Independent Cable & Telecom Assn. changed its name to Independent Multi-Family Communications Council (IMCC) and elected new 31-member board. Group, which represents private cable operators, multifamily dwelling unit (MDU) owners and product manufacturers and vendors, said it made switch to focus more on “improved products and services for multifamily community residents” and MDU owners. IMCC said it would continue pushing for repeal of cable mandatory access laws in states and elimination of “barriers to competition” at FCC.

Women in Cable & Telecom (WICT) expressed concern about FCC’s recent report showing that women held fewer jobs in cable industry than year ago (CD Jan 18 p10). Of 2,752 overall jobs lost in cable 1998-1999, group said women lost “a startling 2,025, or 74%.” WICT called it “even more troubling” that women made up “just 34.4% of officials and managers for cable operators” in 1999, down from 35.2% in 1998 and 36% in 1997. Group warned again that if trend continued, “it would begin to cripple” cable industry as it competed with other industries for top talent. It urged cable operators to “make the fundamental changes that will address these employment issues” and provide women with more female role models, more opportunities for advancement and greater recognition of company contributions.

Comsat said it won 4-year, $1 million contract to provide high-speed (128 kbps) data and voice satellite communications to Radisson Seven Seas Cruises (RSSC) Seven Seas Mariner.

FCC rejected 5 petitions for reconsideration of modified rules for C- and F-block PCS auction that began Dec. 12. Petitions challenged rules that split C-block spectrum into 10 MHz blocks for 422-license auction. In order (CD Aug 28 p1), Commission reconfigured 30 MHz of C-block spectrum into 2 tiers, with first covering populations of at least 2.5 million and 2nd below that threshold. Two of three 10 MHz blocks in first tier and one of 3 blocks in lower tier are subject to open bids. Others are closed for entrepreneurial bidders. Alpine PCS, National Telephone Cooperative Assn., Northcoast Communications, OPASTCO, Rural Telecommunications Group (RTG) and U.S. Small Business Administration petitioned for reconsideration. On spectrum blocks, agency reiterated finding that “10 MHz is a viable minimum license size.” Order also: (1) Rejected Northcoast request to eliminate tiers and allow open bids only for single 10 MHz C-block license in each market. Northcoast raised concerns it wouldn’t be able to meet business plans to vie competitively for licenses in larger markets. (2) Rejected contentions by Alpine that by eliminating some entrepreneur eligibility restrictions, agency failed to follow statutory objectives, such as avoiding excessive license concentration. Some petitioners pointed to recent news reports in which large carriers said they had enough spectrum. Agency said by doing away with some, but not all, of eligibility restrictions for small business bidders, it balanced as many statutory goals as possible. (3) Denied request by Nextel to put in place bulk bidding procedure. (4) Rejected petitions for Northcoast, OPASTCO and RTG to increase bidding credits in open bidding as well as Alpine request on legislation passed by Congress in Aug. that granted qualifying Alaska Native regional corporations relief from transfer restrictions for small business bidders, as well as from unjust enrichment payment requirements. Legislation had effect of allowing Cook Inlet Region Inc. (CIRI) to transfer license to large carrier without paying unjust enrichment penalties. Alpine wanted agency to give same relief to entrepreneur bidders. If FCC were to reject that request, Alpine wanted it to amend auction rules to exclude CIRI from PCS auction altogether. Agency denied request, saying: “The relief accorded CIRI under the statute was specifically authorized by Congress and narrowly tailored.” Congress could have chosen to broaden relief to all similar bidders, but instead created exemption that applied to CIRI, order said.

Ohio PUC found Ameritech Mobile and AirTouch Cellular guilty of violating regulatory requirements that they separate their wholesale and retail operations and offer their wholesale services on nondiscriminatory basis to all cellular resellers. PUC in case 93-1758-RC-CSS ruled on complaint by wireless reseller Cellnet alleging Ameritech and AirTouch had provided their retail reseller affiliates with favorable rates and terms that they denied to unaffiliated resellers, allowing affiliates to unfairly undercut Cellnet in retail markets. PUC in 99-page order dismissed companies’ multiple defenses and held them guilty of discriminating against Cellnet. Agency acted after determining it had jurisdiction because case involved rate discriminatory conduct, not rate challenge. PUC ordered companies to cease unlawful conduct, but since this was companies’ first offense it declined to impose any penalties. In another matter, PUC set Feb. 7 hearing to collect public comment on whether customers in Columbus 614 area code preferred geographic split or overlay for code relief. Split plan would put Columbus and its outer suburbs into separate area codes. Current code is projected to run out of numbers in fall 2002.

