House and Senate conferees, Rep. Harold Rogers (R-Ky.) in particular, apparently have had it with CALEA squabbling between the wireless industry and the FBI and will not appropriate any money for digital wiretap implementation in fiscal 1998, which began Sept. 1. There’s still more than $100 million in a separate CALEA carrier fund, however.
As it turns out, oddly enough, the funding fracas is good for the wireless industry and perhaps what it hoped for privately. Funding means nothing to wireless carriers without changes to CALEA implementation and compliance dates, and Congress and the FBI have been unwilling to push back those dates so far.
That being said, the dire picture industry will paint as a result of this year’s funding failure and funding problems overall since CALEA’s October 1994 enactment could become leverage for relief from Congress in the way of date changes.
…House Commerce Committee Tom Bliley (R-Va.) drafted legislation to tie U.S. support of China membership in WTO to market-opening progress in Beijing. Bliley wants a level playing field in the $750 billion global telecom arena.
In the meantime, the House voted to put some muscle in the Clinton administration’s otherwise wimpy China policy by agreeing to a package of measures to foster improvement in China’s human rights record and to dissuade it from selling nuclear technology to rogue states.
…Communication is the weak link in response to domestic terrorism, Congress was told last week. The Oklahoma City bombing rescue was made difficult by a hodge podge of public-safety frequencies and frantic jamming of cell phone channels.
…Stunning setback as House anti-affirmative bill gets tabled.
Don’t get excited. Female and minority bidding credits for wireless licenses is still a non-starter at FCC.
…FCC Wireless Telecom Bureau Chief Dan Phythyon is continuing on in Kennard administration. Elsewhere, appointments galore: Richard Metzger, Common Carrier Bureau chief; John Muleta, CCB deputy chief; Richard Lee, Compliance and Information Bureau chief; Chris Wright, general counsel; David Solomon, deputy GC with expanded responsibilities; Paula Ellison, deputy GC; Larry Strictling, chief of GC’s competition division; Liz Rose, director of public affairs; Sheryl Wilkerson, director of legislative and intergovernmental affairs; Brian Browdie, associate director of legislative and intergovernmental affairs; Magalie Roman Salas, secretary of the FCC; and Ruth Dancey, assistant secretary of the FCC.
