Congress must strike a “delicate balance" as it considers the numerous mobile privacy bills introduced in both the House and Senate, said Ranking Member of the House Communications Subcommittee Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., Thursday, at an event sponsored by the Congressional Internet Caucus. Digital privacy provisions should mirror those of the physical world, said Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., at the event. Panelists said protecting children is an essential component of mobile regulation because both the opportunities and dangers are so great.

The FCC asked whether it should extend for a second time a deadline for all radio and TV stations and subscription-video providers to start using a new government standard for emergency warnings. In a long-awaited rulemaking notice released Thursday afternoon, the commission asked dozens of questions on certification of emergency alert systems as complying with the new standards from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, deadlines and what’s technically needed to trigger alerts. The FCC tentatively concluded that existing EAS equipment can be used for the new standards and expects to start an inquiry on broadband alerting later this year.

The U.S. Copyright Office should not delve into “hypothetical questions” about whether changes to the statutory copyright system would require changes to the Communications Act or FCC rules, said the NAB. It filed reply comments with the copyright office on what the office should recommend to Congress about alternatives to statutory licensing, a report required by the Satellite TV Extension and Localism Act. Multichannel video programming distributors made “misleading complaints about communications regulatory policies over which this Office has no jurisdiction,” said NAB.

There is “absolutely no redeeming reason” to allow AT&T to buy T-Mobile USA, Judiciary Committee Ranking Member John Conyers, D-Mich., said at a hearing Thursday of the Internet Subcommittee: “Not even one.” AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson, testifying at the hearing, also played defense to Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., who had strong concerns about how the deal would affect pricing of backhaul owned by AT&T and Verizon. Stephenson said the deal would create jobs and motivate AT&T to build out to rural areas.

Internet Protocol version 6 carries a “significantly higher threat potential” than IPv4, security technology vendor Commtouch said this week. Spam, malware and other problems may be magnified if companies using the new technology don’t update their security and information technology systems, said Marketing Vice President Rebecca Herson. In general, current security solutions are obsolete and the “security world is in denial,” said IPv6 Forum President Latif Ladid. ICANN, however, said the risks aren’t much different from those of IPv4.

NTIA Associate Administrator Karl Nebbia provided a detailed analysis of the many federal operations that use the 1755-1850 MHz band at the first meeting of the reconstituted Commerce Spectrum Management Advisory Committee (CD May 25 p2). Getting part of that band, 1755-1780 MHz, for wireless broadband is a top wireless industry priority, but won’t be easy, he said.

In a setback for public safety communications legislation moving through Congress, key Republicans on the House Commerce Committee balked at proposals to reallocate the 700 MHz D-block to public safety. Committee Chairman Fred Upton, R-Mich., and Communications Subcommittee Chairman Greg Walden, R-Ore., appeared skeptical at a hearing Wednesday of the House Communications Subcommittee about the approach supported by President Barack Obama, the Senate Commerce Committee and the House and Senate Homeland Security committees. House Commerce Democrats supported the reallocation bill (S-911) by Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., and Ranking Member Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas.

The FCC is starting to implement rules to tamp down the volume of ads so they're not startlingly louder than the shows they appear within. Agency and industry officials said a draft rulemaking notice seeks comment on putting into place the Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation Act. The CALM Act was passed by Congress in December (CD Dec 6 p8), and applies to TV stations and subscription-video providers. A Media Bureau rulemaking notice circulated May 5 may be voted on within the next few weeks and has already attracted lobbying at the commission from telco-TV providers, cable and broadcasters, FCC and industry officials said.

Industry remains divided on how best to fix the Universal Service Fund and intercarrier compensation regimes, with a few months left before an FCC-promised deadline. Despite broad agreement that USF and intercarrier comp need fixing, reply comments show deep divisions over such questions as how quickly to transform to an all-IP network, how to treat VoIP service and the role of satellite and wireless technologies. “There is no doubt that the current universal service fund … and intercarrier compensation regimes are not sustainable in light of market and technological changes,” the Independent Telephone & Telecommunications Alliance said. “The comments show that there is no industry consensus in favor of the reforms outlined in the Notice or any other plan to promote broadband deployment to unserved areas.” The replies were posted in docket 10-90.

Video for first responders won’t be available anytime soon, though it’s long been seen as a key expected use of a national public safety network, Bill Schrier, chair of the FCC’s Public Safety Advisory Committee working group on applications, told Tuesday’s PSAP meeting. The working group ranked an application allowing first responders to broadcast a message they're in trouble and need help as the top priority among all that will be developed for the network.