White House proposes 5G funding boost for NTIA

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By John Hendel POLITICO

02/10/2020 01:59 PM EST

President Donald Trump is proposing that Congress provide an approximately 80 percent spending boost for the Commerce Department’s NTIA to help prepare the agency for 5G and other technological changes.

In its fiscal year 2021 budget request, the White House is asking for $72.2 million for NTIA, which has a lead role on 5G and telecom policy matters for the administration. That’s up from the roughly $40 million annually that the agency has generally received in recent years.

The request said $25 million would be slated for “modernizing spectrum management systems” and “proposes an increase to fund NTIA’s spectrum research for 5G and other evolving advanced communications innovations.”

The funding boost to spectrum management programs includes a focus on spectrum IT systems, which could help enable the government to identify federally held airwaves that could be freed up for commercial use.

The budget request is also in line with Trump’s crackdown on Chinese telecom companies like Huawei and ZTE, which the administration regards as a threat. NTIA would receive more money for efforts to “mitigate, and manage supply chain risks to our nation’s telecommunications infrastructure,” which it said would “enable NTIA to drive and support the nation’s efforts to promote and protect our economic and national security in the fast approaching 5G environment.”

Lawmakers will have to decide how much to defer to the budget request.

NTIA has lacked a permanent administrator since the sudden resignation of David Redl last May.

FCC Concludes Sharing of Consumers’ Real-Time Location Data Violates Federal Law

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After an extended investigation, the FCC Enforcement Bureau has concluded that at least one wireless carrier apparently violated U.S. law by improperly disclosing consumers’ location data.

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai announced the agency’s conclusion in a January 31 letter to Congress. While the letter did not identify any carriers by name, it confirmed that one or more Notice(s) of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture would be issued in the coming days in connection with the apparent violation(s). 

“I am committed to ensuring that all entities subject to our jurisdiction comply with the Communications Act and the FCC’s rules, including those that protect consumers’ sensitive information, such as real-time location data,” said Chairman Pai.

The security of consumers’ real-time location data is an issue that gained widespread attention in 2018 after press reports revealed that carriers including T-Mobile, Sprint and AT&T were selling phone geolocation services to outside companies.  While it is common knowledge that law enforcement agencies can track phones with a warrant to service providers or through the use of IMSI catchers (also known as “Stingrays”), what

journalists found was that data made available to asset tracking and other legitimate enterprise location service providers was being resold to a host of different private industries, ranging from car salesmen and property managers to bail bondsmen and bounty hunters, with little or no oversight.  Compounding this already highly unscrupulous business practice, this data was then being leaked and/or resold to black market data brokers. An investigation by Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) into the commercial relationships between Verizon and a pair of obscure data vendors found that one of Verizon’s indirect corporate customers, a prison phone company called Securus, had used Verizon’s customer location data in a system that effectively let correctional officers spy on millions of Americans.

Shortly after the reports surfaced, Verizon, AT&T and Sprint announced that they would no longer share customers’ location data with third-party companies who failed to adequately protect the data. The FCC took up the matter in early 2019 after FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel sent letters to major phone companies to confirm whether they lived up to their commitments to end these location aggregation services.

Commissioner Rosenworcel criticized the agency for its delay in taking enforcement action in a written statement..

“For more than a year, the FCC was silent after news reports alerted us that for just a few hundred dollars, shady middlemen could sell your location within a few hundred meters based on your wireless phone data. It’s chilling to consider what a black market could do with this data. It puts the safety and privacy of every American with a wireless phone at risk.

Today this agency finally announced that this was a violation of the law. Millions and millions of Americans use a wireless device every day and didn’t sign up for or consent to this surveillance. It’s a shame that it took so long for the FCC to reach a conclusion that was so obvious.”

While the focus of this violation investigation is on provision of location information to third party aggregators, one can wonder whether the FCC’s crackdown will cause the cellular carriers to be more difficult to deal with on the new direct provision arrangement we understand alarm companies have worked out for location info.

