F.C.C. proposes limited privacy for callers in number ID system

Article Abstract:

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) proposes rules to allow telephone customers to interfere with a telephone company's caller identification services. Caller ID has been criticized as an invasion of a caller's privacy. For example, a telemarketing company might use Caller ID to gather lists of names of people who respond to ads by telephone, and the names might then be used for commercial purposes without the knowledge of the people on such lists. The FCC, which wants to balance the privacy issue against the promotion of legitimate uses, suggests that callers should be provided with a way to block the service on individual calls, but not automatically on all calls. Separately, the FCC has adopted new rules concerning pay-per-call '900 number' services. Such services, henceforth, are required to divulge information about the cost of a call. Customers will also be provided with a way to block 900 services.

Telephone communications, exc. radio, Telephone companies, Telephone Company, Audiotex, Audiotext services, Caller ID telephone service, Caller ID, Automatic Number Identification (Telecommunications)

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Administration seeks profits in plan to auction airwaves

Article Abstract:

The Bush Administration proposes to auction licenses for parts of the electronic spectrum - some unassigned frequencies and some that have been reserved for government use. Previously, licenses had been assigned free to private interests, so it often happened that license holders made huge profits without any expense to themselves. The Administration wants to change this, offering licenses to the highest bidders as is done with mineral rights. Much of the radio frequencies that are at issue have been controlled by the Department of Defense. These frequencies could be used for new communications technologies such as pocket-sized mobile telephones or digital radios. The value of the region of the spectrum that is at issue could be as much as $10 billion.

COMMUNICATION, Legislative bodies, United States, Radio broadcasting, Broadcasting, Telecommunications, United States. Department of Commerce, Broadcasting policy, Electromagnetic radiation, United States. Congress. House. Committee on Energy and Commerce, Bush, George H.W., Communications Technology, Radio Communication, Electromagnetic waves

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