To address the problem of low Internet penetration on tribal lands, Senate Commerce Committee Co-Chmn. Inouye (D- Hawaii) introduced a bill to clarify tribal libraries’ E-rate fund eligibility. The bill, co-sponsored by Chmn. Stevens (R-Alaska) and Sens. Dorgan (D-N.D.), Burns (R-Mont.) and McCain (R-Ariz.), would require the Census Bureau to ask about Internet subscribership in residential households to get a more accurate picture of how many people are connected. Inouye premiered the bill at a hearing on rural telecom. Native Americans view telecom law changes “very seriously,” said Joe Garcia, pres.-National Congress of American Indians. The 1934 and 1996 laws left “tribal roles, needs and abilities unaddressed,” Garcia said: “This is one of the root causes why our lands lag far behind the rest of the nation in virtually every measure of communications connectivity.” “There is the very real risk that broadband will not be deployed in many parts of rural America -- or it will not provide rural consumers the kind of access they need,” said Microsoft CTO Craig Mundie. One way to speed deployment is to adopt a “white spaces” bill Stevens proposed, he said. That bill would allow allocation of spectrum below 1 GHz for unlicensed uses, Mundie said.
SAN FRANCISCO -- AT&T’s proposed BellSouth takeover adds to hurdles Bells face in seeking video franchising reform, a cable industry executive said at a Practising Law Institute seminar here Mon. and Tues. That AT&T can float a $67 billion purchase but says it can’t afford universal buildout of its Project Lightspeed network “will be suspect to people,” said Jeffery Sinsheimer, Cal. Cable & Telecom Assn. vp-law & public policy. The cable law program was dominated by the views of attorneys for cable companies and cities; AT&T personnel were on hand but generally said little about the criticism.
Cellphones and other wireless devices pose a threat to the operation of critical electronic systems on commercial airliners, Carnegie Mellon U. researchers said in a report. On average, one to 4 cellphone calls are made from every commercial flight in the northeast U.S. at times when phones are supposed to be turned off, the report said. Some of the calls are made during critical flight stages including climb-out and final approach. Researchers also detected emissions from other devices including wireless games. “We found that the risk posed by these portable devices is higher than previously believed,” said Bill Strauss, an author of the report. “These devices can disrupt normal operation of key cockpit instruments, especially GPS receivers, which are increasingly vital for safe landings.”
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has posted the February 2006 version of its Modernization Monthly newsletter to its Web site. Articles in this issue include (partial list):
Identities of high bidders in June’s advanced wireless services (AWS) auction would be secret until the sale ends, under rules apparently headed for FCC approval. Sources said despite wireless carriers’ opposition, the Wireless Bureau seems inclined for the first time to embrace nondisclosure provisions. The proposal got backing this week from the FTC’s Bureau of Economics.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has posted to its Web site a report for the trade regarding the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE)/International Trade Data System (ITDS) Standard Data Set (SDS), which is updated through February 20, 2006 and is based on SDS version 4.4.
Govt. officials and economists clashed Tues. as the NTIA opened a 2-day meeting in D.C. -- part of the build-up to an NTIA report on improving the efficiency of govt. spectrum use. NTIA is investigating whether govt. entities like DoJ should compete for spectrum, subject to budget limits on capital outlays such as buying cars that agents drive.
An FCC okay of a satellite for European radio threatens to snarl international boundaries and stunt industry’s foreign advance unless revised, said would-be European satellite radio entrant Ondas Media. The Spanish firm, backed by Mich.-based Delphi, wants the FCC International Bureau (IB) to rethink its Jan. green light on a “European spectrum grab” by WorldSpace subsidiary, AfriSpace. FCC standing in the matter, and its reasoning in granting the license, are shaky, Ondas claims.
The FCC’s approval of a satellite for European radio threatens to snarl international boundaries and stunt industry’s foreign advance unless revised, said would-be European satellite radio entrant Ondas Media. The Spanish firm, backed by Mich.-based Delphi, wants the FCC International Bureau (IB) to rethink its Jan. green light on a “European spectrum grab” by WorldSpace subsidiary AfriSpace. FCC standing in the matter, and its reasoning in granting the license, are shaky, Ondas claims.
The U.S. needs communications systems that are “operable and interoperable” during crises, the White House said in a report issued Thurs. White House homeland security advisor Frances Townsend’s report analyzed the U.S. response to Hurricane Katrina and suggested how to improve operations.