Motorola will supply GSM wireless network infrastructure for India’s Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. (BSNL) under $178 million contract. Results will support 1.4 million subscribers in southern Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu. Govt.-owned BSNL is largest basic wireline service provider in India and recently received govt. license to operate as 3rd cellular provider. Motorola India Country Mgr. Pramod Saxena said southern part of India had 30% of nation’s cellular subscriber base. In separate contract, Motorola was selected as vendor of land mobile radio products under agreement with Army’s Communications and Electronics Command in Monmouth, N.J. Motorola said contract runs for 10 years with indefinite delivery and quantity terms.
ASCAP entered into long-term agreement with Viacom on fees for music performing rights on all of Viacom’s cable networks, resolving all problems on issues. Terms weren’t disclosed. Among the networks affected are MTV, VH1, Nickelodeon, BET, Nick at Nite, TNN, CMT, TV Land, MTV2, Showtime and Sundance Channel. ASCAP and cable networks have been involved in court proceeding to set license fees since 1989. Late last year, ASCAP reached agreement with the Turner Bcstg. Court proceeding continues for remaining cable networks.
Next stage in Coast Guard’s telecom upgrade initiative includes improvements in voice and data connectivity between ships and terrestrial networks. It’s looking for potential commercial sources that can provide voice, high-speed Internet and other data services via INMARSAT-B satellite systems. Providers must be capable of connecting East and West Coast land earth stations with various Coast Guard points. Letters of interest must be received by Oct. 1. -- 202-267-0001.
President Bush Tues. defended legislative proposal by Attorney Gen. John Ashcroft, which is undergoing what is proving to be lengthy review by Congress (CD Sept 25 p3). Ashcroft had asked for action on his proposal by the end of last week, but it’s now at least week away on his proposal to expand wiretap and other surveillance authority in wake of Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Hours after congressional leaders had breakfast at White House Tues. and informed Bush that need for comprehensive review of legislation could delay passage for weeks, Bush called for quick action in speech at FBI to its employees. “I believe the Attorney General has taken some good ideas to Capitol Hill,” Bush said. “What we've seen is these terrorists are very sophisticated, and so are their communications… Therefore, we must give the FBI the ability to track calls when they make calls from different phones, for example.” “We ought to give the FBI the tools necessary to track down terrorists,” Bush said: “And so I hope Congress will listen to the wisdom of the proposals that the Attorney General brought up, to give the tools necessary to our agents in the field to find those who may think they want to disrupt America again.” Privacy advocates have raised concerns about various civil liberties issues in legislation and several groups have formed coalition calling for caution (WID Sept 21 p4). “I want you to know that every one of the proposals we've made on Capitol Hill, carried by the Attorney General, has been carefully reviewed,” Bush said: “They are measured requests, they are responsible requests, they are constitutional requests. Ours is a land that values the constitutional rights of every citizen. And we will honor those rights, of course. But we're at war, a war we're going to win. And in order to win the war, we must make sure that the law enforcement men and women have got the tools necessary, within the Constitution, to defeat the enemy.” Meanwhile, every member of Congress was privy Tues. to closed-door briefings by Secy. of State Colin Powell and Defense Secy. Donald Rumsfeld on latest efforts following attacks, with senators receiving first briefing. Such briefings usually occur only with members of House and Senate Intelligence Committees. White House spokesman Ari Fleischer told reporters briefings included latest information on building international coalition against terrorism, but pending legislation on new govt. surveillance powers also was expected to be raised.
FCC Chmn. Powell praised communications companies -- “our regulatees” -- for their “heroic efforts” to keep telecom and media infrastructure operating in Tues.’s terrorist attacks and their aftermath (CD Sept 13 p1). Speaking at beginning of Commission’s agenda meeting Thurs., he singled out for special praise Verizon’s struggles to maintain cellular communications in disaster areas and AT&T’s relief efforts. He also praised efforts of broadcasters and cable operators to deliver signals to N.Y. residents after TV towers on World Trade Center were destroyed when buildings collapsed. Through their work “the citizens of N.Y. are receiving the news that they need to know,” Powell said. He said he also wanted to extend his sympathies to companies such as Verizon, Genuity and TV stations that lost personnel. “There are no words to capture the depth of collective sadness,” he said.
Mexico postponed until next year auction for use of orbital slot country never has used so it can rewrite bidding rules, govt. official said. Mexico originally planned to auction off rights to use Ku-band frequency within 77 degrees W orbit in Oct. Frequency can be used to provide satellite TV or one-way data transmission. “We are preparing perfectly designed bidding terms,” Deputy Minister-Communications & Transport Jorge Alvarez Hoth said: “There were some internal reviews… and it was decided it was worth complementing” ones we had. Alvarez Hoth said bidding terms should be ready before Dec. and auction would be held about 2 months after rules were published. In mid-Aug. Mexico gave 4 companies, including Satmex, licenses to land and market satellite signals in Mexico from satellites in other slots.
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) said that it expected to award sole-source network and telecom strategy and analysis contract to Burton Group. BLM said firm specialized in consulting services related to directory and security architecture and physical networks. Agency isn’t seeking competitive bids, but companies can submit letters of interest. -- 303-236-9038.
Assn. of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) said FCC began this month to mail “hundreds of thousands of letters” to license holders for frequencies below 512 MHz. FCC Wireless Bureau said earlier this month it was conducting audit of construction and operational status of private land mobile radio (PLMR) stations below 512 MHz that were subject to frequency coordination. APCO said letters request responses on construction or operational status of licenses, including public safety operations. Letters will be sent out alphabetically over several months, APCO said. Action is designed to update FCC database and potentially free up frequencies now lying fallow. When licensee fails to construct PLMR facilities within required period or station discontinues operations for one year, licenses automatically cancel. APCO said it applauded FCC action, “but warns all public safety agencies of certain unintended results.” APCO said: “Many agencies have not maintained their contact information on their police, fire, ambulance or other radio authorization license with the FCC. In such cases those agencies risk losing their license through automatic cancellation if they fail to respond.” APCO said each licensee had responsibility to maintain such information.
Pending 3rd generation wireless policy issues aren’t question of money but of risk for military users, Dept. of Defense’s (DoD) new Chief Information Officer John Stenbit stressed Fri. He became asst. defense secy. for command, control, communications & intelligence (C3I) Aug. 7, and held media briefing at Pentagon Aug. 24. “I don’t think it’s a money issue,” Stenbit said of 3G policy scenarios, which include DoD military users’ relocating from 1755-1850 MHz. “It’s a risk management issue.” Stenbit, who retired as TRW exec. vp in May, particularly emphasized risks that relocation posed for existing GPS satellite systems, saying miscalculation on spectrum management in that area would have far graver consequences for military than similar missteps would for commercial wireless users. “It’s a very hard problem to build up the certainty we need,” he said.
Scandinavian satellite manufacturing businesses Nera ASA and Thrane & Thrane said they would merge. Agreement calls for Thrane & Thrane of Denmark to acquire Nera satellite communications division -- Nera SatCom AS and Nera WBA Satellite AS. Nera, based in Bergen, Norway, will receive 40% stake in combined company in addition to cash settlement of $28.8 million. Nera develops, manufactures and markets fixed, wireless and satellite communication equipment and systems, including point-to-point, point-to-multipoint radio link equipment, satellite terminals, land earth stations (LES). Companies said goal was to create international satellite ground equipment manufacturer strong enough to participate in both mobile and broadband segments and to develop global presence with network of 175 distributors in 60 countries.