A group of East Coast states is seeking information about the potential nationwide wireless public safety broadband network, amid concerns about the network processes. The Mid-Atlantic Consortium for Interoperable Nationwide Advanced Communications, known as the MACINAC Initiative, released a 15-page request for information last week. It cited a desire to support FirstNet’s planned nationwide network as well as to look at what Mark Grubb, director of the Delaware Department of Safety and Homeland Security, called a cost-effective and workable solution for the Mid-Atlantic region as a whole.

The FCC may be putting too much focus on cutting abuses in the Lifeline program and not enough on making sure everyone who needs support gets it, said members of the agency’s Consumer Advisory Committee. Lifeline reform was the subject of a contentious hearing Thursday by the House Communications Subcommittee (CD April 26 p1), the day before CAC met at commission headquarters.

The U.S. Air Force expects to release an RFP next month inviting commercial satellite operators to vie for a contract to team up with the government on commercially hosted payload missions. The indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract addresses the government’s effort to take advantage of the commercial sector’s faster launch timelines and streamline the acquisition process, said Col. Scott Beidleman, development planning director at the Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC), Los Angeles Air Force Base. Intelsat plans to submit a proposal and XTAR will monitor the progress of the contract, executives at those companies said in interviews.

AT&T Friday rolled out its Digital Life home security and home automation platform Friday in 15 markets with “aggressive” plans to be in 50 markets by year-end, said Kevin Petersen, senior vice president-AT&T Digital Life Services. Initial markets are Atlanta, Austin, Boulder, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Philadelphia, Riverside, Calif., San Francisco, Seattle, St. Louis and select areas of the New York and New Jersey metropolitan area, the company said in a news release Friday (http://soc.att.com/15Mm6e5).

Telcos and carriers in favor of the FCC’s USF/intercarrier compensation (ICC) reforms filed several briefs Wednesday supporting the agency’s 2011 order. The FCC “ably refutes” the various claims, intervenors told the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, but they wrote separately to “highlight” several points.

Fred Campbell, chief of the Wireless Bureau during the FCC’s 2008 auction of 700 MHz spectrum, said experience shows that imposing too many rules on an auction can have a chilling effect on bids. Campbell and other speakers discussed the pending incentive auction of broadcast TV spectrum during a webinar Thursday sponsored by his group, the Competitive Enterprise Institute’s Communications Liberty & Innovation Project, and law firm Wiley Rein.

Undecided Supreme Court case Fisher v. University of Texas could limit FCC efforts to encourage diversity in broadcasting, said a presentation to the commission’s Diversity Committee Thursday. Akin Gump lawyer Ruthanne Deutsch said she and others who follow the Supreme Court believe the court will hand down a decision striking down the University of Texas program that factors race into admissions, which she said would leave “a very very tiny tiny window” for government programs considering race. Minority Media and Telecommunications Counsel Executive Director David Honig said diversity in media law “flows from” education diversity law, and that such a decision “could affect a great deal” of what the commission might do to encourage diversity in the communications industry.

Members of the committee expressed concerns over how the bill would affect the ability of civil regulatory agencies to carry out enforcement. Ranking Member Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, cited recent concerns expressed by SEC Chairman Mary Jo White. According to White, “the vast majority of cases at the SEC are not criminal and therefore would be outside the scope of ability to obtain a warrant, effectively limiting enforcement,” Grassley said. Grassley urged committee members to consider “an amendment to allow a judicial standard for civil matters akin to a criminal search warrant.” Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., urged the committee to “be really careful, because it’s a big decision we're about to make."

Neustar isn’t happy about what it says is a lack of transparency and responsiveness in the number portability administrator bidding process. In a letter sent to the FCC and the North American Portability Management (NAPM) co-chairs Wednesday, Neustar said it objected to NAPM’s decision to retroactively extend the deadline for submission of responses to the 2015 request for proposal (RFP). “Extending the deadline after it had already passed unfairly favors the very bidder or bidders who lacked the wherewithal to comply with basic procedural requirements."

Assistant U.S. Trade Representative-Intellectual Property and Innovation Stan McCoy is optimistic that negotiators of the Trans-Pacific Partnership can come to a “world-class result” for “strong and balanced” intellectual property protection, despite ongoing debate over the rigidity of those protections, he said Thursday. The countries negotiating the treaty are committed to reaching an agreement, he said, saying he believes the negotiations can conclude this year.