press release

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler announced winners of the third annual Awards for Advancement in Accessibility (Chairman's AAA), which honors innovators who develop communications technology for people with disabilities.

The Chairman presented the awards at a ceremony on June 9, 2014 at the M-Enabling Summit in Arlington (VA), where the award- winning technology was displayed. The Chairman’s AAA, a project of the FCC’s Accessibility and Innovation Initiative (A&I Initiative), recognizes outstanding private and public sector ventures in communications technology accessibility and innovation.

Part of the A&I Initiative’s goal to facilitate ongoing exchanges among industry, assistive technology companies, app developers, government representatives and consumers to share best practices and solutions for accessible communications technologies.

“The potential of broadband-enabled technology to improve the lives of Americans living with disabilities is almost limitless -- but only if that technology is accessible,” said Chairman Wheeler. “I’m glad that these awards can help spark the development of new and creative technologies that furthers the important goal of making communications accessible for all Americans.”

Winners were chosen for seven categories: Advanced Communication Services (ACS), Employment Opportunities, Closed Captions, Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, Mobile Web Browsers, Social Media and Video Description.

More than 11 percent of smokers who used a text- messaging program to help them quit did so and remained smoke free at the end of a six- month study as compared to just 5 percent of controls, according to a new report by researchers at Milken Institute School of Public Health at the George Washington University.

“Text messages seem to give smokers the constant reminders they need to stay focused on quitting,” says Lorien C. Abroms, ScD, MA, an associate professor of prevention and community health at Milken Institute SPH and the lead author of the study. “However, additional studies must be done to confirm this result and to look at how these programs work when coupled with other established anti-smoking therapies.”

Despite the widespread use of anti-smoking apps and texting programs, there had been no long-term studies of such programs in the United States. Abroms and her colleagues decided to carry out a large, randomized trial of a text-messaging program.

They recruited 503 smokers on the internet and randomized them to receive either a text-messaging program called Text2Quit or self-help material aimed at getting smokers to quit. The text messages in the Text2Quit program are interactive and give smokers advice but they also allow participants to ask for more help or to reset a quit date if they need more time. Smokers who have trouble fighting off an urge can text in and get a tip or a game that might help distract them until the craving goes away, Abroms said.

The Central Intelligence Agency is expanding its social media presence with the launch of official CIA social media accounts on Twitter and Facebook.

The launch of these accounts builds the Agency’s online presence beyond its public website, mobile site, and official Flickr and YouTube accounts.

“By expanding to these platforms, CIA will be able to more directly engage with the public and provide information on CIA’s mission, history, and other developments,” said CIA Director John Brennan. “We have important insights to share, and we want to make sure that unclassified information about the Agency is more accessible to the American public that we serve, consistent with our national security mission.”

In addition to posting the latest news, statements, and career information from CIA, the Agency’s social media updates will also feature artifacts and other information from the CIA’s Museum -- the best museum most people never get to see. CIA will also post updates and information from the Agency’s “World Factbook,” a unique public resource and educational tool, as well as unclassified intelligence histories and other information.

New consumer research from Leichtman Research Group finds that 49% of all US households have at least one television set connected to the Internet via a video game system, Blu-ray player, smart TV set, and/or stand-alone device (like Roku, Apple TV, or Google Chromecast) -- up from 38% in 2012, and 24% in 2010.

Overall, 24% of adults watch video from the Internet via a connected TV at least weekly, compared to 13% in 2012, and 5% in 2010. Connected television use is heavily skewed towards Netflix subscribers, with 49% of Netflix subscribers watching video from the Internet via a connected device weekly, compared to 8% weekly use among all non-Netflix subscribers. Among Netflix streaming video users, 78% say that they watch Netflix on a TV set -- a similar level to the previous three years. These findings are based on a survey of 1,211 households nationwide, and are part of a new LRG study, Emerging Video Services VIII. This is LRG's eighth annual study on this topic.

