Digital interoperable public safety communication equipment got a boost in a bill passed Thurs. by the House Commerce Committee. The Committee approved a substitute version of the Faster & Smarter Funding for First Responders Act (HR-3266) that made several changes to the bill. Committee sources said the original legislation didn’t allow enough leeway on communications equipment and appeared to favor more archaic analog equipment. The new version allowed for more digital purchases. The bill doesn’t specifically allocate money for interoperability, but that’s one of several first responder priorities -- along with training and equipment purchases -- eligible for grants. The bill creates about $3.4 billion in grants that the Dept. of Homeland Security (DHS) could distribute. During the markup, Rep. Stupak (D-Mich.) offered and then withdrew an amendment that would put more emphasis on interoperability. Details of the amendment weren’t revealed, but he emphasized the importance of interoperability and noted that while HR-3266 has some provisions directed at that characteristic, the bill doesn’t directly authorize any spending on interoperability. “The least we can do is make sure the radios talk to each other,” he said. Stupak has introduced legislation (HR-3370) that would use proceeds from spectrum auctions to fund interoperability grants, which would be distributed by NTIA. The bill has 18 co-sponsors. Stupak isn’t a co-sponsor of HR-4400, by Rep. Lowey (D-N.Y.), which would establish a DHS office devoted to interoperability. The bill has 40 co- sponsors, all Democrats. House Homeland Security Committee Chmn. Cox (R-Cal.), sponsor of HR-3266, said he was pleased with most revisions the Commerce Committee made to the bill, but said a task force comprised of first responders should be restored. He said he was pleased with a change allocating more funding to places more likely to suffer terrorist attacks. However, the House Transportation Emergency Management Subcommittee approved the bill Tues. and rejected efforts to change the funding formula to favor districts that are more likely to be targeted by terrorists, according to Yucel Ors of the Assn. of Public-Safety Communications Officials.
The Journal of Commerce Online reports that on June 1, 2004, the World Trade Organization (WTO) delayed its decision on a request for sanctions against the U.S. in the "Byrd Amendment" case. According to the article, the European Union, Canada, Japan, India, Brazil, Mexico, Chile, and South Korea are seeking the right to retaliate against U.S. exports because the U.S. Congress has failed to repeal the Byrd Amendment, which the WTO declared illegal more than a year ago. (JoC Online dated 06/01/04, www.joc.com.)
The FCC is strongly considering delaying an order on ITFS spectrum rules due at the Commission next week, according to officials at the Wireless Communications Assn. conference in Washington Wed. The FCC has faced a firestorm of protests the past week, since word broke an order was steaming forward that would take 18 MHz of spectrum away from ITFS as part of a rule on the MMDS/ITFS spectrum allocation. The Commission must decide today (Thurs.) whether the order will be on the sunshine agenda for the June 10 Commission meeting.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued an administrative message stating that due to a fire at the Department of Commerce, entry summaries requiring a steel license from Commerce which were due June 1, 2004 have been granted a one day filing extension until June 2, 2004. (Adm: 04-1402, dated 06/02/04, available by fax by emailing documents@brokerpower.com)
Standards-setting bodies would face a reduced threat from federal antitrust suits under a bill that could go to the White House any day now. The House today (Wed.) is expected to approve the bill, its last hurdle before reaching President Bush for his expected signature. Beneficiaries would include CEA and the Telecom Industry Assn. (TIA). The legislation has bipartisan support in both houses but has taken 15 months to get through Congress.
The General Accounting Office (GAO) said Tues. that the overall structure of spectrum management in the U.S. doesn’t encourage efficiency. The agency encouraged stronger spectrum review by NTIA over spectrum usage by federal agencies. In a report examining federal spectrum use, the GAO said there were few incentives for the govt. to use the resource efficiently. NTIA mainly relies on individual agencies to develop spectrum-efficient systems, the GAO said, but these agencies’ guidance to suppliers don’t require “systemic consideration of spectrum efficiency in their acquisitions.”
The Journal of Commerce Online (JoC Online) reports that the President of Brazil has proposed a free trade agreement (FTA) between China and the Mercosur trade bloc (Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, and Paraguay) aimed at lessening dependence on trade with the U.S. The Brazilian President also proposed expanding commerce between Mercosur, China, India, and African countries. (JoC Online Pub 05/25/04, www.joc.com)
Standards-setting bodies would face a reduced threat from federal antitrust suits under a bill that could go to the White House any day now. The House today (Wed.) is expected to approve the bill, its last hurdle before reaching President Bush for his expected signature. Beneficiaries would include CEA and the Telecom Industry Assn. (TIA). The legislation has bipartisan support in both houses but has taken 15 months to get through Congress.
A fire Tues. closed parts of the main Commerce Dept. building, including the NTIA. The small electrical fire cut electricity in the 5th corridor of each floor of the Herbert Hoover Bldg. The building was without air conditioning. NTIA was slated to send the White House over the weekend a report on recommendations on spectrum policy reform. But NTIA acting Dir. Michael Gallagher earlier had indicated the agency was unlikely to make an original May 29 target date for completing the report.
NEC America agreed to pay a $20.6 million criminal fine, civil settlement and restitution, after the Justice Dept. (DoJ) charged the company with defrauding the E-rate program. The DoJ said NEC allocated contracts and rigged bids for E- rate projects at 5 separate school districts in Mich., Wis., Ark, and S.C. NEC was also charged with wire fraud for inflating bids and submitting false documents to the E-rate program and San Francisco school district. The DoJ said NEC filed the fraudulent documents in an effort to hide the fact that it planned on installing ineligible items. DoJ said NEC agreed to donate “free” items that it planned to bill the E- rate program and submitted false and fraudulent documents to defeat inquiry into the legitimacy of the funding request. The plea agreement calls for a $4.7 million criminal fine for bid rigging and wire fraud. “This conduct deprived the E- rate program of fair and competitive prices, caused the program to pay for unnecessary and ineligible items, and as a result, prevented the funding of projects at other needy schools,” said DoJ antitrust chief Hewitt Pate. The House Commerce Committee is investigating the E-rate program for fraud. Also, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that $20 million in E-rate funds for the Atlanta school district has been frozen while the Universal Service Administrative Co., which distributes E-rate funds, investigates mishandling of that district’s funds.