Verizon Wireless opposed a proposal by the FCC Advisory Committee on Diversity for Communications in the Digital Age for a new “overcoming disadvantages” category for designated entities (DE) in FCC spectrum auctions (CD Oct 4 p3). But public interest groups led by the Office of Communication of the United Church of Christ said the proposal shows promise. Council Tree, a DE, said the FCC should consider the proposal, but must restructure the current program so a larger number of DEs can bid successfully for spectrum licenses.
FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski Friday said in an e-mail to staff he supports the anti-regulation moves by the broader Obama administration. President Barack Obama took a jab at over-regulation in his State of the Union address Jan. 25 and the administration issued an order that would measure the effectiveness of regulations.
Making more spectrum available for wireless broadband appears to be the FCC’s top priority, Stifel Nicolaus said Wednesday in a research note. “But we are skeptical that there will be any significant spectrum auctions until late 2012 at the earliest,” the note said. The 700 MHz D-block is “unlikely to be made available for commercial use anytime soon, if ever,” Stifel Nicolaus said. “There will be a big push in Congress, propelled in part by budget deficit reduction efforts, to give the FCC incentive auction authority, which could free up some broadcaster spectrum and the 2 GHz MSS spectrum, but there are so many difficult issues -- and a smaller legislative window due to the 2012 general election -- that we do not give this much more than a 50/50 chance this Congress."
SAN FRANCISCO -- Egypt’s Internet cutoff vindicates support for strong net neutrality and opposition to online censorship, said Free Press President Josh Silver. A lesson is that neither governments nor corporations should be allowed to shut down or censor the Internet, he said at the Commonwealth Club civic forum Monday evening.
Four months after the FCC approved final white spaces rules Sept. 23, the Office of Engineering and Technology said nine companies have been selected as geolocation database providers. The order was announced quietly, compared to the fanfare that marked the September order. But it marks a critical step toward the sale of the first devices designed to use the TV band to surf the Internet.
Support is growing for Council Tree’s effort to persuade the Supreme Court to review its challenge of the results from the AWS-1 and 700 MHz auctions, the designated entity (DE) said Thursday. Council Tree argues that the 3rd U.S. Circuit of Appeals in Philadelphia should have overturned the results of the auctions when it found problems with the FCC’s revised DE rules last August (CD Aug 25 p1). Council Tree said three amicus briefs have been filed in support of its petition.
While getting more spectrum for mobile broadband is important, reallocating broadcast spectrum could harm the whole industry, broadcasters said on a Minority Media & Telecom Council Summit panel. Stations’ sharing a channel, as proposed, could produce technical issues and loss of service, said James Winston, executive director of the National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters, said late Thursday. There are only a few minority TV stations, so the FCC needs to study the risks carefully, he said. “The issue can’t be handled in a hurry."
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., said he will introduce legislation that would limit carriers’ liability in cybersecurity attacks. “We are working on it and we hope to have it soon,” Goodlatte said after hosting a luncheon at the State of the Net conference. “We need to be looking at ways to encourage folks to try new ideas in the area of cybersecurity.” He said he hoped legislation -- modeled on laws passed to calm fears of a Y2K meltdown -- would help businesses “step up their game.”
Officials at NTIA and the FCC indicated this week they're focusing on 1755-1780 MHz for possible reallocation for wireless broadband. The wireless industry has long sought the band for pairing with AWS-3 spectrum, for what would likely be one of the most-watched spectrum auctions since 2007’s 700 MHz auction.
LAS VEGAS -- The FCC could begin auctioning broadcast spectrum within “the next year or two” if Congress approves sharing the proceeds with spectrum holders, Chairman Julius Genachowski said in a Q-and-A session late Friday after his speech at the Consumer Electronics Show (CD Jan 10 p2). He said commission staffers have begun “creating the framework” for the auctions, in case they're authorized.