An ITU-R working party wants to delay a report on the compatibility of broadband wireless access systems and fixed-satellite service (FSS) networks in the 3.4-4.2 GHz range, we've learned. An ITU-R working party on efficient orbit and spectrum use for the fixed- and broadcasting-satellite services plans to advance preliminary text to the drafting stage during a July meeting, but a land mobile working party wants the work to advance only after its November meeting. One reason is that the land mobile executives want to know if a 3.4-3.7 GHz subrange is less heavily used by FSS receiving earth stations. Since that type of information might not be available, they'd like to encourage administrations to provide as much information as they can. Land mobile participants also want to immediately circulate the preliminary text to outside organizations that deal with broadband wireless access systems to get their comments and suggestions.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection requests comments on a draft Programmatic Environmental Assessment (PEA) for High Energy X-Ray Inspection Systems (HEXRIS) at sea and land ports of entry, which analyzes the potential environmental impacts due to the use of HEXRIS.
Civil aviation officials have been asked for feedback on a new aeronautical mobile (route) service -- AM(R)S -- allocation of satellite spectrum under a WRC-12 agenda item to support unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) in non-segregated airspace, we've learned. The conference will consider spectrum requirements and possible regulatory actions, including allocations, the agenda said. An ITU-R study identified the need for 34 MHz of terrestrial and 56 MHz of satellite spectrum to support UAS (CD April 23 p16). Sharing studies in the 5000 to 5150 MHz band for the terrestrial component are focusing on a new AM(R)S allocation and the International Civil Aviation Organization standardized Microwave Landing System operating above 5030 MHz. ITU-R participants working on conference preparations said any solution for additional aeronautical use of the band 5030-5091 MHz needs to safeguard the future of MLS, we've learned. An ITU-R meeting in November will discuss ICAO’s position.
On May 20, 2010, the House Ways and Means Committee’s Trade Subcommittee held a hearing on Customs Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement. Deputy Assistant Secretary for Operations of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Pena testified on a number of investigative efforts and strategies ICE is involved in to combat the illegal trade practices and commercial fraud activities of noncompliant importers, exporters, manufacturers, brokers, and others who commit trade-related crimes.
On May 19, 2010, the U.S. and Mexico issued a declaration agreeing to take on a number of 21st century border management activities with respect to trade and security:
The Environmental Protection Agency has issued a press release announcing that it has added more than 6,300 chemicals and 3,800 chemical facilities regulated under the Toxic Substances Control Act to its public database called Envirofacts.
The FCC needs multiple tools for reallocating underutilized spectrum, Julius Knapp, chief of the FCC Office of Engineering and Technology, told the Commerce Spectrum Management Advisory Committee during its public meeting Wednesday. The committee released its reports on federal spectrum inventory, transparency, adjacent band interference, dynamic spectrum access and incentives for spectrum sharing.
Philips Healthcare Systems and the Land Mobile Communications Council disagreed sharply over whether the FCC should allow Wireless Medical Telemetry Service (WMTS) devices to operate on a secondary basis in the parts of the 1427-1432 MHz band not set aside for medical telemetry. On a second question that the Wireless and Public Safety bureaus also sought comments on in a March 16 notice, there was general support for a proposal by the Association of American Railroads that its members be allowed to operate end-of-train telemetry devices at transmit power of up to 8 watts.
Federal and other government agencies seeking cybersecurity expertise need to dig much deeper than the usual engineering graduates from elite universities, a Microsoft executive said Thursday. The threats are growing and getting more sophisticated, a whole new set of military organizations is being created, and state and local governments are increasingly aware of their need to add protection, too, said Lewis Shepherd, the chief technology officer of the company’s Institute for Advanced Technology in Governments. But U.S. schools are turning out far too few students with the education needed, and companies and foreign governments are competing for the same cybersecurity talent, he said on an O'Reilly Gov 2.0 webcast.
Accuracy is critical as the FCC upgrades its spectrum dashboard, now in Beta release, but set to be updated later this year, speakers said at an FCC forum Wednesday. The dashboard came in for both praise and criticism.