With the FCC still developing a band plan for the 600 MHz band, the FCC forwarded a proposal for the next World Radiocommunication Conference that would open much of the 460-890 MHz band for both mobile broadband and broadcasting. Broadcasters in particular question how the FCC can recommend that the entire broadcast band should be reclassified as suitable for other use, especially with commissioners yet to approve a band plan for 600 MHz spectrum.

Representatives of the online advertising and content industries said they more guidance from the FTC about the updated Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act rule, which was unveiled by the FTC late last year and took effect July 1, and outlined potential harms of the new rule, while representatives from the FTC explained it, during a policy briefing hosted by TechFreedom Monday.

NTIA Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) grants opened up communication between ISPs and allied groups and those without Internet access at home, but more work is needed by corporate, government and nonprofit partners, they said. Through larger programs, like Comcast’s Internet Essentials, several ISPs’ Connect2Compete (C2C) and FreedomPop’s partnership with Sprint and Clearwire, low-cost broadband often costing about $10 per month can reach Americans in all states, they said. About 100 million lack access to broadband in their homes, and about 62 million don’t use the Internet, said C2C CEO Zach Leverenz. Most groups we spoke with in an informal survey in June said the digital divide can be closed, but the New America Foundation and Free Press said the adoption initiatives don’t meet the needs of all Americans nationwide.

The FCC approved SoftBank’s buy of a 78 percent stake in Sprint and Sprint’s purchase of the interests it doesn’t already own in Clearwire. The agency issued a news release announcing the approval at our deadline Friday. Commissioner Ajit Pai voted for the order right before the July 4 holiday, clearing the way for release of the order (http://fcc.us/16TOnwN), agency and industry sources said Friday. The approval was the last major regulatory hurdle for the transaction, which had been previously approved by the other two FCC members (CD July 3 p9). Clearwire shareholders still must vote.

Electric utility companies are supporting a petition for the Supreme Court to find unlawful provisions of the FCC’s 2011 pole attachment order bringing ILECs within the protections of the Pole Attachment Act. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit in February upheld the rules (CD Feb 27 p9), which give advantages to some companies that seek to attach cables and network equipment to utility poles. In amicus briefs, the Edison Electric Institute and several electric companies argued that the FCC overstepped its jurisdiction when it waded into a long and successful history of private contractual relationships between ILECs and electric utilities.

The latest draft of principles from the NARUC telecom task force still raised questions of overreach and appropriate balance regarding the role of states. Other stakeholders praised the draft and underscored the duties states should still have. The group, formed in late November and preparing a white paper for November 2013, released this draft last month (CD June 11 p13), to be discussed at NARUC’s Denver meeting in late July.

Fallout from the revelations of U.S., and now U.K., spying continues in Europe as high-level government officials began setting up an EU-U.S. group to discuss the allegations, the European Parliament said it will start an in-depth probe into the surveillance programs and Digital Agenda Commissioner Neelie Kroes warned that American cloud security providers will lose business if they don’t safeguard customers’ privacy. However, it appears that the turmoil won’t stall talks on the transatlantic trade and investment treaty (TTIP), prompting criticism from privacy advocates.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology unveiled a draft proposal for a voluntary cybersecurity framework (http://1.usa.gov/12kgl0Y) last week. NIST’s draft framework includes a section for senior executives to evaluate their cybersecurity preparedness, guidelines for organizations to understand how to apply the framework and a reference guide of existing guidelines and practices. NIST plans to hold its third cybersecurity framework workshop in San Diego July 10-12 and said it plans to publish its “official” draft cybersecurity framework for public comment in October.

Six weeks into her FCC acting chairmanship, Mignon Clyburn is under pressure by small carriers to move forward on rules requiring device interoperability in the lower 700 MHz band. Following last week’s FCC meeting, Clyburn was noncommittal, saying during a press conference she hoped industry could still work out its differences and agree on a solution.

The four national wireless carriers are on target to make text-to-911 messages available to all public safety answering points capable or receiving them by a May 15, 2014, deadline, they said in reports filed this week at the National Emergency Number Association. That deadline stems from a voluntary agreement Verizon Wireless, AT&T, Sprint Nextel and T-Mobile signed with NENA and the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials last year, under FCC pressure (CD Dec 10 p1). All four carriers said they're already transmitting bounceback messages to subscribers who try to send emergency texts before 911 call centers can handle them.