Identities of high bidders in June’s advanced wireless services (AWS) auction would be secret until the sale ends, under rules apparently headed for FCC approval. Sources said despite wireless carriers’ opposition, the Wireless Bureau seems inclined for the first time to embrace nondisclosure provisions. The proposal got backing this week from the FTC’s Bureau of Economics.
Howard Buskirk
Howard Buskirk, Executive Senior Editor, joined Warren Communications News in 2004, after covering Capitol Hill for Telecommunications Reports. He has covered Washington since 1993 and was formerly executive editor at Energy Business Watch, editor at Gas Daily and managing editor at Natural Gas Week. Previous to that, he was a staff reporter for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the Greenville News. Follow Buskirk on Twitter: @hbuskirk
Govt. officials and economists clashed Tues. as the NTIA opened a 2-day meeting in D.C. -- part of the build-up to an NTIA report on improving the efficiency of govt. spectrum use. NTIA is investigating whether govt. entities like DoJ should compete for spectrum, subject to budget limits on capital outlays such as buying cars that agents drive.
The FCC, under growing congressional and high-tech sector pressure, is closer to approving a rulemaking opening unused TV channels to unlicensed use, sources said. The final “white spaces” rule could come this summer and would take effect after the DTV transition ends in 2009.
The Technology CEO Council Wed. called on the FCC and NTIA to complete a full analysis of which spectrum bands aren’t being put to the highest and best use. The report should look closely at govt. bands that could be used more efficiently by business, public safety or others, the report said.
800 MHz rebanding is going about as well as expected, given the complexity of the regions completed, a top Sprint Nextel executive said. Of 500 regions in wave 1, about 66 went into alternate dispute resolution when talks failed. About a dozen regions appear headed to the FCC for a decision. The Sprint official spoke on the eve of an 800 MHz Transition Administrator (TA) report being released today (Thurs.).
Carriers must remain on guard against “pretexters” selling cellphone records and other customer proprietary network information (CPNI) even if most data brokers are forced to shut down online sales, 2 top information security experts told us. The gray market, with companies quietly selling information to private investigators and other favored customers, may be harder to shut down. The FCC and FTC are investigating companies that sell data obtained from carriers (CD Feb 12 p1) through pretexting. Legislation is expected in Congress.
Wireless carriers went on the attack last week, urging the FCC to overturn a Dec. 9 order giving 24 MHz of unassigned spectrum in the 2 GHz band to satellite operators ICO and TMI/TerreStar (CD Dec 12 p3). The 2 GHz spectrum is especially valuable because of its adjacency to PCS spectrum, carriers said in comments to the FCC.
John Kneuer, who became acting NTIA dir. with the departure of Michael Gallagher last week (CD Feb 16 p11), is expected to be appointed to the post for the nearly 3 years remaining in the Bush Administration, sources said Thurs. Kneuer could be unseated if another candidate with better political connections emerges, but he’s the clear front runner for the post as the President’s top spectrum and Internet adviser and the head of an agency of almost 300 people.
Interoperable communications needs national focus, plus an outlay of billions, safety personnel can communicate in emergencies, officials first responder told a Wed. hearing by the House Committee on Homeland Security’s Emergency Preparedness, Science & Technology Subcommittee.
In a Tues. notice of proposed rulemaking, the FCC asked a battery of questions about steps the Commission could take to protect customer proprietary network information (CPNI). The Commission at least broaches the possibility of a number of mandates wireless carriers decry as burdensome. An FCC press release on the NPRM preceded the document itself by a week.