The House Judiciary Committee passed legislation to strengthen the legal standard law enforcement must meet before obtaining mobile-phone tracking information. The bill also places certain restrictions on law enforcement access to electronic communications, including those stored on computers and servers. Stronger reporting requirements on the number and use of electronic wiretaps obtained by law enforcement is called for by the bill.
The Senate moved closer to a final vote on a bill to increase the number of high-tech visas issued each year. This week, the Senate is expected to approve the measure. The legislation would increase the number of H-1B visas granted to highly skilled foreign workers from 115,000 to 195,000 a year. Republicans fought back Democratic efforts to attach other immigration-related riders to the bill.
The Supreme Court ruled that Microsoft Corp.’s appeal of the court-ordered breakup must be heard first by a federal appeals court, a major setback to the Justice Department that could benefit the software giant’s bid to remain intact and to move into the wireless industry. Justice wanted to bypass the appeals court and have the Microsoft appeal go directly to the Supreme Court.
A federal appeals here heard oral argument last Tuesday on a challenge by National Telecom PCS to the Federal Communications Commission’s dismissal of NaTel’s application for a mobile phone license in American Samoa and penalties against the firm totaling $347,479.
A National League of Cities steering committee recommended the U.S. government stop auctioning spectrum to the private sector. The NLC panel, which met in Seattle last month, said the government should rent or lease spectrum to give federal regulators flexibility to reallocate spectrum as technologies evolve. The NLC steering committee also called for earlier notification of antenna siting and for limiting legal recourse of carriers and tower firms against cities.
The FCC said wireless revenues jumped more than 30 percent, from $37 billion in 1998 to $48 billion last year. Overall, according to the FCC annual report, the telecommunications industry generated $269 billion in revenues in 1999.
The FCC’s wireless bureau is seeking comment on a waiver request by Ohio to obtain licenses for a dozen 800 MHz general category channels. Elsewhere, the bureau said it granted nine 39 GHz licenses to Pinpoint Wireless Inc. and Morgan Stanley Capital Group Inc.
