FCC
CTIA Day 1: Interim FCC Chair Clyburn Addresses CTIA
May 22, 2013 10:15 am | by Ben Munson | News | CommentsCTIA’s day one keynote session Tuesday opened with the mantra “Prepare for tomorrow. Get smarter. Think big.” That was CTIA CEO Steve Largent’s advice for all attendees this year. The tomorrow he saw was highlighted by the $800 billion increase in GDP that could come from the government making an additional 500 MHz...
Wheeler Appointment Gets Applause All Around
May 2, 2013 10:13 am | by Andrew Berg | News | CommentsPresident Obama's appointment of longtime wireless veteran Tom Wheeler as the next chairman of the FCC was met with applause from most of the industry. CTIA president and CEO Steve Largent said in statement that Wheeler has a "deep understanding of communications issues...
Report: Obama to Appoint Tom Wheeler as Next FCC Chairman
May 1, 2013 10:25 am | by Andrew Berg | News | CommentsPresident Obama is likely to appoint wireless industry veteran and lobbyist Tom Wheeler to succeed Julius Genachowski as chairman of the FCC. According to numerous reports from multiple outlets, Wheeler, who has already served as an informal advisor to Obama on telecom matters, is the top pick...
FCC Looks to Give VoIP Providers Direct Access to Wireless Numbers
April 18, 2013 12:40 pm | by Andrew Berg | News | CommentsThe FCC is asking for comment on a new plan to make wireless phone numbers available to online voice providers. Such a plan would allow users of online service like Google Voice and Skype to call wireless phones directly...
Genachowski Signs On with Aspen Institute
April 15, 2013 9:48 am | by Andrew Berg | News | CommentsFCC Chairman Julius Genachowski will become senior fellow at the Aspen Institute Communications and Society Program upon his resignation from the Commission in the coming weeks. At the Aspen Institute, a non-partisan venue for values-based leadership, Genachowski will advise on the Institute's communications policy programs...
TV Stations Feel 'Squeezed' by Airwave Auction
April 12, 2013 10:03 am | by Ryan Nakashima, AP Business Writer | News | CommentsAs the federal government tries to encourage companies like AT&T and Verizon to create bigger, faster mobile networks, TV broadcasters are feeling like the farmers of yesteryear who were asked to sell their land to make way for the nation's highways...
CTIA Stresses More Spectrum as FCC Changes Leadership
April 4, 2013 10:42 am | by Andrew Berg | News | CommentsCTIA President and CEO Steve Largent says he doesn't care who succeeds FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski so long as the next appointee continues to push for more spectrum. "Our goals and objectives for this year haven't changed that much...
FCC Chairman Genachowski Announces Resignation
March 22, 2013 10:38 am | by Andrew Berg | News | CommentsFCC Chairman Julius Genachowski announced his resignation today, saying he will step down in the "coming weeks." Genachowski, a Democrat, was confirmed in June of 2009, succeeding then Republican chairman Kevin J. Martin. Genachowski's tenure as Chairman was...
FCC Prepares 1695-1710, 1755-1780 MHz Spectrum for Auction in 2014
March 22, 2013 9:53 am | by Ben Munson | News | CommentsThe FCC informed the National Telecommunications and Information Administration of its plans to auction licenses in the 1695-1710 and 1755-1780 MHz bands as early as September 2014. The NTIA recently picked out the 1695-1710 MHz band of spectrum to be reallocated for non-federal use.
Commissioner McDowell Announces Resignation
March 20, 2013 2:49 pm | by Andrew Berg | News | CommentsFCC Commissioner Rob McDowell announced Wednesday that he will be stepping down from his post. In a statement, McDowell said that after 7 years of serving with the FCC, he will be turning more his energies to his family. McDowell said he will step down in a "few weeks."
More Objections to T-Mo, MetroPCS Deal, but FCC May Be Close to Approval
March 12, 2013 10:17 am | by Andrew Berg | News | CommentsThe FCC may be looking to approve Deutsche Telekom's proposed merger of its T-Mobile USA subsidiary and MetroPCS. According to a filing with the FCC by the Communication Workers of America (CWA), which vehemently opposes the merger, the FCC may be seeking an order...
T-Mobile Says DOL Report Irrelevant to MetroPCS Deal
March 11, 2013 9:24 am | by Andrew Berg | News | CommentsT-Mobile USA says the Communications Workers of America's (CWA) reference of a Department of Labor (DOL) investigation on T-Mobile call centers is not relevant to the carrier's proposed acquisition of MetroPCS. In a letter to the FCC last week, CWA suggested that the FCC examine the DOL's investigation...
