FCC Chmn. Powell lauded pace of progress of World Radio Conference 2003 Advisory Committee (WAC) Wed. “By all accounts, we are further ahead, in better cohesion, better prepared going forward on this one than we have been in a long time,” he said of U.S. preparatory process for WRC that starts in June in Geneva. “I hear that over and over again. I've heard that in the White House. I've heard that in Congress. I've heard that from industry. And I think if you hear that enough, it must be true,” Powell said at start of WRC Advisory Committee meeting Wed. at FCC. While meeting ran through draft preliminary views and handful of new proposals for WRC 2003 agenda items, organizers said they had no news on who would head U.S. delegation. List of finalists for WRC 2003 ambassador is said to have been narrowed by Administration to former NTIA Dir. Janice Obuchowski (CD Nov 19 p1), although White House has yet to make announcement. “Hopefully, the head of delegation will be in soon and the delegation will be formed,” said Brian Fontes, WAC chmn. and Cingular Wireless vp-federal relations. “We are in a very good position timewise and on substantive issues.”
Govt. and industry participants in U.S. Task Group on ultra-wideband (UWB), which is providing input to nascent ITU policy in that field, have rehashed some of same contentious arguments that were in play domestically before FCC approved UWB order in Feb., 2002, several observers and participants said. FCC officials advised preparatory group early in process that U.S. input to ITU couldn’t veer from emissions limits and other requirements for UWB devices adopted by Commission. But debate on positions U.S. will take at ITU Study Group meeting this month in Geneva has centered in part on how to protect existing services from harmful interference.
Proton K launch vehicle didn’t cause failure of Astra 1K launch Nov. 25., Russian State Failure Commission announced. Engine of Block DM upper stage is now focus of investigation. Commission released preliminary conclusions to International Launch Services (ILS) Tues. Commission suspects excessive temperatures, possibly caused by burn of extra fuel in main engine, destroyed Block DM during 2nd ignition. Final report and recommendations will be released in Jan. following end of investigation. ILS will conduct independent review of final report. SES Americom recently announced extent of launch delay for company’s AMC-9 will depend on findings of ILS’s independent review (CD Dec 31 p3).
Consumer intentions of buying TV sets rose slightly in Dec. from Nov., according to preliminary data in Conference Board monthly survey. Of 5,000 households polled, 7.3% said they planned to buy TV set in next 6 months, vs. 6.7% in Sept., 7.5% in Aug., 6.7% in Dec. 2001 . Consumer Confidence Index, which rebounded in Nov., declined more than 4 points in Dec., Conference Board said: “Weak retail sales over the holidays clearly reflect the current mood of consumers. Until there is an improvement in labor market conditions, there is not likely to be a significant upturn in consumer confidence.”
Federal judge said he would order Microsoft to stop shipping outdated and inconsistent version of Java in its Windows operating systems. In 42-page decision, U.S. Dist. Judge Frederick Motz, Baltimore, granted Sun Microsystems preliminary “must-carry” injunction against Microsoft, adding: “I further find it is an absolute certainty that unless a preliminary injunction is entered, Sun will have lost forever its right to compete, and the opportunity to prevail, in a market undistorted by its competitor’s antitrust violations.” He said there was “substantial” likelihood court would impose “elegantly simple remedy” of requiring Microsoft’s software to support Java.
European Commission (EC) started 4-month investigation of proposed joint venture of Deutsche Telekom (DT) and Daimler Chrysler that would offer value-added telematics applications including real-time information on traffic flows and messaging between truck drivers in Germany. Joint venture, called Toll Collect GmbH, won tender organized by German govt. for installation and operation of toll- collecting system for trucks on German motorways, EC said. Commission expressed concerns that transaction might have “adverse” impact on competition in emerging telematics services market in Germany. DT and Daimler Chrysler each would have 45% stake, with French highway operator Cofiroute holding 10%. EC said that after preliminary review, it found that toll-collecting system “could become a predominant platform for the provision of telematics services for the transport and logistics sector.” It said Daimler Chrysler already was active in telematics market and through present operation could control “to a significant extent” competition in this emerging market: “The Commission has… serious doubts whether the transaction can be approved in its present form.”
Working swiftly as promised, consortium devising High- Definition Multimedia Interface(HDMI) Tues. released final Version 1.0 spec for next-generation CE digital interface. HDMI enables secure distribution of uncompressed HD video and multichannel audio on single cable, and is seen as making possible broader availability of previously unreleased premium HD content while simplifying ease of use for CE products.
Continuing conflict between CLEC Supra Telecom and BellSouth saw action on new battlefront in Ga. Supra urged Ga. PSC to reject BellSouth request to deny final approval of interconnection agreement between carriers. BS said agreement wouldn’t be in public interest because of questionable Supra financial practices and demonstrated history of disputing every charge on every bill for wholesale services in order to avoid payment. Its experiences with Supra over billing in Fla. led it to ask Fla. regulators for authority to disconnect Supra’s wholesale service for nonpayment, BS said. It said Supra resorted to bankruptcy in Oct. in order to avoid disconnection that otherwise would have occurred. BS acknowledged its request was unusual but said these were unusual circumstances. It said situation with Supra could affect hundreds of thousands of Fla. customers and it wanted to forestall similar situation in Ga. Supra said BS’s request was based on “scandalous” allegations that had no relevance to situation in Ga. It said BS had raised no legitimate legal objections based on circumstances that existed in Ga. Supra noted that PSC had given preliminary approval to agreement Nov. 12 and that nothing in Ga. had changed since. It said it filed for bankruptcy in order to secure protection from what it termed BellSouth’s abusive and anticompetitive tactics. Supra said BS’ selection of facts to cite in its petition misrepresented actual situation.
Temporary restraining order shuttering Madster file-sharing network and any Internet access to it was issued late Mon. by Judge Marvin Aspen, U.S. Dist. Court, Chicago. Judge issued temporary restraining order at request of RIAA and music industry plaintiffs to enforce his Nov. 4 preliminary injunction against Madster, formerly called Aimster, that ordered it to"immediately disable and prevent any and all access to the plaintiffs’ copyrighted works.” Court said then that Madster should cut off access to system and service if necessary to comply. In latest order, Judge Aspen ordered Madster to immediately disable and disconnect all computers and servers used for any system or service it owned or controlled by Aimster. Judge also ordered immediate termination of Internet access to peer-to-peer system through ISPs, and said plaintiffs also could serve termination order on ISPs. Temporary restraining order will remain in effect until Dec. 22 or further order from court. Judge held hearing Nov. 26 on plaintiffs’ motion to find Aimster in contempt for disregarding Nov. 4 preliminary injunction to shut down. Hearing on that motion is set for Dec. 19. “Aimster and John Deep have no excuse for not complying with the court’s November 4 preliminary injunction,” RIAA Pres. Cary Sherman said. “This temporary restraining order will certainly make clear that the infringement must stop immediately, whether that is through Aimster’s actions or actions by its Internet Service Provider.” Deep and Madster couldn’t be reached for comment.
Incoming Senate Communications Subcommittee Chmn. Burns (R-Mont.) is considering “hybrid” approach to spectrum auctions that which would require participants to prove effectiveness of their business models before they could enter process, aide said Tues. in audioconference sponsored by Communications Daily’s parent Warren Communications News. Mike Rawson, Burns’ senior policy adviser, likened senator’s tentative approach to way that public lands were allocated in 1800s.