In the News

Incentives for Cybersecurity Framework Adoption Remain Uncertain
Communications Daily
August 5, 2013 (Subscription Only)

Incentives are certainly “very important, but equally important has been industry participation to make sure the framework is something we can get on board with when it comes out,” said Danielle Coffey, Telecommunications Industry Association general counsel. “Incentives would be icing on the cake after the fact. I think industry would respond positively if they are crafted in a way that’s workable.” Coffey said TIA doesn’t have a preference for any one particular possible incentive, but noted that li- ability protections for information sharing and related to compliance with the framework would potentially be effective.

September Vote a Possibility on Wheeler, O'Rielly Nominations
Communications Daily
August 5, 2013 (Subscription Only)

Telecommunications Industry Association President Grant Seiffert said “returning the number of FCC commissioners to ‘full strength’ will help the agency move forward on the many issues on its agenda so vital to our economic future.”

The Biggest Trade Deal Ever: U.S., Europe Head Into Negotiations
Bloomberg Businessweek
July 3, 2013

Cisco (CSCO), Nokia Siemens Networks, and others in the Telecommunications Industry Association have long complained that each EU country has different import and export rules for computer-encryption technologies. The industry wants one EU-wide policy.

Decisions are Made by Those Who Show Up!
Telecom Review
May 2013

In the telecom industry we all know that the market is changing constantly. We all need to keep up with the market and the changes taking place in the
marketplace in order to make informed decisions for our respective business areas. The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) released its 2013 ICT Market
Review & Forecast (MR&F). One of the key findings in the report is that in 2012, for the first time, U.S. wireless data spending topped wireless voice spending, and U.S. wireless penetration surpassed 100 percent of the adult population.

Feds Seek Private-Sector Cybersecurity Help
E-Commerce Times
June 7, 2013

"TIA believes that efforts to improve cybersecurity -- including in federal procurement -- should leverage existing standardization and related accreditation programs in all cases possible. Federal policies should be technology-neutral, shouldn't pick winners and losers, and shouldn't set rigid requirements for acquisition and procurements," Danielle Coffey, TIA's vice president for government affairs, told the E-Commerce Times.

"Sweeping one-size-fits-all government mandates cannot keep pace with changes in technology and threats. Instead, voluntary, open, industry-led and consensus-based standards allow for fluid, responsive and rapid changes to be made," she said.

FCC kicks off Phase II of Connect America Fund
CED Magazine
May 23, 2013

The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA), president Grant Seiffert meanwhile, commented, “The Commission's action ends the uncertainly that has been delaying needed broadband investment in rural and hard to serve areas.  TIA commends the FCC for making up to $485 million in Connect America funding available for new broadband capital expenditure by price-cap carriers.”

A Thoughtful Policy Framework for Intelligent Cars
Roll Call
May 23, 2013

As this new ecosystem takes shape, policymakers are taking notice of the societal benefits that these innovative technologies already are spurring in the transportation sector — making driving safer and more efficient, reducing our carbon footprints and fuel consumption — and anticipating the plethora of societal benefits yet to come.

That’s why we at the Telecommunications Industry Association have gathered with leading high-tech companies and industry groups from across the expanding connected and autonomous vehicle ecosystem to form the Intelligent Car Coalition. The coalition will provide leadership around important societal issues such as distracted driving and educate on the cutting-edge innovations that have the potential to unleash enormous societal benefits in the intelligent transportation arena.

Washington Internet Daily (also in Communications Daily)
May 23, 2013 (Subscription Only)

The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) told GSA in comments that implementation of Obama's order should keep in mind the success of public-private partnerships in addressing cybersecurity threats, as well as the importance of industry-driven adoption of best practices and standards.

TIA also recommended the government enable better cyberthreat information sharing between the public and private sectors the group also asked the government to increase information and communications technology research funding and address economic barriers that critical infrastructure owners and operators will encounter in securing cyberspace. Comments are due to GSA by June 12.

Europe Lags in Telecom, Too
Investing Daily
May 20, 2013

The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) noted in its 2013 ICT Market Review & Forecast that US wireless penetration hit 102.5 percent of the adult population in 2012, surpassing 100 percent for the first time. Wireless carriers are on track to add 40.3 million subscribers over the next four years, for a penetration rate of 111.3 percent by 2016.