White House Responds in Favor of Legalizing Phone Unlocking
March 4, 2013 1:54 pm | by Ben Munson | News | CommentsAfter more than 114,000 people signed a petition asking the White House to reverse a recent decision by the Library of Congress to criminalize the unlocking of cellular phones, the office of President Obama has responded in support of legalizing the practice.
FCC to Investigate New U.S. Phone Unlocking Rules
March 1, 2013 10:03 am | by Ben Munson | News | CommentsWhile the 112,440 signees of a petition to make unlocking phones legal again await a response from the White House, FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski has said that he will look into the matter. Speaking with TechCrunch, Genachowski said the ban, recently instituted by the Library of Congress, raises competition and innovation concerns.
Signal Boosters: The “Robin Hoods of the Industry”
February 26, 2013 10:13 am | by Ben Munson | News | CommentsHongtao Zhan seems relieved by the FCC’s recent ruling on wireless signal boosters. The CEO of Cellphone-Mate, a company manufacturing both commercial and residential models of signal boosters, believes the Commission made the right decision and made it clear that signal boosting is an important part of the U.S.’s wireless infrastructure.
Telecom CEOs: US regulators better than Europe
February 25, 2013 10:08 am | by Peter Svensson, AP Technology Writer | News | CommentsThe CEOs of AT&T, Vodafone and Telefonica — three of the world's largest cellphone companies — had some rare words of praise for U.S. regulators Monday, saying they're doing better than their European counterparts in promoting faster wireless data networks...
FCC Moves to Open More Unlicensed Spectrum
February 20, 2013 5:24 pm | by Andrew Berg | News | CommentsThe FCC today issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to make more unlicensed spectrum available for robust public Wi-Fi networks. According to a press release, the commission today proposed to make up to 195 megahertz of additional spectrum in the 5 GHz band...
FCC Adopts New Guidelines for Signal Boosters
February 20, 2013 3:38 pm | by Ben Munson | News | CommentsThe FCC today issued a Report and Order concerning cellular signal booster use and preventing them from interfering with wireless networks. Under the new rules, consumers are required to obtain permission from and register their signal booster with their wireless carriers in order to continue using it.
FCC Aims Improve Completion Rate of Long-Distance Calls to Rural Areas
February 8, 2013 10:50 am | by Andrew Berg | News | CommentsThe FCC Thursday issued a Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) which seeks comment on rules to help address problems in the completion of long-distance telephone calls to rural customers. The the NPRM is specifcally aimed at intermediate carries...
FCC Sandy Field Hearings Emphasize Modernizing Infrastructure
February 6, 2013 11:11 am | by Ben Munson | News | CommentsAt Tuesday's Hurricane Sandy field hearings, FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski made it clear the wireless communication outages experienced during the storm couldn't happen again. "The inability to communicate with family and emergency personnel during a disaster is simply unacceptable," he said.
Largent Slams NYT Op-Ed Piece
January 31, 2013 11:02 am | by Andrew Berg | News | CommentsCTIA President and CEO Steve Largent slammed an opinion piece, "How to Get America Online", which was published by New York Times. In the piece, Times contributor Susan Crawford argues that access to Internet services...
Dish Lays off Sprint, Softbank Deal
January 30, 2013 10:31 am | by Andrew Berg | News | CommentsDish Network told the FCC that it would not file to block Softbanks' proposed $20 billion acquisition of Sprint. In January 16 filing, Dish had asked that the shot clock in the Sprint, Softbank proceeding be paused until Sprint's bid for Clearwire...
FCC Actions Aim to Accelerate Broadband Deployment
January 28, 2013 10:11 am | by Andrew Berg | News | CommentsThe FCC on Friday announced a number of new actions that it hopes will help accelerate the deployment of wireless broadband, by removing barriers from a number of areas in the build-out of new networks. On Friday, the Commission announced new rules...
Public Knowledge Suggests ULS is Broken
January 18, 2013 11:14 am | by Andrew Berg | News | CommentsPublic Knowledge yesterday released a research that it says shows that the Universal Licensing System (ULS) is incomplete and too complicated. In comments submitted to the FCC, the consumer advocate wrote that while...
FCC Launches Website to Keep Broadcasters Informed on Auctions
January 18, 2013 11:12 am | News | CommentsThe FCC yesterday launched a website that aims to keep broadcasters informed and engaged in the upcoming incentive auctions. The new LEARN website (www.fcc.gov/learnprogram) provides access to a range of information and resources that the FCC...
