Herman & Whiteaker law firm opens, focusing on telecom and broadband, with founding principals Dee Herman and Gregory Whiteaker … Lobbyist Registrations: AT&T, Capitol Hill Strategies, effective May 15 … Public Knowledge hires as associates: Clarissa Ramon, ex-Congressional Hispanic Caucus, for outreach and government affairs; and Martyn Griffen, ex-office of former Rep. Vic Snyder, D-Ark., for government affairs … 9-1-1 Industry Alliance announces board for 2011-2013: Kevin Murray, Mission Critical Partners, chairman; George Heinrichs, Intrado, past chairman; Bill Campbell, Intergraph, vice chairman; Paul Fahey, Cassidian Communications, secretary; Allen Amis, 911 Inc., treasurer … Univision promotes Randy Falco to president and CEO and adds him to board.
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.
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 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).