The FCC plans to testify at a tribal broadband hearing Tuesday in the Senate Commerce Committee. Geoffrey Blackwell, FCC chief of the Native Affairs and Policy office, is a scheduled witness, the committee said Monday. Also testifying: Sacred Wind Communications CEO John Badal; Alapaki Nahale-a, chairman of the Department of Hawaiian Homelands; Native Public Media President Loris Taylor; and Myron Naneng, president of the Association of Village Council Presidents. The hearing will be at 2:30 p.m. in Room 253, Russell Senate Office Building.
The FCC plans to testify at a tribal broadband hearing Tuesday in the Senate Commerce Committee. Geoffrey Blackwell, FCC chief of the Native Affairs and Policy office, is a scheduled witness, the committee said Monday. Also testifying: Sacred Wind Communications CEO John Badal; Alapaki Nahale-a, chairman of the Department of Hawaiian Homelands; Native Public Media President Loris Taylor; and Myron Naneng, president of the Association of Village Council Presidents. The hearing will be at 2:30 p.m. in Room 253, Russell Senate Office Building.
To counter an erroneous and negative portrait of life in southwest U.S. border cities, on April 1, 2011 Department of Homeland Security Secretary Napolitano and Customs and Border Protection Deputy Commissioner Aguilar spoke at a Washington, D.C., event about effective partnerships with state, local, tribal and international governments—particularly Mexico.
The Senate Commerce Committee announced a hearing on tribal broadband for April 5. Senators will discuss closing the digital divide for tribal nations and communities, the committee said Tuesday. The hearing will be at 2:30 p.m. in Room 253, Russell Senate Office Building.
The Senate Commerce Committee announced a hearing on tribal broadband for April 5. Senators will discuss closing the digital divide for tribal nations and communities, the committee said Tuesday. The hearing will be at 2:30 p.m. in Room 253, Russell Senate Office Building.
The Rural Utilities Service (RUS) is trying to drum up interest in its revived rural broadband loan program, but impending Universal Service Fund and intercarrier compensation overhauls are making some rural telcos leery about getting in line, some rural lobbyists said. The RUS expects to have up to $800 million available this year to offer to rural broadband projects. But “this program may be a vestige of an antiquated technology and an antiquated concept,” said Rural Cellular Association President Steve Berry. “It may well be the money can be used for better things.”
EchoStar’s purchase of Hughes could lead to a policy shift by the second company on the Universal Service revamp because the acquiree has voiced different positions on the issue from the acquirer, FCC filings show. Hughes, which has previously said satellite broadband should be left out of the USF and Connect America fund, could change its position if EchoStar takes over. A united satellite broadband front would “be a big positive for the industry and provide a very strong response to the FCC” General Counsel Lisa Scalpone of WildBlue said in an interview.
A new bill that would legalize and tax online gambling is identical to one introduced by Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., last year, Rep. John Campbell, R-Calif., said in an interview. He introduced the Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection and Enforcement Act. It’s co-sponsored by Frank, ranking member of the House Financial Services Committee, and Reps. Peter King, R-N.Y., and Ed Perlmutter, D-Colo. HR-1176 mirrors Frank’s HR-2267, which was introduced and approved in Financial Services last year. The provisions are the same partly because it “was the result of a completely open legislative process and passed the committee,” Campbell said. “It’s the same and what I think the strength is are the consumer protections that are in there.” If adopted, HR-1176 would establish a federal, state and tribal licensing system to “ensure that licenses are issued only to Internet gambling operators which meet strict criteria to protect consumers,” the bill said. It also would give the Treasury Department jurisdiction over license applications. Some of the safeguards required from gambling operators include those that combat fraud, money laundering and compulsive Internet gambling, the bill said. Privacy and security protections also are required. People are gambling online right now, Campbell said. But “they're using offshore sites and have absolutely no protections,” he said. The measure doesn’t create a new federal bureaucracy and it has a lot of economic potential, he said. Campbell said he expects the bill to have bipartisan support, and also opposition. The bill will be open to changes as it moves forward, he added. The provisions urging new technologies to prevent underage play and abuse help to expand consumer protections that aren’t included in the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, the Poker Players Alliance said. It also supported Frank’s bill last year (WID Nov 15 p1). Campbell’s bill would not apply to sports betting.
On March 9, 2011, the Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control held a hearing on “Money Laundering and Bulk Cash Smuggling across the Southwest Border,” where CBP Commissioner Alan Bersin discussed agency efforts along the Southwest border, including the 100% scanning of southbound rail shipments. In addition, an ICE official discussed that agency’s efforts along the Southwest border, including the training of Mexican customs officials.1
Mobile satellite service satellites and spectrum could end up in the hands of the major wireless players after MSS companies move through their bankruptcies, said several panelists at the Satellite 2011 conference in Washington. The panelists showed a reticence to predict who will end up with the MSS assets, but many pointed to the wireless players as a logical end, due in part to the FCC’s focus on making that spectrum available for terrestrial use.