A budget compromise reached by a Minnesota legislative conference committee would set aside $20 million for broadband development, and while it was far short of the $100 million sought in a proposal this year, proponents hailed the deal on Thursday. “It’s a good down-payment on what needs to be a sustained commitment to broadband infrastructure,” said Sen. Matt Schmit, of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL), sponsor of Senate File-2056 (http://bit.ly/1lwFcaX) that sought the larger amount for grants to improve broadband in underserved areas. “Businesses and families across Greater Minnesota have reason to celebrate today because of the historic first step Minnesota has taken in recognizing that the lack of broadband is crippling rural communities,” said a statement from Dan Dorman, executive director of the Greater Minnesota Partnership, a coalition of businesses, nonprofits and cities that advocates for economic development policies. “Border-to-border access to reliable cell phone and high-speed internet coverage will be essential to Minnesota’s continued economic growth. These new investments in broadband infrastructure will help move our state closer that important goal,” DFL Gov. Mark Dayton said in a statement (http://bit.ly/1jQN5eX). Final votes by the Legislature were pending at our deadline.
Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton signed the smartphone kill switch bill into law, making the state the first in the nation to require manufacturers to include equipment to disable the devices if lost or stolen (CD May 12 p8). “This law will help combat the growing number of violent cell phone thefts in Minnesota,” Dayton, of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, said in a statement (http://bit.ly/1k4KFIZ) in signing Senate File 1740 (http://bit.ly/1n55aEZ) Wednesday. “The safety and security of wireless users is the wireless industry’s top priority, and we've taken significant actions to provide consumers with the tools and information needed to help deter smartphone theft,” said Jamie Hastings, CTIA vice president, external and state affairs, in a statement Friday. Given efforts like the “Smartphone Anti-Theft Voluntary Commitment,” in which companies have pledged either preload phones with kill switches that can be turned on or the ability to download the anti-theft technology, “we question if the Minnesota bill was necessary,” Hastings said.
The sponsor of a Louisiana bill that would bar using a cellphone while driving in school zones said he expects the measure to be approved by the House and go to the governor next week. The law would only apply to making calls, sending texts or being on a social networking site during unspecified posted hours. Offenses would carry a fine of up to $175 for the first violation and up to $500 for each subsequent violation. Rep. Jeff Thompson, a Republican, said HB-370 (http://1.usa.gov/1iQ9ZOq) was approved by the Senate Wednesday with an amendment saying signs must signal where the law would apply. The measure had failed in the Senate on Tuesday but was approved with the amendment. The House is now likely to concur with the amendment and pass it, he said Thursday. “When traveling through active school crossing zones distracted children are certain to be present. In those specific limited areas and limited time periods we need drivers to be particularly aware. ... The momentary inconvenience of setting down a phone to get through a school crossing area with kids in the road is worth it,” he said in an email. A spokesman for Republican Gov. Bobby Jindal was not immediately available for comment.
Verizon is meeting its goals to run its all-fiber telecommunications network throughout all five boroughs of New York, the company said in a news release Thursday. “This is the largest, most ambitious fiber-optic deployment in any U.S. city,” said Kevin Service, Verizon’s president for the Northeast area. “We have invested more than $3 billion in the city alone, making it one of the most ‘fiberized’ cities on the planet.” Verizon said it has installed almost 89 million feet, or nearly 17,000 miles, of fiber infrastructure in New York City. The buildout is on track with benchmarks set out in its cable franchise agreement with the city, Verizon said.
Paramus, New Jersey, violated the Communications Act by denying a wireless tower siting application from Sprint and T-Mobile, ruled a U.S. District Court in Newark. The companies had appealed a 2009 borough zoning board denial on aesthetic grounds to place a 125-foot monopole at either of two residential locations. The denial in the absence of a feasible alternative constitutes “an effective prohibition of wireless service” in violation of the law, ruled Judge Kevin McNulty on Monday. Key in the case was whether a distributed antenna system (DAS) was an acceptable alternative, he said. “A DAS is not a feasible alternative because it will not offer comparable wireless service when measured against the coverage that can be provided by the proposed macro facility.” Paramus officials were not immediately available for comment.
