Bills that would criminalize irresponsible car phone use have appeared in Minn. and Miss. Bill in Minn. House would make it criminal misdemeanor to use any mobile telephone while driving motor vehicles in state. Bill (HF-200) would require penalties for violators but doesn’t specify what they should be. Sponsor, state Rep. Mike Jaros (D-Duluth), acknowledged that total ban on car phone use was longshot, but said bill would help bring issue of irresponsible mobile phone use into public view. Jaros said he was open to compromise, such as allowing hands-free mobile phones and emergency calls to 911. Measure is in House Crime Prevention Committee. Miss. car phone bill (HB-159) would make it criminal misdemeanor to have auto accident because of talking on mobile phone. If police determined mobile phone use caused or contributed to accident, offending driver could be fined $1,000 under bill. Conviction also would be considered persuasive evidence of negligence in any lawsuit arising from accident. Bill is in House Judiciary Committee.
FCC’s C- and F-block auction of 422 PCS licenses inched up to $16.8 billion Mon., as 36 bidders continued to vie for spectrum. Bidding appeared to have particularly slowed in top 15 markets, where Verizon Wireless has kept lock on top bids for 2 licenses in N.Y.C., bidding $2.1 billion and $2.04 billion. Many bids in 15 largest markets have remained unchanged for at least last 16 rounds. Verizon Wireless has 113 high bids totaling $8.8 billion, followed by AT&T Wireless-backed Alaska Native Wireless with 44 valued at $2.9 billion. Cingular Wireless-backed designated entity Salmon PCS had 78 high bids after 79th round of bidding, with $2.3 billion. Dobson Communications subsidiary DCC PCS had $536 million, Cook Inlet/VS GSM $509.2 million, Leap Wireless International $482 million.
BT N. America said it opened new Digital Switching Center at Teleport in Washington. New facility will provide customers with international gateway to IP connectivity, digital transmission services and access to BT’s infrastructure.
AT&T Wireless and Japan’s NTT DoCoMo began operating previously-announced alliance to develop next-generation wireless services. NTT DoCoMo bought 16% stake in AT&T Wireless Mon. through acquisition of 406 million shares of preferred tracking stock for $9.8 billion. DoCoMo also bought 5-year warrants to purchase equivalent of additional 41.7 million shares of tracker at $35 per share. Parent company AT&T said it decreased its interest in AT&T Wireless Group by 178 million shares, receiving $20.50 per share from DoCoMo. Remaining 406 million shares that DoCoMo bought came from 228 million newly issued tracker shares at $27 per share. Except for warrants and before AT&T Wireless completes planned spinoff later this year, AT&T said it still had about 70% economic stake in wireless unit. About 14% of economic interest in AT&T Wireless’s operating results will be represented by tracking stock that’s traded publicly, company said. AT&T Wireless reiterated it planned to use $6.2 billion in proceeds from share sale to continue to expand capacity, enlarge footprint, develop wireless Internet projects, invest in other “growth” areas. Parent AT&T plans to use its $3.6 billion part of deal to reduce debt.
U.S. Supreme Court agreed Mon. to hear appeal of decision by 8th U.S. Appeals Court, St. Louis, that vacated FCC’s Total Element Long-Run Incremental Cost (TELRIC) pricing standard for competitive interconnection (CD July 19 p1). Court said it would hear case (Verizon Communications v. FCC) in 2001-2002 session that begins in Oct., meaning decision probably won’t be handed down until about year from now. Appeals were filed by Verizon, WorldCom, FCC, AT&T, General Communications. FCC Gen. Counsel Christopher Wright said agency was pleased court had granted its petition in this case as well as another involving rates that utilities can charge for pole attachments (see below). In both cases, “Congress decided that utilities owning bottleneck facilities must lease them to competitors at reasonable rates,” Wright said.
XM said Mon. it had signed manufacturing contract with Visteon for digital radio service and audio entertainment technology. XM also signed programming agreements with National Lampoon, Firesign Theater and Discovery Channel.
Advanced Tracking Technologies (ATT) announced TravelEyes2 device that uses Global Positioning System (GPS) to track location of vehicles for uses such as tracking mileage for reimbursement, counting time spent at each stop, tracking speed and location of vehicle. Device is update of software consisting mainly of improved graphics, although it now can track tax-deductible mileage compared with other mileage.
Sprint is using 2-way system from Hybrid Networks to deploy Multichannel Multipoint Distribution Service in Melbourne, Fla. Hybrid said it was providing head-end equipment to manage data transmission and bandwidth. Companies didn’t disclose financial terms.
In split decision that left broadcast and cable officials scrambling for clarification, FCC voted 3-2 late Fri. against requiring cable operators and DBS providers to carry both analog and digital signals of TV stations right now. Commission hadn’t actually announced decision at our deadline Mon., although action was said to be imminent. Sources said Commission adopted further notice of proposed rulemaking (FNPRM) that would set high bar for broadcasters to prove that they were entitled to must-carry rights for 2 signals during digital transition. Notice apparently seeks comment on whether dual carriage would violate cable’s constitutional rights to free speech, as cable has insisted. But details remained fuzzy at our deadline.
Nicholas Wodtke, ex-Columbia TriStar International, named senior vp-interactive TV, Sony Pictures Digital Entertainment… Allison Remsen, former NCTA staffer, promoted to press secy., House Minority Whip Bonior (D-Mich.)… Changes at NBC: Barry Stoddard promoted to senior vp-program research, West Coast; Rosalyn Weinman, exec. vp-broadcast content policy and East Coast entertainment, leaves network… Changes at CNBC: Steve Sherman promoted to vp-research; Andrew Warren, NBC, moves to vp-CFO… Philip Lelyveld promoted to vp-digital industry relations, Disney… Changes at Discovery Networks International: Rex Recka promoted to vp-programming & sales operations; Tony Harvin, ex- Motown and Arista Records, named dir.-program sales… James Clifford promoted to senior vp-CDMA technologies, Qualcomm… Promotions at Verizon: Wajeeha Aziz to dir., operations-western N.Y. region; Tarita Miller to dir., operations-N.Y. midstate region… Changes at EMS Technologies: Jay Grove, ex-ViaSat, appointed vp-gen. mgr., EMS Space & Technology Group-Atlanta; Michael Gulledge, ex-Glenayre Electronics, named vp-mktg., Wireless Div… Promotions at The National Telephone Cooperative Association: Marlee Norton to vp-international programs; Barbara Ritter to vp-human resources; Ron Precourt to dir.-training & development; Eleanor Baird to dir. of meetings… Sarah Foss promoted to dir.-mktg., Bcst. Communications Div., Harris Corp… Thomas Hicks III, ex-Greenberg, Traurig, becomes partner, Wilmer, Cutler & Pickering.