GSM Assn. reached agreement with TDMA wireless group Universal Wireless Communications Consortium (UWCC) to include TDMA interoperability with GSM as component of GSM Global Roaming Forum. Point of forum is to foster interoperability of GSM and non-GSM technologies with goal of intrastandard roaming among carriers. Groups said GSM and TDMA interoperability, through GSM/ANSI-136 Interoperability, has been under discussion since 1999. Agreement between 2 wireless groups brought development work under purview of roaming forum. Forum develops technical requirements for terminals, networking and commercial standards for services, billing and financial settlements.
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FCC turned down Motorola petition for reconsideration in 700 MHz order that modified agency’s service rules. Rule change allowed base station transmitters to operate in both lower and upper commercial 700 MHz band after Commission concluded alteration wouldn’t be likely to cause additional interference for public safety operators. FCC said change would provide for broadest possible spectrum use and expand participation in 700 MHz bidding. Agency rules had required commercial base stations to transmit in lower block frequencies of 747-762 MHz and corresponding mobile stations to transmit in upper block of 777- 792 MHz. Responding to several reconsideration petitions, Commission later altered policy in effort not to limit scope of new offerings in bands. Specifically, FCC said in order released Fri. that modification would let licensees configure systems to avoid potential interference to mobile receivers operating in lower block frequencies from TV stations in Ch. 56-59. Motorola petition cited concerns that change allowing base stations to operate in both upper and lower commercial bands would cause interference. Interference concerns stemmed from base station transmitters in upper block potentially creating problems for public safety base station receivers in nearby 794-806 MHz. Latest order said Commission was “unpersuaded” by new technical analysis submitted by Motorola. Adaptive Broadband Corp., ArrayComm, BellSouth and TRW had all opposed Motorola petition.
Without actually announcing his resignation or future plans, FCC Chmn. Kennard said farewell to fellow commissioners and agency staffers at Commission’s open meeting Thurs. In packed, emotional session filled with others’ tributes to his warmth, good humor and commitment to helping minorities, disabled and native Americans, Kennard acknowledged he was chairing his last FCC meeting and wished his successor “a great deal of success.” Choked up and admittedly “overwhelmed” at times, Kennard repeatedly thanked staffers and commissioners for their support and hard work and said he had been “proud and very privileged” to head Commission.
FCC denied Small Business in Telecom (SBT) petitions to deny applications of Radiofone Nationwide and Harbor Wireless, winners of 700 MHz guard band auctions. Action Thurs. also held that SBT had no standing as petitioner and that petitions, which asserted that applicants should have disclosed personal income of controlling interest holders for purposes of determining qualification for bidding credit as very small business, lacked merit.
Convergence of technologies is spurring “surprisingly” strong push by govt. agencies into telecom market, but phenomenon won’t help achieve desired goal of lower costs and more rapid deployment of services, Progress & Freedom Foundation said in study released Jan. 10. More than 200 state and local govts. are providing telecom services, with 100 offering cable service and others everything from Internet to local telephony, said study titled Does Government Belong in the Telecom Business? Argument that govt. involvement can provide benchmark of real costs of providing service, thereby helping regulators set prices at appropriate levels, is myth, study said, because municipal utilities, like other govt. entities, benefit from “plethora of tax and regulatory advantages not available to the private sector": (1) Municipalities are able to issue tax-free debt. (2) They have access to public rights-of-way on terms not available to private companies. (3) They “avoid” franchise fees and other “taxes” that private companies must pay. (4) They aren’t subject to generally accepted accounting practices. (5) They often receive interest- free loans or outright public subsidies. As result of subsidies and advantages, public utilities never provide accurate gauge of true costs of providing service but distort marketplace, study said. Because subsidies allow public utilities to “undercut” prices charged by private companies, they deter entry by real competitors and thus prevent marketplace from setting cost-based prices, it said. Study said govt. agencies that had entered telecom business had been saddled with financial losses and obsolete, legacy technologies. It said such entry distorted marketplace incentives and slowed development of private sector competition. Study said govt. role in telecom marketplace must be confined to removal of regulatory barriers to private deployment of services and reduction of telecom taxes that “account for over 18% of the typical telephone bill.” Recent study by foundation found that high telecom taxes cause one million fewer households to have 2nd telephone line.
Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) counsel David Sobel said location technology for wireless phones has “issues that need to be addressed soon.” Sobel said there “is very spotty legislation” in this area. Most important is question of legal standards required for law enforcement to gain access to location information, he said.
Mich. Gov. John Engler appointed Laura Chapelle as new PSC chmn., succeeding John Strand, who recently resigned to head Mich. Legislative Advisory Council. Chapelle, who was Engler’s deputy legal counsel, will serve out 6 months remaining in Strand’s term. Her background is in energy regulation and legislation. Nomination is subject to Senate confirmation.
At last min., FCC once again delayed votes on 3 digital TV items scheduled for consideration at its open meeting Thurs. Commission, which first postponed action on DTV issues last month, didn’t indicate reason for latest delay. But, in his swan song meeting at Commission, FCC Chmn. Kennard pledged that agency would act on all 3 items no later than Jan. 17, just before he’s expected to step down from his post in favor of Republican successor (see separate story, this issue).
PASADENA NBC Entertainment Pres. Jeff Zucker, who has been in job less than month, told TV critics at their semiannual annual tour here that “our bread and butter remains sitcoms and dramas and we will ultimately live and die on that.” But “obviously,” he said, with threat of strikes against networks and movie companies (CD Jan 11 p3), “we're going to look at nonscripted programming.” His boss, NBC West Coast Pres. Scott Sassa, said “some form of alternative programming” had become necessity for all networks. To that end, he said, NBC has 4 nonscripted shows in various stages of production -- 2 in-house and 2 from outside producers. Network bought reality quiz show Weakest Link from BBC that’s expected to be ready for airing in spring.
NASA’s NEAR Shoemaker spacecraft will begin low-altitude passes over 433 Eros asteroid Jan. 24, getting as close as one to 2 miles Jan. 28 before Feb. 12 crash landing on asteroid’s surface. Spacecraft’s descent will allow its digital camera to take close-ups of asteroid’s landscape until it reaches 1,650 ft. above surface. NEAR Shoemaker isn’t expected to survive maneuver since it wasn’t designed to land.