LOS ANGELES -- Nintendo is comfortable with the current Wii U pricing and there’s “nothing to announce” about any price cut at this time, Nintendo of America (NOA) spokesman Charlie Scibetta told us at E3 Thursday. It feels the strong game lineup that it highlighted at the show (CED June 12 p8) will give the console a major sales lift, he said.
The U.S. Supreme Court unanimously struck down some “Clean Truck Program” drayage truck requirements at the Port of Los Angeles June 13, reversing a 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling in the process. The high court found requirements for off-street parking plans and placards displaying phone numbers are both preempted by a provision of the Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act that bars state and local governments from regulating the price, route, or service of motor carriers. It declined to rule on the legality of Clean Truck Program financial capacity and truck maintenance requirements.
Democratic Sen. Charles Schumer is asking CBP to help develop a customs facility at MacArthur Airport in his home state of New York, a move he says would increase airport traffic and give local residents easier access to international flights. The Long Island airport is developing a plan to retrofit its current facilities to allow for flights from certain international destinations to land, Schumer said in a June 12 statement (here). That plan must be approved by CBP. “A customs facility at MacArthur could be a magnet for new carriers, helping the airport regain some of its lost flights and giving Long Islanders direct access to some of the most popular tourist destinations,” said Schumer. “The feds can make this happen, and I’m asking them to work hand-in-glove with the local airport authorities to produce a plan and get it through the approval process.”
Voice Link is “innovative” and “efficient” and “effective,” Verizon said of its controversial fixed-wireless technology, in a Monday press release (http://yhoo.it/14sNGe6). The telco has sought and won some limited state approval to end its landline obligations on the western parts of Fire Island, N.Y., after Superstorm Sandy destroyed the copper there last year -- the “decades-old and historically troublesome copper landline network,” as the press release said. Verizon will instead install the cheaper Voice Link. The press release explains the service and includes laudatory statements from Verizon Senior President Tom Maguire as well as one Fire Island resident: “Customers who have used Voice Link have responded positively to the new option. Scott Hirsch, a restaurant owner on Fire Island, just needed to answer calls and to let customers know his establishment was open for business. ‘I'm switching it over to Voice Link,’ said Hirsch of his service, which was previously provided over the copper network.” More than 320 Fire Island residents are already using Voice Link, the telco said. Verizon submitted revised terms of service to the New York Public Service Commission Monday (http://bit.ly/13uF0Bf). The PSC conditionally approved Voice Link use this spring. The terms note that Voice Link may suffer from limitations of power failure and congestion and cannot handle credit card processing, faxing and other DSL-enabled services. The PSC is extending its comment deadline on Voice Link by two weeks, with a new deadline of July 2, it said in a notice Friday (http://bit.ly/15Rdpfw). The PSC docket on Voice Link also includes more than 50 public comments, largely from New Yorkers expressing concern and dissatisfaction about the new service. “There is no doubt that the replacement of permanent land lines with a wireless service will compromise this communication and thus the safety and lives of our residents,” the Fair Harbor Fire Department told the PSC in one such comment posted Monday (http://bit.ly/11RIOKc).
One year after World IPv6 Launch Day, twice as many end-users are capable of using the technology and a growing number of service providers are implementing the technology. But several IPv6 engineers and consultants warned in recent interviews that very small numbers, even doubled, don’t represent a meaningful improvement.
One year after World IPv6 Launch Day, twice as many end-users are capable of using the technology and a growing number of service providers are implementing the technology. But several IPv6 engineers and consultants warned in recent interviews that very small numbers, even doubled, don’t represent a meaningful improvement.
"The Commission should put an end to USTelecom’s continual stream of complaints about the very reasonable and necessary Tribal Engagement rules,” said the National Tribal Telecommunications Association (NTTA), urging the FCC to quickly deny a USTelecom request to scale back the tribal engagement rules (http://bit.ly/ZrCi0d). USTelecom asked the commission to clarify that tribal engagement requirements only apply to Mobility Fund recipients, and not to eligible telecom carriers that don’t receive support specifically targeted to fund development on tribal lands, or whose support is being eliminated (http://bit.ly/ZrC35o). But NTTA thinks the rules should apply to all carriers receiving support for serving tribal areas. “Besides being unreasonable in its initial narrowing of the list of ETCs required to comply, USTelecom has now effectively excluded all price cap carriers,” NTTA said.
The Washington State Broadband Office of the Department of Commerce is giving out $300,000 in broadband access and adoption grants, it said Tuesday (http://1.usa.gov/13jAgjn). The office had received 13 applications asking for $770,000, and ultimately awarded money to six counties and 10 tribal communities, the office said. Grant winners included Washington State University, Lincoln County and the Walla Walla Valley Chamber of Commerce. “Successful proposals showed community or region wide collaboration on programs that included everything from training in e-commerce and web site development for small businesses to a region-wide project for underserved tribal lands,” the office said. Grant winners must complete their proposed work by June 30, 2014. The grants come from the federal stimulus money of NTIA’s Broadband Technology Opportunities Program.
The Washington State Broadband Office of the Department of Commerce is giving out $300,000 in broadband access and adoption grants, it said Tuesday (http://1.usa.gov/13jAgjn). The office had received 13 applications asking for $770,000, and ultimately awarded money to six counties and 10 tribal communities, the office said. Grant winners included Washington State University, Lincoln County and the Walla Walla Valley Chamber of Commerce. “Successful proposals showed community or region wide collaboration on programs that included everything from training in e-commerce and web site development for small businesses to a region-wide project for underserved tribal lands,” the office said. Grant winners must complete their proposed work by June 30, 2014. The grants come from the federal stimulus money of NTIA’s Broadband Technology Opportunities Program.
CBP and the General Services Administration completed the expansion of the Santa Teresa, N.M. land port on May 29, CBP said in a press release. After nearly two years, the $11.1 million expansion includes double the number of primary vehicle inspections lanes, an additional cargo lane, expanded passenger and commercial vehicle queuing, a pedestrian sidewalk, and improved security, said CBP in a press release. The project also included energy-saving measures like insulated glass in order to reduce energy and water consumption. David Higgerson, acting CBP director of Field Operations in El Paso, Texas, said these additions “will help CBP efficiently and thoroughly process the growing traffic at this important crossing.”