The FCC approved over a dissent by Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel rules requiring carriers to provide height above ellipsoid (HAE) data from wireless calls to 911, within 3 meters accuracy for 80 percent of calls, starting in the largest markets in April 2021. APCO and some others in public safety are concerned the mandate will mean an FCC retreat from dispatchable location. Such more specific location is a concept endorsed by commissioners 5-0 in January 2015 under former Chairman Tom Wheeler (see 1501290066).
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Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., insisted Thursday he's also making progress on Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act reauthorization, amid two House committees' success this week in advancing their own renewal bills. Wicker postponed a markup earlier this month of his original Satellite Television Access Reauthorization Act (S-2789) amid committee members' objections (see 1911130055). That bill would renew STELA through 2024. The law is set to expire Dec. 31.
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai's Monday decision to pursue a public auction of spectrum on the 3.7-4.2 GHz band (see 1911180026) has shifted some lawmakers' attention from forcing the commission's hand to ensuring proceeds from the sale are allocated for rural broadband deployments and other telecom priorities. Senate Appropriations Financial Services Subcommittee Chairman John Kennedy, R-La., and House Communications Subcommittee Chairman Mike Doyle, D-Pa., are aiming to continue advancing the Clearing Broad Airwaves for New Deployment (C-Band) Act (HR-4855/S-2921) as a potential proceeds allocation mechanism. Kennedy discussed potential pay-for options for C-band proceeds during a Thursday Senate Appropriations Financial Services hearing.
Google said the FCC should consider allowing carriers to transmit information on the floor level of a wireless call to 911 as an alternative to providing height above ellipsoid (HAE) data. Commissioners are to vote on an order Friday (see 1911130030). “An HAE estimate may not provide actionable information in the short term, particularly with regard to identifying which floor to search,” Google said in a filing posted Monday in docket 07-114: Google understands that “not every person in public safety is (or is on a clear path to be) equipped with technology capable of interpreting HAE information.” The National Emergency Number Association disagreed. “A handset’s location, including z-axis, must be delivered to the 9-1-1 system in its original format,” NENA said. “Google’s proposal -- to the extent it removes z-axis HAE from the location payload -- would reduce overall vertical location accuracy and upend the marketplace for downstream mapping and location solutions, disrupting many of the benefits of a ubiquitous standard for vertical elevation measurement.” NENA said “the vast majority of organizations representing public safety” support the z-axis mandate. A Monday news release from the FCC chairman's office laid out public safety support for the z-axis mandate.
The Office of Managing Director extended comments for the FCC’s regulatory fee Further NPRM to Dec. 6. The Satellite Industry Association requested an extension to Dec. 13 because many members are involved in the World Radiocommunication Conference. WRC-19 runs until Nov. 22, the original comment due date, Friday's order said. With the extension, replies are now due Jan. 6. The docket is 19-105.
The Supreme Court agreed to hear Google’s appeal of a ruling that it illegally copied Oracle’s programming code in Android (see 1903280061, docket 18-956). Oracle sued Google in 2010, claiming Google violated copyright law by using about 11,000 lines of Java programming code. Google claimed fair use. Oracle, which won a federal appeals court decision in 2018, is seeking some $9 billion in damages. Oracle is confident the high court “will preserve long established copyright protections for original software and reject Google’s continuing efforts to avoid responsibility for copying Oracle’s innovations,” a spokesperson emailed Friday. “We believe the Court will reject any reasoning that permits copying verbatim vast amounts of software code, used for the same purpose and same way as the original.” Google hopes the high court “reaffirms the importance of software interoperability in American competitiveness,” wrote Senior Vice President-Global Affairs Kent Walker. “Developers should be able to create applications across platforms and not be locked into one company's software.”
Michigan aims to curb illegal robocalls, including by partnering with the FCC, FTC and other states, working with carriers on anti-spoofing “do not originate” lists, and updating state laws to close loopholes and tighten enforcement, said a list of initiatives released Friday by AG Dana Nessel (D).
A day after Disney vaulted into streaming video including with kid-friendly content (see 1911130053), Netflix announced a multiyear deal with Nickelodeon to produce original animated feature films and TV series. Including Nickelodeon’s library of characters and new intellectual property, it expands their relationship, they said Wednesday. “Nickelodeon’s next step forward is to keep expanding beyond linear platforms, and our broader content partnership with Netflix is a key path toward that goal,” said Brian Robbins, Nickelodeon president.
The Senate Intelligence Committee's “not planning” an open hearing on USA Patriot Act Section 215, Chairman Richard Burr, R-N.C., told us. That's despite requests from Democratic members Ron Wyden, Ore., and Martin Heinrich, N.M. (see 1911060045).
DOJ is pursuing criminal charges against Aventura Technologies for selling Chinese-origin goods falsely labeled U.S.-origin, the U.S. Attorney’s Office Eastern District of New York announced. Seven current and former employees were named. "Aventura imported networked security products from [Chinese] manufacturers with known cybersecurity vulnerabilities, and resold them to U.S. military and other government installations while claiming that they were American-made," DOJ alleged Thursday. "The government intercepted and covertly marked numerous" such shipments, it alleged. Some apparently were "pre-marked with Aventura’s logo and the phrase 'Made in USA,' accompanied by an American flag." DOJ said the company "made upwards of $88 million, including over $20 million in federal government contracts" over a decade, "while claiming that it was manufacturing its products at its headquarters in Commack," New York. The company didn't comment.