 1, 2012,” Tribune said in an FCC filing.
The six largest cable operators committed to making their basic service tiers available to third-party devices in a few different ways if they're allowed to encrypt that service tier, according to a letter NCTA President Michael Powell wrote to the FCC Wednesday (http://xrl.us/bnh65y). The letter spelled out two options cable operators could follow to meet the commitments. In one, they could offer their customers who use a retail-enabled ClearQAM device a “digital transport adapter” or DTA that will be equipped with standard home-networking capabilities. Customers who have devices with an embedded DTA, as described in a recent filing from Comcast and Boxee, would not be entitled to an additional operator-supplied DTA, Neal Goldberg, NCTA vice president, told us. A second option calls for cable operators to deliver their basic service tier to IP-enabled third-party devices without any hardware. Under that option cable operators “shall use commercially available security technology that is licensable on a non-discriminatory basis to manufacturers of such retail devices,” the letter said. “Any Cable Operator that pursues this option agrees to make publicly available the requirements necessary (including any authentication processes) for such a device to access the Basic Service Tier and submit a copy of such requirements to the Commission.” Powell wrote that the commitments would expire after three years barring an extension by the FCC. “We hope that the above commitments resolve any remaining concerns regarding access to the Basic Service Tier by certain retail devices,” he wrote. “Each day that passes without Commission action delays the significant benefits that will come from the Commission’s proposed rule change and subjects cable operators to further theft of service from broadband-only customers that could have been prevented by a rule change."
The Fox, ABC and NBC station groups said they support an alternative to the FCC’s online political file rule proposed by a group of affiliates known as the TV Station Group in a petition for reconsideration. “The Television Station Group has made a strong case for an alternative approach,” the three network-owned station groups said in a letter sent to the commission this week (http://xrl.us/bnh64r). “Nothing in the proposal touches on the Commission’s overall approach -- as either a legal or technical matter -- for moving most public file material to an FCC-hosted database,” the letter said. “The Television Station Group concept simply would affect the informational scope of certain documents in the political section of each station’s web-based public file.” The Media Bureau has denied NAB’s request the agency stay the political file rule (CD July 13 p6).
Regression analysis-based caps on USF support for high-cost capital and operational expenses are already having “significant adverse effects,” even under the phased-in transition plan, representatives of The National Telecommunications Cooperative Association and Tri-County Telephone told an aide to FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai Monday, an ex parte filing said (http://xrl.us/bnh62p). Business planning efforts and employee retention are being hampered, and Tri-County has had to make “trade-offs” between deploying upgraded network facilities and streamlining operations, they said. The filing asked the commission to suspend the caps and conduct testing “to confirm or deny their volatility or even their validity."
Disney’s ABC asked the FCC Media Bureau to deny objections from a Philadelphia AM station that’s had other disputes at the agency concerning the broadcast network’s WVPI-TV there (CD July 5/11 p15). Global Radio, licensee of WNWR, wants the agency to deny a special temporary authority (STA) request to transmit at a higher power level than the bureau’s allowed and to modify WVPI for the higher level. “Global presents no valid arguments” relevant to the waiver and makes an “unsubstantiated claim” that ABC had to serve that company with a copy of the STA, the network said in an opposition to formal objection the commission received Tuesday. “ABC was not required under FCC rules to serve Global.” ABC said the objection’s moot because on Tuesday it filed a new STA and withdrew the pending one, to boost power so more terrestrial viewers can see WPVI’s DTV signal.
Mobile operators are not satisfied with carriers’ Wi-Fi offload solutions, Ovum said in a report released Wednesday. Ovum’s survey found many operators wanted additional features from carriers -- more than half of surveyed operators expect session continuity when switching between Wi-Fi and cellular networks. “Just a few years ago, if one was to ask mobile operators about Wi-Fi, their responses would most likely have been negative, but this has long changed with rising concerns around how to manage the growth of mobile broadband,” said Ovum analyst Daryl Schoolar. “Now the issue is how best to build up sufficient network resources to manage Wi-Fi offload” (http://xrl.us/bnh6zh).
Free Press on Tuesday in an FCC filing sought to refute arguments made last week by Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile in support of their proposed spectrum swap (CD July 19 p8). “Verizon’s Opposition and its selected divestiture of AWS to T-Mobile in certain markets, when viewed along side its claims in the SpectrumCo proceeding, demonstrates that its case for additional spectrum is vastly overstated,” Free Press said (http://xrl.us/bnh6zb). “Verizon has failed to demonstrate its need for 40 MHz of AWS spectrum in any market.” The carrier’s argument is based “entirely upon its submission of a few maps purporting to show future congestion, maps based on the black box known as the ‘Verizon Planning Instrument,'” the nonprofit said. It said the agency cannot review the transaction without looking more broadly at the market as a whole. “The Commission must evaluate whether these transfers are in the public interest, an analysis that cannot take place in a vacuum, but with a keen awareness of the Commission’s own concerns about the growing spectrum gap and its impact on the future of competition in the wireless market,” the group said. “If the Commission agrees with the wireless industry’s claims of a looming spectrum shortage, it cannot blindly approve the transfer of spectrum to an already spectrum-rich carrier who has failed to demonstrate that these scarce resources will be utilized fully, to the public’s benefit.” “In numerous filings over the past few months Verizon Wireless has made a persuasive case for its need for additional spectrum to meet consumer needs,” a Verizon Wireless spokesman said in response. “As well, in rationalizing our spectrum holdings, we are ensuring that spectrum can be put into the hands of those entities that can best put it to use to meet consumer needs."
SES transmits more than 1,300 HD channels on its satellite fleet worldwide, the company said. SES said it distributes more than 5,200 total TV channels. Of its HD channels, more than 920 are in North America, nearly 300 in Europe “and 105 are in the fast growing emerging markets including Asia, Latin America, Middle East and Africa,” it said. The data, gathered by Lyngsat, shows that SES carries 17 percent of the nearly 31,000 TV channels broadcast via satellite worldwide, SES added.
The Communications Workers of America told the FCC the union’s review of confidential and highly confidential information filed in docket 12-4 on the Verizon Wireless/SpectrumCo and Cox transactions showed that CWA’s fears about the effect on competition are more than justified. “The cross-marketing agreements and Joint Operating Entity (JOE) create a communications cartel with the market power to set prices, service levels, and determine the pace and direction of innovation,” CWA said in a filing redacted before public distribution. “The Transaction eliminates cross-platform competition, particularly in the Verizon landline footprint. The Transaction will lead to FiOS decline and an end to FiOS expansion. This will result in the loss of approximately 72,000 jobs. The Transaction makes it nearly impossible for the nation to achieve the National Broadband Plan’s goal of 100 million households with broadband access at speeds of 50 Mbps downstream/20 Mbps upstream by 2015.” CWA reiterated its calls for conditions, including the prohibition of cross-marketing arrangements in the Verizon landline footprint. “Verizon competes today against Comcast, Time Warner, Cox, and Bright House Networks with its DSL broadband service in many of its non-FiOS landline footprint service areas,” the union said. “Allowing cross-marketing in the Verizon footprint where Verizon has not yet deployed FiOS would serve as an additional disincentive to FiOS expansion.” CWA also called for “meaningful commitments” as part of the JOE “that would allow any competitor access to intellectual property necessary to compete so long as they are willing to purchase licenses under reasonable and non-discriminatory terms.” The FCC should also make Verizon offer FiOS service and expand in-region deployment to cover at least 95 percent of “residential living units and households” within the company’s service territory and “eliminate anti-competitive most-favored-nation provisions,” the union said.