Lawmakers and rural telcos continued to protest the high costs and burdensome requirements of the FCC’s USF/intercarrier reform waiver requirements, which they say will curb broadband deployment in areas where people need it most. House and Senate members told us the FCC must do something to reduce the cost of waiver applications, which they said can exceed $100,000. A commission spokesman said it’s considering some changes to the waiver process, but emphasized that the waiver requirements are necessary to properly evaluate each company’s ability to use the money in a fiscally responsible way.
LIN Media hires Jamie Elden, ex-Alloy Media, as senior vice president-sales for RMM digital business … Gannett hires Eric Land, ex-Walkabout Air Aviation, as president and general manager of WTLV/WJXX Jacksonville, Fla.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology posts drafts and changes to foreign technical regulations for manufactured products that may be considered technical barriers to trade. Broker Power delays its publication of these postings for 2-3 weeks because there is often a delay until NIST makes the text of the regulations available.
Google will begin considering the number of valid copyright removal notices it receives when determining page ranking in search results, starting this week, the company said Friday(http://xrl.us/bnj8nj). “Sites with high numbers of removal notices may appear lower in our results,” said a blog post written by Senior Vice President-Engineering Amit Singhal. “This ranking change should help users find legitimate, quality sources of content more easily -- whether it’s a song previewed on NPR’s music website, a TV show on Hulu or new music streamed from Spotify."
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is launching the scoping process for the Environmental Impact Statement it will use in its decision-making process on whether the Jordan Cove liquefied natural gas export terminal is in the public interest, it said in a Federal Register notice scheduled for Aug. 13. The proposed LNG export project in Coos County, Ore., has generated controversy and is one of several similar projects seeking federal approval.
The FCC Wireline Bureau sought comment on a June 21 petition by UTPhone seeking a waiver of FCC rules limiting Link Up support on tribal lands to eligible telecommunications carriers (ETCs) receiving USF high-cost support. “UTPhone argues that it is entitled to receive Tribal Link Up support because it is building telecommunications infrastructure on Tribal lands,” the bureau said (http://xrl.us/bnjxqw). Comments are due Sept. 7, replies Sept. 24. “As a small Low Income ETC serving consumers predominantly on Tribal lands in Oklahoma, UTPhone is a local company that has fulfilled the statutory and public interest objectives of the Commission’s Low Income program by filling a valuable niche in offering competitive, high-quality, locally oriented wireline telecommunications services focused specifically on the particular needs and demographics of low income Oklahomans residing on Tribal lands,” the company said in its waiver request (http://xrl.us/bnjxrc). “With its new and growing broadband network infrastructure, UTPhone is now poised to add a high speed broadband service component to its bundle of offerings to these low income consumers who are struggling to move into the Internet age."
CBP posted its draft agenda and numerous other documents for the upcoming Advisory Committee on Commercial Operations of Customs and Border Protection (COAC) meeting on Aug. 15 in Seattle. The materials include presentations, draft recommendations, and other documents on the role of the Broker, Simplified Entry, Bonds, Residue, the Global Supply Chain, and other topics.
Redemtech said it’s donating 200 recycled computers to the League of United Latin American Citizens’ (LULAC) technology training centers. Redemtech will donate another 100 computers to non-profits focused on digital literacy, the computer-recycling company said. Non-profits can apply for up to four computers each beginning Sept. 1 and more information is forthcoming, Redemtech promises.
Redemtech said it’s donating 200 recycled computers to the League of United Latin American Citizens’ (LULAC) technology training centers. Redemtech will donate another 100 computers to non-profits focused on digital literacy, the computer-recycling company said. Non-profits can apply for up to four computers each beginning Sept. 1 and more information is forthcoming, Redemtech promises.
Redemtech said it’s donating 200 recycled computers to the League of United Latin American Citizens’ (LULAC) technology training centers. Redemtech will donate another 100 computers to non-profits focused on digital literacy, the computer-recycling company said. Non-profits can apply for up to four computers each beginning Sept. 1 and more information is forthcoming, Redemtech promises.