Other related findings include:

• 80% of all Netflix subscribers also subscribe to a pay-TV service -- compared to 85% in 2012, and 88% in 2010
• 48% of all non-subscribers to a pay-TV service get Netflix -- compared to 29% in 2012, and 16% in 2010
• 15% of Netflix subscribers agree that their Netflix subscription is shared with others outside their household
• 47% of households get Netflix, Amazon Prime, and/or Hulu Plus
• On a daily basis, 31% of adults watch video on non-TV devices (including home computers, mobile phones, iPads, tablets, and eReaders), and 58% weekly -- up from 18% daily, and 46% weekly in 2012
• Including connected TV sets, 34% watch any over-the-top video daily, and 61% weekly

NTIA released the Fourth Interim Progress Report on the Obama Administration’s initiative to identify and make available 500 megahertz of federal and non-federal spectrum for commercial wireless broadband use by 2020.

This report also includes a plan for federal agencies to conduct quantitative assessments of their actual spectrum usage in 960 megahertz of additional spectrum, as directed in President Barack Obama’s June 2013 Memorandum. America’s future competitiveness and global technology leadership depend on access to radio spectrum -- the lifeblood of smartphones, tablets, and other data-hungry wireless devices.

The key accomplishments in the 2013 fiscal year include the following:

• NTIA’s Commerce Spectrum Management Advisory Committee concluded its groundbreaking work to explore relocation alternatives and spectrum sharing arrangements between federal agencies and commercial mobile broadband systems in the 1695-1710 MHz and 1755-1850 MHz bands.
• NTIA released regulations and guidance implementing changes to the Commercial Spectrum Enhancement Act (CSEA) that provide eligible federal agencies incentives and financial assistance to facilitate the transition of the reallocated federal bands that the FCC will auction.
• NTIA published an initial assessment on spectrum-sharing technologies and the risk to federal users if Unlicensed-National Information Infrastructure (U-NII) devices were authorized to operate in the 5350-5470 MHz and 5850-5925 MHz bands (5 GHz).
• NTIA, in collaboration with other federal agencies, developed the plan for federal agencies to provide quantitative assessments of their usage of spectrum in selected frequency bands.
• The FCC initiated or concluded rulemaking proceedings for several spectrum bands and services, including H Block and AWS-4 services.

The US. Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) is seeking public comment on how developments related to “big data” impact the Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights.

The NTIA has issued a Request for Comments on how issues raised by big data impact the Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights, the Obama Administration’s framework for privacy protections released in February 2012.

The most recent action was called for in the White House’s big data and privacy working group report on how big data is transforming the way we live and work. Counselor to the President John Podesta convened senior government officials, including US Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker, to conduct the wide-ranging review of big data and privacy, and the group presented its findings to President Obama on May 1.

Specifically, NTIA is seeking comment on:

• How the principles in the Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights support innovations related to big data while also responding to potential privacy risks;
• Whether the Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights should be clarified or modified to better accommodate the benefits or risks of big data;
• Whether a responsible use framework should be used to address the challenges posed by big data; and
• Mechanisms to best address the limits of the “notice and consent” model for privacy protection noted in the big data report.

A group of Republican House members wrote the Government Accountability Office (GAO) requesting an examination of the Obama administration’s recent proposal to transition Internet oversight to the global multi-stakeholder community.

In March 2014, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), an agency of the Department of Commerce, announced its intention to transition oversight of the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) root functions to the global multi-stakeholder community.

In the letter, the leaders express concern that the criteria for transition set forth by NTIA may not ensure that the Internet remains free and open in the absence of United States oversight. The members are seeking an examination of the proposed transition and its possible implications to US national security, the potential for other governments to assume the US role post-transition, and any additional concerns the GAO may have about the transition.

The letter was signed by Chairman Upton, Subcommittee on Communications and Technology Chairman Rep Greg Walden (R-OR), full committee Vice Chairman Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), and Reps John Shimkus (R-IL), Mike Kelly (R-PA), and Todd Rokita (R-IN).

US government funded international broadcasters reached an estimated 187 million people every week in 2011, an increase of 22 million from 2013, according to new audience data being made public by the Broadcasting Board of Governors.

