Good morning tech

FCC details spectrum proposal: The Federal Communications Commission released papers on Tuesday “supporting and expanding” its proposals for spectrum in the National Broadband Plan, according to Broadcasting & Cable. The technical papers seek to bolster the plan to reclaim broadcast spectrum and acknowledge that diversity of voices in the media is a concern, although one that can be mitigated. It also said few small stations will go up for auction.

Waxman bill funds public safety network via D-Block auction: Draft legislation by House Energy and Commerce Chairman Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) would auction off some of the nation’s limited airwaves to build an $11 billion nationwide, interoperable, public safety broadband network. A similar plan was proposed by the Federal Communications Commission in the National Broadband Plan the agency released in March. Public safety organizations have opposed this plan because they want the “D-Block” chunk of spectrum to be allocated directly to first responders, rather than auctioned off for commercial use. The House Energy and Commerce communications subpanel has a Thursday hearing scheduled on the bill.

States Discuss Joint Inquiry of Google’s Data Collection: Google’s data breach, in which it collected private data running over Wi-Fi networks, has piqued the attention of states. “Attorneys general from about 30 states are investigating whether Google violated any laws when vehicles used by the company to snap pictures for the Street View service also collected snippets of personal information sent over unsecured wireless networks,” the NYT reports. On Thursday, attorneys general from about 30 states participated in a conference call to discuss whether to join forces. No official plan yet. Richard Blumenthal, Connecticut’s AG, called the issue “extremely serious.”

NUMBER PUNCH

5,040… The number of people who have “liked” Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers’s (R-Wash.) Facebook page by clicking the “Like” button. Rodgers launched a competition to demonstrate that the GOP is “ahead of the majority” on the Web.

5,137… The number of people who have liked Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz’s (D-Fla.) Facebook page. She sent out an e-mail on Friday urging supporters to be in touch through Facebook as a way to challenge Republicans over who has the most expansive social media presence.

SAID

“I don’t think there should be a differential in the speed of service.”

— Rural Utilities Service Administrator Jonathan Adelstein, critiquing the FCC’s ambitions in the National Broadband Plan, which targets faster speeds in urban areas compared to the countryside. (Source: Tech Daily Dose/CongressDaily)

TWEETED

“Does this count as a national broadband plan?”

Consumer Electronics Association lobbyist Michael Petricone on Starbucks’ announcement it will offer free Wi-Fi.

SCHEDULED

12 p.m. — Briefing with local clinics on Health IT. B-318 Rayburn
House Office Building

1 p.m. — House Homeland Security Committee hearing on “Cybersecurity: DHS Role, Federal Efforts, and National Policy.

5:30 p.m. — TechAmerica American Technology Awards event 

FOR THE WATERCOOLER

BUZZ: Is your television emitting a strange buzz during World Cup games? Don’t call the repair guy. Slashdot has an item reporting that the sound “comes from tens of thousands of plastic horns called vuvuzelas” in South Africa. BBC and other broadcasters are trying to use audio filters to tune it out.