[Federal Register: March 26, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 57)] [Notices] [Page 13208] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr26mr09-71]
SUMMARY: In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, the purpose of this notice is to announce that a Federal Advisory Committee, known as the ``Technological Advisory Council'' (hereinafter the ``TAC'') is being reestablished.
ADDRESSES: Federal Communications Commission, Attn: Jon M. Peha, Chief Technologist, 445 12th Street, SW., Room 7-C324, Washington, DC 20554.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jon M. Peha, Chief Technologist, Federal Communications Commission, 445 12th Street, SW., Room 7-C324, Washington, DC 20554. Telephone: (202) 418-2406, e-mail: jon.peha@fcc.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission has determined that the reestablishment of the Council is necessary and in the public interest in connection with the performance of duties imposed on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) by law. The Committee Management Secretariat, General Services Administration concurs with the reestablishment of the Council. The purpose of the TAC is to provide technical advice to the Federal Communications Commission and to make recommendations on the issues and questions presented to it by the FCC. The TAC will address questions referred to it by the FCC Chairman, the FCC Chief Technologist, the Chief of the FCC Office of Engineering and Technology, or the TAC Designated Federal Officer. The questions referred to the TAC will be directed to technological and technical issues in the field of communications. The duties of the TAC will be to gather data and information, perform analyses, and prepare reports and presentations to respond to the questions referred to it.
Marlene H. Dortch, Secretary, Federal Communications Commission. [FR Doc. E9-6463 Filed 3-25-09; 8:45 am]
DA 09-668 - Released: March 24, 2009 - GN Docket No. 09-40 - Comment filing date: April 13, 2009
Through this Public Notice, we establish procedures for parties wishing to provide written or oral comments on the Commission's consultative role in the broadband provisions of the Recovery Act. In the Recovery Act, Congress assigned grant- and loanmaking responsibilities to the Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and the Department of Agriculture's Rural Utilities Service (RUS). Specifically, NTIA will administer the Broadband Technologies Opportunities Program (BTOP), which will provide grants for developing and expanding broadband services, and RUS will continue to administer its programs of broadband loans, loan guarantees, and grants with additional funds. The Commission has no funds under the Recovery Act for grant- or loanmaking. The Commission does, however, have an important role to play in providing expert, technical advice to NTIA as it establishes the BTOP, and the Commission may also provide expert, technical advice to RUS as it proceeds with its own programs.
Congress directed NTIA to consult with this Commission on five specific terms and concepts:
4. the non-discrimination obligations that will be contractual conditions of BTOP grants, and
5. the network interconnection obligations that will be contractual conditions of BTOP grants.
Commission staff are attending the relevant hearings being held jointly by NTIA and RUS on the implementation of their Recovery Act programs, and will have access to the written filings made in response to those agencies' Joint Request for Information. Some parties may wish to provide comment specifically to this Commission on its consultative role on the five definitions listed above. Because we desire that all comments to the Commission on its consultative role be fully disclosed and accessible to the public, and because the Commission has a unique role with regard to consulting on the five definitions, we establish the following procedures for parties wishing to comment on the advice the Commission should offer on these terms. We do not here seek comment or intend to accept meetings on individual projects or requests for funding, which are within the purview of NTIA and RUS, but rather on the Commission's consultative role with regard to the five points enumerated above.
First, parties wishing to submit written comments may file them on or before April 13, 2009. Comments should reference GN Docket No. 09-40. Parties are encouraged to limit their comments to the five definitional issues named above, and to include an executive summary if their comments exceed ten pages.
. . . . . [filing procedure]
In addition, Commission staff will make themselves available for ex parte meetings with interested parties during the week of March 30 through April 3, 2009. Parties wishing to schedule an ex parte meeting should contact Ginny Kennedy, Wireline Competition Bureau, at (202) 418-2328, or by email at Ginny.Kennedy@fcc.gov, or Morasha Younger, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, at (202) 418-1203, or by email at Morasha.Younger@fcc.gov. Any registered lobbyists requesting meetings should identify themselves as such at the time of requesting meetings. Because of the potential volume of meeting requests, meetings will be scheduled for twenty minutes with Commission staff members. Parties are also strongly encouraged to provide staff a one- to two-page handout summarizing their points. Staff will attempt to accommodate requests for ex parte meetings on other dates but interested parties are strongly encouraged to schedule any meetings for the dates mentioned above.
