DISASTER RESPONSE
FCC's Powell Pledges Aid to Communications Firms (WP)
Concern Over Proposed Changes in Internet Surveillance (NYT)
SPECTRUM
NextWave Reaches Tentative Deal To Sell Coveted Wireless Licenses
(WSJ)
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
FCC Authorizes Verizon to Provide Long-Distance Service in Penn.
(FCC)
DISASTER RESPONSE
FCC'S POWELL PLEDGES AID TO COMMUNICATIONS FIRMS
Issue: Government Responses
FCC Chairman Michael Powell pledged on Thursday to aid Verizon
Communications and other communications companies following the attack at
the World Trade Center. Verizon suffered damage to tens of thousands of
lines in lower Manhattan after the commercial airplane crashed into the
twin towers, demolishing the center. "Verizon and other communications
companies impacted have my full support to assist them in any way possible
as they continue to face the enormous challenges ahead of us in this
difficult time," said Powell, who toured the World Trade center on
Wednesday.
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Reuters Wire]
(http://www.washtech.com/news/telecom/12602-1.html)
CONCERN OVER PROPOSED CHANGES IN INTERNET SURVEILLANCE
Issue: Security vs. Privacy
Legislators have proposed significant changes in the government's Internet
surveillance authority. The proposed law furthest through the legislative
process is the Combating Terrorism Act of 2001. That legislation grants new
powers to the government to capture information related to a suspect's
activities in cyberspace. Traditionally, with telephone conversations, a law
enforcement official can tap a suspect's conversations only if there is
probable cause to believe the suspect is doing something illegal and if a
magistrate agrees to issue an order. The Fourth Amendment's ban on
unreasonable searches have heightened the legal requirements needed for a
government wiretap. However, if the government just wants a list of
telephone numbers that a suspect dials the Supreme Court has held that
information is not private. For the past few years, the government has
interpreted that ability to extend to gathering certain information from
ISP's about a suspect's e-mails -- for example, the to/from header
information. The Combating Terrorism Act of 2001 would codify the
government's pro-law enforcement interpretation.
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Karl S. Kaplan]
(http://www.nytimes.com/2001/09/21/technology/21CYBERLAW.html)
(Registration Required)
SPECTRUM
NEXTWAVE REACHES TENTATIVE DEAL TO SELL COVETED WIRELESS LICENCES
Issue: Spectrum
NextWave Telecom has tentatively agreed to sell dozens of wireless-spectrum
licenses to the nation's largest cellular telephone companies in a deal that
could bring as much as $11 billion (the Washington Post is report $5
billion) and resolve a case that has bedeviled the government and the
wireless industry for years. People familiar with the negotiations said that
under terms, NextWave would pay the government the $4.2 billion it owes for
the licenses and perhaps several hundred million dollars of interest, while
the government would drop its legal challenges to NextWave taking full
possession of the spectrum. NextWave then would sell the licenses to Verizon
Wireless and other companies that bought the rights to the spectrum at a
January auction that later was annulled by a federal appeals court. NextWave
would receive nearly $16 billion from the bidding companies, pay the
government approximately $5 billion owed, and could walk away with nearly
$11 billion - all without ever having served a single customer.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Christopher Stern]
(http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB1001039291985324360.htm)
SEE ALSO:
DEMISE OF WIRELESS START-UPS PALES NEXT TO DOT-COM FLOPS
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Kristi Essick]
(http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB1001008482271519760.htm)
(Subscription Required)
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
FCC AUTHORIZES VERIZON TO PROVIDE LONG DISTANCE SERVICE IN PENNSYLVANIA
Issue: Telephony
The FCC voted this week to approve Verizon's application to provide
in-region, interLATA, or long distance, service originating in Pennsylvania.
Since the passage of the 1996 Act, the FCC has denied five long distance
applications, and now has approved applications to provide in-region, long
distance service into seven states. Additionally, four applications have
been withdrawn. A summary of all section 271 applications can be accessed at
the following FCC web page:
www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Common_Carrier/in-region_applications/
[SOURCE: FCC]
(http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Common_Carrier/News_Releases/2001/nrcc0136.html)
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