Despite hype, wireless LAN (Wi-Fi) industry still is in its infancy, and that has been reflected in lack of defined presence in Washington. However, as FCC examines use of unlicensed spectrum such as 2.4 GHz band used by Wi-Fi’s 802.11b standard and 5 MHz band used by 802.11a, several organizations are emerging to represent Wi-Fi’s interests at agency. Wi-Fi has multiple industry sectors participating in its growth, and separate paths appear to have been chosen by Wi-Fi hardware manufacturers and commercial access point, or hot spot, operators. Some believe uncertainty shown in those nascent lobbying efforts reflects disparity in predictions on how fast Wi-Fi is to grow and to what extent industry will become profitable.
Telecom industry will be closely watching Mich. today (Tues.) as influential Rep. Dingell (D-Mich.), 24-term incumbent, goes to polls in dead-heat primary against Rep. Rivers (D-Mich.), 4-term incumbent. While telecom issues have hardly scored blip in tightly contested campaign, race has become important to telecom interests, particularly those representing ILECs, CLECs and broadcasters, since leadership of House Commerce Committee is at stake. Dingell is ranking Democrat on Committee and co-author of Tauzin-Dingell bill (HR-1542), which would remove regulatory restrictions on Bell companies to deploy broadband Internet. Rivers, member of Education & Workforce Committee and Science Committee, has little involvement in telecom issues, but has drawn support from Tauzin-Dingell opponents. She has proved to be strong candidate against Dingell in newly redrawn 15th district, which now includes more liberal Democratic voters from Ann Arbor who are said to be more likely to vote for Rivers. In race, Rivers is portrayed as liberal, single mother who strongly supports gun control and abortion rights. Dingell is seen as more moderate, who touts experience and support from unions.
Scott Ford took over as AllTel CEO, replacing Joseph Ford, who remains chmn… Promotions at FCC Wireline Bureau, Access Policy Div.: Eric Einhorn to acting chief, Diane Law Hsu to acting deputy chief… Praveen Goyal, ex-FCC and Wiley, Rein & Fielding, named senior counsel in Covad Washington govt. affairs office… Horen Chen, ex-Mobilink Telecom, appointed pres.-CEO, Tropian… Lord Young, ex-Cable & Wireless, joins TTI Telecom board… Cesar Conde, Univision, named White House Fellow for development of Internet portal targeting Hispanic market… New officers at Wis. State Telecom Assn.: Thomas Squires, Manawa Telephone, pres.; Patrick Riordan, Nsight Telservices, vp… Appointed at Liberate Technologies: Colin Dixon, ex-Microsoft Web TV Div., becomes vp-applications & content; Jennifer Graham promoted to vp, mktg. communications.
Peter Shields of Wiley, Rein & Fielding begins term as FCBA pres. July 1… Linda Shatz is to leave U.S. Administrative Co., which administers e-rate fund, effective June 30… William Schwartz, ex-Washington Post, named Metrocall vp-retail operations.
LAS VEGAS -- Broadcasters should “just completely ignore” Hollywood in fight over digital rights management, HDNet Chmn. Mark Cuban said at NAB convention here. He said Hollywood program producers had “created a chicken little environment” with claims that DTV would be pirated, including via transmission over Internet. Other speakers here said DTV transition was going much better than most believed, topping speed of transition to such technologies as VCRs and color TV sets.
LAS VEGAS -- Three principal speakers at opening session of NAB convention here Mon. all made pitches for unified front to overcome future challenges, with NAB Pres. Edward Fritts issuing direct call to NBC, CBS and Fox to rejoin Assn. “Broadcasters can move mountains in the legislative and regulatory arena when we are unified,” he said. Conceding divisive 35% ownership cap issue (which caused 3 TV networks to pull out of NAB more than year ago) is “vitally important,” he said there was “panoply of other challenges we face” where broadcasters were united. Keynoter Richard Parsons, CEO-designate of AOL Time Warner, said only by cable and TV industries’ “working together can we take a leadership role in shaping a great new age of television.” Richard Wiley, winner of NAB Distinguished Service Award, said meeting new competitive pressures required “substantial industry ingenuity and also unity.”
FCC Chmn. Powell offered his own plan to spur national DTV transition Thurs., telling Sen. Hollings (D-S.C.) and Rep. Tauzin (R-La.) in letters that he would seek commitments from cable operators, broadcasters, satellite providers, equipment manufacturers and retailers for his voluntary, 5- part proposal. Powell said his plan wasn’t intended to be comprehensive or to resolve many of weighty issues, such as copyright protection and equipment compatibility, hampering transition. “Rather, it is intended to provide an immediate spur to the transition by giving consumers a reason to invest in digital technology today, while we continue to work on resolving the longer-term issues,” Powell wrote. One of major obstacles to DTV transition is lack of digital programming and low demand from consumers, many of whom find HDTV sets too costly. Aides to Hollings and Tauzin confirmed their offices had received and were reviewing Powell letter. Both lawmakers were traveling during congressional recess and couldn’t be reached for comment, staffers said. Letters were made public as many TV officials were leaving for NAB convention in Las Vegas.
Requests for extensions of May 2002 deadline for DTV buildout from TV stations in markets 31 and above (CD March 6 p12) had topped out at 572 by 4 p.m. Wed. Commission had promised applications would be acted on “rapidly,” and some already have been approved, FCC official told us. Of extension requests filed by Mon. deadline, about 70 were submitted by one law firm -- Wiley, Rein & Fielding.
Tomas Bridle, chief technology officer and senior policy adviser to Rep. Harman (D-Cal.), named program dir., National Democratic Institute in Moscow… NTCA board elections: Pres. John Metts, Penasco Valley Telephone Co-op; Vp Norman Welker, McDonough Telephone Co-op; Secy.-Treas. Tom Rowland, N. Central Telephone Co-op… Alan Morse, ex-TelePacific Communications, named COO, Horizon PCS… Joseph Licata promoted to pres., Siemens Enterprise Networks, U.S… NAB will give Distinguished Service Award to attorney Richard Wiley at convention in Las Vegas.
Donald Ohlmeyer, recently retired exec. producer of ABC’s Mon. Night Football and former NBC west coast pres., will keynote April 5-7 Bcst. Education Assn. (BEA) convention in Las Vegas. BEA also plans panels on Internet, digital conversion, eroding TV audience, “Law & Policy” updating what’s happened since passage of 1996 Telecom Act, “Hot Topics” in broadcast regulation with panelists to include Washington attorneys Barry Umansky and Richard Wiley and Catherine Bohegian, legal asst. to FCC Comr. Martin. For first time, NAB Educational Foundation is underwriting cost to take 5 faculty members from minority colleges to BEA -- Louisa Nielsen, 202-429-5355 or lnielsen@nab.org.