Comments on the paperwork burdens of new FCC rules limiting the number of requests for FM translators that will be granted by market and by applicant are due June 29 to the Office of Management and Budget, the commission said in a notice in Wednesday’s Federal Register (http://xrl.us/bm9trv). Paperwork Reduction Act comments on the March order (CD March 21 p11) should go to nicholas_a._fraser@omb.eop.gov, PRA@fcc.gov and cathy.williams@fcc.gov.
Proteus will provide DigitalGlobe with satellite-based bathymetric and seabed mapping products. The service is derived from high-resolution 8-band WorldView-2 satellite imagery, Proteus said. Satellite data provides instant large-area coverage, “increasing the speed of turnaround of deliverables,” Proteus said. The space-borne technique “allows safe acquisition of data in challenging and remote areas,” it said: The agreement will allow Proteus “to offer a variety of market-leading, cost-effective geospatial solutions."
Harris asked the FCC to initiate a rulemaking that would require “on a technology-neutral basis” that digitally modulated signals be certified under the relatively restrictive H-mask for use in public safety, in a petition for rulemaking (http://xrl.us/bm9s7q). The equipment maker also proposed that while the rulemaking is pending the FCC prohibit any digital technology not meeting the H-mask emissions requirements from operating in public safety spectrum.
The European Commission (EC) and national regulatory authorities should cut regulation and firm up rules to support investment, a European Telecommunications Network Operators’ Association news release said following a meeting in Brussels held by Total Telecom and ETNO. Overall revenue in the EU telecom sector declined by 1.4 percent in 2010 and 2 percent in 2011, it said. Revenue is estimated to fall by 1.8 percent per year until 2015 unless operators change their business models to generate new revenue streams, it said. “Excessively intrusive regulation” too often blocks innovation in Europe, said Luigi Gambardella, ETNO executive board chairman. Innovation drives competition in the U.S. and Asia, he said. Hampering innovation in Europe impedes competition, he said. European rules don’t allow operators to innovate, he said. The EC and national regulatory authorities must review policies to account for “current and foreseen market conditions,” Gambardella said. The EC review next year of the list of relevant markets is an opportunity “to take a bold step towards de-regulation,” ETNO said. It’s important to reduce the scope of regulation, give more guidance on geographic market definition, encourage deregulation in cases where platform competition is a reality and limit remedies to identified essential market failures, ETNO said. Operators should have flexibility in setting the price of access to fiber and engage in risk-sharing agreements, ETNO said. Regulated prices on copper networks should remain stable and be allowed to rise where costs increase so it can provide “continuous support” for investment, it said. Europe’s telecom sector is at a “crossroads,” said Daniel Pataki, ETNO director. Operators must move from voice- to data-driven business models to “reverse the declining revenue trend,” he said. The time to assess whether regulatory rules are adapted to new realities is now, he said. All players in the EU telecom sector must benefit from more flexibility to develop new business models and applications to meet consumer needs, Pataki said.
Sprint Nextel representatives discussed a variety of pending matters before the FCC with new Commissioner Ajit Pai, said an ex parte filing. Topping the list were spectrum and 800 rebanding, the filing said (http://xrl.us/bm9s36): “Sprint emphasized the importance of increasing the availability of spectrum for commercial broadband use, but urged the Commission to do so in a thoughtful manner that encourages competition, limits opportunities for spectrum warehousing and facilitates access for smaller competitive carriers to the spectrum resources necessary to expand their networks.” The company also discussed the continuing importance of special access. “Despite claims to the contrary, special access circuits remain a vitally important market,” the carrier said. “Sprint alone has hundreds of thousands of special access circuits deployed in its network today and expects to purchase tens of thousands of additional circuits in 2012. Special access is an $18 billion market and has generated triple-digit rates of return for the RBOCs at a time when most American companies are struggling. These services are critically important to businesses that are forced to bear the harsh financial burden associated with excessive rates for these bottleneck services, and to the national broadband ecosystem."
Comcast gave the FCC some additional documents about its proposed sale of advanced wireless service licenses to Verizon Wireless. The cable operator “recently discovered a small number of additional documents that are responsive to the Information and Discovery Request” made by the commission, Comcast said. They “were inadvertently omitted from the April 6 production,” which came after the company’s initial response on March 22, the operator’s filing posted Tuesday to docket 12-4 said (http://xrl.us/bm9q3w). “Comcast will make the non-public, Highly Confidential version of the submission available to authorized reviewing parties who have signed the Protective Orders.” The agency had paused its 180-day nonbinding clock to review Verizon Wireless’s purchase of AWS licenses from Comcast and three other cable operators for 21 days because the companies in the deals didn’t provide full information by the initial March 22 deadline (CD May 2 p1). The clock was at day 111 on Wednesday (http://xrl.us/bm9q3s).
The Commerce Spectrum Management Advisory Committee is slated to discuss a proposal Wednesday to create five working groups “to consider ways to facilitate the implementation of commercial wireless broadband in the 1695-1710 MHz and 1755-1850 MHz band,” according to a document on CSMAC’s website (http://xrl.us/bm9qwr). The working groups would focus on meteorological-satellite at 1695-1710 MHz, law enforcement surveillance and other short distance links at 1755-1850 MHz, satellite control and electronic warfare at 1755-1850 MHz, tactical radio relay and fixed microwave at 1755-1850 MHz and airborne operations, also at 1755-1850 MHz. “When coordinating with the FCC on any steps related to an auction and reallocation of these bands, NTIA will take into consideration the CSMAC recommendations emerging from the Working Group efforts,” the document said. “All members of the CSMAC may participate. NTIA will invite federal and non-federal organizations that are not affiliated with members on the full Committee to participate in the Working Groups. In addition to private sector and agency participants, each Working Group would include a CSMAC Member who will act as a liaison to the Committee and any other CSMAC Members who choose to volunteer as participants.” The CSMAC meeting is to start at 10 a.m. at the Department of Commerce headquarters building, Room 4830.
Competitive dark fiber provider Cross River Fiber will build a dark fiber route to Mahwah, N.J., to appeal to the state’s financial community, according to the company. The move was triggered by Euro-American stock exchange operator NYSE Euronext’s recent decision to open its data centers to more service providers in order to reduce customer costs and increase flexibility and access, the fiber company said. Financial trading companies looking for alternative fiber routes would have access to connectivity between Mahwah and Carteret, Secaucus and Weehawken, N.J., the fiber provider said.
Certain cable operators must complete the FCC’s annual price survey by July 27, an order released Tuesday said (http://xrl.us/bm9qtf). The survey asks about operators’ monthly charges for basic service and expanded basic service as of Jan. 1, 2011, and Jan. 1, 2012, the order said. It also asks about monthly equipment charges, the number of channels offered on each level of service, and the availability of broadband, “family tier” service and channel lineups, it said. The survey universe is made up of a random sample of cable operators in communities where the commission has granted a petition of effective competition, as well as a random sample of operators “serving communities nationwide,” it said.
Smith Media License Holdings complained to the FCC that Trans-Video Cable of Northfield, Vt., is carrying the signal of Smith’s WFFF-TV Burlington without a retransmission consent agreement. “Since April 19, 2012, Trans-video has retransmitted WFFF’s signal on its cable systems without Licensee’s express, written consent,” Smith said in the complaint (http://xrl.us/bm9qrw). Smith said it had extended seven times its grant of retransmission consent while it sought to negotiate an agreement. “When Trans-video refused to engage in good faith over a period of three months, Licensee notified Trans-video the final extension would expire on April 18, 2012,” it said. A Trans-Video Cable executive didn’t immediately respond.