According to The Journal of Commerce (JoC), the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach may reduce the time that importers and exporters have to store their containers for free. (JoC, dated 02/16/04-02/22/04, www.joc.com)
Erin Dozier, ex-Akin, Gump, named Media Bureau special advisor on media ownership… President Bush said he would promote Commerce Dept. Gen. Counsel Theodore Kassinger to Deputy Secy. of Commerce… Allan Rabinoff of Intelligent Network Communications joins China Wireless Communications board… Gavin Harvey, ex-E! Networks, named Outdoor Life Network pres., replacing Roger Williams, resigned… Lee Chaffin resigns as BET senior vp-affiliate sales & mktg.
In another run at opposing Nextel’s position on fixing public safety interference at 800 MHz, Verizon Wireless told the FCC Thurs. it was willing to bid in an “immediate” auction of spectrum at 1.9 GHz. This is among the bands Nextel would receive under a “consensus plan” proposal in exchange for giving up spectrum elsewhere. Meanwhile, 23 Republican and House members urged FCC Chmn. Powell not to give Nextel spectrum outside the 800 MHz band without conducting an auction under Sec. 309(j) of the Communications Act.
The FCC’s emphasis on VoIP is fine but the FCC should first make sure the underlying broadband infrastructure is deployed throughout the country, FCC Comr. Copps said Wed. at a symposium sponsored by Mich. State U.’s Quello Center. “No matter how enthusiastic the rhetoric [about VoIP], IP technologies will only reach their potential if the infrastructure is there,” he said. “We should be thinking larger thoughts,” Copps said: “If we ever needed a national conference on how to deal with disruptive technology it’s now.”
The FCC adopted changes in its rules for “quiet zones” - - areas where wireless operations must be restricted to minimize impacts on radio astronomy and other sensitive operations. The Commission said the changes last week streamlined requirements for applications affecting quiet zones while protecting those areas from harmful interference. It changed the rules by allowing immediate processing of applications that might affect the areas when the applicant obtains consent from the affected entity. The changes spell out that applicants can begin coordination with quiet zone entities before filing an FCC application. They allow Part 101 applicants to start operating conditionally if they have obtained prior consent from the quiet zone entity. The agency clarified that the applicant or its frequency coordinator could begin required coordination proceedings with the quiet zone entity. FCC rules require coordination of wireless services applications and operations in certain quiet zones, including the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in Green Bank, W.Va., and the Naval Radio Research Observatory in Sugar Grove, W.Va. Others include Commerce Dept. labs in the Table Mountain Radio Receiving Zone in Boulder County, Colo., FCC field offices used for monitoring activities, and Puerto Rico’s Arecibo Observatory. The FCC said it found that “waiting for the expiration of the 20-day waiting period in cases in which the applicant has consulted with, and obtained approval from, the quiet zone entity, unduly delays the processing of applications.”
Between the outcries over Janet Jackson’s revealing Super Bowl performance and complaints about the FCC’s media ownership rules, media industry analysts say the current highly charged atmosphere in Washington may play a major role in any Comcast-Disney deal. Even as Wall St. analysts were trying to understand the financial metrics of the deal, the political calculus remained obscure, some said. Within hours of Comcast’s announcement of its $66 billion bid for Disney, several lawmakers and FCC Chmn. Powell said they would heavily scrutinize the deal, in addition to traditional reviews by the FCC and Justice Dept. (CD Feb 12 p1). Financial analysts, unaccustomed to factoring inscrutable items such as public opinion, said they believed that, ultimately, such a deal would pass regulatory muster, although a lot of political noise might come with it.
Public safety officials have pushed for streamlining federal spectrum decision-making in talks under President Bush’s call for recommendations on promoting efficient spectrum use. But groups have warned against merging the duties of NTIA and the FCC to accomplish that. At an NTIA forum on public safety spectrum Tues., issues debated as part of the year-long process included simplifying federal frequency coordination, spelling out spectrum requirements of agencies and improving interference analysis.
The FCC would benefit from a Presidential budget that cuts spending in many other domestic areas. The budget, released Mon. by the White House, proposed a nearly $20 million increase for the FCC and a slate of new programs for NTIA. The $2.3 trillion budget forecasts a $521 billion deficit, and several domestic agencies saw spending cuts.
A coalition of 13 consumer groups called on Congress to impose social obligations on VoIP, saying universal service, accessibility, public safety and consumer protections should “continue to be the hallmark of our nation’s telecommunications policy.” In a letter to House Telecom Subcommittee Chmn. Upton (R-Mich.) and ranking member Markey (D-Mass.), the coalition outlined principles it said policymakers should adopt in any VoIP framework, including: (1) Universal service. The coalition said providers of VoIP service, which is “functionally equivalent to plain old telephone service,” must contribute to the Universal Service Fund to “ensure affordable access to telecom services for all Americans. The public switched network remains the backbone of this country’s communications and VoIP providers must contribute to the maintenance of the network through intercarrier compensation.” (2) Access for people with disabilities. Telecom Act Sec. 255, which requires that telecom services be accessible should apply “equally” to VoIP carriers, the coalition said. It said VoIP providers must contribute to the telecom relay service fund to ensure accessible telecom service for people with hearing and speech disabilities. (3) Public safety requirements. The coalition said communications networks, regardless of technology, must provide E911 service. (4) Consumer protections. The coalition said all providers of voice telephony must provide basic consumer protections, including privacy, advance notification of termination of services and other obligations. The letter was signed by the Alliance for Public Technology, Alliance for Technology Access, American Assn. of Law Libraries, American Assn. of People with Disabilities, CWA, Community Action Partnership, Dept. of Professional Employees, Independent Living Network, MAAC Project, National Consumers League, National Hispanic Council on Aging, Telecom for the Deaf and Telecom Research & Action Center. The House Commerce Committee is expected to consider VoIP issues at its “Current State of Competition in the Communications Marketplace” meeting scheduled for Wed.
The SEC said it had filed an emergency lawsuit against Presto Telecom and its Chmn. Alfred Vassallo to halt an alleged $11 million securities fraud in San Diego. The complaint, filed in U.S. Dist. Court, San Diego, charged that the defendants induced more than 800 people in 42 states to invest in Presto by stating falsely that: (1) The company had significant business relationships with AT&T, Sprint, MCI and Qwest, which it said had expressed interest in buying Presto or in investing in the company. (2) It was a “partner” to and had “alliances” with Cisco Systems and Unisys. (3) The Commerce Dept. was lobbying Mexican telecom regulators on Presto’s behalf, and investors’ funds would be used to build and operate a telecom network in Mexico. However, the SEC alleged, only 16% of investor and company funds were used for equipment and fiber, while Vassallo himself had misappropriated at least $1.2 million for personal expenses. It also alleged Presto had failed to disclose to prospective investors that the license its affiliated entity received from the Mexican govt. in 1998 to operate a commercial telecom network there was the subject of revocation proceedings that started in 2001. The SEC seeks preliminary and permanent injunctions and other relief, including disgorgement and civil penalties against Presto and Vassallo. Meanwhile, it said the court had ordered the freezing of Presto’s and Vassallo’s assets, the appointment of a temporary receiver over the company and other relief. A hearing on whether a preliminary injunction should be issued against the defendants and whether a permanent receiver should be appointed over the company is scheduled for Feb. 9.