Verizon Rolls Out 5G…Trump Admin Names New 5G Tech Expert

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While the world has been celebrating the holiday season, 5G is making headlines!

President Donald Trump named Robert Blair, a security adviser to his acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, a key point person on 5G wireless technology. He will support 5G efforts led by White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow, who has staked out support for a market-driven approach to 5G deployment amid administration debates over the best strategy. 5G is a top priority for the Trump administration.

Carriers are racing to roll out 5G, and Verizon announced today that it’s reached its goal of launching the service in more than 30 US cities before the end of the year. In fact, 31 cities now have some access Verizon’s 5G network, along with 15 NFL stadiums.

Stay tuned for more 5G news!

The Fight Continues to Reclassify Public Safety Telecommunicators

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In July, APCO provided an update on the 9-1-1 SAVES Act, which would reclassify public safety telecommunicators as Protective Service Occupations (as opposed to administrative/clerical). The provisions of 9-1-1 SAVES were included in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), a separate bill that had passed the House of Representatives. As APCO explained, the process forward for the NDAA was complex and required reconciliation of the differing House and Senate versions of the bill.

According to a recent report, the final version of the NDAA will not include the reclassification provision. However, the standalone 9-1-1 SAVES Act remains alive. Bipartisan support continues to grow, with 114 U.S. Representatives and 26 U.S. Senators sponsoring the bills.

APCO will continue fighting for passage of the 9-1-1 SAVES Act. If you have not already done so, please encourage your Members of Congress to support the 9-1-1 SAVES Act.

TAKE ACTION NOW

Wage and Salary Survey Open

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The Monitoring Association’s (TMA) 2019 Wage and Salary Survey is now open. Companies from across the security industry are invited to participate in this year’s survey—from security dealers and system integrators to monitoring centers. The data collected will be compiled and analyzed by TRG Associates with final results being published and available for sale in aggregate form.

TMA membership is not a requirement for participation. All interested companies are highly encouraged to take part in the survey. TMA members will receive preferred pricing on the purchase of the final survey report, but all participating companies will receive a discount on the final report.

The survey seeks compensation and benefits information for these areas of responsibility:

  • Executive and Operational Management
  • Monitoring Center
  • Office Support
  • Sales & Marketing
  • Dealer & Customer Support
  • IT & Telecom Services

The survey link is https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/6LCBQJ3.

The deadline for survey completion is Friday, December. 13, 2019.

TMA Members Make SSN’s 2019 Top 40 Under 40

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Security industry news publication, Security Systems News, has traditionally released an annual list of it’s top “20 under 40” and included two classes, comprising 20 end users and 20 integrators. This year’s “40 under 40” class is made up of a diverse and talented mix of young professionals representing the next generation of leaders in security. Consultants were included for the first time, which added new depth and perspective to this year’s class, bringing all winners — consultants, integrators, monitoring professionals and end users — together into one “40 under 40” class.

The final list identifies 14 end users, 11 integrators, 10 consultants and six monitoring professionals.

Congratulations to the following TMA members who were named in Security Systems News  “40 under 40” for 2019:

Read the full feature online.

Verizon Announces 5G Home Internet in Chicago

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The following is a Verizon press release announcing the company’s expansion of its 5G home broadband network, with a twist. The wireless giant said Monday it will expand its service to Chicago on Thursday, joining parts of Houston, Indianapolis, Los Angeles and Sacramento and making it the fifth city to get home internet from its 5G network.

There are opinion articles stating that this technology will not replace fiber or cable speeds.

____________________________________________________

An internet of another kind is landing in Chicago. Starting October 24, customers in parts of the Windy City can sign up for Verizon’s 5G Home Internet – super-fast wireless broadband using the power of Verizon’s 5G Ultra Wideband Network on the 3GPP New Radio (NR) standard.

“Now, in addition to Verizon’s speedy 5G Ultra Wideband mobility service, Chicago customers can access 5G Home Internet, the next generation of lightning fast home broadband internet service,” said Brian Higgins, vice president, device and consumer product marketing, Verizon. “With flexibility, freedom and choice that enables a whole new world of experiences, 5G Home Internet is truly the future of home connectivity.”

