The National Public Safety Telecommunications Council warned of recurring concerns about threats to public safety operations posed by LightSquared’s proposed terrestrial service. In a letter to FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski, NPSTC said, “Public safety relies on the reception of GPS for wireless 9-1-1 location, dispatch of ‘closest responder’ based on GPS location, mapping/response directions to responders based on GPS, synchronization of simulcast systems across the country based on GPS time signals and a myriad of other mission critical functions.” The group said it has had its own team of public safety officials examining GPS interference issues raised in the LightSquared proceeding.

For the second month in a row, the FCC won’t take on any high-profile issues at its monthly meeting. The agenda for the June 9 open meeting lists four items, none likely to excite much attention (CD May 23 p6). The May meeting’s agenda was similarly light (CD May 13 p 9).

The FCC unanimously (4-0) approved a rulemaking notice during its open meeting Thursday that asks whether and how the commission should apply 911 outage reporting rules to voice over Internet protocol and broadband networks. Republican Commissioner Robert McDowell approved the rulemaking, but concurred, “narrowly,” on the section that asks whether the FCC has the power to mandate data collection. “All Americans rightly expect their calls to go through,” he said, but “we do not have Congress’s authority to act as suggested.”

George Rice, ex-Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials, becomes executive director, 9-1-1 Industry Alliance; at APCO, Deputy Executive Director Mark Cannon becomes interim executive director … Bravo Media names Jennifer Geisser , ex-Hallmark Channel, senior vice president, communications … ION Media Networks adds Douglas Holloway, ex-NBC, president-multichannel distribution … Cox Communications promotes Kelly Williams to vice present of wireless product and operations … New TV technology firm BlackArrow adds Don Gordon, ex-Microsoft, as senior vice president-technology.

A wireless signal booster order scheduled for a vote at the FCC’s April 7 meeting could get pulled for further work, after Verizon Wireless, the National Emergency Number Association and APCO raised 911 concerns, agency officials said Tuesday. Verizon Wireless, joined by NENA, flagged a technical concern in rules for acceptable booster design in a series of meetings at the FCC. “Verizon explained that the proposed safeguards relating to automatic gain control and oscillation detection are insufficient to address harmful interference to E-911 network operation and services,” said an ex parte filing. “NENA expressed concern about the threats to public safety from unauthorized and/or improperly installed signal boosters, including harmful interference to commercial users attempting to dial 911 and degrading the performance of E-911 location accuracy technology.” APCO sent the commission a letter Tuesday also raising concerns. “The docket in this proceeding includes evidence that boosters can create dangerous interference to other cellular users (including those who may be trying to dial 9-1-1) and to public safety land mobile operations in adjacent portions of the 800 MHz frequency band,” APCO said.

March 14 FCC Communications Security, Reliability and Interoperability Council meeting, 9 a.m., Commission Meeting Room -- 202-418-1096

Feb. 26-March 1 National Religious Broadcasters convention, with House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center, Nashville -- www.nrbconvention.org

Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., will be the House Communications Subcommittee’s ranking member. Commerce Committee Democrats chose her over Rep. Bobby Rush, D-Ill., in a 14-9 vote Wednesday, a Rush spokeswoman said. Eshoo got the job although she has less seniority than Rush, who had pushed publicly for the job. Democrats voted unanimously to elect Rush the Energy subcommittee’s ranking member, his spokeswoman said. Eshoo, whose district includes part of Silicon Valley, is the first woman to fill a leadership role on the subcommittee. She was recently named a co-chair of the Congressional Internet Caucus. Eshoo is a “strong champion of preserving an open Internet,” a written statement from her office said: She plans to “work with her colleagues on expanding high-speed, affordable broadband, protecting electronic privacy, freeing up more spectrum and transitioning our nation’s 9-1-1 system to a next generation, IP-based network."

The FCC adopted a notice of inquiry Tuesday asking for guidance on building the “next generation” of 911. The 5-0 vote was overshadowed by a lengthy discussion of net neutrality rules, but commission Chairman Julius Genachowski said the 911 measure is long overdue. “It’s time to bring 9-1-1 into the digital age,” he said in prepared remarks. “If you find yourself in an emergency situation and want to send a text for help, you can pretty much text anyone except a 9-1-1 call center."

The Mexican government will pay Boeing $1.31 billion to deliver an “end-to-end satellite communications system,” the company said Monday. The delivery consists of three satellites: One fixed satellite services satellite and two mobile satellite services satellite. Boeing said it will contract out construction of the FSS satellite to Orbital Sciences. The system will also include two ground sites, associated network operations systems and user terminals, said Boeing. The contract is Boeing’s second $1 billion, three-satellite contract within five months, after a major deal with Inmarsat (CD Aug 9 p9).