Complaints that the satellite industry lacks effective competition are an inappropriate attempt to inject a private dispute into an FCC proceeding, Intelsat said in reply comments for the International Bureau’s annual Satellite Competition Report. The dispute over a Defense Department contract that an Intelsat subsidiary won “illustrates the highly competitive environment in which satellite network services are provided to end users and how the removal of historic restraints on Intelsat’s ability to serve end users directly has benefited consumers” with lower prices and higher efficiency, it said. CapRock and Spacenet, which have expressed qualms about competition in the proceeding (CD Aug 27 p7) and another one (CD April 12 p6), are mischaracterizing “conditions in the highly competitive satellite industry,” said Intelsat. Microcom has also alleged problems in the market.
The FCC should concentrate on public awareness of cybersecurity instead of adopting a massive security road map that would conflict with other federal agencies’ work and ultimately weaken protections, telecommunications players said in comments filed Wednesday and Thursday with the commission. The comments responded to an Aug. 9 notice about how the FCC should deal with cybersecurity in line with a National Broadband Plan recommendation.
A rulemaking paving the way for the FCC to auction TV stations’ spectrum for wireless broadband use and give part of the proceeds to the affected broadcasters won’t be approved until after the deadline envisioned by the commission in its agenda to deliver on the National Broadband Plan. The plan called for action this quarter on an item on “broadcast TV spectrum innovation” that would seek comment on proposals to increase spectrum efficiency and innovation (http://xrl.us/bhf9kj). Instead, Chairman Julius Genachowski is expected to circulate in Q4 a rulemaking notice that could be voted on at the November or December FCC meetings, agency officials and industry executives said. The FCC has missed several other deadlines in the agenda (CD Sept 1 p1).
Ivi TV, selling a $5 monthly subscription for online access to a handful of TV stations, sought a declaratory ruling against TV program suppliers in federal court because other options weren’t available to it, said its counsel. “Our investigation demonstrated to us that this wasn’t the FCC’s province at all,” said Lawrence Graham of Black Lowe & Graham. He pointed to a recent Media Bureau decision in the Sky Angel program access complaint (CD April 23 p9) and other public statements that the agency doesn’t regulate Internet content. “A number of things told us the FCC doesn’t have anything to do with video content over the Internet,” Graham said.
A handful of companies have turned down loan awards from the Broadband Initiatives Program, and officials in the U.S. Agriculture Department’s Rural Utilities Service are in negotiations to get the companies to stay with the program, a RUS spokesman said. “Fewer than 10” of about 300 grant winners have turned down awards, he said.
Shared Spectrum, developing sensing technology for white spaces devices, is “disappointed that sensing-only devices will have to get full commission review” under a new FCC order (CD Sept 24 p1) and that it requires sensing devices to run at lower power levels and under other constraints, General Counsel Peter Tenhula said. But the company hopes that the provisions “won’t scare off investors,” he said by e-mail Friday.
Almost two years after the FCC’s initial white spaces order the agency Thursday unanimously approved final rules allowing the use of unused frequencies in the TV band for wireless broadband. The order offers some concessions to various interests, from wireless mic makers to broadcasters, and to advocates of setting aside part of the band in rural areas for wireless backhaul. But the order changed little in most ways from what was proposed by Chairman Julius Genachowski three weeks ago.
The slow pace of standard development of Project 25, the public safety wireless communications program, is impacting adoption and competition, witnesses said at a House Technology Subcommittee hearing Thursday. The standard for digital land mobile radios is intended to further seamless public safety communications interoperability and provide for the efficient use of limited spectrum resources.
The FCC imposed new wireless location accuracy mandates on carriers Thursday, adopting a compromise that had been worked out between major carriers, APCO and the National Emergency Number Association. The commission also approved a notice of inquiry examining changes to 911 for VoIP and a notice of proposed rulemaking on future changes for wireless. None of the documents had been released at our deadline.
Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., will hold as many hearings as it takes to pass his public safety bill, the Senate Commerce Committee chairman said at a hearing Thursday. He conceded Congress probably won’t pass legislation this year. His bill (S-3756) would give the 700 MHz D-block to public safety, and fund the network with money from incentive auctions of broadcaster spectrum. Ranking Member Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, said she’s “prepared to support” the Rockefeller bill, but still has funding questions. Public Safety Bureau Chief Jamie Barnett maintained that the government should commercially auction the D-block.