Mon, 23 Dec 2024 09:32:00 -0500
Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel has praised the recent passage of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which includes full funding for the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program, a key initiative she has championed to remove Chinese-made Huawei and ZTE equipment and services from U.S. networks. Funding for the Reimbursement Program will be paid for by the proceeds from an FCC auction of AWS-3 spectrum.
“The ‘rip-and-replace’ program addresses the critical need to remove vulnerable and insecure equipment from U.S. networks,” said FCC Chairwoman Rosenworcel. “Full funding will not only help protect our Nation’s communications infrastructure but also ensure that rural communities who rely on these networks maintain vital connectivity. I want to thank the House and the Senate for allocating the full amount required to protect our Nation’s communications networks, and for recognizing that the FCC’s spectrum auction authority can play an important national security role. I call on Congress to restore it in full.”
The Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program, also known as the rip-and-replace program, was created in 2019 to address the national security threat posed by the extensive integration of Chinese companies’ networking technology by U.S. Internet Service Providers. However, the initial $1.9 billion in funding fell far short of the nearly $5 billion actually needed to replace this equipment – a critical shortfall that FCC Chairwoman Rosenworcel repeatedly raised as a serious concern in nine separate letters to Congress. In her latest letter, she stressed the urgent need for increased funding to ensure the program’s successful completion.
The bill containing this critical funding now heads to the President’s desk for his signature.
Thu, 19 Dec 2024 09:59:00 -0500
Blackmagic Design will start taking pre-orders for the new Blackmagic URSA Cine Immersive camera — the first commercial camera system designed to capture Apple Immersive Video for Apple Vision Pro — today with deliveries due to start in early 2025.
DaVinci Resolve Studio will be updated to support editing Apple Immersive Video early next year, offering professional filmmakers a comprehensive workflow for producing Apple Immersive Video for Apple Vision Pro. Apple Immersive Video is a remarkable 180-degree media format that leverages ultra-high-resolution immersive video and Spatial Audio to place viewers in the center of the action.
“We are excited to begin accepting pre-orders for the new Blackmagic URSA Cine Immersive camera and preview a true end-to-end workflow for Apple Immersive Video with DaVinci Resolve,” says Grant Petty, Blackmagic Design CEO. “We are looking forward to working closely with filmmakers and production companies on the Blackmagic production workflow for Apple Immersive Video before releasing the camera to a wider audience later in 2025. We can’t wait to see the amazing action, drama, concerts, sports and other incredible experiences our customers will capture in this powerful new format pioneered by Apple.”
Blackmagic URSA Cine Immersive is available to pre order now direct from Blackmagic Design offices worldwide for $29,995.
Wed, 18 Dec 2024 11:24:07 -0500
The National Football League will play its first-ever regular season game in Berlin, Germany in 2025 as the league continues to prioritize global growth and expand its global footprint.
The 2025 NFL Berlin game will be played at the Olympic Stadium as part of a multiyear commitment to playing games in the sports metropolis.
The NFL has successfully held regular season games in Munich and Frankfurt since 2022, with the game in Berlin set to mark the fifth NFL regular season game in Germany and the first in the German capital.
“Germany has a rich tradition of American football, and the NFL has a deep history with the city of Berlin,” says NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. “We first held a preseason game at the Olympic Stadium 34 years ago, before it was home to NFL Europe’s Berlin Thunder in the early 2000s. Now, with almost 20 million NFL fans in Germany, we’ll make a historic return to the city playing a regular season game for the first time as we open the next chapter in our relationship with Berlin.”
In addition to the game, the NFL will work with the Berlin Senate across their major sports development program to grow and develop flag football — the non-contact format of the game that will be included in the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028 (LA28) — in Berlin’s schools and clubs.
Fifty-five regular season NFL games have been played around the world throughout the league’s history, with London, Munich, Frankfurt, São Paulo, Mexico City and Toronto all hosting games to date.
The NFL will announce participating teams, schedule and ticket information in the coming months.
Thu, 05 Dec 2024 11:12:39 -0500
The Federal Communications Commission’s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau announced the selection of UL LLC (UL Solutions) to serve as both the Lead Administrator and a Cybersecurity Label Administrator (CLA) of the agency’s voluntary cybersecurity labeling program for wireless consumer Internet of Things (IoT) products. The program will allow qualifying consumer smart products that meet critical cybersecurity standards to display a label, including a new U.S. government certification mark (“U.S Cyber Trust Mark”), which will help consumers make informed purchasing decisions, easily identify trustworthy products, and encourage manufacturers to prioritize higher cybersecurity standards. The voluntary program will be a collaborative effort between the public and private sectors, with the FCC retaining ultimate oversight and control of the program and authorized third-party administrators managing activities such as evaluating product applications, granting permission to use the label, and educating consumers.
In March 2024, the Commission established a framework for a voluntary cybersecurity labeling program for wireless consumer IoT products, which will include the use of third-party administrators selected by the Commission to support the program. In September 2024, the Bureau invited applications from parties interested in serving as program administrators. UL Solutions, a global leader in applied safety science, meets the program criteria to be conditionally approved as a CLA and also satisfies the additional Lead Administrator program criteria and requirements.
As Lead Administrator, UL Solutions will be responsible for identifying or developing, and recommending to the Commission for approval, the IoT-specific standards and testing procedures for the program, among other recommendations, and for acting as liaison between the Commission and CLAs. The Bureau plans to announce the selection of additional CLAs in the near future. CLAs will be authorized by the Commission to certify the use of the FCC IoT Label, which includes the U.S. Cyber Trust Mark, by manufacturers whose products comply with the Commission’s IoT cybersecurity labeling program rules.
For further details, please see the Public Notice here.
Wed, 27 Nov 2024 15:07:09 -0500
We'd Like to wish everyone a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday! Markertek will be closed Thursday, November 28th and Friday, November 29th in observance of the holiday. We will reopen on Monday, December 2nd.
We are grateful for your continued support and look forward to serving you in your success each and every day.