Regulation

FCC Chairman Kevin Martin has proposed that spectrum for public-safety usage be put up again for auction under rules that would be more lenient than those that stifled a bid earlier this year for the D block airwaves, reports Information Week.

Radio frequencies marketplace, Spectrum Bridge, has raised US$2 million in Series B funding from the Telecommunications Development Fund.

Arcep, the French regulator, has published the results of a public consultation into the award of the country's fourth 3G license raising hopes that the long-awaited tender for the new license could be underway soon.

EU telecoms commissioner Viviane Reding has confirmed plans to impose price caps on SMS and data roaming within the EU, a move criticised by many European mobile operators.

The European Parliament formally adopted a range of new telecoms measures yesterday but significantly watered down plans to create an EU-wide 'super regulator' that would have power to overrule national regulators, reports Reuters.

Reuters reports that French regulator Arcep has proposed new cuts to mobile termination rates of around 30 percent. Beginning July 1 2009, the regulator wants to cut the rates charged by France Telecom's Orange and Vivendi's SFR to €0.045 from €0.065, whilst rates at Bouygues SA's Bouygues Telecom would be cut from €0.085 to €0.06.

A Dow Jones Newswires report claims that European Union member states are proposing bigger than expected cuts to the cost of data roaming.