AT&T filed at the FCC its service agreement with Empresa de Telecomunicaciones de Cuba allowing calls between its subscribers and customers of the Cuban provider. AT&T also filed a notification with the International Bureau saying it agrees to accept the terms and conditions for a waiver of the benchmark rate applicable to Cuba. Parts of the publicly filed document were redacted. The agreement is to take effect when signed by both parties and after regulatory approvals in the U.S. “It shall remain valid and in effect for an initial period of one (1) year from the Effective Date and will be automatically extended and shall continue in full force and effect for the same one (1) year consecutive periods, unless terminated by either Party,” the agreement says.

The Department of Commerce approved an initial group of U.S. companies to be self-certified under the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield. The department released a list of 34 companies, including Microsoft, Salesforce and Workday, that will have to follow more stringent requirements to transfer the personal data of Europeans (see 1608050007).

British regulator Ofcom estimates 15 million U.K. internet users have embarked on “digital detox” self-help therapy “to strike a healthier balance between technology and life beyond the screen,” said a Thursday report. Ofcom canvassed 2,025 adults on their online habits and found that one in three adult internet users (34 percent), equivalent to 15 million people in the U.K., has “sought a period of time offline,” with one in 10 having done so in the previous week, it said. Of those “digital down-timers,” 25 percent spent up to a day internet-free, while 20 percent took up to a week off and 5 percent went internet-free for up to a whole month, Ofcom said. Respondents had mixed opinions about the benefits and drawbacks of their internet abstinence, it said. A third of those canvassed (33 percent) said they felt “more productive” as a result, and 27 percent found it “more liberating” to stay offline, Ofcom said. But 16 percent said they experienced the “fear of missing out,” 15 percent said they felt “lost,” and 14 percent “cut off,” it said. Ofcom estimates millions of U.K. consumers built their “digital detox” strategies into their vacation plans. Of U.K. adult internet users canvassed, 16 percent reported “purposely” visiting a vacation destination with no internet access, and 9 percent said they intentionally traveled “to a place with neither internet nor mobile phone coverage,” Ofcom said. The internet “has revolutionised our lives for the better,” said the agency. “But our love affair with the web isn’t always plain surfing, and many people admit to feeling hooked. So millions of us are taking a fresh look at the role of technology in our lives, and going on a digital detox to get a better tech-life balance.”

Recent negotiations between the U.S. and EU on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) included telecom and e-commerce language, said the European Commission in a report released Thursday. During the TTIP meetings in Brussels July 11-15, the two sides "covered all provisions put forward by the EU and the US for the E-commerce chapter and many of the provisions of both sides on telecommunications," said the EC. "On telecommunications, the discussion addressed in particular licensing requirements, the role of the regulatory authority and interconnection," it said. "Both sides agreed on a detailed list of follow-up action items in order to achieve further progress at the next Round." Within discussions on information and communications technology, the EU said it's pleased by a "textual proposal on cooperation on market surveillance activities which intends to improve cooperation between enforcement authorities for products subject to radio and electromagnetic compatibility requirements." Among other issues were "e-labelling for electronic products with an integrated screen," encryption and spam.

Neustar said it will continue to provide number portability services in Canada to telecom carriers under an agreement with the Canadian LNP Consortium. The pact with CLNPC is through 2018, said Steve Edwards, Neustar senior vice president-data solutions, in a release Tuesday. “This agreement benefits Canadian consumers and service providers and provides an opportunity to build on Neustar’s exceptional performance and customer support for the industry.” CLNPC President Jacques Sarrazin said in the release: "The Canadian telecommunications industry has signaled its continued confidence in Neustar's ability to provide uninterrupted and reliable number portability services. We believe this step is critical to positioning the CLNPC in planning for 2019 and beyond, and we look forward to ongoing discussions with Neustar with respect to future requirements for number portability services in Canada.” Neustar lost its number portability contract with the FCC for the U.S. (see 1607250029).

Alfa, the Lebanese wireless carrier managed by Orascom Telecom, working with Nokia, launched that nation's first 4G LTE-Advanced network, Nokia said in a news release Tuesday. “The network enables Alfa to offer its subscribers significantly higher download speeds of up to 262.5 Mbits/sec for accessing high-definition video and other data-intensive applications.”

TechFreedom joined Engage Cuba, a coalition of companies, trade associations and civil society organizations seeking to end the travel and trade embargo on Cuba. “Normalizing relations with Cuba is a win-win, especially for technology,” said TechFreedom Policy Counsel Tom Struble in a Friday news release. “Lifting the embargo opens a new market for American companies, and Cubans will gain access to online services that provide jobs, foster free speech, and enable more cultural diffusion.” For example, Airbnb would help Cubans make money from an influx of travelers, he said: “Travel is essential to the Cuban tech sector, as U.S. companies and experts need the freedom to help spur startups and accelerate broadband deployment on the Island.”

An Irish High Court judge Tuesday accepted the U.S. government, two technology associations and a U.S.-based privacy group as amici curiae in a case involving Facebook's use of standard contractual clauses to transfer Europeans' personal data across the Atlantic (see 1607060009). But Justice Brian McGovern refused applications by several other civil liberties, human rights and privacy associations, an Irish business group and a data protection expert to advise the court. In his judgment, McGovern said the U.S. has a "significant and bona fide interest in the outcome of the proceedings. ... The imposition of restrictions on the transfer of such data would have potentially considerable adverse effects on EU-US commerce and could affect US companies significantly." Applications from industry associations BSA|The Software Alliance and Digital Europe also were accepted as was one from the Electronic Privacy Information Center. McGovern said EPIC would "offer a counterbalancing perspective" to the U.S. government's stance. McGovern acknowledged that Max Schrems, the Austrian privacy activist who brought the complaint against Facebook, is an EPIC board member, but the judge said there are 93 other board members and Schrems won't provide any advice or help preparing submissions or have contact with the group. McGovern denied applications from the American Civil Liberties Union, Electronic Frontier Foundation, the Irish Council of Civil Liberties and the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, saying they wouldn't provide any particular assistance or new perspective. He also denied assistance from Ireland-based industry group IBEC and Kevin Cahill, who was described as an IT expert in the decision but who has been also identified as a U.K.-based journalist and data privacy campaigner in other media reports. The case, which was brought by Ireland's data protection commissioner, is expected to be transferred to the European Court of Justice soon.

Privacy Shield, the trans-Atlantic data transfer pact just approved by the European Commission, is "a good thing," wrote Michelle Dennedy, Cisco chief privacy officer, in a Tuesday blog post. She said the new self-certification agreement (see 1607120001), unlike its predecessor, safe harbor, provides checks and balances in U.S. government access to data and improves transparency and accountability of companies. Cisco intends to sign up for Privacy Shield, said Dennedy, but the company will continue to offer other mechanisms like model contractual clauses (see 1607060009). "As much as this may feel like a big compliance headache, one thing is certain," she said. "Both sides of the Atlantic take the need to address EU privacy concerns very seriously. Ultimately, it will drive trust in business and confidence with customers, regulators and citizens alike, and that is always a good thing."

The exemption to FCC Form 740 filing requirements for RF device imports (see 1607070061) is based on the actual import date and not the date-of-entry summary filing with Customs and Border Protection, said CBP in a notice. The FCC data must still be provided on the entry summary if the import date is before July 1, CBP said. That data isn't required for imports after July 1, it said. After July 23, CBP no longer will require FCC data filed electronically regardless of date of import, CBP said.