FCC Pick Wheeler Will Sell AT&T, Verizon Stock, If Appointed
EWeek
May 17, 2013

The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) also applauded Wheeler's nomination, saying that he's proved he can transcend broad perspectives "to reach balanced outcomes."
In its May 1 statement, the TIA also pointed out the major, looming event-slash-headache on the FCC calendar—the spectrum auctions scheduled for 2014.
"Given that one of the most important challenges facing the FCC will be assuring a successful television spectrum incentive auction, Wheeler's breadth of experience makes him especially well-suited to lead the FCC at this time," said the TIA.

America Is Lagging in Global Broadband Because of Antiquated Infrastructure: TIA Video on Capacity
Broadband and Breakfast
May 17, 2013

America is lagging behind a number of foreign countries in terms of broadband penetration, according to a Telecommunications Industry Association documentary entitled “Broadband Capacity: Are We Ready?”

According to the video, America’s deficiency is due to the fact that America pioneered the system and therefore has a more antiquated infrastructure, whereas many other countries established networks later, taking advantage of newer technology.

As broadband modernized, certain areas, primarily rural and low-income, have been left behind. While government funds have been made available to help expand coverage to these areas – particularly through the Universal Service Fund — many carriers have rejected the funding in order to avoid compliance with certain requirements. Other strategies should be used to establish broadband coverage, said the video.

While rural areas struggle to keep up, even the most advanced systems have problems, said the video. It focused on a school district that has adopted a high-speed broadband system and has struggled to meet the high cost of securing the network.

Although the spectrum crunch was expected to mark the end of broadband expansion, the documentary discusses how the industry has adapted to survive. Incentive auctions are held to sell off under-utilized spectrum space. While this process will take some time, significant innovations have been made in the meantime to maximize efficient use of the spectrum.

FCC Pick Wheeler Will Sell AT&T, Verizon Stock, If Appointed
EWeek
May 17, 2013

The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) also applauded Wheeler's nomination, saying that he's proved he can transcend broad perspectives "to reach balanced outcomes."

In its May 1 statement, the TIA also pointed out the major, looming event-slash-headache on the FCC calendar—the spectrum auctions scheduled for 2014.

"Given that one of the most important challenges facing the FCC will be assuring a successful television spectrum incentive auction, Wheeler's breadth of experience makes him especially well-suited to lead the FCC at this time," said the TIA.

House Passes Internet Governance Bill
Washington Internet Daily (also in Communications Daily)
May 16, 2013 (Subscription Only)

Telecommunications Industry Association President Grant Seiffert said: "Passage of this legislation confirms that the United States can speak with an even stronger voice against any efforts to place Internet governance under the control of a multi-national body."

Thanks, IPhone: Demise of the Desk Phone Means No End to the Workday
Bloomberg
May 14, 2013

Last year, the amount that U.S. businesses spent on voice landlines compared with 2008 fell 33 percent to $65 billion, according to a report by the Telecommunications Industry Association, a trade group. Spending is expected to continue to decline to $42.3 billion by 2016.

Telecommunications Investor Is Nominated to F.C.C.
New York Times
May 1, 2013

Industry groups, as might be expected, expressed approval of the choice of Mr. Wheeler. “He has the proven ability to transcend a broad range of industry perspectives to reach balanced outcomes,” Grant Seiffert, president of the Telecommunications Industry Association, said in a statement.

FCC Nominates Wheeler as New FCC Chairman
IDG News Service (also in PC Advisor, PC World, CFO World, IT World and Network World)
May 1, 2013

Wheeler "has the proven ability to transcend a broad range of industry perspectives to reach balanced outcomes," Grant Seiffert, president of the Telecommunications Industry Association, said in a statement. "Given that one of the most important challenges facing the FCC will be assuring a successful television spectrum incentive auction, Wheeler's breadth of experience makes him especially well-suited to lead the FCC at this time."

Silicon Valley gets in the secret money game - Members visit tech firms over break - Spectrum auction bidding restrictions would hurt revenue, study says - The latest Do Not Track discussion framework
Politico
April 30, 2013

The Telecommunications Industry Association is releasing its annual public policy recommendations this morning, and the trade group is highlighting many of tech’s usual suspects. Among the headlining issues are corporate tax reform and a territorial system, which TIA says should boost the competitiveness of U.S. firms hampered by a high current rate. Immigration reform and STEM education support are also key, the group says, because the future of the industry depends on tech’s ability to “attract and retain the best and brightest minds from around the world.” And the group is also prioritizing technology-neutral approach to trade and a “global” approach to cybersecurity — with a particular nod to critical infrastructure protection.

