PCIA is not taking any position on net neutrality or whether the FCC should reclassify broadband as a Communications Act Title II service, PCIA President Jonathan Adelstein said Tuesday during a news conference. The former commissioner left before the agency took up the first set of rules in 2010. AT&T and Verizon executives have warned that reclassification will mean less investment in networks.
The FCC published an NPRM seeking comment on a proposal that the agency introduce new, full-power, interstitial 12.5 kHz offset channels in the 809-817/854-862 MHz bands. The Enterprise Wireless Alliance asked the FCC to initiate the proceeding in 2009, the FCC said. The proposal “creates the opportunity” for the launch of 319 additional voice-grade channels for use by public safety, businesses and others who need “high-site Specialized Mobile Radio” licensees, the agency said. “It leverages technology advancements that have made high quality narrow-band voice transmission a reality, and reflects Commission efforts to improve spectral efficiency in heavily used bands,” the NPRM said. “Our proposal may reduce barriers to innovation and encourage investment in new technologies that will enable Private Land Mobile Radio (PLMR) licensees to use the spectrum more efficiently.” The agency said the current rules have been in place since the 1970s. The FCC previously sought comment on the EWA petition through a public notice. The NPRM asks about the potential for the change to cause interference issues and on interference protection rules. Comments will be due 45 days after Federal Register publication, replies 60 days after publication.
Lawmakers introduced the following trade-related bills since International Trade Today's last legislative update:
The White House launched this year’s budget request process on Feb. 2 (here), including almost $100 million to improve inspection equipment at U.S. ports of entry to help promote trade, said the White House (here). Lawmakers will now have to rally together in the coming months to formulate budget legislation. The proposal also seeks funds for the extension the Generalized System of Preferences and the African Growth and Opportunity Act. The White House also asked for funds to promote European trade integration, in the face of continued Russian aggression in Ukraine.
Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune, R-S.D., may bring back congressional reauthorization of the FCC, he said Wednesday at the American Enterprise Institute headquarters in Washington. “When I talk about reauthorizing the FCC, that hasn’t been done since 1990,” Thune said, expressing a desire to “see if we can get Congress back in the habit of regularly reauthorizing the commission.”
Expected FCC approval Thursday of a higher speed standard for broadband was portrayed by cable and telco ISPs as a power grab. But public interest groups were hailing the likely passage of the 25 Mbps download/3 Mbps upload standard as an attempt to more accurately reflect expectations around broadband speeds that could also push the cable industry to reach the 100 Mbps download speeds envisioned in the FCC National Broadband Plan. The vote, approving the higher standard along with the issuance of a notice of inquiry on how to promote broadband deployment, is widely expected to be along party lines.
Expected FCC approval Thursday of a higher speed standard for broadband was portrayed by cable and telco ISPs as a power grab. But public interest groups were hailing the likely passage of the 25 Mbps download/3 Mbps upload standard as an attempt to more accurately reflect expectations around broadband speeds that could also push the cable industry to reach the 100 Mbps download speeds envisioned in the FCC National Broadband Plan. The vote, approving the higher standard along with the issuance of a notice of inquiry on how to promote broadband deployment, is widely expected to be along party lines.
Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune, R-S.D., may bring back congressional reauthorization of the FCC, he said Wednesday at the American Enterprise Institute headquarters in Washington. “When I talk about reauthorizing the FCC, that hasn’t been done since 1990,” Thune said, expressing a desire to “see if we can get Congress back in the habit of regularly reauthorizing the commission.”
Online ads for Super Bowl TVs were going strong Tuesday, with shipping deadlines rapidly approaching. New York area retailer P.C. Richard, which took a brief respite Monday from TV ads to hawk appliances and snow shovels ahead of blizzard warnings that didn’t materialize for most of its target market (see 1501260055), reached out early Tuesday to resume pitching its buy-one-get-one TV deal that gives buyers Samsung 65-inch and 40-inch TVs for $1,498. Under the subject line “Big Storm, Big Game,” P.C. Richard told consumers there’s “still time to get your big screen!”
The Application Developers Alliance launched “IoT{Accelerate}Berlin,” an Internet of Things competition for developers and prelaunch startups, the alliance said Monday. Organized with funding from Ericsson and Google, the project “aims to spur innovation in this rapidly growing market,” the alliance said. "IoT is experiencing substantial growth, and the opportunity for European developers and startups to help shape its future is clear.” From "connected cars and homes to health, wearables, or big data solutions, the competition will help developers conceptualize and produce innovative products for this growing market," alliance Executive Director Jake Ward said. The alliance estimates the global population of connected devices will reach 50 billion units by 2020, and so “the incentives for developers to tackle the challenges emerging from IoT are substantive,” it said. App development “is a fundamental part of the networked society enabling superior consumer experience and driving network utilization,” it said. The winner of the competition stands to land 20,000 euros (about $22,500) in prize money, it said. The competition is so named because it will center around a three-day IoT workshop March 27-29 in Berlin, it said.