Howard Buskirk

The Bush Administration, in a letter signed by NTIA acting Dir. Michael Gallagher, said Wed. the Bell companies should continue to offer current UNE-P wholesale prices for “a full year,” ensuring a smooth transition for consumers. That period would be longer than the transition period on the table as offered by the Bells (CD June 16 p1).

With WiMax potentially at the breakthrough point, the WiMax Forum is putting much of its emphasis on establishing a certification program for products, similar to a good housekeeping seal of approval, officials said. As carriers start to launch WiMax services, the forum is gently reminding the public that so far no products have been certified.

Mass. and other states are poised to pass legislation to protect the privacy of consumers involved with radio frequency identification (RFID), State Sen. Jarrett Barrios (D-Cambridge) warned an Information Technology Assn. of America (ITAA) conference Tues. Barrios, chmn. of the Senate Public Safety Committee, advised attendees that unless industry develops rules on its own the govt. will step in.

The coalition of major law enforcement groups supporting the original “consensus” 800 MHz rebanding plan Mon. sent a letter to the FCC supporting the revised version filed by Nextel last week. The group also took a shot at Verizon Wireless, which criticized the plan after it was floated June 7.

BOSTON -- The ITU’s Task Group 1/8 meetings will ultimately lead to a worldwide agreement on ultra-wideband, though the glide path may not always be smooth, NTIA acting Dir. Michael Gallagher said last week at the meeting, which is continuing here through the end of this week.

BOSTON -- FCC Chmn. Powell Wed. opened a major international meeting here on ultra wideband with a plea for the group to move forward with an international agreement. In coming days, ITU’s Task Group 1/8 will try to hammer out a consensus on UWB in a rare meeting outside Geneva. Powell told delegates that while balancing interests presents major “challenges” for regulators “the promise of UWB technology is simply too great to do otherwise.”

NY3G, a partnership attempting to launch a broadband wireless network in N.Y., is asking the FCC for special consideration as it takes up its report and order Thurs. on revised service rules for ITFS/MMDS spectrum. The group is asking the FCC to include language in the order that will require ITFS providers to surrender spectrum in a few cases where talks between new entrants and incumbents have faltered.

Nextel and Sprint made last-min. alternate rebanding proposals for the ITFS/MMDS band last week, as FCC staff prepared to put the order on the sunshine agenda for Thurs.’s meeting, cutting off lobbying of the Commission. The proposals were part of a last-minute flurry of visits to the FCC with the Commission expected to vote a report and order, and further notice of proposed rulemaking.

The Foundation for Taxpayer & Consumer Rights filed a lawsuit in L.A. Superior Court charging wireless phones sold by T-Mobile, AT&T and Cingular contain software that prevents porting to other carriers. The suit charges this is a violation of Cal. consumer protection law.

Nextel, still fighting to make certain FCC’s 800 MHz rebanding plan includes giving it spectrum at 1.9 GHz, has offered a new concession, giving up additional spectrum at 800 MHz to be used by public safety. The proposal appears designed in part to give FCC Chmn. Powell additional cover if he sides with Nextel against other wireless carriers, which have made the case Nextel instead should get 2.1 GHz spectrum. Nextel had proposed giving public safety 2.5 MHz and the new plan would essentially double that to 4.5 MHz. Based on Nextel’s numbers, the offer is worth $863 million more than the previous proposal, or $5.155 billion, a spokesman said.