INTERNET
Communications Daily
April 30, 2013 (Subscription Only)

Imposing cybersecurity regulations alone won't be effective in encouraging cybersecurity-related investments, the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) said Monday in comments it filed with the Commerce Department. As part of President Barack Obama's executive order on cybersecurity, Commerce was collecting input on possible incentives that would encourage adoption of cybersecurity practices. As Commerce formulates its recommendations on incentives, it should respect the need for specific sectors to address specific threats, TIA said in a news release.

New Initiatives to Advance M2M Communications and the Internet of Things Coming from TIA
TMCnet
April 23, 2013

“The tech and telecom industries are at a critical crossroads when it comes to advancing the development of machine-to-machine technologies,” said Grant Seiffert, president of the TIA. “IoT and M2M present billions of dollars in economic potential, opportunities to transform industries and hope for improving lives. But all of this potential is at great risk if businesses, governments and academia don’t work closely together to set clear standards, address barriers to growth and anticipate future opportunities. A top initiative for TIA this year is to foster high-level discussions and convene leading players to chart an effective future for M2M.”

House Passes CISPA Despite White House Veto Threat
Communications Daily (also in Washington Internet Daily)
April 19, 2013 (Subscription Only)

Telecommunications Industry Association President Grant Seiffert commended passage as "an important step toward giving the private sector a powerful tool in the fight to improve network security."

House approves CISPA (again)
FierceGovernmentIT
April 18, 2013

The Telecommunications Industry Association meanwhile sent out a statement that House passage of the bill "will help ensure that business have access to the vital information necessary to defend against cyber-attacks."

TIA Tackles IoT, M2M Issues
CT Daily
April 18, 2013

The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) will lead, on behalf of the Global Standards Collaboration (GSC) M2M Standardization Task Force (MSTF), an international conference to focus on the “Internet of Things (IoT)” and M2M standards and protocols. The event is set for May 7 at the Georgia Tech Research Institute in Atlanta. TIA also will host a M2M-Cybersecurity Workshop, “Enabling Adoption for All,” June 4-5 at TIA headquarters in Arlington, Va., to explore how M2M and cybersecurity intersect as a critical path toward accelerating IoT and M2M adoption. M2M-Cybersecurity Workshop speakers will address ways in which cybersecurity is critical for widespread adoption of M2M solutions; they also will discuss how industry and government can work together to help ensure secure communications between devices and across platforms.

Cross-Sector Flexibility, Industry Involvement Key to Cybersecurity Framework, Tech Industry Tells NIST
Communications Daily (also in Consumer Electronics Daily and Washington Internet Daily)
April 10, 2013 (Subscription Only)

The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) said NIST and other agencies can help leverage public-private partnerships to address current and emerging threats, and should continue efforts to stimulate additional threat information sharing between the government and industry. The federal government can also aide in funding cybersecurity efforts by addressing “economic barriers” critical infrastructure operators face in addressing security issues, as well as prioritize funding for ICT and cybersecurity research and development, TIA said. While government has an important role to play, industry will need to be the ones to set and adopt the framework, TIA said.

WIRELESS
Communications Daily
March 27, 2013 (Subscription Only)

The FCC should take prompt action on a February letter from Telecommunications Industry Association President Grant Seiffert asking the commission to lift an informal ban on the equipment authorization process for Band 14 products, said TIA and member companies in a meeting with Public Safety Bureau Chief David Turetsky. The band covers the 700 MHz spectrum that will form the backbone for the proposed FirstNet. "The representatives stressed the importance for the Commission, as well as other entities involved in the process ... to act on this issue in a timely manner so that the public safety community's demand for National Public Safety Broadband Network-ready Band 14 LTE devices can be met," said a filing on the meeting.

TIA Releases Statement on FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski’s Resignation
Telecom Reseller
March 22, 2013

In the markets MTN seeks new field for growth after 10 busy years (Subscription Only)
Business Day (also in Jakarta Post)
March 7, 2013

Qualcomm, WLF, Ericsson, and More Comments Opposing the FTC's Google/Motorola Agreement (Subscription Only)
Groklaw
March 7, 2013

For first time, Americans spend more money on data than voice (Subscription Only)
Business Wire (also in State News Service, Bezinga.com, Sun Journal, Fort Mills Times)
March 6, 2013

Google, tech companies relaunch protests against Georgia bill curbing muni broadband (Subscription Only)
Newstex (also in CivSource)
March 5, 2013

