President Bush has withdrawn certain trade benefits accorded Cote d’Ivoire, the western African nation that stormed Western Wireless Corp.’s offices in 2003 and forced the firm to shut down mobile-phone operations. The White House took action in December, removing Cote d’Ivoire from the list of countries eligible for tariff preferences under the African Growth and Opportunity Act. Western Wireless International Corp. and Modern Africa Growth & Investment Co., U.S.-based majority owners of wireless carrier Cora de Comstar, have filed a $54 million expropriation claim against the government of Cote d’Ivoire in an effort to reclaim assets seized by the government during an assault and occupation of the company in October 2003.
The Federal Communications Commission said that it expects that by the end of the year, 95 percent of the handsets of carriers that have chosen the handset solution to comply with the FCC’s wireless enhanced 911 rules will be location capable. John Muleta, chief of the FCC’s wireless bureau, said his agency held an informal meeting with 911 stakeholders including carriers and public safety to get a status check, and based on that meeting, the bureau “expects no surprises” as the Dec. 31 handset location capability deadline approaches.
The 800 MHz Transition Administrator said that ESMRs have until Jan. 21 to decide how they want to be relocated as part of the Federal Communications Commission’s plan to solve public-safety interference in the 800 MHz band. “ESMRs employing cellular-type systems in the 800 MHz band must elect one of the following options: 1) to relocate all of their systems in a market into the new ESMR portion of the 800 MHz band; 2) to relocate their systems as close as possible to the new ESMR band but remain in the non-cellular portion of the band operating on a strict non-interference basis; or 3) to remain on their current channels on a strict non-interference basis,” said the administrator. The election deadline is Jan. 21 and elections must be made both electronically and by mail.
