The Senate Commerce Committee on Thurs. voted out legislation criminalizing “pretexting” used to obtain phone records, and selling the records on the Internet or otherwise. But the committee added a wireless directory amendment that Chmn. Stevens (R-Alaska) warned could doom the bill. The committee also approved an amendment sponsored by Democrats that would let victims sue over pretexting in federal court. Sen. Allen (R-Va.), a sponsor of the legislation, said it will likely be melded with similar legislation that has cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee.
The FCC is expected to hand down this week an order prohibiting ties between designated entities (DEs) and carriers. But questions remain about the breadth of the restrictions the FCC. The central question is whether the FCC will agreed to stick with language in a Feb. further notice of proposed rulemaking restricting relationships between DEs and “entities with significant interests in communications services” rather than just DEs and the major wireless carriers (CD Feb 6 p2).
“Knee-jerk” FCC regulation is the greatest threat to continued broadband rollout, Acting NTIA Dir. John Kneuer said Tues. Answering questions at a Catholic U. telecom symposium, Kneuer took particular issue with comments by Comr. Copps in regard to an Oct. 2004 Commission order for broadband over powerline rules. Copps was the lone member to dissent in part and concur in part to the order.
Former FCC Chief Economist Thomas Hazlett and Michael Calabrese, vp of the New America Foundation, disagreed sharply on where the FCC should draw the line in promoting unlicensed spectrum as an alternative to auctions. They faced off in a Catholic U. telecom symposium debate on the advantages of unlicensed vs. licensed spectrum.
A group of 7 wireless carrier executives, joined by 2 investors and the Rural Telecom Group, wrote to Chmn. Martin asking he back off a proposal to conceal bidders’ identities in a June advanced wireless services (AWS) auction. Their letter signals what’s expected to be a full court press. Last week Martin said he would ask the Commission to vote on a public notice, though none is required (CD March 24 p3).
CTIA and the major carriers urged the FCC to back away from tentative conclusions in a proposed rulemaking that the Commission no longer should award bidding credits or other small business benefits to “designated entities” that have a “material relationship” with the major national carriers. The FCC earlier this month sought comment on a further rulemaking changing its DE rules before June’s advanced wireless services (AWS) auction (CD Feb 6 p2). DE Council Tree had asked the FCC to bar ties between major carriers and DEs in areas where a carrier already has spectrum (CD Jan 18 p1).
The FCC likely will vote March 17 for an order permitting it to create a Public Safety/Homeland Security Bureau, sources said Mon. On a 2nd security-themed item in the same meeting, the FCC is likely to pass an order that could clear the way for public safety to provide video and other broadband applications, in addition to voice communications, on 700 MHz spectrum. Chmn. Martin late Fri. began to circulate both items with colleagues in preparation for the March meeting.
No Senate Commerce Committee member has indicated intent to file more amendments Thurs., when the committee marks up the cellphone privacy bill (S-2389), Committee Staff Dir. Lisa Sutherland told reporters Fri. “We've sent out a notice telling people that the amendments that they filed previously will be deemed to be filed for the markup,” she said: “Nobody has some to us and said, ‘We have new ideas.'”
Paris-based Alcatel and Lucent confirmed they're in formal merger talks to create the world’s largest telecom equipment company, with combined sales of $25.33 billion. Alcatel is a dominant equipment supplier to carriers in Europe and Asia, and a merger could give Alcatel a stronger position in the U.S. Lucent, an AT&T spinoff that includes Bell Labs, has been a dominant supplier to carriers in the U.S., but has lost market share to competitors led by Nortel. The firms said there’s no assurance a deal will get done, and they won’t comment further until talks end.
Congress will hold discussions with the FCC but may pass legislation even if the FCC moves on a long-stalled item and opens broadcast “white spaces” to unlicensed use, said Senate Commerce Committee Staff Dir. Lisa Sutherland.