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).

The National Emergency Numbers Association supported giving the D-block to public safety agencies under legislation introduced this month by Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va. The association previously supported auctioning the D-block commercially as proposed in draft legislation by House Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman, D-Calif., calling that the best approach to secure funding for the network. The Rockefeller bill, which would pay for the public safety network through network leasing and proceeds from incentive and other auctions (CD Aug 9 p3), deals with both public safety’s spectrum and funding shortfalls, NENA President Steve O'Conor said Wednesday. Rockefeller’s “recognition that the public safety wireless broadband network must be integrated with our nation’s 9-1-1 centers demonstrates a clear understanding of their vital role in the emergency response chain,” O'Conor added. The association “also recognizes the significant work” of other lawmakers working on the public safety issue. Several overlapping and conflicting public safety bills have been announced or introduced, including by Rockefeller, Waxman, Sen. Joseph Lieberman, I-Ct., and Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y. Waxman hasn’t introduced his bill, the only one that would enact the National Broadband Plan’s recommendation to auction the D-block. Rockefeller’s committee may hold a public safety hearing next month, after the Senate returns from recess Sept. 13 (CD Aug 25 p2).

SES World Skies successfully avoided signal interference from Intelsat’s stray Galaxy 15 satellite that drifted into SES’s orbital space, both companies said. While the satellite remains within SES’s orbital slot at 131 degrees west, it’s out of range to pose an interference threat to AMC-11, SES World Skies’ satellite in that slot. Galaxy’s expected to exit the AMC-11 orbital space June 7, said Intelsat. Intelsat lost communication with Galaxy in April (CD April 9 p10) and has been unable to keep the satellite from drifting even though its transponders remain active. The companies were concerned the proximity of the two satellites’ active C-band transponders could interrupt service for customers on the AMC-11 satellite.

The FCC Public Safety Bureau introduced a Web page called “Broadband and Public Safety and Homeland Security,” http://www.fcc.gov/pshs/broadband.html, about the commission’s efforts to carry out National Broadband Plan recommendations on behalf of emergency agencies. “The implementation of the plan will include initiatives to bring interoperable communications to America’s first responders through the creation of a nationwide wireless broadband network and new cyber security reporting and monitoring programs; as well as Next Generation 9-1-1 services; emergency alerts and warnings through a variety of outlets (including via television and radio broadcasts (Emergency Alert System), wireless hand-held devices, (such as cell phones and the Internet) and much more,” the bureau said. “The web page includes access to the latest press releases, public notices, field hearings, and presentations.”

The four co-chairs of the Congressional E-911 Caucus are introducing bipartisan legislation to upgrade 911 call centers nationwide and toughen penalties for states that divert 911 funds for other purposes. The bill also would move the national E-911 Implementation Coordination Office to the NTIA. Reps. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., and John Shimkus, R-Ill., introduced the 2010 Next-Generation 9-1-1 Preservation Act (HR-4829) in the House on Friday. Sens. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and Richard Burr, R-N.C., plan to introduce a Senate version on Monday, said an Eshoo spokesman.

Congress should consider legislation to withhold federal funds from states that spend 911 money for unrelated purposes, said a public safety coalition including the National Emergency Number Association. In a letter Wednesday to House and Senate Commerce Committee chairmen and ranking members, the coalition said states including Georgia, Maryland, New York and Wisconsin “raided or diverted” money last year in violation of federal restrictions. “In the current budget climate, the message should be clear that Congress will not provide federal funds for 9-1-1 and homeland security to a state that does not properly spend money already in its coffers,” the coalition said. Congress could require the FCC to share results of its annual report on state 911 activities with the Office of Management and Budget and all federal agencies that run public-safety grant programs, it said. “This information could then be taken into consideration as a factor when determining eligibility for federal public safety grants.” Congress should ask the FCC what additional steps the commission can take to prevent the practice, the coalition said. “For example, while the FCC is tasked with enforcing ’truth in billing’ requirements on commercial licensees, the Commission could also enforce a requirement that states be truthful about the fees they impose on consumers that are collected by carriers."

A proposed Emergency Response Interoperability Center (ERIC) would be housed at the FCC in the Public Safety Bureau and would come under a Public Safety Advisory Board, according to a concept paper posted on the FCC website. Meanwhile, public safety groups and companies that serve them said they liked what they heard at Thursday’s FCC meeting about public safety recommendations coming in the National Broadband Plan -- especially a recommendation on the need for a next-generation 911 network.

The FCC was flooded with more than 100,000 comments and other filings on its October rulemaking notice that would deepen the FCC’s oversight of net neutrality as well as expand the rules to cover wireless. There were few surprises, with lines long drawn in the battle. Some major industry players including AT&T and Verizon are hinting at a legal challenge if the rules are adopted as proposed. A few traditional opponents found room for compromise.