N.H. legislature will see several bills on electronic privacy in 2001 session. Prefiled draft bills, which have not yet been assigned numbers, include one by state Rep. Neal Kurk (R-Weare) to establish state Office of Privacy to ensure personal information collected by state agencies is used solely for purpose for which it was obtained. Kurk prefiled another bill to prohibit state agencies from posting personal identifying information about individuals on Internet. Another prefiled bill, with multiple sponsors, would require private entities that collect personal information about their customers, patients or clients to alert those individuals whenever such data were shared with 3rd parties. Still another is HB-115, which would prohibit telemarketers from using automatic dialing equipment to place calls that contain no message. Measure would address common nuisance of autodialers that keep placing calls even when there’s no sales representative available to speak. It would allow civil law suits for greater of $500 or actual damages.

Sweden’s Telia, which is battling govt. decision not to award it 3rd-generation wireless license, unveiled plan Mon. to create 50-50 joint venture with Tele2, subsidiary of NetCom. Tele2 received one of four 3G license from Sweden’s National Post & Telecommunications Agency (PTS). It said venture will build next- generation mobile network. Agreement gives Telia “equal access” to 3G license that Tele2 has received. “The risk related to the UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) investment is radically reduced through this joint venture,” NetCom CEO Lars- Johan Jarnheimer said. Companies said they were considering similar venture in Norway. Agreement with Tele2 will remain valid regardless of outcome of Telia’s appeal with PTS, companies said. Telia is asking country’s courts to suspend PTS decision, citing what it charged were problems in process of awarding spectrum (CD Jan 8 p6).

XM Satellite Radio expected to launch first of 2 Boeing 702 model satellites after our deadline Jan. 8 with window for XM-1 satellite called Roll opening at 5:35 p.m. ET. from sea site 3,000 miles west of Long Beach, Cal.

AT&T Broadband executed across-board trimming of its Atlanta- area work force, laying off 309 employees last week in what spokesman said was cost-saving and realignment operation. Cuts involved employees in call center, field operations, marketing, finance, human resources and midlevel management, he said. Action follows 6-month “top-to-bottom” review of entire Atlanta operations, spokesman said, and jobs were seen as not “mission critical” to improve customer service, efficiency, competitiveness. He said 40-50 of jobs involved inbound sales calls that were outsourced to company in Tex. “It is strictly an Atlanta initiative,” spokesman said when asked whether company was planning job cuts in other areas.

Officials of Simi Valley, Cal., are urging cable subscribers to protest increase in fees, announced by former owner Comcast day before Adelphia Communications took over ownership of Ventura County cable system Jan. 2. City officials accused Adelphia of orchestrating increase, which takes effect Feb. 1, that raised monthly cost of 51-channel basic package to $39.26 from $37.10. Adelphia, which didn’t mention planned increase before taking over, said it was justified because of system upgrade, including 10 new channels and establishment of local customer service center. In Dec., city had increased franchise fee to 5% of gross revenues from 3%.

Metromedia Fiber Network obtained $350 million credit facility from Citicorp USA and said it expected strong growth year. Company plans deployment of 3.6 million fiber miles by end of 2004. It said estimated revenue for 2000 was $184.6 million, up $69.7 million from 1999.

To no one’s great surprise, cable TV remains dominant technology for delivering video programming to consumers, according to 7th annual video competition report adopted last week and released by FCC Mon. Commission found that cable industry totaled 67.7 million subscribers in June 2000, up one million (1.5%) from 66.7 million in June 1999. But DBS continued to make steady inroads in cable’s market share, adding almost 3 million subscribers over same period to reach nearly 13 million last June, up 29% from year earlier. Largely as result, cable operators now control 80% of burgeoning pay-TV market, down from 82% year earlier, while DBS providers now command growing 15.4%.

LAS VEGAS -- FCC Comr. Powell endorsed free market vs. govt. regulation, pleasing consumer electronics officials at the CES here Sat. But reaction was more muted when he also indicated reluctance for govt. to move aggressively to spur DTV transition. Powell, who is widely rumored to become next chmn. of FCC, was interviewed one-on-one by CEA Pres. Gary Shapiro, also rumored to be candidate for position in new Bush Administration, despite recently signing new 10-year contract with CEA.

NCube Corp. filed patent infringement suit against SeaChange International Mon., charging that latter’s video-on-demand (VoD) products violated one of nCube’s interactive TV patents. NCube said it was seeking permanent injunction against SeaChange’s shipping its allegedly infringing products. In earlier court battle on other patents, Del. jury ruled in SeaChange’s favor in Sept., but nCube is challenging that decision.

WorldCom went live with 1.6 terabit Nortel optical network Mon. N.Y.C.-Washington leg is first section of highest capacity network in world to be lit, Nortel said. Network is Nortel Networks’ OPTera long-haul 1600 optical line system using dense- wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) to split light into as many as 160 channels. “This is the initial phase of a 5-phase migration to the use of optical equipment,” WorldCom spokeswoman said.