. . . . . [filing procedure]
It is the intent of the Commission that contacts with the Commission pursuant to this Public Notice also comply with the March 20, 2009 White House Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Agencies: Ensuring Responsible Spending of Recovery Act Funds ("Memorandum"). Under the Memorandum, an executive department or agency official shall not consider the view of a lobbyist registered under the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995, 2 U.S.C. 1601 et seq., concerning particular projects, applications, or applicants for funding under the Recovery Act unless such views are in writing. An executive department or agency official may communicate orally with registered lobbyists concerning general Recovery Act policy issues, provided that such oral communications shall not extend to or touch upon particular projects, applications, or applicants for funding, and further that the official must contemporaneously or immediately thereafter document in writing: (i) the date and time of the contact on policy issues; (ii) the names of the registered lobbyists and the official(s) between or among whom the contact took place; and (iii) a short description of the substance of the communication. This written summary will be posted publicly on the Commission's website within 3 business days of the communication.
For further information, contact Ian Dillner or Claude Aiken, Wireline Competition Bureau, (202) 418-1580, Jennifer Salhus, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, (202) 418-1310, Kevin Holmes, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, (202) 418-2487, or Jeff Cohen, Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau, (202) 418-1300. -FCC-
3/24/09 Bureaus Establish Procedures Regarding the Commission's Consultative Role in the Broadband Provisions of the Recovery Act. Public Notice: Word | Acrobat
"When you type www.irs.gov—or the Web address of your bank or an e-commerce site—into your web browser, you want to be sure that no one is hijacking your request and sending you to a bogus look-alike page. You're relying on the integrity of the Internet's "phone book," the Domain Name System (DNS). Computer scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) are playing a major role in making sure that what you type is what you get by providing standards, guidance and testing necessary to bolster the trustworthiness of the global DNS. A draft update of NIST's guidelines for DNS security is now available for public comment.
Most recently, NIST computer scientists provided technical assistance to the General Services Administration to meet the end-of-February deadline to secure the top-level .gov ("dot-gov") domain, the first major step of a new government-wide DNS security upgrade. NIST researchers develop the standards, specifications and operational procedures used by federal civilian agencies to safeguard their information systems. The Internet relies on the DNS system that converts the user-friendly names (www.nist.gov) into a unique Internet Protocol address (129.6.13.45) necessary to route data to its destination.
The DNS as currently deployed lacks the ability to authenticate the source or integrity of responses returned from the system, and as a result it is easy to spoof responses and redirect users to fake or look-alike destinations. NIST and others are working to add "steel doors and locks" to enhance DNS security. NIST computer scientists led the development of new Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) standards to add digital signatures and associated key management procedures to DNS protocols. These additions, called DNSSEC, allow users to validate the authenticity and integrity of the data and will provide the basis for a new trust infrastructure for the DNS and protocols and systems that rely on it.
"We hope that the dot-gov deployment of DNSSEC will encourage rapid deployment in other sectors, including government contractors, trading partners and general e-commerce sites," said Scott Rose, one of the NIST computer researchers.
In addition to developing the standards and deployment protocol guidance for DNSSEC, NIST researchers have developed the Secure Naming Infrastructure Pilot (SNIP) distributed testbed (www.dnsops.gov) to assist agencies and vendors in experimenting with and evaluating specific DNSSEC solutions. NIST is a member of an industry-government DNSSEC-Deployment Initiative, coordinated by the Department of Homeland Security, to foster adoption and implementation of DNSSEC specifications across Internet domains.
This first revision of the guidance proposes stronger cryptographic algorithms and keys to provide more resilience against attack. The revised publication incorporates comments from the Internet Engineering Task Force that are to update best practices and checklists in the document. The latest version of the deployment guide includes cookbook configuration instructions for two commonly deployed DNS server implementations.
The public is invited to review the draft NIST SP-800-81 revision 1 guidelines and submit comments to SecureDNS@nist.gov before March 31, 2009.
Through this Public Notice, we seek comment on Congress's directive in the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (2008 Farm Bill) that the Chairman of the Commission develop, in consultation with the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture, a comprehensive rural broadband strategy.[1]Congress, this Commission, and the Secretary of Agriculture have repeatedly recognized the importance of ensuring access to advanced telecommunications and information services to all Americans, with a special focus on rural and hard-to-serve areas.We now issue this Notice guided by Congress's recent requirement that the Commission develop a comprehensive national broadband plan.[2]With a renewed focus on the importance of interagency and intergovernmental coordination, and with an ever-increasing understanding of the profound impacts of broadband services on the ways we communicate and of the importance of broadband to the future of our nation, we expect that the rural broadband strategy developed in this docket will inform our effort to develop a comprehensive national broadband plan pursuant to the Recovery Act.
