Utility companies want to work with public safety to build FirstNet, but need certainty and could turn elsewhere if the network takes too long to construct, said Brett Kilbourne, vice president of the Utilities Telecom Council, on a Broadband Breakfast webinar Tuesday. Building FirstNet will be comparable to building the first Transcontinental Railroad, will take at least 10 years to complete and will cost some $20 billion, predicted Bill Vallee, Connecticut’s broadband policy coordinator.
The FCC shutdown affected another proceeding, starting last Tuesday. The closure meant the agency couldn’t act to grant or deny a May request by Amazon, Kobo and Sony that the commission find e-readers need not make advanced communications services accessible to the disabled, said those supporting the ACS waiver and petition foes in interviews last week. Some said the import is that as of Oct. 8, e-readers made by those makers of consumer electronics and other companies must, if they have a browser, contain a way for words to be read aloud. The agency’s shutdown, which also took fcc.gov mostly offline, has hit other proceedings on which stakeholders can’t submit comments (CD Oct 10 p3) and meant the agency can’t act on device certifications so CE companies can ship the products (CD Oct 9 p2).
With many filing deadlines already having passed since the partial federal shutdown began Oct. 1, and more looming as the closure enters its third week Tuesday, the FCC potentially faces a land rush of comments the day after the government reopens. Unlike many other government sites, the FCC’s website was shuttered the day the government closed, cutting off access to documents lawyers and others need to prepare filings at the commission, especially reply comments. Several industry officials told us Friday they expect the FCC to grant a blanket waiver for all filings that came due during the closure.
The FCC shutdown affected another proceeding, starting last Tuesday, when the agency couldn’t act to grant or deny a May request by Amazon, Kobo and Sony that it find e-readers need not make advanced communications services accessible to the disabled. So said supporters and opponents of the waiver in interviews last week.
The FCC shutdown affected another proceeding, starting last Tuesday. The closure meant the agency couldn’t act to grant or deny a May request by Amazon, Kobo and Sony that the commission find e-readers need not make advanced communications services accessible to the disabled, said those supporting the ACS waiver and petition foes in interviews last week. Some said the import is that as of Oct. 8, e-readers made by those makers of consumer electronics and other companies must, if they have a browser, contain a way for words to be read aloud. The agency’s shutdown, which also took fcc.gov mostly offline, has hit other proceedings on which stakeholders can’t submit comments (WID Oct 7 p4) and meant the agency can’t act on device certifications so CE companies can ship the products.
The inability to file documents with the FCC or see others’ filings because of the partial government shutdown is making it hard for companies, law firms and public interest groups in the communications sphere to know where they stand, they said. Not being able to file ex partes, along with limited access to commission staff, make it difficult to know what’s happening, said Sinclair Broadcast Vice President-Advanced Technology Mark Aitken. Others who lobby the FCC agreed, and said problems have also bedeviled law firms (CD Oct 7 p1).
The inability to file documents with the FCC or see others’ filings because of the partial government shutdown is making it hard for companies, law firms and public interest groups in the communications sphere to know where they stand, they said. Not being able to file ex partes, along with limited access to commission staff, make it difficult to know what’s happening, said Sinclair Broadcast Vice President-Advanced Technology Mark Aitken. Others who lobby the FCC agreed, and said problems have also bedeviled law firms.
MAKUHARI, Japan -- The industry’s shift to adopting HDMI 2.0 will be gradual, spurred by the eventual arrival of more 4K content and the need for more bandwidth, Tim Vehling, Silicon Image senior vice president and general manager—connectivity products group, told us at CEATEC Japan.
The FCC Wireless Bureau granted the Enterprise Wireless Alliance’s request for a waiver to allow applicants for new or modified stations in the 470-512 MHz, 806-824/851-866 MHz, and 896-901/935-940 MHz bands to operate while applications are pending before the commission. The Thursday order said the rules treat private land mobile radio applicants differently and operators of stations below 470 MHz are permitted to operate the proposed station during the application’s pendency for up to 180 days, beginning 10 days after the application is submitted to the commission. “Based on the record before us, we conclude that EWA has presented sufficient facts to meet the standard for grant of a waiver,” the order said (http://bit.ly/19546ru). “We agree with EWA that the large number of narrowbanding-related applications and the attendant temporary increase in processing time for all ... applications is a unique or unusual factual circumstance for which waiver relief is appropriate."
Atlanta-based Reworx will recycle end-of-life Dish Network set-tops and other e-waste, including cables, remote controls, batteries and PC boards, in a new partnership, the companies said Thursday. Reworx hires individuals with disabilities and those who face barriers to traditional hiring, the companies said. Dish estimated its sustainability operations last year processed more than 26 million pounds of e-waste. The average Dish set-top lasts about seven years, it said. Reworx is the first e-waste recycler in Georgia to land the EPA’s “R2” certification, the companies said.