Benton RSS Feed
Travel today, from luggage to laptop, is increasingly high-tech. Yet every hotel room hosts a costly anachronism: a traditional telephone.
In-room phones once produced profits for hoteliers. Today they eat into earnings as guests use cellphones instead. But hotels can't hang up on their phone systems. Guest safety and security demand them, said Bjorn Hanson, a professor at New York University's Tisch Center for Hospitality, Tourism and Sports Management. Guests use room phones if they need to call for help. In non-emergencies, they pick up the receiver to order room service and wake-up calls. But guests save money by using their cellphones to take or make most outside calls. Many big hotel chains are exploring smartphone applications guests could use to request room service and wake-up calls, Hanson said, but those efforts are very preliminary.
Cellphones give hotel guests the upper hand
The FCC launched an on-line national survey of individuals with disabilities to determine the most effective and efficient technologies and methods by which to enable their access to emergency services. The results of the survey will inform the Emergency Access Advisory Committee as it develops recommendations to implement such technologies and methods in a Next Generation 9-1-1 system that will be capable of receiving emergency calls via video, text, and voice.
FCC Releases Accessibility Survey
One year after the Federal Communications Commission released its National Broadband Plan, more than half of the recommendations have yet to be implemented as the legacy of FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski -- as well as the success of President Barack Obama’s broadband promises -- hangs in the balance.
The 300-page plan’s bold vision for the nation’s broadband agenda has largely taken a backseat to the net neutrality debate at both the FCC and on Capitol Hill. Some 40 percent of the plan’s 218 recommendations are in progress, the Benton Foundation estimates, and nearly 10 percent of the recommendations have been completed. Thirty-four percent of the recommendations have not yet been touched.
Among the goals not completed:
- An ambitious goal to create a nationwide public safety network so first responders can communicate more effectively
- Reform an $8 billion fund to subsidize the expansion of broadband services in rural, low-income and hard to reach areas
- Establish a standard for a universal device to deliver all sorts of TV content through the Internet
To be clear, not all of the recommendations outlined in the plan could be acted on solely by the FCC. Some require legislation from Congress and others are directed to separate federal agencies. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration, an arm of the Commerce Department that advises the President, shares or owns responsibility for much of the plan’s agenda. But the scrutiny has been especially pointed this year, as debate over net neutrality has prompted some Republicans to question the agency’s authority over the Internet writ large. That’s meant there has been less time to focus on other elements of the broadband plan, many of which are not controversial, from moving ahead at the agency and on Capitol Hill.
National Broadband Plan moves at dial-up speed
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Julius Genachowski unambiguously sided with the cable and wireless industries in their spectrum dispute with broadcasters. Allegations that those industries might be "hoarding" airwaves are "just not true," Chairman Genachowski said. "The looming spectrum shortage is real — and it is the alleged hoarding that is illusory," he said. "It is not hoarding if a company paid millions or billions of dollars for spectrum at auction and is complying with the FCC’s build-out rules. There is no evidence of non-compliance."
Chairman Genachowski said its time for Congress to give the agency incentive auction authority -- and encouraged haste. Spectrum inventory legislation is not needed in advance of an auction bill, Genachowski suggested, citing the FCC's own inventory data as reliable.
"Our inventory confirms that there are no hidden vacant lots of commercial airwaves, but that there are a few areas well-suited to mobile broadband, such as the TV and MSS bands. We certainly know more than enough about existing spectrum uses to move forward with a mechanism that would simply bring new market-based options to these bands," he said.
Chairman Genachowski disposed of a competing proposal to allow broadcasters to sublease spectrum rather than auction. "This won't solve the spectrum crisis because it won't free up contiguous blocks of spectrum over broad geographic areas, which is what’s needed for mobile broadband," he said.
FCC's Genachowski shoots down broadcast 'hoarding' claim: 'Not true' The Clock is Ticking (read Genachowski's speech) Genachowski: Claims of Spectrum Hoarding 'Not True' (B&C) Genachowski defends Incentive Auctions (TVNewsCheck)
Last year, the Federal Communications Commission developed and released the National Broadband Plan (the Plan) to ensure that every American has “access to broadband capability.” A section of the Plan included a detailed strategy for achieving maximum use of broadband to advance public safety communications. One year later, the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau (Bureau) has been working hard promoting public safety wireless broadband communications, encouraging the development and deployment of Next Generation 911 networks, and protecting and preserving critical broadband infrastructure. March 17, 2011 marks the one year anniversary of the Plan and we wanted to share with you the specifics of what we have accomplished and how we plan to further enhance broadband communications for public safety.
The FCC created the Emergency Response Interoperability Center, which is charged with drafting the technical and operational framework for public safety broadband wireless networks. The FCC took an important step towards implementation of such a framework in January, when it adopted an Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on public safety broadband network interoperability. In this item, we set the initial requirements of the network and are seeking public comment on additional critical issues.
The FCC adopted a Notice of Inquiry to explore how to bring Next Generation 911 services to consumers and first responders that will enable the public to obtain emergency assistance by means of advanced communications technologies beyond traditional voice-centric devices.
