Roy Mark

Legislation to provide $2.1 billion over three years for nanotechnology research and development programs was filed last week by U.S. Reps. Mike Honda (D.Calif.) and Sherwood Boehlert (R. N.Y.). The bill would support nanotechnology programs at the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy, the Department of Commerce, NASA, and the Environmental Protection Agency. Nanotechnology […]

The major trade associations representing the motion picture and recording industries plan to distribute a brochure to Fortune 1000 companies warning them of the potential legal liabilities of employees using company computers and networks to download copyrighted music and movies. The brochure says research has shown that numerous corporate computer systems are presently hosting databases […]

The Bush administration has officially posted its National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace on the White House Web site. The plan, which is designed to better protect the nation’s network infrastructure from terrorist cyber attacks, calls for a voluntary partnership between the public and private sectors to share security intelligence, reduce vulnerabilities and deter malicious entities. […]

The U.S. Commerce Department wants to consolidate its IT functions into one agency in an effort to modernize the structure for Commerce’s formulation of technology and telecommunications policy. The changes will require Congressional approval. The proposal by Secretary of Commerce Don Evans seeks to combine the Technology Administration (TA), the National Telecommunications and Information Administration […]

The Federal Communication Commission (FCC) adopted minor changes Thursday for the rules issued last year for the operation of unlicensed ultra wideband (UWB) devices. The changes were made to facilitate requests by law enforcement and fire fighting officials for the use of through-wall imaging systems and ground penetrating radar (GPR). In general, the FCC did […]

U.S. Rep. Tom Davis (R.-Va.), chairman of the House Committee on Government Reform, expressed disappointment Thursday that the $397.4 billion omnibus spending bill before Congress includes just $5 million for the Electronic Government Act (E-Gov). The proposed appropriation cuts by almost 90 percent the original $45 million slated for the program approved amid much fanfare […]

WASHINGTON — U.S. District Judge John D. Bates heard arguments Thursday morning on Verizon’s latest legal maneuver to avoid complying with a Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) subpoena requesting the name of a Verizon Internet subscriber who allegedly downloaded more than 600 copyrighted music files in a single day. Citing provisions in the Digital […]

A House and Senate panel of negotiators has agreed to include a provision in the compromise spending bill banning funding for the Pentagon’s Total Information Awareness (TIA) project. The controversial data mining program aims to capture the “information signature” of people in order to track potential terrorists and has been sharply criticized by privacy and […]

WASHINGTON — U.S. Representatives Phil English (R.-Pa.) and Robert Matsui (D.-Calif.) plan to re-introduce legislation Thursday to provide tax credits to telecommunications companies that deploy broadband in rural and underserved parts of America. The bill would give a 10 percent tax credit on current-generation broadband expenditures and a 20 percent credit on spending for next-generation […]

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will host an ultra wideband (UWB) demonstration Thursday morning at the agency’s Washington headquarters. UWB is a wireless technology that can transmit data, voice and video over short distances with more flexibility than other radio frequencies. A year ago, the FCC authorized the commercial deployment of the technology, noting that […]

The Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association (CTIA) filed comments with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Monday opposing a “Joint Commentators” plan that seeks to resolve public safety interference issues in the 800 MHz band. Since 2000, a number of public safety agencies using the 800 MHz band have reported interference problems related to commercial radio […]

An apparent internal power struggle among the five members of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has led FCC Chairman Michael Powell to delay this week’s highly anticipated ruling on whether the regional Bell companies must continue to lease some or all of their lines to competitors. In a brief, two paragraph statement issued Monday night, […]