SAN JOSE, Cal. -- Standards for broadband wireless access (BWA) are necessary but shouldn’t delay “time to market” for new developments in BWA technology, said Sheldon Fisher, asst. vp- architecture and technology for Sprint’s Broadband Wireless Group in Wireless Communication Assn. (WCA) keynote here Fri. Industry “can’t wait” for standards process that takes 12-18 months, Fisher said, and such delays will impede innovation. Standards don’t “destroy innovation,” said WCA Task Force on Standards Chmn. Gary Smith of WorldCom, but standards process should be sensitive to industry’s rapidly developing new technologies.

Paxson Communications urged broadcasters Fri. to oppose Verizon Communications request that FCC postpone upcoming 700 MHz auction at least 2 months, but ideally until Sept. 6. Auction, which had been set for last Sept. 6, now is scheduled for March 6, with short-form applications due Feb. 2. FCC Wireless Bureau is seeking comments on request until Jan. 24, after Verizon Wireless wrote to Bureau Chief Thomas Sugrue, arguing that if auction were held as scheduled, participants wouldn’t have enough time to assess their interest in acquiring additional spectrum, in part because C-block PCS auction that started Dec. 12 was continuing (CD Jan 19 p9). Paxson urged broadcasters, particularly incumbents in Ch. 60-69 spectrum, to oppose request for delay, noting that bidding already had been delayed 3 times. “We cannot support a 4th delay of the 700 MHz auction,” Chmn. Lowell Paxson said. “This most recent action by Verizon will put the continuation of the information revolution in the U.S. in grave jeopardy.”

Steve Wexler promoted to vp-gen. mgr., Journal Bcst. Group- Omaha Operations… John Damiano advanced to exec. vp-affiliate relations, NBC… Promotions at Belo: David Muscari to vp- strategic alliances, WFAA-TV Dallas/Ft. Worth; Lawrence Nicholson to vp-mktg., WFAA-TV; Mike Devlin to vp-news KHOU-TV Houston; Jay Cascio to vp-programming & creative services, KING-TV Seattle; Deborah Wilson to vp-sales & mktg., KING-TV… Yolanda Macias, vp of DirecTV Para Todos and International Services, DirecTV, joins board, T. Howard Foundation… Promotions at AOL: Ray Oglethorpe to pres.-America Online; Jan Brandt to vice chmn.-chief mktg. officer; Ted Leonsis to vice chmn.-new product officer; Jonathan Sacks to pres.-AOL Service; Audrey Weil to pres.-CompuServe; Donn Davis to pres.-Interactive Properties Group; Myer Berlow to pres.-Worldwide Interactive Mktg.; Mark Stavish to exec. vp-human resources; Randall Boe to senior vp-gen. counsel… Gary Rautenstrauch promoted to pres., Baker & Taylor… Among appointees to National Infrastructure Assurance Council: Harris Miller, Information Technology Assn. of America; Bill Gates, Microsoft; James Chandler, National Intellectual Property Law Institute; Charles Stuckey, RSA Security… Changes at Cox Communications: Patrick Esser promoted to exec. vp-operations, succeeding Maggie Bellville, resigning Feb. 2… Gerry Anderson, gen. mgr., Mid-Rivers Telephone Co-op, reelected chmn., National Exchange Carrier Assn.’s NECA Services unit.

Spain’s Telefonica Moviles Espana said it handled 339 million short message service (SMS) transmissions in Dec., for average of 26 SMS messages per client. For year, total of SMS messages reached 2.276 million, up 322% over 1999, carrier said. It said messages were being used by broader demographic than younger users with prepaid cards, with more than half of SMS transmissions involving subscribers with contracts.

Rockwell Collins extended $3 million development contract with Datron Systems to build satellite antennas that would allow commercial aircraft to receive broadband video and data over Internet for passenger entertainment. Datron received contract in Aug., but addition covers full funding for development of flight test units and establishes terms and conditions under which Rockwell may place future orders. Contract calls for delivery of 9 Ku-band antennas beginning in spring.