In the wake of the Oklahoma city bombing, the Clinton adminstration and Congress are pressing for changes on telecommunications laws to combat terrorism. Clinton ans Senate Majority Leader Robert Doyle, R-Kan., likely combatants in nexy year’s presidental race, each gave preposed to expand the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s wiretape authority
The White House’s counter-terrorism plan seeks full funding of last year’s digital telephony bill, which requires wireless and wireline telephone carriers to install and maintain equipment so FBI agents can conduct court-authorized electronic surveillance. But that doesn’t solve the problem. FBI Director Louis Freeh recently told the House Judiciary Committee the criminal element is armed with powerful encryption that keeps its conversations private.
Civil libertarians and constitutional scholars are getting nervous about what they fear is an understandable-albeit dangerous-overreaction by policymakers.
The administration also is quietly mulling the creation of a “law enforcement band” that local, state and federal law enforcement officers could share. Perhaps the White House believes airwaves that echo angry voices would be better used by officers who risk their lives everyday on the front lines.
As a general matter, federal agencies, like the FBI and the Department of Defense, are said not to be particularly enamored with Clinton’s desire to transfer more federal spectrum to the private sector for auctioning. U.S. officials are trying to work things out internally and keep any disagreements out of the public spotlight.
Meanwhile, the Federal Communications Commission received several bomb threats last month following the explosion that ripped through a federal building in Oklahoma City. An FCC bureau gave technical support to crews at the bombing site.
…The Personal Communications Industry Association and the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association appear to be battling it out for bragging rights. CTIA leads PCIA 2-1 in Newt Gingrich appearances, but PCIA President Jay Kitchen would like to snag the House speaker for the trade group’s annual conference this fall in Orlando. CTIA scored points for hosting a glitzy industry affair last week, moderated by the peripatetic Tom Wheeler.
PCIA lobbying goes into high-gear this week. “SMR Day On the Hill” on May 9 will protest FCC’s plans to auction 800 MHz specialized mobile radio channels.
On May 11, PCIA, CTIA, FCC and Federal Aviation Administration officials will sit down and talk about processing the coming influx of antenna tower clearance applications for personal communications services systems.
PCIA has complained to FCC Chairman Reed Hundt about marketing materials from the Utilities Telecommunications Counsel on negotiating terms of microwave relocation from the 2 GHz band.
…Judge Lance Ito threatened to search everyone in the courtroom last week after a violation of his decree that pagers and cellular telephones be turned off during the O.J. Simpson trial in Los Angeles. The culprit turned out to be Sports Illustrated reporter Shelley Smith, who after realizing it was her cellular phone that rang, told the AP, “I feel like a criminal.”