Why 5G Home Internet?

Customers can enjoy typical speeds of 300 Mbps and peak speeds of 1 Gbps on the first commercially available Wi-Fi 6 router complete with parental controls, a powerful 10W speaker with Bluetooth playback and Wi-Fi capability. The Wi-Fi 6 router also features Amazon Alexa Built-in, allowing customers to control smart home devices, hear the news, ask questions and access more than 100,000 skills – hands-free.

With the new 5G Home Internet router, you can download movies in seconds versus minutes. Gamers get low latency for a better gaming experience, and there’s plenty of bandwidth for a family of streamers or those who want to outfit their pad with the latest smart home gadgets. This is also great for those who work from home or run a small business out of the house, ultra-low lag for clear video chats means never having to leave the couch.

Enjoy the best content on the best network

By teaming up with the best content providers in the industry, Verizon continues to bring choice, access and exclusive offers on the content you watch. 5G Home Internet customers will enjoy YouTube TV for free for one month and the latest router with Amazon Alexa Built-in.

Customers can also use their choice of streaming hardware as part of the service, including Stream TV, Fire TV Cube or Fire TV Stick 4K, delivering a fast, fluid experience with access to an extensive library of channels, apps and entertainment, which include thousands of titles in 4K Ultra HD.

5G Built Right

Verizon is building the most powerful 5G network in America. Since last fall, Verizon has launched 5G Ultra Wideband in 13 cities with plans to expand to more than 30 cities by the end of this year. And we’ve expanded the 5G footprint to 16 sporting & entertainment arenas across the country.

How much is 5G Home Internet and where can I sign up?

Verizon 5G Home Internet is all about no fuss service: no annual contract, no deposit and no hidden fees. All customers get the service free for three months. Tired of waiting on the cable installer? Want to setup 5G Home Internet yourself? Go for it. If not, that’s okay, we’ll do it for you.

5G Home Internet starts at $50 per month for Verizon customers and $70 per month for non-Verizon customers with autopay and paperless billing. The service is available in select areas of Chicago, as well as parts of Houston, Indianapolis, Los Angeles and Sacramento.

Don Young, ADT, Becomes TMA’s 35th President

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The Monitoring Association (TMA) is pleased to announce Don Young, CIO and EVP of Operations of ADT, as the new President who officially began his two-year term on Thurs., Oct. 17, 2019 at the conclusion of TMA’s 2019 Annual Meeting, Young recently served a two-year term as Vice President on the Executive Committee leading up to his presidency. He succeeds Ivan Spector, Sentinel Alarm, Montreal, QC. Spector who will serve an additional two-year term as Immediate Past President on the TMA Executive Committee.

“It is a distinct honor to serve as TMA’s president,” stated Young, “In some ways, I feel as though I’ve been preparing for this role for 30 years. As our industry faces new and rapidly emerging technologies, it is more important than ever to leverage the collective knowledge, expertise, and strength of TMA and its member companies to convey the importance of professional monitoring to consumers and first responders. It is also vital that we take an active leadership role in the development of new industry standards to provide a framework by which our businesses can most effectively protect life, property, and data for our customers.”

Young brings a broad spectrum of knowledge, experience, and expertise spanning both business and technology to his new TMA leadership position. Since joining ADT in 2016, his primary areas of responsibility have encompassed information technology and operations. Young first entered the alarm industry in 1988 after serving four years in the United States Air Force.

“As I begin this new part of my journey with TMA, I want to first and foremost recognize our outgoing President Ivan Spector for his strong and strategic leadership over the last two years. His contributions to the organization, its members, and the industry at large are quite substantial,” Young stated. “Amongst his many accomplishments, his work to further the adoption of TMA’s ASAP-to-PSAP program; advocate on behalf of members to NFPA; and, to establish TMA as the issuer of FirstNet certification are most notable. On behalf of a very grateful professional community, I express our deep appreciation to Ivan for his remarkable service.”

