State Dept. can’t use budgeted funds to process satellite export licenses to China unless it gives 15 days’ notice to appropriations committees in both houses for each licensing action, Senate Appropriations Committee said last week. Under Commerce-Justice-State budget bill marked up July 19 by Senate panel, advance notice to both committees would be required before State could begin processing application for export of U.S.-made commercial satellites and satellite components.
Bush Administration is expected shortly to put forward delay in auction of 3rd generation wireless spectrum, Rep. Pickering (R- Miss.) told reporters Tues. Delay proposal, which has been backed by CTIA, wouldn’t affect other auction deadlines and would serve as “moratorium” to allow framework to be put in place to tackle issues on advanced wireless allocations, he said after Toffler Assoc. panel on spectrum allocation. FCC faces statutory deadline for putting proceeds from 3G auction into U.S. Treasury by Sept. 30, 2002. In June, FCC Chmn. Powell wrote to Commerce Secy. Donald Evans that more time was needed beyond July target date to make 3G spectrum allocation decision. House Commerce Committee hearing is planned in 2 weeks that will invite govt. policymakers on 3G, including top brass from Commerce, FCC, Defense Dept., NTIA. “We want to have all the stakeholders,” Pickering said. Meanwhile, DoD Acting Dir.-Spectrum Analysis & Management Rebecca Cowen-Hirscht repeated Pentagon’s continued hard line on relocation of military incumbents at 1.7 GHz, telling panel that more than money was needed to solve 3G problem.
State Dept.’s Diplomatic Telecom Service is among dozens of govt. agency divisions that faced delays in soliciting and awarding service contracts because of unpaid printing bills, U.S. Govt. Printing Office (GPO) announced. GPO said Fri. that it had suspended those units’ ability to publish contract solicitations and other announcements for failure to pay overdue printing bills: “We understand that the bills are overdue by at least 60 days. Recently, these offices were notified by phone and fax of their overdue bills. The [Commerce Business Daily] staff understands that the temporary suspension of service may interrupt the schedule for a contract action. However, the CBD program is funded through the printing fee, and all organizations must pay their bills accordingly.”
Too many rural phone providers would be left without tax credits in bill by Sen. Rockefeller (D-W.Va.), OPASTCO said in letter to senator last week. Rockefeller’s bill (S-88) offers tax incentives for broadband deployment to rural areas, but OPASTCO Chmn. James Forcier and his fellow board members said they support “the concept” of bill but urged more companies be made eligible for credits. S-88 has 58 co-sponsors and is in Senate Finance Committee, of which Rockefeller is member. While Committee Chmn. Baucus (D-Mont.) has yet to hold hearing on bill, that could change now that new Senate governing agreement will allow committee to have full complement of members this week with one- vote Democratic majority. Similar bill in House (HR-267) by Rep. English (R-Pa.) has 170 co-sponsors and awaits action in Ways & Means Committee.
Prominent high-tech industry lobbyist will be nominated by President Bush to be Commerce Dept. undersecy. of technology, White House said Tues. Phillip Bond is dir. of federal public policy for Hewlett-Packard, and previously was senior vp-govt. affairs for Information Technology Industry Council (ITIC). He spent 5 years as chief of staff to Rep. Dunn (R-Wash.) and also worked in legislative affairs for Vice President Cheney when he was Secy. of Defense. Bond’s nomination was praised by members of TechNet, lobbying group with which Bond has been active. “The administration has tapped someone who has strong credentials in the technology community,” said TechNet CEO Rick White. Microsoft COO Bob Herbold said Bond “combines solid experience in our fast- moving industry with an insider’s knowledge of Washington, D.C.,” while Cisco Systems Senior Vp-Corporate Affairs Dan Schneinman said “this is a big win for the Administration and the technology industry.”
Top Senate Democrats, including Majority Leader Daschle (D- N.D.) urged President Bush Mon. not to allow “unnecessary delays” in opening “at least some” of 1755-1850 MHz band for commercial users eager for 3rd generation wireless spectrum. “In recent years, Congress has mandated safeguards to ensure that DoD does not surrender frequencies in such a way as to compromise its mission capabilities,” said letter written by 7 Senate Democrats. “But executive agencies must take the initiative to drive the process forward.” Senators didn’t criticize recent FCC action to delay decision on which spectrum bands should be allocated for advanced wireless uses beyond July 2001 deadline set out in executive order by then President Clinton last Oct. “While this schedule may no longer be realistic, the Administration should move forward as rapidly as possible.”
Problems that led to imposing strict export controls on satellites were “exaggerated, off target, political, a disaster for the industry and a disaster for national security,” said William Reinsch, pres., National Foreign Trade Council, and ex- Commerce Dept. (DoC) undersecy. for export administration under President Clinton. At Stimson Center conference on U.S. export controls on space-related technologies in Washington Tues., he said Hughes-Loral flap in 1998 that led to transfer of satellite export controls to State Dept. (DoS) from Commerce didn’t help China as much as opponents argued: “China received the most help from Russia.” Reinsch said actual drop in U.S. market share may vary according to estimates, “but nobody says it hasn’t dropped significantly.”
House Majority Leader Dick Armey (R-Tex.) doesn’t plan to schedule House debate on HR-1542, bill by House Commerce Committee Chmn. Tauzin (R-La.) and ranking Democrat John Dingell (D-Mich.) that would lift restrictions on ability of Bell companies to offer data services across interLATA boundaries. Responding to inquiry late last week on floor by House Minority Whip Bonior (D-Mich.), Armey said: “There is nothing planned at this time with respect to scheduling that bill for floor debate. Certainly I would not see it next week, and I could not tell the gentleman at what time we might expect it following the [July 4] recess.”
Former FCC Comr. Susan Ness elected to board of wireless firm LCC International… Gerard Lederer, ex-BOMA International, joins Miller & Van Eaton law firm… Appointments at FTC: Rafael Cruz, ex-Dept. of Justice, to dir.-Office of Policy & Planning; Sean Royall, ex-Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, deputy dir.-Bureau of Competition; Alden Abbott, ex-Commerce Dept., assistant dir.- policy and evaluation in Bureau of Competition… Ivo Bolsens, ex- vp-information and communication systems, IMEC, appointed vp-chief technical officer, Xilinx.
Dept. of Defense (DoD) is developing draft legislation that would provide funding for upgrading military communications equipment, thus allowing it to vacate some spectrum for commercial 3G applications, House Minority Leader Gephardt (D-Mo.) said Mon. Addressing Computer & Communications Industry Assn. (CCIA) 2001 Washington Caucus, Gephardt said language soon would be shopped around Hill to both authorizers and appropriators, adding: “I don’t know how successful that will be in working its way through the House and Senate.” Gephardt outlined DoD’s plans after his formal speech, but in that speech he did make passing reference to 3G spectrum: “A lot of people recently have told me we need to move the Defense Department [from some potential 3G spectrum]. That’s probably a wise thing to do.”