In this week's roundup of recent U.S. telecom policy events, we take a look back at some of the events that shaped discussion in this critical area, including a clash between the NSA and several major companies.
NSA encounters resistance
When revelations regarding the NSA's widespread surveillance program first came to light, several telecommunications firms were criticized for their perceived complicity in this undertaking. With consumer trust issues lingering, many of these same telecoms recently took a stance against the federal agency, resisting attempts by the government to incorporate them into future information collection plans. Hoping to assuage public concerns about these efforts, the Obama administration previously announced that it would seek to have data collected by the NSA stored within facilities operated by private businesses. The Associate Press recently reported, however, that multiple telecoms, including AT&T, Sprint and Verizon, privately told government officials they were not receptive to this arrangement.
"It's been extremely unusual for telecoms to resist any requests from the government," software engineer Zaki Manian told the news source. "The telecom companies have a long history of providing raw data dumps to the government and typically taking some money in return and calling it a day."
Tenn. telecoms, government convene at state capitol
Every year, the Tennessee Telecommunication Association holds its "TTA on the Hill" event at the state's capitol in an attempt to foster communication between telecoms and local government officials. This year, the most pressing concern on the agenda was legislation that could potentially prevent independent telecoms from providing affordable services to the state's rural residents. Representatives from TTA expressed their concern that recent changes made to state law would allow municipalities to branch out into surrounding areas and offer services to regions traditionally serviced by independent operators. TTA executive director Levoy Knowles stated that the loss of business would force telecoms to drive up prices for residents in more remote areas.
AT&T proceeds with trial
The FCC previously gave telecoms the go-ahead to launch pilot programs testing the benefits of high-speed IP networks. According to Telecompaper, AT&T has begun to act on that approval, recently identifying markets in Florida and Alabama where it will carry out trials. Officials from the FCC will now review the company's proposal and determine if AT&T's pilot program can move forward.
Hughes lands government contract
The General Services Administration recently tapped Hughes Network Systems to provide satellite communications support to several federal agencies. The company will be asked to enable end-to-end communications capabilities for the Government Education and Training Network, including one-way video and two-way audio connections. Hughes technicians are expected to provide a broad range of services covering configuration, installation and maintenance.