“We are pleased that people the world over are responding in unprecedented numbers to our high-quality journalism and active audience engagement,” said BBG Chairman Walter Isaacson. “The ability of our broadcasters to inform, engage and connect audiences through traditional and social media alike lie behind these impressive results and will be essential to driving future audience reach and impact.”

The record numbers, released in the BBG Performance and Accountability Report (PAR), measure the combined audience of the Voice of America (VOA), Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), Radio and TV Martí, Radio Free Asia (RFA) and the Middle East Broadcasting Networks (Alhurra TV and Radio Sawa). The report details impact on audiences around the globe.

In 2014, there were significant audience increases in Afghanistan, where RFE/RL and VOA together reach 75% of adults weekly; in Egypt, where Alhurra TV doubled its weekly audience to 15% in tandem with the Arab Spring; and in Indonesia, where VOA’s aggressive affiliate strategy has boosted weekly audiences to some 38 million adults.

Audiences in many other strategically relevant countries held strong. In Nigeria, VOA retains its position as a news source of record with 23 million weekly listeners. In Burma, VOA and RFA reach 26% and 24% of adults, respectively, amounting to a weekly audience of 10 million.

Ukrainians’ political attitudes diverge by region despite the majority of the country turning to only a handful of top TV outlets for news, according to new survey results by the Broadcasting Board of Governors.

The research shows Crimea as having a very different news market; in 2012, the top five news sources were Ukrainian, whereas now all five are Russia-based TV channels and social media.

People in the west, north, and center regions of Ukraine are more likely to hold a favorable view of the role played by US in the crisis than those in the east, south, and Crimea. On the other hand, respondents in the east, south, and Crimea are more likely to see Russia as playing a mostly positive role. Support for economic reform, joining the EU, and NATO integration are similarly divided by region.

“The only consensus point across the country is that the vast majority of Ukrainians are opposed to foreign involvement in decisions about the country’s future,” said Neli Esipova, director of research, global migration and regional director for Gallup. The crisis has taken a toll on the media environment in Ukraine, resulting in the cessation of broadcasts by some TV channels. However, these changes have not significantly affected Ukrainians’ sources for news.

“Only one in five Crimeans say the cessation of some Ukrainian TV channels in Crimea has changed their newsgathering habits, and only one in 10 Ukrainians outside Crimea say that the cessation in broadcasting of some Russian TV channels has changed their newsgathering habits,” said Sarah Glacel, senior audience research specialist at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

Matrix Telecom, a telecommunications company headquartered in Irving, Texas, will pay $875,000 to resolve an investigation by the Federal Communications Commission’s Enforcement Bureau into whether the company failed to complete long-distance calls to rural areas on a just, reasonable, and non-discriminatory basis.

Matrix will also implement a three-year plan to ensure compliance with FCC requirements designed to combat the serious problem of long-distance calls failing to complete in rural areas.

“Our nation’s telecommunications laws are based on the fundamental promise that all Americans should be able to call each other wherever they may be located,” said Travis LeBlanc, Acting Chief of the Enforcement Bureau. “Rural America should not be treated differently, and we will continue to enforce the law to fulfill this promise.”

In its consent decree with the Enforcement Bureau, Matrix has agreed to:

• Make a payment of $875,000 to the US Treasury;
• Develop and implement a comprehensive compliance plan designed, among other things, to ensure future compliance with applicable laws;
• Designate a senior corporate manager to serve as a compliance officer focusing on rural call completion issues;
• Cooperate with the FCC and rural local exchange carriers to establish a testing program to evaluate rural call completion performance whenever complaints or data indicate problems;
• Notify intermediate providers (companies that Matrix uses to deliver calls) that may be causing call completion problems and analyze and resolve such problems as soon as practicable;
• Cease using intermediate providers that fail to improve their performance;
• Report to the FCC any noncompliance with the consent decree within 15 days; and
• File an initial compliance report in 90 days and annual reports for three years.