The U.S. and Canada began on Oct. 1 a pilot program to harmonize the screening process for maritime cargo between the two countries, CBP and Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) said. The pilot is part of the "Beyond the Border" initiative, a wide ranging effort to facilitate trade and travel between the U.S. and Canada. The pilot focuses on maritime cargo arriving at Prince Rupert, British Columbia, with subsequent movement via rail before entering the U.S. at International Falls, Minn.
Advanced Micro Devices will slash 1,770 jobs in Q4 and is hinting at more cuts in 2013’s first half, with a goal of reaching breakeven by Q3 on $1.3 billion in revenue, CEO Rory Read said on an earnings call.
As critics continued assailing CEA’s process for choosing “Ultra HD” as an industry messaging label for 4K TVs, Sony on Friday became the first CE maker to declare it has no plans to use the Ultra HD label on its 4K Bravia TVs and projectors. The Ultra HD deliberations were anything but the “fair and open” process CEA described it as (CED Oct 19 p1), said critics, who charged the deck was stacked against those who advocated putting “4K” or other monikers in the final messaging.
SAN FRANCISCO -- The goal of one standard to “do it all” in consumer electronics remains as elusive today as it was 20 years ago when the industry began work on the CEBus standard for interoperability, said Jay McLellan, president of home automation pioneer Hai by Leviton, at the CEA Industry Forum. The hope for a single standard in the connected home is “very, very challenging,” McLellan said, “because there are different needs for different technologies.” Some standards are for short-wave mesh-networking communications such as Zigbee and Z-Wave and others are for long-range communications to reach “out in the garage or down the street,” he said.
Telcos, others, reiterated their opposition to a “further guidance” notice released by the FCC Office of Native Affairs and Policy, which requires that telecom companies engage with tribal governments whose lands they serve. In reply comments on a USTelecom petition for reconsideration, non-tribal entities elaborated on their earlier concerns (CD Sept 28 p6) that the new rules violate the Administrative Procedure Act, the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), and the First Amendment. U.S. Cellular, C Spire Wireless, and Pioneer Cellular argued the further guidance was not accompanied by “any comparative analysis” of the costs and benefits of the requirements, and has “numerous procedural and legal deficiencies” (http://xrl.us/bntu9p). Blooston Rural Carriers disputed comments by Gila River Telecommunications that the rules requiring engagement with tribes do not implicate the PRA (http://xrl.us/bntu99). Tribal entities continued to oppose USTelecom’s petition. Gila River maintained that the further guidance was “not only procedurally and constitutionally proper,” but also offered the opportunity for better coordination and increased deployment of telecom services on tribal lands (http://xrl.us/bntvaf). The National Tribal Telecommunications Association said those who support USTelecom’s petition fail to grasp the concept that tribal governments are “sovereign” on tribal lands, and “serve the role of regulator, legislature, judicial, and other executive branches of non-Tribal state governments. It is difficult to imagine USTelecom members refusing to engage with their state commission or local government in providing current services or in planning future broadband, voice, or other services,” NTTA said (http://xrl.us/bntvaq).
If Japanese wireless carrier Softbank buys Sprint Nextel, it would mark the biggest investment by a foreign operator in the U.S. wireless industry in more than a decade. Sprint said in a brief statement that talks are underway and involve Softbank making a “substantial investment” in Sprint. Japan’s Nikkei newspaper reported on its website that Softbank is looking at a purchase of Sprint for more than $19 billion. Analysts were taking the deal seriously and agreed Softbank likely is also interested in Sprint partner Clearwire and its extensive spectrum holdings, though Stifel Nicolaus said it “can only be considered surprising news."
Voxx reported improved profit and revenue for Q2 ended Aug. 31, due to strong growth in electronics and accessories, despite continued market challenges outside its domestic business in the U.S., CEO Pat Lavelle said on an earnings call Thursday. But Voxx shares closed 5.6 percent lower Thursday at $6.87 after the company downgraded its forecast for this fiscal year that it blamed largely on continued weakness overseas.
Oregon fiber providers will soon be servicing the state’s “only purpose-built, ground-up wholesale data center,” said Atlanta-based T5 Data Centers (http://xrl.us/bnte2p). Construction is set for spring 2013 and initial operations by the following fall, T5 said. It’s “optimized to take into account the cool climate, thereby reducing the amount of power and water used to operate the facility,” it said. The 200,000 square-foot, LEED-certified center will be on 15-acre parcel of land in Hillsboro, according to T5.
The National Mining Association put a faster permitting process for rare earth minerals mining at the top of its mission-critical list, NMA spokeswoman Carol Raulston told us Friday. That day was the first annual Manufacturing Day, co-sponsored by NMA. “On the mineral side, we're the beginning of the supply chain for so many products manufactured in the U.S.,” the spokeswoman said, “but because of an inefficient permitting system in this country it takes three to four times longer to get a permit here than it does in Canada or Australia or other countries around the world."
FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski said the FCC has made significant progress on addressing the spectrum “crunch” during his watch as chairman. His comments came in remarks Thursday at the University Of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. There has not been a major spectrum auction since Genachowski became chairman and none have been formally scheduled, but he told the Wharton students that auctions are on the way. Genachowski includes in his calculations spectrum that won’t be cleared out right away but must be shared with federal government users, regarded by many as a tough task. (See related story, this issue.)