Skybridge, DirecTV and EchoStar joined Satellite Bcstg. & Communications Assn. in filing petitions Tues. asking FCC to reconsider decision to allow terrestrial Multichannel Video Distribution & Data Services (MVDDS), including startup Northpoint, to share spectrum with satellite operators in 12.2- 12.7 GHz band (CD March 14 p3). PanAmSat and Skybridge also filed motions for reconsideration in effort to amend rulemaking and order (R&O) that would permit nongeostationary satellite orbit (NGSO) fixed-satellite service (FSS) providers to share frequencies in Ku-band with geostationary orbit FSS systems. Each of petitions filed involved critical spectrum-sharing issues that Commission made in crucial R&Os in Jan. (CD Jan 31 p3).
AT&T late last week offered proposal to FCC aimed at reducing CLEC access charges to level charged by incumbent LECs within year’s time. Plan is 2nd one proposed to agency, which is expected to act in 2-3 months to rein in CLEC prices that can be 14 times what ILECs charge long distance companies. AT&T has proposed that FCC immediately reduce originating and terminating access charges to 1.2 cents, which carrier said still would be twice what incumbent LECs charge, and then drop rates further over year. ALTS 2 months ago proposed another plan to reduce rates to 2.5 cents per min. on either end, which Assn. said would be 60% reduction from 4.27 cents CLECs now charge on average.
L.A. officials met with FCC staff recently to press for open access requirements on all cable operators and cable must-carry status for local Hispanic broadcasting station. In March 13 ex parte filing with Commission, L.A. City Councilman Alex Padilla, Govt. Representative Diego Alvarez and Asst. City Attorney Edward Perez urged agency to adopt “a uniform national open access policy” that matched or went beyond obligations imposed on AOL Time Warner by FTC and FCC. Otherwise, “some consumers in the same jurisdiction will have the benefits of open access while others will not,” they argued. They also stressed benefits of competition and First Amendment implications. In separate must- carry case, 3 city officials urged FCC to reverse itself and approve bid by Costa de Oro, L.A.-area station that presents bilingual programming. Calling agency’s failure to grant request “inequitable result” that denies more than one million Hispanic viewers access to station’s programming, officials said. Commission should consider “both the public interest and First Amendment issues” raised by station’s bid.
NextG Corp. requested that FCC determine Exempt Telecommunications Company status under Public Utility Holding Company Act. Incorporating in Nev., NextG said it would offer technical and administrative services to enable broadband interfaces for ESPs, DTV broadcasters and Internet service providers to install and use network interface equipment for Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6) and MPEG-4 DTV broadband Internet services. Application said NextG intended to provide: (1) Broadband Internet2 Third Generation (3G) wireless and landline products and services. (2) Video PDA and other information network interfaces through affiliate and nonaffiliated companies. NextG proposed to establish and operate on-premises equipment facility to provide R&D for IP v6 network Internet appliances, DTV MPEG 4 video cell phone products and services, broadband GPRS/CDMA/GSM interfaces for utility company wireless and landlines. Comments to FCC are due March 30.
FCC Consumer/Disability Telecommunications Advisory Committee will hold its first meeting March 26, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. in Commission meeting room. Committee is composed of 40 representatives of business, academia, consumer and disability organizations, Hispanic groups, Indian tribes. Intended to assist in serving consumers, including those with disabilities, committee is divided into 3 subcommittee working groups: (1) Consumer Protection and Education. (2) Access by People with Disabilities. (3) Availability and Affordability of Telecommunications Products and Services. Meeting, which is open to public, is chaired by consumer advocate Shirley Rooker, pres. of syndicated radio program Call For Action. Chmn. Powell and Comrs. Ness, Furchtgott-Roth and Tristani will make welcoming comments.
Walt Disney Co. took issue with bid by Network Affiliated Stations Alliance (NASA) for FCC inquiry into allegedly “unlawful network tactics and practices” (CD March 9 p2). In letter to FCC Asst. Gen. Counsel John Riffer Mon., Disney attorney Erwin Krasnow called NASA petition “questionable procedurally, substantively flawed and ill timed” and said it should be dismissed. Noting that competition to broadcasters from cable, DBS, wireless cable and Internet services had emerged in last 2 decades, Krasnow argued that “there is absolutely no reason to revisit the issue of network power given that the Commission previously considered and consistently rejected similar allegations at times when broadcast networks had far fewer competitors than today.” He also said it was “curious that the petition is spearheaded by the very same affiliates who own television stations and daily newspapers and who are pressing hard for repeal of the newspaper/broadcast cross- ownership rule.” He urged FCC to reject petition without even waiting for public comments.
FCC let AT&T off hook on MediaOne deal compliance conditions Fri. evening, suspending 2 pending deadlines for company to dispose of some key cable assets. In 3-1 vote, Commission said it was lifting deadlines to give itself “an opportunity to determine the relationship, if any,” between obligations that agency imposed on AT&T-MediaOne acquisition and recent U.S. Appeals Court, D.C., ruling that held cable ownership limits to be unconstitutional. Brief order covers both May 19 deadline for AT&T to sell its 25.5% stake in Time Warner Entertainment (TWE), spin off Liberty Media or shed cable systems with 9.7 million subscribers and today’s deadline for AT&T to state whether it would be able to comply by May 19. Agency officials offered no guidance on when they would decide whether to seek rehearing by appellate court, appeal to U.S. Supreme Court or change congressionally required limits.
Whether it’s “the new [Powell] Commission or prior Commissions,” provisions of Communications Act banning broadcast indecency aren’t being enforced, Comr. Tristani charged. “We have a very clear law” on indecency, she told us in explaining her recent statements objecting to several Enforcement Bureau actions dismissing indecency complaints (CD March 1 p9). Law already has been upheld many times by courts, so there’s no First Amendment issue or need for congressional action, she said in interview: “This is about protecting our children.”
Coalition of 21 broadcasters and others urged FCC to delay its pending auction of 700 MHz spectrum yet another time so that they could have more time to work out private deals to vacate TV Ch. 60-69. Led by Paxson, group representing 42% of 99 analog stations now operating in that spectrum petitioned Commission to postpone auction to next Jan. from Sept. 12. Group, which also includes Entravision Holdings, Jovan Bcstg., Pappas Telecasting, Shop at Home and Sinclair Bcst. Group, proposed 8-step band- clearing plan that generally would allow in-band broadcasters to switch to their digital slot or another station’s analog position. Paxson Chmn. Lowell Paxson said he expected more broadcasters to sign petition in next few weeks.
LAS VEGAS -- Several Latin American regulators, speaking on prelude to CTIA Wireless 2001 show here, urged greater regional harmonization of wireless rules and frequency selections as policymakers wrestled with issues such as how to bolster universal service and roll out 3G. “We have not achieved total integration in Latin America to facilitate communications,” Argentina’s Communications Secy. Henoch Aguiar said, noting that in some cases it’s more expensive to connect between 2 countries in region than with callers elsewhere.