Broadband services have great potential to bring opportunity to the citizens of rural America.They improve the educational opportunities of children and adults everywhere, allowing children in rural areas across the country to access the same information as schoolchildren in urban areas.Telemedicine networks made possible by broadband services save lives and improve the standard of healthcare in sparsely populated, rural areas.For businesses in rural areas, access to broadband services is just as critical.These services are creating new jobs, while enabling skilled employees to work more effectively in their current jobs.At the same time, the Commission and the Department of Agriculture have recognized that rural consumers are doubly vulnerable: that is, although they are most in need of access to advanced telecommunications capability to overcome economic, educational and other limitations, they are also the most likely to lack access precisely because of these limitations.
Congress has also highlighted the importance of promoting interagency coordination in meeting the rural broadband challenge.On May 22, 2008, Congress adopted the 2008 Farm Bill.[3]Section 6112 of that statute requires the Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, in coordination with the Secretary of Agriculture, to submit a report to Congress describing a comprehensive rural broadband strategy within a year of the passage of the Act.The Act specifies that the report shall include:
(1)recommendations—
(A)to promote interagency coordination of Federal agencies in regards to policies, procedures, and targeted resources, and to streamline or otherwise improve and streamline the policies, programs, and services;
(B)to coordinate existing Federal rural broadband or rural initiatives;
(C)to coordinate both short- and long-term needs assessments and solutions for a rapid build-out of rural broadband solutions and application of the recommendations for Federal, State, regional, and local government policymakers; and
(D)to identify how specific Federal agency programs and resources can best respond to rural broadband requirements and overcome obstacles that currently impede rural broadband deployment; and
(2)a description of goals and timeframes to achieve the purposes of the report.[4]
We invite comment on how the Commission and the Department of Agriculture should implement section 6112.In particular, we invite suggestions regarding the substantive recommendations to be included in the report, as well as proposed goals and timeframes to achieve the purposes of the report.Interested parties may file comments on or before March 25, 2009.All pleadings should reference GN Docket No. 09-29.
All filings must be addressed to the Commission's Secretary, Marlene H. Dortch, Office of the Secretary, Federal Communications Commission, 445 12th Street, SW, Suite TW-A325, Washington, DC 20554.Parties should also send a copy of their filings to the Competition Policy Division, Wireline Competition Bureau, Federal Communications Commission, 445 12th Street, SW, Washington, DC 20554, or by e-mail to CPDcopies@fcc.gov, and to the Spectrum & Competition Policy Division, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, Federal Communications Commission, 445 12th Street, SW—Portals 1, Washington, DC 20554 or by e-mail to RuralBB@fcc.gov.Parties shall also serve one copy with the Commission's copy contractor, Best Copy and Printing, Inc. (BCPI), Portals II, 445 12th Street, SW, Room CY-B402, Washington, DC 20554, (202) 488-5300, or via e-mail to fcc@bcpiweb.com.
In the interests of efficiency and conducting an orderly proceeding, Bureau staff will make themselves available for ex parte meetings with interested parties on March 26, 2009 and March 27, 2009.Parties wishing to schedule an ex parte meeting should contact Myrva Charles, Wireline Competition Bureau, at (202) 418-1506 or by email to Myrva.Charles@fcc.gov, or Morasha Younger, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, at (202) 418-1203 or by email to Morasha.Younger@fcc.gov.Staff will attempt to accommodate requests for ex parte meetings on other dates but interested parties are strongly encouraged to schedule any meetings for the dates mentioned above.
Comments may be filed using the Commission's Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS) or by filing paper copies.
Electronic Filers:Comments may be filed electronically using the Internet by accessing the ECFS:http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/ecfs/.Filers should follow the instructions provided on the website for submitting comments.
For ECFS filers, if multiple docket or rulemaking numbers appear in the caption of this proceeding, filers must transmit one electronic copy of the comments for each docket or rulemaking number referenced in the caption.In completing the transmittal screen, filers should include their full name, U.S. Postal Service mailing address, and the applicable docket or rulemaking number.Parties may also submit an electronic comment by Internet e-mail. To get filing instructions, filers should send an e-mail to ecfs@fcc.gov and include the following words in the body of the message:get form <your email address>.A sample form and directions will be sent in response.
