Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's plans to use "enhanced safety inspections of vehicles as they cross international ports of entry into Texas" to prevent illegal immigration threatens to further overload the already strained supply chain, the Border Trade Alliance said April 8. Abbott said he instructed the Texas Department of Public Safety to inspect commercial vehicles coming into the U.S. due to the coming end of a policy that prevented migrants from entering the U.S. during the pandemic. "I know in advance this is going to dramatically slow traffic from Mexico into Texas," he said. The BTA said it opposes any "state-level action that results in an inspection process that duplicates the inspections already performed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, whose work at the land border ports of entry is informed by highly attuned risk assessment models, intelligence gathering, and a commitment to the agency’s dual mission of enforcement and facilitation."
Cogeco's Breezeline unveiled its Internet Assist Plus package aimed at subscribers eligible under the FCC's affordable connectivity program (ACP). It said IAP provides service of up to 100 Mbps and an ACP discount of up to $30 a month for broadband service, or up to $75 a month on qualifying tribal lands.
The Commerce Department's finding that two EU agriculture subsidies -- the Basic Payment Scheme and sustainable land use (Greening) payments -- are de jure specific is illegal and defies a key past court ruling, exporters Agro Sevilla Aceitunas and Angel Camacho Alimentacion said in an April 6 complaint at the Court of International Trade. Building off a case currently at the trade court in which the court held that these subsidies are not de jure specific, Agro Sevilla and Camacho also challenged Commerce's definitions of "prior stage product" and "latter stage product," among other things (Agro Sevilla Aceitunas S. Coop. v. United States, CIT #22-00106).
Rep. Kevin Brady, R-Texas, the top Republican on the House Ways and Means Committee, suggested that a provision in the Senate China package that the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative must establish an exclusion process would garner bipartisan support across both chambers.
Industry groups and ISPs participating in the FCC’s affordable connectivity program sought more time to comply with the program’s non-usage tracking rule. Comment posted Friday in docket 21-450 backed a USTelecom petition for an additional 60 days after the April 15 deadline (see 2203230041).
The FCC Wireless Bureau approved a waiver Thursday allowing the Virginia Department of State Police to increase power output for its mobile transmitters from 60 watts to 100 watts, using a maximum effective radiated power of 150 watts, as the agency works to increase the capacity of its existing land mobile radio network. “Grant of this waiver will allow VA State Police to upgrade its system to a more spectrally efficient technology, allowing it to continue unique public safety missions,” the bureau said. The Statewide Agencies Radio System “supports 22 state agencies, facilitates interoperability with local governments and federal agencies, and is routinely called upon to meet new communications and interoperability needs such as multi-agency response to public safety emergencies, requiring the addition of many new users,” the bureau said.
Nova Labs received $200 million in funding from investors led by Tiger Global and Andreessen Horowitz for its Helium Network, which offers “decentralized wireless networks powered by crypto incentives,” CEO Amir Haleem blogged Wednesday. “The funding will enable Nova Labs to invest in the Helium ecosystem through hiring additional development resources, accelerating continued wireless protocol support, and building new applications on top of the Helium Network,” Haleem said. In October, Dish Network became “the first major carrier to utilize the Helium Network’s crypto incentive model,” he said: “Today, telecommunications companies like Deutsche Telekom, Liberty Global, NGP Capital back Nova Labs as investors.” The network “consists of more than 682,000 Hotspots built by third-party manufacturers” and is “used daily by companies ranging from titans of the Fortune 500 to local businesses,” he said.
Nova Labs received $200 million in funding from investors led by Tiger Global and Andreessen Horowitz for its Helium Network, which offers “decentralized wireless networks powered by crypto incentives,” CEO Amir Haleem blogged Wednesday. “The funding will enable Nova Labs to invest in the Helium ecosystem through hiring additional development resources, accelerating continued wireless protocol support, and building new applications on top of the Helium Network,” Haleem said. In October, Dish Network became “the first major carrier to utilize the Helium Network’s crypto incentive model,” he said: “Today, telecommunications companies like Deutsche Telekom, Liberty Global, NGP Capital back Nova Labs as investors.” The network “consists of more than 682,000 Hotspots built by third-party manufacturers” and is “used daily by companies ranging from titans of the Fortune 500 to local businesses,” he said.
FedEx will partner with Elroy Air to test autonomous drone “middle-mile” cargo delivery beginning in 2023, said the companies Wednesday. Elroy describes itself as building the first “end-to-end autonomous vertical take-off and landing aerial cargo system.” The program’s main thrust will be moving shipments between “sortation locations,” said FedEx. “The exponential growth of e-commerce has accelerated the demand for reliable, efficient transportation and logistics solutions throughout all stages of the supply chain.”
FedEx will partner with Elroy Air to test autonomous drone “middle-mile” cargo delivery beginning in 2023, said the companies Wednesday. Elroy describes itself as building the first “end-to-end autonomous vertical take-off and landing aerial cargo system.” The program’s main thrust will be moving shipments between “sortation locations,” said FedEx. “The exponential growth of e-commerce has accelerated the demand for reliable, efficient transportation and logistics solutions throughout all stages of the supply chain.”