Mobile data spending tops voice for the first time
Washington Post
March 5, 2013

U.S. mobile consumers spent $95B on data in 2012, topping what they spent on voice
CNET
March 4, 2013

Cloud, M2M, Cybersecurity Will Lead Telecom Spending
Investor’s Business Daily
March 4, 2013

Sangoma to Address IP and TDM Integration Strategies at the 2013 NCTIA Technology Conference; Session Will Focus on Cost-Effective Strategies to Extend Infrastructure Life While Delivering Leading-Edge Features (Subscription Only)
Marketwire (also in Market News Publishing)
March 4, 2013

TIA TAKES NEW OFFICE IN ARLINGTON: HIGH TECH SPACE WILL SERVE AS CENTER FOR INDUSTRY COLLABORATION AND INFORMATION-SHARING (Subscription Only)
States News Service (also in Targeted News Service)
March 4, 2013

Clarity Hits High Note with Alto
Marketwire
March 4, 2013

Thailand 'should be digital TV hub' (Subscription Only)
Bangkok Post
March 2, 2013

TIA Releases M2M Standards Updates
RadioResource Media Group
February 11, 2013

“The technological solutions for M2M and the IoT need to fit the opportunity,” said TIA President Grant Seiffert. “The OPC Foundation’s standards were an ideal fit with TIA’s efforts to define easy-to-use M2M standards. It’s our intent to focus on the underlying architecture and communications layer to turn the massive growth potential of M2M into a reality.”

Immigration Reform Could Open the Door for IT Talent
E-Commerce Times (also in Forum.Carm.org)
February 6, 2013

"Our companies strongly support efforts to improve the U.S. research ecosystem, including efforts to permit foreign Ph. D. and Masters graduates from U.S. universities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) to remain in the United States," said Grant Seiffert, president of the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA), in a letter to the Senate sponsors of the bill. "In addition, we support your efforts to increase the allotment of H-1B visas and to improve STEM education efforts in the United States."

WIRELESS
Communications Daily
February 6, 2013 (Subscription Only)

Field hearings the FCC is holding on Superstorm Sandy, which started Tuesday, should help as efforts get under way to launch FirstNet, a national wireless network for first responders, said Telecommunications Industry Association President Grant Seiffert in a news release. "The FCC's hearings are a valuable opportunity for all parties in the public safety communications community to understand the challenges that networks experience when disasters strike," he said. "Given the FCC's significant public safety communication expertise, these hearings should only enhance the Commission's role as a resource to FirstNet."

Potential Impacts of Revised ITRs on Global Companies Remain Unclear
Communications Daily (also in Washington Internet Daily)
January 7, 2013 (Subscription Only)

The U.S. decision not to sign the revised International Telecommunication Regulations (ITRs) means controversial changes to the treaty-level document will have no effect on U.S. law or the telecom sector's work within the U.S. -- but the treaty's effect on U.S. businesses' dealings internationally remain far less clear, industry experts and insiders say.

Global companies that operate in nations that signed onto the revised ITRs -- and in non-signatory nations -- face the prospect of a "balkanized system" in which they will face differing rules "from one country or region to another," Danielle Coffey, general counsel and vice president-government affairs for the Telecommunications Industry Association, told us. "Like others, we are still reviewing what the impact could be, including particularly problematic provisions related to spam and cyberissues, and will participate in other fora where these issues will surely be raised again," Coffey said.

U.S. Business Groups Flag Discriminatory Treatment in Colombia Market
Inside U.S. Trade
January 4, 2013 (Subscription Only)

Companies such as the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) excoriated the continued existence of India's so-called "indigenous innovation" policies, specifically in the government procurement sector.

TIA also criticized Chinese indigenous innovation policies. Despite China's pledge at the May 2011 Strategic and Economic Dialogue not to create a product catalogue of indigenous innovation products, TIA wrote that "provinces within China have not come in line with the national commitment and are moving forward with establishing such lists, which pose significant barriers to companies trying to access government procurement contracts."

Tech groups Laud R&D Tax Credit Extension in 'Fiscal Cliff' Deal
TheHill.com
January 2, 2013

“The R&D credit has been, and will remain, a cost-effective policy for increasing research activity and producing a dollar-for-dollar increase in research spending," TIA President Grant Seiffert said in a statement.

In a letter sent to House leaders last month, TIA urged Congress to extend the R&D tax credit in its resolution to the so-called fiscal cliff and said that failure to do so "will cause the private sector to immediately drop or scale back research plans, dealing a devastating blow to U.S. competitiveness."

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