Paper Filers:Parties who choose to file by paper must file an original and four copies of each filing.If more than one docket or rulemaking number appears in the caption of this proceeding, filers must submit two additional copies for each additional docket or rulemaking number.Parties are strongly encouraged to file comments electronically using the Commission's ECFS.
Filings can be sent by hand or messenger delivery, by commercial overnight courier, or by first-class or overnight U.S. Postal Service mail (although we continue to experience delays in receiving U.S. Postal Service mail).All filings must be addressed to the Commission's Secretary, Marlene H. Dortch, Office of the Secretary, Federal Communications Commission.
The Commission's contractor will receive hand-delivered or messenger-delivered paper filings for the Commission's Secretary at 236 Massachusetts Avenue, NE, Suite 110, Washington, DC 20002.The filing hours at this location are 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.All hand deliveries must be held together with rubber bands or fasteners.Any envelopes must be disposed of before entering the building.
Commercial overnight mail (other than U.S. Postal Service Express Mail and Priority Mail) must be sent to 9300 East Hampton Drive, Capitol Heights, MD 20743.
U.S. Postal Service first-class, Express, and Priority mail should be addressed to 445 12th Street, SW, Washington, DC 20554.
People with Disabilities:To request materials in accessible formats for people with disabilities (braille, large print, electronic files, audio format), send an e-mail to fcc504@fcc.gov or call the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau at (202) 418-0530 (voice), (202) 418-0432 (tty).
Filings and comments are also available for public inspection and copying during regular business hours at the FCC Reference Information Center, Portals II, 445 12th Street, SW, Room CY-A257, Washington, DC 20554.They may also be purchased from the Commission's duplicating contractor, Best Copy and Printing, Inc., Portals II, 445 12th Street, SW, Room CY-B402, Washington, DC, 20554, telephone (202) 488-5300, facsimile (202) 488-5563, or via e-mail at fcc@bcpiweb.com.
This matter shall be treated as a "permit-but-disclose" proceeding in accordance with the Commission's ex parte rules.See 47 C.F.R. §§ 1.1200, 1.1206.Persons making oral ex parte presentations are reminded that memoranda summarizing the presentations must contain summaries of the substance of the presentations and not merely a listing of the subjects discussed.More than a one or two sentence description of the views and arguments presented generally is required.See 47 C.F.R. § 1.1206(b).Other rules pertaining to oral and written ex parte presentations in permit-but-disclose proceedings are set forth in section 1.1206(b) of the Commission's rules, 47 C.F.R. § 1.1206(b).
For further information, contact William Kehoe or Melissa Kirkel, Wireline Competition Bureau, (202) 418-1580, or Charles Mathias or Christina Clearwater, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, (202) 418-1310.
-FCC-
3/10/09 Bureaus Establish Comment Date for Report on Rural Broadband Strategy. Public Notice: Word | Acrobat
[2]American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, Pub. L. No. 111-5, 123 Stat. 115 (2009) (Recovery Act).
[3]We note that the 2008 Farm Bill was initially enacted on May 22, 2008.See Pub. L. 110-234, 122 Stat. 923 (May 22, 2008) (May 22, 2008 Bill).The May 22, 2008 Bill, as enacted, however, did not include one title (i.e., Title III – Trade) that Congress had intended to include.The June 18, 2008 Bill corrected this omission by repealing the May 22, 2008 Bill and enacting a statute that includes Title III but otherwise is identical to the May 22, 2008 Bill.The June 18, 2008 Bill specified that it would take effect on the earlier of the enactment date of that bill or the enactment date of the May 22, 2008 Bill.See Pub. L. 110-246, § 4(b).Pursuant to this provision, the Act became effective on May 22, 2008, and therefore, May 22, 2009, is the statutory deadline for the comprehensive rural broadband strategy report required by the Act.
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Tuesday, March 3rd, 2009 at 12:00 am President Obama Announces More Key Appointments, March 3, 2009
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary ___________________________________________________________________________________________ FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 3, 2009
President Obama Announces More Key Appointments
WASHINGTON – Today, President Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individuals for key administration posts: John Berry, Director of the Office of Personnel Management, and Julius Genachowski, Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission.
On the nomination of John Berry, President Obama said, "From turning around the National Zoo to fostering a more productive work environment at the Department of the Interior, John Berry has a tremendous record of effective management in key public service roles. I'm confident that he will provide that same leadership at OPM to help ensure that government works for the American people the way it should."