The FCC has begun an inquiry proceeding, on network resiliency and preparedness that would identify the problems and survivability of commercial broadband networks. While this NOI focuses on commercial broadband communications, we are also addressing the critical sectors of our nation, the non-commercial broadband networks that are utilized by public safety, utilities, state and federal entities which all work to help you.
National Broadband Plan's Public Safety Recommendations -- One Year Later
Apparently, Google’s $700 million acquisition of ITA, the major data provider in the travel industry, could be approved by federal regulators in the coming weeks, despite fervent opposition from competitors and various advocacy groups.
The Department of Justice -- which has been investigating the deal for the past eight months -- and the search giant appear to be on the cusp of coming to terms over government approval of the merger. To be sure, nothing is certain, and negotiations could always break down. Still, if approved, these sources added, any deal would be contingent upon Google agreeing to several conditions, some of which the Silicon Valley search giant has already conceded.
Antitrust Regulators Poised to Approve Google-ITA Deal Soon
Paul Conlin, the proprietor of Blaze Broadband, is not a typical telecom executive. He drives a red pickup and climbs roofs. When customers call tech support, he is the one who answers.
Conlin delivers broadband to Fauquier County homes bypassed by Comcast and Verizon, bouncing wireless signals from antennas on barns, silos, water towers and cellphone poles. By some measures, he is a local hero. County officials estimate that 60 percent of Fauquier's residents have been bypassed by big telecoms because they don't live in populous clusters that make building broadband infrastructure cost-effective. Though the Obama administration has plans to close the digital divide for the 10 percent of the U.S. population without broadband access, many living within that gap in Fauquier think the problem will be theirs to solve. Fauquier might be 45 miles from the White House, but many residents can't look at WhiteHouse.gov in their homes. So officials, fearful the county won't qualify for broadband infrastructure grants because of its high median income, are pushing to expand homegrown services such as Conlin's.
Bypassing the big guys to get broadband
Top federal officials on pushed forward on efforts to establish mandates for Internet privacy.
In a Senate hearing on Internet privacy, the chairman of the Federal Trade Commission reiterated his push for a Do Not Track tool to help protect Internet users’ privacy, saying consumers should have the choice to have their activity followed online. The Obama administration also threw its support behind legislation that would strengthen privacy protections on the Web. The greater attention on online privacy reflects concerns by privacy advocates and civil liberties groups that companies such as Facebook and Apple are encouraging users to share greater information about themselves and their Internet activities on their applications. Those companies are quickly gaining more users, but federal laws have not kept up with the applications to ensure that personal information isn't being improperly used. FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz, said several companies such as Microsoft and Mozilla have done a good job of putting tools on their browsers to allow users to voluntarily opt out of being tracked on the Web. But he said that without “baseline privacy protections” across the Web industry, consumers will face a patchwork of privacy policies that could differ Web site by Web site.
Lawrence Strickling, head of the National Telecommunications & Information Administration, said that "the Administration now recommends that Congress enact legislation" after a lengthy study of privacy and after issuing a paper on the topic. Strickling said any legislation should have three parts: it should establish a privacy bill of rights outlining basic levels of protections, it should ensure the Federal Trade Commission has the authority to enforce the expectations, and it should offer incentives to online companies who comply with the rules. For instance, that could include a safe harbor possibility for companies who make an effort, he said. Strickling said he wants to see a "flexible" regime that protects consumers and ensures international interoperability.
Senators voiced concern on about finding the right balance between the continued growth of advertising-based free content on the Internet and ensuring consumers feel confident that their privacy is protected when they surf the Web.
FTC, White House urge Internet privacy measures Administration backs online privacy legislation for the first time (The Hill) Testimony (FTC) Testimony (NTIA) Quotes (Senate Commerce Committee) Lawmakers Looking For Right Balance On Privacy (National Journal)
The Federal Communications Commission the procedures and minimum opening bid amounts for the upcoming auction of 16 licenses in the 698-806 MHz band. This auction, which is designated as Auction 92, is scheduled to start on July 19, 2011.
FCC Releases 700 MHz Band/Auction 92 Rules
On March 3, 2011, the Commission adopted and released a Second Report and Order, First Order on Reconsideration, and Second Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in the Matter of Policies to Promote Rural Radio Service and to Streamline Allotment and Assignment Procedures. The Rural Radio Second FNPRM was released March 3, 2011. In the Second Further Notice of Proposed Rule Making ("Second FNPRM"), the Commission sought comment on certain procedures to be utilized by federally recognized Native American Tribes and Alaska Native Villages ("Tribes") seeking commercial FM radio facilities.
The Commission proposed the use of threshold qualifications to determine eligibility to compete for FM allotments added to the FM Table of Allotments using the Tribal Priority established by the Commission in the First Report and Order in this proceeding. The Commission also seeks comment on any issues surrounding the use of such a threshold qualifications procedure, including whether non-Tribal applicants should be allowed to bid on such allotments absent Tribal interest. In the Second FNPRM, the Commission also sought further comment on the desirability and feasibility of Tribal auction bidding credits, and requested comment on the financial disadvantages, if any, facing Tribes seeking commercial facilities at auction.
Comments must be submitted no later than Friday, April 15, 2011. Reply Comments must be submitted no later than Monday, May 16, 2011.
Rural Radio Service Comment Schedule