The Illinois Poison Control Center will have to shut down July 1 if the Legislature does not approve SB-2674 (http://bit.ly/1mnuhV4), which would give the center two cents of the state’s 73-cent wireless surcharge for 911 services, said IPC spokeswoman Janine Sheedy in an email to us Tuesday. Despite concerns from public safety answering points about diverting the funding, “as the state’s first responder in poison emergencies, the IPC, staffed by nurses, pharmacists, and physicians, is natural fit with 911. ... By treating 90 percent of its calls from the general public at home without referral to a health care facility, the IPC save Illinois more than $52 million” a year “in unnecessary health care costs,” Sheedy said. The measure passed the Senate Thursday and is being considered in the House.
New Hampshire Gov. Maggie Hassan will likely sign HB-1360 (http://bit.ly/1jjYaQg), which would ban minors from talking on a cellphone while driving and requires adults to use hands-free devices, as of July 1, 2015, a spokesman said. The bill, which headed to Hassan, a Democrat, after being approved by the House May 7, would impose fines of $100 for the first offense, $250 for the second and $500 for the any subsequent offense. It bars texting or using the Internet while driving.
NTIA released four case studies on the impact of the more than $450 million in awards it has granted under its Broadband Technology Opportunities Program since 2010 for establishing or upgrading public computer centers and innovative broadband adoption programs in underserved communities, in a blog post (http://1.usa.gov/1ixJFwz) Friday. The investment has resulted in more than 3,000 new or improved public computer centers and produced 600,000 new household broadband subscriptions, said the agency. Released at a Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband (SHLB) Coalition conference, the studies were done as part of an evaluation contract by research firm ASR Analytics. One study was done about Florida A&M University, which established a BTOP-funded Center for Public Computing and Workforce Development for Tallahassee and surrounding counties, said NTIA. The center has 80 new computers with broadband Internet connections, internal wireless access, and interactive video conferencing technology to provide both college classes and training for area businesses, said NTIA.
A California measure requiring smartphone makers to install theft-deterring kill switches will move to the Assembly after being approved by the Senate Thursday. “The theft and robbery of smartphones is the fastest growing crime in many cities across California because thieves have a financial incentive to steal and then resell these valuable devices on the black market,” said Democratic Sen. Mark Leno, sponsor of Senate Bill 962 (http://bit.ly/1i0TKOj), in a news release after the 26-8 vote. “We can end this crime of convenience and protect the safety of smartphone consumers by ensuring that every new phone sold in our state has theft-deterrent technology installed and enabled by default.” The vote came upon reconsideration after the measure was narrowly defeated in the Senate on April 24 (CD April 28 p19). CTIA pointed to smartphone manufacturers having pledged to enable the devices with preloaded or downloadable features to render them unusable upon being stolen or lost. “Given the breadth of action the industry has voluntarily taken, it was unnecessary for the California Senate to approve SB 962, which would mandate a specific form of anti-theft functionality,” said Jamie Hastings, CTIA vice president-external and state affairs. “If technology mandates are imposed on a state-by-state basis, the uniformity is threatened since the wireless industry, which manufactures and distributes smartphones nationally, does so to provide security and choice regardless of where consumers live, purchase or use their smartphones. State-by-state technology mandates stifle innovation to the ultimate detriment to the consumer.” Leno had criticized the voluntary initiative because it requires device owners to opt in (CD April 17 p10).
The Alabama Public Service Commission tentatively approved a staff proposal Tuesday that would reduce inmate phone rates and fees, said a PSC news release (http://bit.ly/1oq5nDE). The PSC extended a comment period through June 12 before deciding whether to issue a final order to implement the changes, it said. According to a PSC fact sheet, the changes would eliminate a $2.25 per call surcharge on each local or intrastate toll call made by inmates. Local calls are now charged an additional 50 cents per local call and 30 cents a minute for intrastate toll calls, on top of the surcharge. The changes would phase down the rates for both types of calls to 25 cents a minute the first year, 23 cents a minute for debit and prepaid calls the second year, and 21 cents a minute for debit and prepaid calls the third year. Collect calls would remain at 25 cents a minute the second and third years. The tentative changes would cap or eliminate a variety of fees charged by phone companies service jails and prisons. The changes are among a number of steps in states to reduce intrastate inmate call costs after FCC action on interstate inmate calls last year (CD May 5 p8).