Critics of expanded federal authority over private networks came up short with an effort to draw bright-line restrictions in the Cybersecurity Act (S-773), approved by the Senate Commerce Committee with several amendments at a short markup Wednesday. Sponsors emphasized that the bill would keep changing as it moved out of committee and indicated they disagreed with each other on core provisions, including what kind of regulations to apply to network and infrastructure owners. Chairman Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., called the bill “preemptive” to protect the country but “basic,” lacking many details despite having gone through four drafts.

LAS VEGAS -- The FCC is still contacting public safety groups and others in the wireless world to explain the National Broadband Plan’s proposal for the 700 MHz band, said Jennifer Manner, the Deputy Public Safety Bureau’s deputy chief, at the CTIA convention. Questions about the plan, which has faced a firestorm of criticism from public safety groups, followed FCC officials to Las Vegas.

Intelsat is ramping up efforts to slow satellite interference, as growth in satellite services worldwide has led to increased problems for operators, company executives said. Customers are complaining of interference more than any other issue, and complaints will likely continue to increase as satellite device sales and fill rates move higher unless something is done, CEO Dave McGlade told reporters.

LAS VEGAS -- The U.S. may need regulatory action to fulfill the potential of the smart grid, suggested a panelist at a CTIA presentation. Kore Telematics CEO Alex Brisbourne said the lack of a clearcut standard was holding back efficient implementation.

LAS VEGAS -- Deutsche Telekom CEO Rene Obermann Wednesday echoed concerns voiced by AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson the day before (CD March 24 p1) at the CTIA show about the need for the U.S. to steer clear of imposing new regulations on the wireless industry. Obermann, whose company is the parent of T-Mobile USA, also called on the FCC to bring new spectrum online for wireless broadband as quickly as possible. Competition and a light-handed approach on regulation “have served the U.S. wireless customer very well,” he said. “I am optimistic that American policymakers will want to continue this trend to ensure continued growth and investments going forward. So far, the regulatory approach has paid off."

Rep. Rick Boucher, D-Va., believes it’s time for Congress to update telecom laws to account for technological convergence, he told us Wednesday. The House Communications Subcommittee chairman said he intends to work on comprehensive reform in the next Congress starting in January that would address some of the concerns raised by Verizon Executive Vice President Tom Tauke in a New Democrat Network keynote Wednesday. The company is “very much on target” when it says the time has come to overhaul the Telecommunications Act, Boucher said. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., said in another interview that her bills on broadband information and early termination fees (ETFs) would answer Tauke’s call to better inform and empower consumers.

Initial items in the National Broadband Plan that may get FCC proceedings include recommendations that the agency take steps to make all cable, DBS and telco-TV providers offer gateway devices and that CableCARDs be easier to install, numerous agency and industry officials said. Commissioners may vote as soon as next month on two related and forthcoming items, they said. One would likely begin an inquiry on how to mandate all subscription-video systems be able to be accessed by a simple gateway device that could also get online content. Another would resolve some CableCARD problems.

Services based on an all-IP network are where the traditional telco landline business is heading, carriers said in interviews. Rather than a stand-alone service, voice is becoming part of a converged communications offering, they said.

TORONTO -- In a much-anticipated decision, the Canadian Radio-TV and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) said the nation’s conventional TV networks can seek from cable operators and satellite-TV providers fees or other compensation for their signals. But the CRTC stopped short of imposing any fees or mandating “value for signal” negotiations between the parties, pending a judgment by the courts on the agency’s power to do so.

The lawyer handling YouTube’s copyright defense against Viacom said Tuesday she’s confident of her position because the company is known to be responsible, and defendants like that win infringement lawsuits. “The pope uses it,” Catherine Lacavera, senior litigation counsel for YouTube’s owner, Google, said on an American Bar Association webcast. “The Queen uses it. The president uses it. It’s so different from a site that was designed solely for infringement. … I feel good about our case, and I think that comes through in our brief.”