The FCC Wireless Bureau requested comment on Motorola Solutions’ waiver request on behalf of Columbia County, New York, to permit the operation of mobile units with 50-watt transmitter power output (TPO) and 50-watt effective radiated power on VHF public coast (VPC) frequencies. Motorola seeks to partition and disaggregate VPC spectrum to Columbia County to support a private land mobile system to meet the county’s public safety-related operations. Motorola believes the proposed operations at a higher TPO “will not cause interference to maritime operations or adversely affect priority to maritime communications provided by licensees on the channels and in the geographic areas not being acquired by the County,” the FCC said Monday. Motorola claims the proposed operations will have limited antenna gain and some land loss, which it believes won’t increase the potential for interference more than other mobile systems operating under the allowable level with a gain of 3 dB. Motorola claims Columbia County’s proposed operations won’t extend to or overlap major navigable waterways. The county agreed to protect against interference to maritime operations, the FCC said. Comments on the waiver request are due April 22, replies May 8.
The government of Canada recently issued the following trade-related notices for March 23 (note that some may also be given separate headlines):
Frontier Communications said it continues to update its emergency preparedness plans in western Washington as the region neared the one-year anniversary Sunday of the March 22, 2014, mudslide in Darrington, Lake Cavanaugh, Oso and the Sauk-Suiattle Indian Tribe’s land. The mudslide killed 43 people and destroyed dozens of homes. Darrington and the Sauk-Suiattle tribe continued to have 911 and local phone service following the mudslide, but Lake Cavanaugh and Oso were completely cut off from telecom service, Frontier said Thursday. The company said it deployed 14,000 feet of temporary fiber to restore services in the affected areas, fully restoring full service in Darrington within two days of the mudslide. Frontier installed a permanent replacement fiber cable linking Darrington and nearby Arlington March 10. The company said it installed public high-speed broadband and Wi-Fi access at Darrington, Oso and Sauk-Suiattle public buildings and established fiber, HDTV and Wi-Fi access at Federal Emergency Management Agency locations in Darrington and Everett. “Frontier’s response to the Landslide was critical and immediate,” Darrington Mayor Dan Rankin said in a Frontier news release. “Not only did they work to restore communication services for emergency personnel and the people who needed to reach and reassure loved ones, but they dug in with the first responders and did whatever was needed to assist.” Frontier said it believes it’s important for the communities it serves to know that the company continues to update its emergency response plans based on lessons it learns from incidents like the March 22 mudslide and “is prepared for potential natural disasters and other emergencies that may be ahead.”
Frontier Communications said it continues to update its emergency preparedness plans in western Washington as the region neared the one-year anniversary Sunday of the March 22, 2014, mudslide in Darrington, Lake Cavanaugh, Oso and the Sauk-Suiattle Indian Tribe’s land. The mudslide killed 43 people and destroyed dozens of homes. Darrington and the Sauk-Suiattle tribe continued to have 911 and local phone service following the mudslide, but Lake Cavanaugh and Oso were completely cut off from telecom service, Frontier said Thursday. The company said it deployed 14,000 feet of temporary fiber to restore services in the affected areas, fully restoring full service in Darrington within two days of the mudslide. Frontier installed a permanent replacement fiber cable linking Darrington and nearby Arlington March 10. The company said it installed public high-speed broadband and Wi-Fi access at Darrington, Oso and Sauk-Suiattle public buildings and established fiber, HDTV and Wi-Fi access at Federal Emergency Management Agency locations in Darrington and Everett. “Frontier’s response to the Landslide was critical and immediate,” Darrington Mayor Dan Rankin said in a Frontier news release. “Not only did they work to restore communication services for emergency personnel and the people who needed to reach and reassure loved ones, but they dug in with the first responders and did whatever was needed to assist.” Frontier said it believes it’s important for the communities it serves to know that the company continues to update its emergency response plans based on lessons it learns from incidents like the March 22 mudslide and “is prepared for potential natural disasters and other emergencies that may be ahead.”
Last week’s trio of FCC oversight hearings on Capitol Hill generated much buzzing about the GOP offensive against net neutrality and next steps lawmakers may take against the agency. Several industry observers told us they see challenges to any bipartisan net neutrality legislation advancing, with few promising signs amid the aggressive rhetoric. But legislation tackling FCC process and the open Internet will be a congressional priority, they said, with some pointing to better prospects for transparency legislation.
Last week’s trio of FCC oversight hearings on Capitol Hill generated much buzzing about the GOP offensive against net neutrality and next steps lawmakers may take against the agency. Several industry observers told us they see challenges to any bipartisan net neutrality legislation advancing, with few promising signs amid the aggressive rhetoric. But legislation tackling FCC process and the open Internet will be a congressional priority, they said, with some pointing to better prospects for transparency legislation.
The FCC Wireless Bureau granted, in part, Specialized Mobile Relay’s request for authority for new Part 90 private land mobile radio facilities in the New York/New Jersey metropolitan area. The Utilities Telecom Council had objected. The application sought authorization to operate on frequency pairs 451/456.0375 MHz, 451/456.0750 MHz, 451/456.1 MHz and 451/456.1125 MHz in Brooklyn, Staten Island and Jamaica (Queens), New York, and Edison, New Jersey. Because those are former power radio service frequencies, SMR’s frequency coordinator asked UTC for concurrence, but UTC refused, the bureau said Monday.The bureau agreed with UTC arguments that “some of SMR’s proposed operations would appear to have an unacceptable effect on critical infrastructure industry operations.” The bureau approved the applications, but only for frequency pairs 451/456.075 MHz and 451/456.1 MHz at four locations and for frequencies 456.075 MHz and 456.1 MHz at one location. The other applications were dismissed.
Telecom deregulation advocates are following up recent successes in four states that passed statutes deregulating aspects of wireline and VoIP services by renewing their push for passage of similar legislation in the Idaho and Minnesota legislatures. Both states are considering bills that would prohibit VoIP regulation: Idaho’s S-1105 and Minnesota’s HF-776/SF-895. Minnesota is also considering HF-1066/SF-736, legislation that would let ILECs be regulated the same as CLECs. None of those bills advanced as far as statutes that passed or were enacted in Kentucky, North Dakota, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Thirty-two states deregulated wireline service by the end of December, while three others and the District of Columbia significantly limited wireline oversight, said National Regulatory Research Institute Principal Researcher Sherry Lichtenberg.
Telecom deregulation advocates are following up recent successes in four states that passed statutes deregulating aspects of wireline and VoIP services by renewing their push for passage of similar legislation in the Idaho and Minnesota legislatures. Both states are considering bills that would prohibit VoIP regulation: Idaho’s S-1105 and Minnesota’s HF-776/SF-895. Minnesota is also considering HF-1066/SF-736, legislation that would let ILECs be regulated the same as CLECs. None of those bills advanced as far as statutes that passed or were enacted in Kentucky, North Dakota, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Thirty-two states deregulated wireline service by the end of December, while three others and the District of Columbia significantly limited wireline oversight, said National Regulatory Research Institute Principal Researcher Sherry Lichtenberg.
Fishing and seafood fraud “distorts legal markets” and creates unfair competition for legal industry, and the Obama administration needs to put in force a government-wide effort to combat that activity, said the administration as it released its action plan on fishing and seafood fraud in recent days (here). The action plan “provides key initial steps” for implementation of the administration’s recommendations for cracking down on that fraud, said the plan.