“We are delighted to welcome Don to this pivotal leadership role within TMA,” stated Celia T. Besore, executive director, TMA. “Having worked closely with him for the last year, I recognize and embrace his passion for excellence. His wealth of industry knowledge and experience is a great asset to TMA and will be an integral part of our growth and success over the next two years.”

UL Releases Statement Addressing Industry Concerns

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In a statement from UL:

UL’s public mission is to promote safer working and living environments for all people. We make every effort to confirm that UL-certified products meet stringent safety requirements, including opening a Product Incident Report for any issue that comes to our attention.

Consistent with our usual policies regarding product safety matters, when UL received the alarm system claims, UL immediately opened a Product Incident Report and began an investigation.

During such investigations, certification documentation is reviewed, products are often re-tested, and if any issues are found, UL works with the product manufacturer to resolve the issues. In some instances, a public notice may be issued.

Based on the investigation completed thus far, no safety issues have been identified. The investigation is still ongoing.

UL sees no imminent hazard despite the assertions currently in the market. The current standards address reasonably foreseeable hazards, faults or misuse not intentional disablement of a life safety device. Those making claims have their own commercial interest in driving concern. The requirements being suggested around attack by fire and/or malicious intrusion are currently not mandated by the applicable standards or code. New suggested requirements could be brought to the attention of the Standard Technical Panel. Those making claims are part of the STP and have not brought suggested revisions to the STP’s attention to-date.

D.C. Circuit Court Upholds Most of 2017 Net Neutrality Order; Vacates State Preemption

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On October 1, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit issued its per curiam decision on the appeal of the FCC’s 2017 net neutrality order, also known as the Restoring Internet Freedom Order. Although the court upheld the Order in large part, it vacated part and remanded part back to the FCC to address three issues in which it found the Order inadequate: “(1) The Order failed to examine the implications of its decisions for public safety; (2) the Order does not sufficiently explain what reclassification will mean for regulation of pole attachments; and (3) the agency did not adequately address Petitioners’ concerns about the effects of broadband reclassification on the Lifeline Program.” The court vacated that part of the Order pre-empting any state or local requirement that “would effectively impose rules or requirements that [the FCC] repealed or decided to refrain from imposing in this order or that would impose more stringent requirements for any aspect of broadband service that [the FCC] address[ed] in this order.”

The court upheld the FCC’s decisions to restore the classification of broadband Internet access service as a less regulated “information service;” reinstate the private mobile service classification of mobile broadband Internet access service; eliminate the Internet Conduct Standard and the Bright Line Rules; and adopt enhanced transparency requirements that mandated ISPs to disclose information about their practices to consumers, entrepreneurs, and the FCC.

Chairman Pai, alongside Commissioners O’Rielly and Carr, were pleased with the court’s decision to uphold the majority of the Order. Chairman Pai said, “Today’s decision is a victory for consumers, broadband deployment, and the free and open Internet. The court affirmed the FCC’s decision to repeal 1930s utility-style regulation of the Internet imposed by the prior Administration.” Commissioner O’Rielly said, “It is heartening to see a court get most of the decision correct. … At the same time, vacating the preemption provisions seems to misread precedent and ignores the technology’s structure, which cannot be segmented into intrastate portions. Inevitably, this will lead to Commission case-by-case preemption efforts and more litigation.” Commissioner Carr said, “Today’s decision is a big win for a free and open Internet and for U.S. leadership in 5G.”

Commissioners Rosenworcel said, “Today’s court decision vacates the FCC’s unlawful effort to block states and localities from protecting an open internet for their citizens. From small towns to big cities, from state houses to governors’ executive actions, states and localities have been stepping in because the FCC shirked its duties. In addition, the court took the agency to task for disregarding its duty to consider how its decision threatens public safety, Lifeline service, and broadband infrastructure.”

Commissioner Starks said, “Above all else, today’s decision breathes new life into the fight for an open internet. It confirms that states can continue to step into the void left by this FCC. To that end, it is a validation of those states that have already sought to protect consumers, and a challenge to those that haven’t yet acted to think hard about how to protect their citizens.”