Citing possible harm to newscasters, NAB urged the FCC to reject a proposal to make available for private land mobile radio (PLMR) use frequencies on the band edge between industrial/business (I/B) and broadcast auxiliary service (BAS) spectrum. NAB and others commented Tuesday on an NPRM to expand access to PLMR spectrum (see 1608180045). “The Commission should not adopt this proposal, as it creates an unacceptable risk of harmful interference,” NAB said in docket 16-261. "BAS operations are critical to the operation of broadcast stations, and BAS spectrum is already severely constrained in many markets and at many news events. The proposal to expand I/B spectrum at 450 MHz would compound the reduction in BAS spectrum that will already occur as a result of the incentive auction. This would be contrary to FCC and ITU regulations and would significantly impact broadcasters’ ability to provide news coverage with negligible benefit to PLMR users.” The commission previously decided not to assign a channel for PLMR operations that would overlap BAS spectrum, NAB said. “The NPRM provides no analysis to show how such BAS and IB uses can co-exist without interference occurring and no explanation as to why the Commission’s previous decisions were in error and should be changed. Abruptly reversing course with no justification would be arbitrary and capricious and contrary to law as well as poor spectrum policy.” But the National Association of Manufacturers and MRFAC, a certified frequency coordinator for private land mobile bands, jointly supported adding UHF channels between PLMR and BAS spectrum, saying "access to additional frequencies would help relieve spectrum congestion affecting manufacturers." Manufacturers also supported a proposal in the NPRM by the Land Mobile Communications Council to amend the rules to allow 806-824/851-869 MHz band incumbents in a market a six-month period to apply for expansion band and guard band frequencies before the frequencies are made available to applicants for new systems. That would "very much facilitate the improvements sought in manufacturers' radio systems, an essential factor in the growth of U.S. manufacturing productivity,” NAM and MRFAC said. APCO also supported a priority window for incumbents. “A shorter window such as three months would not afford public safety enough time to secure buy-in from stakeholders and the necessary funding,” it said. The Florida Public Safety Bureau, part of the Department of Management Services Telecom Division, supported an FCC tentative conclusion to expand conditional authority to 800 MHz public safety pool frequencies 10 days after the application is submitted to the FCC. "This would provide public safety agencies the opportunity to meet their communications needs prior to receiving radio station authority; but, after the applications succeeds through the frequency coordination process,” it said. "Public safety agencies typically experience a lengthy process that includes planning, budgeting, purchasing and implementing their radio systems. Providing conditional authority will avoid delays mid-stream of their process to await issuance of a radio station license that could potentially compromise their budget and spending authority.”
President-elect Donald Trump named several individuals to landing teams that will help smooth the transition for several agencies and departments. R Street Institute senior fellow and financial systems studies director Alex Pollock was named to the FTC team, and William Gaynor, president of Rock Creek Advisors, and former Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert to the Department of Commerce group. Other Tuesday announcements include: Joel Leftwich, staff director on the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, to the Department of Agriculture team; James Carafano, vice president of foreign and defense policy studies at the Heritage Foundation, and Secure Identity & Biometrics Association CEO Michael Dougherty, to the Department of Homeland Security team; Jones Day attorney James Burnham, to the DOJ group; Nancy Butler, former vice president-government and federal relations for professional and technical services firm AECOM, to the group working on the Department of Transportation; and Geof Kahn, policy director at the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, to work on the Office of the Director of National Intelligence transition.
President-elect Donald Trump’s “landing team” that will lay the groundwork for agency transitions after Jan. 20 includes retired Nucor CEO Dan DiMicco and Skadden Arps attorney Robert Lighthizer for the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, according to an announcement by the Trump transition team (here). Members of the Commerce Department landing team are Ray Washburne of Charter Holdings, David Bohigian of Pluribus Ventures, and Joan Maginnis, a retired Commerce official, the announcement says. Trump’s Treasury Department landing team consists of Mauricio Claver-Carone of Cuba Democracy Advocates, self-employed economist Judy Shelton, Curtis Dubay of the Heritage Foundation, and William Walton of Rappahannock Ventures.
As marketers from carmakers to fast-food restaurants blast consumers with Black Friday deal offers this week, cybersecurity companies' Black Friday messaging are about the dangers of online shopping.
As marketers from carmakers to fast-food restaurants blast consumers with Black Friday deal offers this week, cybersecurity companies' Black Friday messaging are about the dangers of online shopping.
The transition team for President-elect Donald Trump confirmed Monday that American Enterprise Institute scholars Jeff Eisenach and Mark Jamison, conservative voices advocating telecom deregulation, will be members of its FCC landing team. Both were previously believed to play a role, though the state of their involvement was uncertain last week amid turnover in the transition team and new lobbying restrictions at play (see 1611170041).
The transition team for President-elect Donald Trump confirmed Monday that American Enterprise Institute scholars Jeff Eisenach and Mark Jamison, conservative voices advocating telecom deregulation, will be members of its FCC landing team. Both were previously believed to play a role, though the state of their involvement was uncertain last week amid turnover in the transition team and new lobbying restrictions at play (see 1611170041).
As marketers from carmakers to fast-food restaurants blast consumers with Black Friday deal offers this week, cybersecurity companies' Black Friday messaging are about the dangers of online shopping.
American Action Forum Director-Technology and Innovation Policy Will Rinehart told us that he and his group are providing "outside guidance" to the Donald Trump transition team but he isn't formally part of the transition team or its FCC "landing" team, as some said (see 1611170041). He said AAF recently put out a tech policy agenda and has been gearing up for the transition, but the group is "more focused on policy than the politics." Also as of Friday, Jeff Eisenach's status on the team seems in limbo, two knowledgeable people told us, a day after speculation and rumors circulated widely that he might have been removed. "It's not so much that he's been definitely dumped," said an industry source, who noted it's unclear if Eisenach will be removed as leader of the Trump transition's FCC team. There does appear to be a short "pause" in the FCC transition team's effort as some sort of review is conducted, the industry source said. An attorney agreed: "There is a pause and review going on. After the pause and review, nobody knows what will happen." Eisenach didn't comment. The Trump transition team didn't comment to us on Eisenach or its FCC team. The Trump team is expected to announce its economic policy landing teams Monday, and those dealing with domestic policy and independent agencies Tuesday, transition officials earlier said (see 1611180020).
American Action Forum Director-Technology and Innovation Policy Will Rinehart told us that he and his group are providing "outside guidance" to the Donald Trump transition team but he isn't formally part of the transition team or its FCC "landing" team, as some said (see 1611170041). He said AAF recently put out a tech policy agenda and has been gearing up for the transition, but the group is "more focused on policy than the politics." Also as of Friday, Jeff Eisenach's status on the team seems in limbo, two knowledgeable people told us, a day after speculation and rumors circulated widely that he might have been removed. "It's not so much that he's been definitely dumped," said an industry source, who noted it's unclear if Eisenach will be removed as leader of the Trump transition's FCC team. There does appear to be a short "pause" in the FCC transition team's effort as some sort of review is conducted, the industry source said. An attorney agreed: "There is a pause and review going on. After the pause and review, nobody knows what will happen." Eisenach didn't comment. The Trump transition team didn't comment to us on Eisenach or its FCC team. The Trump team is expected to announce its economic policy landing teams Monday, and those dealing with domestic policy and independent agencies Tuesday, transition officials earlier said (see 1611180020).