The U.S. Treasury should add Julian Assange and his Wikileaks companies to the Specially Designated National and Blocked Persons List, wrote Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., to Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner Wednesday. Companies or persons subject to U.S. jurisdiction can’t conduct business with entities on the list. Wikileaks and Assange pose a “clear and present threat” to U.S. national security interests after they published thousands of diplomatic cables, wrote King, who chairs the House Committee on Homeland Security. “The U.S. government should be doing all it can to sink Wikileaks,” wrote King. “By adding Assange and Wikileaks to the SDN List, the United States can finally take action to dismantle his organization.”
GENEVA -- Countries are at odds over what’s needed to protect critical networks and stem cyberthreats, they said in preparations for U.N. meetings this week and next year on information security. The five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council meet this week with 10 other countries for the first time on the issue. The organizational meeting through Thursday will set the stage for future talks on strengthening security in the global information and telecommunications systems, documents said.
GENEVA -- Countries are at odds over what’s needed to protect critical networks and stem cyberthreats, they said in preparations for U.N. meetings this week and next year on information security. The five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council meet this week with 10 other countries for the first time on the issue. The organizational meeting through Thursday will set the stage for future talks on strengthening security in the global information and telecommunications systems, documents said.
SDN Global began offering emergency backup services, connecting 911 callers to call centers through satellite links, the company said. The service, called Public Safety Access Terminal, supports phone lines, Internet and data applications over the same satellite link, the company said. It can also help enhance the two-way radio systems of emergency crews, allowing communications between them regardless of geographical coverage.
U.K.’s Freeview soon will carry a channel produced by Discovery Communications, Discovery said. Discovery won the Freeview channel slot by competing in an auction conducted by ITV’s SDN, Discovery said. The channel should begin broadcasting next year, Discovery said.
Qualcomm promotes William Davidson to senior vp-global mktg. & investor relations… Insight Communications promotes Joe Browning to dist. vp-northern Ill… MPAA promotions: Greg Frazier to exec. vp-worldwide govt. policy; Michael O'Leary to senior vp & chief counsel-federal affairs & policy; Anissa Whitten to vp-international affairs & trade policy; Todd Flournoy to vp & senior counsel-federal affairs & policy; Daphna Peled, ex-aide to Sen. Dorgan (D-N.D.), also becomes vp-senior counsel-federal affairs & policy… Broadband satellite company SDN Global picks Philip Arcoria, ex-Caprock Communications, as senior vp- sales, mktg. & business development.
Data protection officials in several European countries are starting investigations about transfers to the CIA and FBI of information on financial transactions processed by the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecom (SWIFT). Today (Mon.), the Article 29 Group of European Data Protection Officers is expected to announce their next steps in what some members see as the worst violation ever of EU data protection laws. Separately, the data protection officer of the European Union, Peter Hustinx, has been asked by the EU parliament to investigate the role of the European Central Bank.
SDN Global said it’s teaming with the Disaster Relief & Strategic Telecom Infrastructure Co. (DRASTIC) to provide broadband satellite-delivered voice and data services for DRASTIC initiatives worldwide. DRASTIC officials said the agreement will give aid workers worldwide constant contact with the world via satellite broadband and voice services. SDN officials said they'll begin equipping DRASTIC sites in West Africa this month.
The ball finally is rolling in a planned U.K. switch to terrestrial DTV from analog broadcasts. SwitchCo, a nonprofit consortium that will coordinate the transition, officially opened shop last week after coalescing as an ad hoc group in Oct. The entity, which took form at the U.K. govt.’s request, includes the BBC, commercial broadcasters such as ITV and Channel 4, and DTV multiplex operators Crown Castle and SDN. All provide funding and have members on SwitchCo’s board. The board also has 2 seats representing CE manufacturers and retailers. SwitchCo will coordinate DTV technical rollout region by region across the U.K., on a timetable yet unannounced but expected to run 2008 to 2012, when all analog broadcasts will end. The consortium’s job is to inform the public about digital switch-over plans and ensure consumers know what they need to do or purchase and when. SwitchCo also will consult with TV makers, CE retailers, consumer groups and digital platform operators to ensure gear and communication are in place to keep the switch-over on schedule. Digital platforms include terrestrial, satellite, cable and telco DSL operators. About 60% of U.K. households have DTV service, but usually on only one TV in the home and through a sub-$100 set-top box. CE makers there have been lobbying the govt. and BBC to do more to promote TVs with integrated DTV tuners. This year, Sony -- loudest of the bunch -- will stop selling analog TVs, concentrating solely on “IDTVs,” except in areas of the U.K. -- about 25% -- that will lack DTV reception until the analog spectrum is reallocated. In these areas, Sony will offer entry-level analog sets as special orders only.
The ITC DeltaCom owned Atlanta Satellite Uplink Facility will be handed over to SDN Global (SDN), the companies said Wed. The transaction, which closed Jan. 1, will provide SDN additional infrastructure, increasing its access to 6 domestic satellite earth stations at 2 widely separated facilities. SDN also said it recently completed construction of satellite infrastructure at Raisting, Germany.