Frank M. Kratokvil, 95, long-time FCC engineer who retired in 1965, died of complications from diabetes March 15 at Doctors Community Hospital, Lanham, Md. Electrical engineering graduate of Ill. Institute of Technology in 1929, he joined then Federal Radio Commission. During World War II, he headed team of engineers that helped decipher German and Japanese coded radio transmissions. He worked in various capacities, including chief, in what was then FCC Field Engineering Bureau when it was in charge of 2 dozen monitoring stations in U.S. Kratokvil was avid amateur radio operator for 75 years and official of Amateur Radio Relay League. Wife, 2 children survive.
NTIA Wed. released long list of participants for April 4-5 Spectrum Summit aimed at developing more efficient use of spectrum and finding spectrum for new technologies. Sessions will include speeches by FCC and Dept. of Commerce officials as well as numerous panels. Some panels focus on types of experts such as spectrum users, economists and analysts, “technologists and futurists.” Two other panels will look at spectrum management and international issues, with panelists representing users, industry, regulators. For example, spectrum management panel has 14 members, including representatives of AT&T Wireless, CTIA, NTIA, city govt., Assn. of American Railroads, FCC, Motorola, other govt. agencies. April 4 sessions will be held at Dept. of Commerce auditorium, 1401 Constitution Ave. N.W. April 5 sessions will be at Ronald Reagan International Trade Center, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W.
ORLANDO -- FCC Comr. Copps told Latin American Conference at CTIA Wireless 2002 here Wed. that U.S. and Latin America could benefit from “more consistent and more intensive dialog,” citing policy areas such as homeland security issues and cooperative efforts. On homeland security, he said making communications systems interoperable and providing for redundancy “is a challenge that faces all of us.” Conference, sponsored by Latin American Wireless Industry Assn. (Alacel) and Cibernet, focused on wireless challenges facing Latin American countries, including persistently low teledensity in some countries and sharp downturn in telecom investment. Telecom investment, which Copps called “crucial driver” of economic change, “is coming back sooner rather than later,” he said: “I think the path is beginning to turn a little bit. I think in the last couple of weeks or so there is a little more optimism.”
FCC should create new class of radio station designated as “Free Speech Stations,” Minority Media & Telecom Council (MMTC) said. Proposal was made in comments on FCC rulemaking on local radio ownership. MMTC said new stations should devote at least 20 evening hours per week primarily to nonentertainment programming, such as news, public affairs, religious programming and public service, and would be full power. Rest of time could be devoted to entertainment programming under proposal. MMTC said plan would be interesting primarily for group owning multiple stations in market since it would allow it to own additional station.
House Commerce Committee Chmn. Tauzin (R-La.) and ranking Democrat Dingell (Mich.) got their chance Wed. to attempt to convince Senate Commerce Committee their data deregulation bill (HR-1542) was worthy of consideration. As expected, Chmn. Hollings (D-S.C.) again said bill appeared to be “wolf lurking in sheep’s clothing,” providing “smokescreen” for Bell remonopolization. Several members were supportive of Tauzin’s and Dingell’s efforts in bringing issue of broadband deployment to forefront of congressional debate. However, members indicated Tauzin-Dingell bill in its current form probably wouldn’t survive in Senate. Members’ views of bill were mixed, as were industry responses to committee’s general call for further assessment of technology policy.
ORLANDO -- One theme that emerged at CTIA Wireless 2002 here this week was need for more flexible federal spectrum policy, although govt. and industry officials pointed to new crop of questions raised by regulatory changes in that direction. “It’s an important concept and I congratulate the FCC for introducing it,” said Brian Fontes, vp-federal relations, Cingular Wireless. “However, I express a great deal of caution as you address the issue of flexibility that it doesn’t have the effect of reallocation,” he said on panel discussion. Flexible allocation issues have involved secondary markets proceeding at FCC, Spectrum Policy Task Force recently created by Commission and pending proceedings such as New ICO petition to deploy terrestrial services in mobile satellite service spectrum.
It would be “preposterous” for Verizon to count its short-lived NorthPoint investment toward meeting out-of- region financing requirement of Bell Atlantic-GTE merger, AT&T said in comments filed with FCC March 19. Verizon has asked FCC for permission to include $150 million investment in failed DSL provider NorthPoint toward $500 million it must spend to meet one of conditions placed on Bell Atlantic-GTE merger. It’s “particularly preposterous in light of NorthPoint’s lawsuit against Verizon” for pulling out of deal with NorthPoint, AT&T said. Verizon pulled out of NorthPoint deal in Nov. 2000, citing “deterioration” of latter’s financial condition. Pointing to NorthPoint’s suit, AT&T said “far from being an investment to compete out-of-region with the local incumbent LEC, Verizon allegedly made this investment to eliminate a competitor by driving that competitor into bankruptcy.” Assn. of Communications Enterprises (ASCENT) said Verizon’s request “should be summarily dismissed” because company’s investment in NorthPoint didn’t satisfy specific requirements in BA-GTE merger order: “Whether or not made in good faith, the investment did not result in the provision of out-of-region service, out-of-region competition by Verizon against other incumbent [LECs], or the acquisition of facilities, operating support systems or equipment used to service out-of-region customers.”
ORLANDO -- FCC Office of Engineering & Technology Chief Ed Thomas said one of spectrum questions he would like to see addressed in coming months was whether different rules applied to govt. and industry users. “One of the debates is, does the same set of rules apply to both government and industry,” he said in speech at IEEE Wireless Communications & Networking Conference here that was held alongside CTIA Wireless 2002. “Is it different in time of national emergency as opposed to normal times? There’s all sorts of debates that are extremely profound and have to be worked out.” Thomas told us later that question was among those he would like newly created Spectrum Policy Task Force at FCC to address. Commission plans to issue public notice seeking industry and govt. feedback on questions that task force should examine, he said.
Qwest told its home-state regulators it expected completion of regional operation support system (OSS) testing program by April 5. For most states, final decisions on whether Qwest meets Sec. 271 requirements for interLATA long distance entry hinge on whether it passes OSS tests. All Qwest states except Ariz. are participating in regional OSS testing. Assuming Qwest passes tests as expected and states rule promptly on whether to endorse its long distance entry, carrier said it hoped to file first wave of applications at FCC by early May, with Colo. among first filed. Another round will be filed in early summer, Qwest said, with last states in 3rd quarter.
Hallmark Channel CEO Lana Corbi was in Washington this week to meet with members of House Telecom Subcommittee as well as FCC staff. She told reporters her message was simply that dual must-carry was wrong policy and that independent cable networks such as hers would have tougher time negotiating carriage agreements if broadcasters got 2 bites of apple. While she wasn’t disputing broadcasters’ right to be carried, Corbi questioned whether they should be allowed to eat up so much cable system capacity by having guaranteed analog and digital carriage. She said Hallmark channel was willing to compete with others for carriage but wanted “level playing field.” Corbi also expressed concerns about consolidation among cable MSOs, saying reaching carriage agreements with fewer and fewer players was critical for success of her network, which now is carried on systems passing 44 million homes. Hallmark, which is owned by Crown Media, hopes to be in 50 million homes by end of 2002 and reach 60 million shortly thereafter.