Moving to the ATSC 3.0 broadcast standard would provide enhanced emergency communications to the public and first responders, the need for which was underscored by the recent terrorist attacks on Paris, said numerous speakers at the NAB-sponsored Smart Spectrum Summit Wednesday. Rep. Andre Carson, D-Ind., and FirstNet CEO Michael Poth -- both former police officers -- said first responders need dependable, fast communications that include data and video.
The FCC should approve the “Katrina Petition” and require broadcasters to provide emergency information in multiple languages “before, during, or after an emergency,” the Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council said in meetings Tuesday with Commissioner Mignon Clyburn, Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau Chief David Simpson, aides to Commissioners Ajit Pai and Jessica Rosenworcel, and an aide to Chairman Tom Wheeler, according to an ex parte filing posted online Tuesday in docket 04-296. The FCC should withdraw a draft order that would update state emergency alert systems with information about which EAS participants offer their information in multiple languages and instead “take meaningful steps to preserve the lives of multilingual Americans,” MMTC said. “If the Commission revisits this issue in light of these comments, it would adopt directives that more effectively protect individuals who are not conversant in English,” MMTC said. “Discussions are underway about MMTC potentially amending the Petition to address questions that the Commission has raised.”
An NPRM slated for a vote at Thursday’s FCC meeting aimed at expanding wireless emergency alerts (WEA) on wireless devices isn't proving controversial, and is expected to be approved at what looks likely to be a noncantankerous meeting, industry and FCC officials said. The WEA NPRM is designed to improve the effectiveness of alerts, they said. Currently, wireless alerts are limited to 90 characters and can't contain hyperlinks. The NPRM is said to propose raising the limits on the size of messages and allowing inclusion of hyperlinks and other information making messages more user friendly.
Apple released several security updates to address critical vulnerabilities in multiple Apple products, a U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team alert said Wednesday. Updates are available for, among others, iTunes 12.3.1 for Windows 7 and later, Apple Watch, Apple Watch Sport, Apple Watch Hermes, iPhones 4s and later, iPod touch 5th generation and later, and iPad 2 and later, the alert said. Exploitation of the vulnerabilities may allow a remote attacker to take control of an affected system, it said.
Mozilla released Firefox 41.0.2 to address a security vulnerability that may allow a remote attacker to obtain sensitive information from an affected system, said a Thursday alert from the U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team. US-CERT also issued an alert Thursday saying Apple released security updates for Keynote, Pages and Numbers for OS and for iOS to address multiple vulnerabilities that may allow a remote attacker to take control of an affected system.
Reducing skywave protection for Class A AM stations could drive listeners from that band, said iHeartCommunications in a Sept. 29 meeting with an aide to FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler, according to an ex parte filing posted in docket 13-249 Thursday. The draft order on AM revitalization includes a Further NPRM that seeks comment on reducing skywave protections, broadcast industry officials have told us. The AM stations that would be most affected by such a rule change are also the stations that listeners tune to the AM band to hear, iHeart said, comparing the Class A stations to “an anchor commercial tenant in a retail development.” Discouraging listeners from using the AM band is counter to the goal of the AM revitalization, iHeart said. The FCC needs a “full and balanced” record on the issue and should find out what reducing skywave protections for Class A's would do to the AM band, emergency alert system warnings and other AM stations, iHeart said.
It may require more than one year to implement proposed new emergency alert system codes, replied broadcast engineers Cohen Dippell, posted in FCC docket 04-296 Friday. The proposed codes Extreme Wind Warning (EWW), Storm Surge Watch (SSA) and Storm Surge Warning (SSW) are intended give public safety officials more specific alerts.The FCC should take into consideration broadcasters' legacy equipment and the longer time it may take to implement the codes, the engineering firm said.
Network redundancy by itself isn't enough to protect networks from cyberattacks and other problems, David Simpson, chief of the FCC's Public Safety Bureau, said Monday during a meeting of the Communications Security, Reliability and Interoperability Council at commission headquarters. Simpson spoke up during a presentation of one the CSRIC working groups, on security by design.
Cox Communications sued Tempe, Arizona, and Mayor Mark Mitchell over its new video regulations that Cox says unfairly skew in favor of Google Fiber. The lawsuit, filed Sept. 14 in U.S. District Court in Phoenix, seeks a declaration that the city's ordinance and licensing of Google Fiber as a video services provider rather than a cable provider is illegal, and an injunction stopping the city from giving Google Fiber a license for a video services system and right-of-way use agreement. Cox said Google Fiber's proposed video service to the city "is indistinguishable" from Cox's cable service there, but video service providers are exempt from the "substantial statutory and regulatory obligations" put on cable operators. The city altered its codes in December to create a license category for video service providers, and gave such a license in July to Google Fiber, waiving such standard requirements as underground construction. Rules on service standards, consumer information protection and billing requirements also don't apply to Google Fiber, though they apply to cable operators, and Google Fiber won't have to comply with federal emergency alert system regulations under its license, Cox said. The city declined to comment Friday.
The FCC should allow broadcasters a year to implement three proposed new emergency alert system (EAS) event codes, along with an interim phase-in period and a waiver process for broadcasters with legacy equipment, NAB said in comments filed in docket 15-94. The proposed codes “Extreme Wind Warning” (EWW), “Storm Surge Watch” (SSA) and “Storm Surge Warning” (SSW) are intended give public safety officials more specific alerts. NAB supports the new codes but said implementation will mean additional costs for some broadcasters and challenges for makers of EAS equipment. “Since it appears that some EAS equipment will require more attention than a simple, free software upgrade, NAB submits that a realistic waiver process is warranted for those broadcasters with legacy or other equipment that cannot be easily updated for the new event codes,” said the association. A “reasonable process” would allow six-month waivers for those that need them, with “one or more renewals to be considered on a case by case basis,” NAB said. AT&T also supports the new codes, and seconded NAB’s support of the yearlong implementation period. For AT&T’s U-verse network, ”one year is necessary to engage in the requisite end-to-end testing and iterative work with its EAS equipment manufacturer to ensure the integrity of the modified architecture,” said that pay-TV and telecom provider.