On the nomination of Julius Genachowski, President Obama said, "I can think of no one better than Julius Genachowski to serve as Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission. He will bring to the job diverse and unparalleled experience in communications and technology, with two decades of accomplishment in the private sector and public service. I know him as the son of immigrants who carries a deep appreciation for this country and the American dream; and as the proud father of three children working with his wife Rachel to be responsible parents in this digital age."
President Obama announced his intent to nominate the follow individuals today:
John Berry, Nominee for Director of the Office of Personnel Management
John began his Federal career as a Legislative Director for U.S. Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD), a major leader on all issues affecting the Civil Service. John was responsible for overseeing Hoyer's work Federal employees, and was the primary craftsman behind the locality pay reform, among many other issues affecting pay and benefits of employees and retirees.
John began his management career at the Department of Treasury, where he served as Deputy Assistant Secretary and acting Assistant Secretary for Law Enforcement. Later in the Clinton administration, John was appointed Assistant Secretary for Policy, Management and Budget, where he focused on employee partnerships, worklife issues for employees and reversing years of decline by achieving one of the largest budgetary increases in the Department's 150 year history.
As Director of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, John worked with Interior Inspector General, Earl Devaney, to reconcile 20 years of financial records, establish sound management practices, while also conserving over 3 million acres of wildlife habitat through innovative public-private partnerships.
Most recently, John was hired to turn around the National Zoo, which was laboring under continual reports of issues and problems. In its Accreditation approval last year it was noted that "It is good to see the National Zoo worthy of its name again." John has completed a strategic plan, a mangement reorganization, and a 20 year capital master plan. John also recognized a critical weakness in the absence of fire protection at the Zoo and has secured the funding (35 million) to replace the Zoo's water main and install sprinklers throughout the Zoo, while also launching the renovation of the 1930 elephant house and seal and Sea Lion exhibits.
Julius Genachowski, Nominee for Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission
Genachowski is a technology executive and entrepreneur with strong experience in both the private sector and public service. He is Cofounder and Managing Director of LaunchBox Digital and Rock Creek Ventures, and a Special Advisor at General Atlantic. He was a senior executive for eight years at IAC/InterActiveCorp, where his positions included Chief of Business Operations and General Counsel.
In government, Genachowski served at the Federal Communications Commission as Chief Counsel to Chairman Reed Hundt, and earlier as Special Counsel to FCC General Counsel (later Chairman) William Kennard. He was a law clerk for United States Supreme Court Justice David H. Souter and, before that, for Justice William J. Brennan, Jr. (ret.). He also served as a law clerk to Chief Judge Abner J. Mikva of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. Genachowski served on the staff of U.S. Representative (now Senator) Charles E. Schumer, and also the staff of the House Select Committee Investigating the Iran-Contra Affair.
Genachowski received a J.D in 1991 from Harvard Law School (magna cum laude), where he was co-Notes Editor of the Harvard Law Review, and a B.A. in 1985 from Columbia College (magna cum laude). Genachowski was raised in New York, and now resides in Washington DC. He is married to Rachel Goslins and has three children, Jacob, Lilah and Aaron.
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3/2/09 Commission Implements Child Safe Viewing Act by Seeking Comment on Parental Control Technologies for Video or Audio Programming. NOI: Acrobat Copps Statement: Acrobat Adelstein Statement: Acrobat McDowell Statement: Acrobat
This Notice of Inquiry ("NOI") implements the Child Safe Viewing Act of 2007, adopted December 2, 2008, which directs the Commission to initiate a proceeding within 90 days after the date of enactment to examine "the existence and availability of advanced blocking technologies that are compatible with various communications devices or platforms." Congress defined "advanced blocking technologies" as "technologies that can improve or enhance the ability of a parent to protect his or her child from any indecent or objectionable video or audio programming, as determined by such parent, that is transmitted through the use of wire, wireless, or radio communications." Congress's intent in adopting the Act was to spur the development of the "next generation of parental control technology." In conducting this proceeding, we will examine blocking technologies that may be appropriate across a wide variety of distribution platforms and devices, can filter language based upon information in closed captioning, can operate independently of pre-assigned ratings, and may be effective in enhancing a parent's ability to protect his or her child from indecent or objectionable programming, as determined by the parent. The Act directs the Commission to issue a report to Congress no later than August 29, 2009 detailing our findings in this proceeding.
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"When you type