BROWSING: Policy

Colorado voters overwhelmingly support municipal broadband

Broadband could be bond-financed, run by nonprofits, result from public-private partnerships or compel big ISPs to offer better services in rural areas WASHINGTON – On Nov. 3, voters went to the polls across the country to weigh-in on numerous races and ballot measures. In consideration...

Cox data breach results in FCC fine

FCC fines Cox for 2014 data breach orchestrated by ‘Lizard Squad’ hacker group Cox Communications agreed to pay a $595,000 fine to the Federal Communications Commission tied to a 2014 data breach that exposed customers’ personal information to third parties. The FCC said the settlement with...

GSMA, Huawei report on the use of C-Band spectrum

GSMA estimates the industry will need up to 800 megahertz of additional spectrum by 2020 The use of additional "C-band" spectrum in the 3.4 GHz to 4.2 GHz bands for mobile broadband in London and Shenzhen alone will generate an additional $440 million of economic...

T-Mobile opposes Dish participation in AWS-3 re-auction

T-Mobile US claims Dish's abuse of bidding process deserves punishment You can officially count T-Mobile US as a fan of Dish Network not being allowed to participate in the planned re-auction of 1.7/2.1 GHz spectrum assets it returned to the Federal Communications Commission tied to bidding...

Google looks to ‘democratize’ spectrum access

Don't buy spectrum, share the 3.5 GHz band DALLAS, Texas – Google's principal wireless architect, Preston Marshall, on Monday laid out the benefits of sharing, not buying, access to the 3.5 GHz spectrum band. The 3.5 GHz band, primarily allocated for use by the U.S. military,...

Cell Tower News: Congress eyes stingray regulations

Fake cell towers, aka stingrays, back in the news Devices that mimic cell towers, called stingrays and are essentially fake cell towers, are back in the news this week as the U.S. Congress considers creating new regulations on these devices. The move comes after two...

BT merger with EE provisionally cleared by UK regulator

CMA doesn't think BT/EE deal will hurt competition in mobile sector The U.K.'s competition and consumer authority, CMA, has provisionally cleared BT’s anticipated acquisition of mobile operator EE. After looking in detail at different markets – including the supply of retail mobile, wholesale mobile, mobile backhaul,...

Budget deal to include Spectrum Pipeline Act

WASHINGTON – The nation's capital was abuzz following news that the GOP-led Congress and White House had reached a wide-ranging budget compromise that will set federal spending levels for the rest of the Obama administration and into 2017. Among the items included in the omnibus bill...

UK moves on spectrum auction plans to support LTE and 5G

UK regulator Ofcom plans spectrum auction in early 2016 to bolster LTE, lay groundwork for 5G U.K. telecom regulator Ofcom said it plans to conduct a spectrum auction early next year in a move to bolster domestic LTE operations as well as set the table...

Ericsson profits up 19% since Q3 2014

India and Southeast Asia led in terms of revenue growth Swedish telecom equipment vendor Ericsson recorded net income of 3.1 billion kronor ($365 million) in the third quarter of the year, climbing 19% year-on-year, the company said in its earnings statement. Net revenue for the period totaled...

Following AT&T, Verizon asks FCC for Wi-Fi calling waiver

Earlier this month, the Federal Communications Commission granted AT&T Mobility a waiver related to voice-over-Wi-Fi calling as it applies to people with hearing problems; competitor Verizon Communications is now following suit. AT&T's waiver is valid until Dec. 31, 2017, and was granted following a complaint lodged by...

Industry applauds FCC emphasis on opening new spectrum

CTIA VP said the move will be ‘critical’ to developing 5G, IoT WASHINGTON – Following its October open meeting, the Federal Communications Commission discussion on opening up new spectrum is being well-received by the telecom industry. The FCC issued of a Notice of Proposed Rule Making...

FCC discusses high-band spectrum, 5G

Commissioner: ‘The race to 5G is on and this gets us out the gate’ WASHINGTON – At the Federal Communications Commission open meeting on Oct. 22, commissioners addressed a number of issues that have been circulating the Beltway policy shops including prison phone reform, foreign...

FCC hits prepaid calling card companies with $30M in fines

Six prepaid calling card providers found guilty of deceptive marketing A half-dozen prepaid calling card providers were slapped by the Federal Communications Commission with a combined $30 million in fines for “deceptively marketing” their products. The FCC found that Locus Telecommunications, Lyca Tel, NobelTel, Simple Network,...

CCA Annual Convention focused on opportunities for competitive mobile carriers as the industry looks to 2016 spectrum incentive auction

The Competitive Carriers Association’s 2015 Annual Convention featured comments from FCC Commissioners Mignon Clyburn and Michael O’Rielly, who acknowledged CCA and its members for their leadership on behalf of competitive policy issues. CCA’s Annual Convention took place Oct. 7-9 at the Fort Lauderdale Convention...

FCC releases incentive auction opening bid prices

After much anticipation, the Federal Communications Commission announced opening bid prices for the upcoming 600 MHz incentive auction. The spectrum auction, currently set to begin March 29, will be different than past events in that it will include a forward auction where television broadcasters...

Ericsson signs Humanitarian Connectivity Charter

Swedish telecom equipment vendor Ericsson has signed onto the GMSA Humanitarian Connectivity Charter, which aims to use technology to bolster crisis response in afflicted areas. The GSMA established the program in March. According to the trade group, the goal is "to support mobile network operators...

Dropped calls could cost Indian operators

Dropped calls are a big problem in India due to economics and sheer geography presenting hindrances to robust mobile network deployments. Now, national regulator Trai is considering penalizing operators for each dropped call. The Times of India reports Trai is considering penalizing operators 1 rupee...

Trans-Pacific Partnership proposes strict compliance for ISPs

WASHINGTON – The Trans-Pacific Partnership is a massive free trade agreement among the U.S. and 11 other Pacific Rim nations, including Australia, Japan and Singapore. If ratified, the TPP could create the largest free trade zone in the world. However, concerns ranging from farm subsidies...

French regulator sets date for 700 MHz auction

ARCEP said the auction process will start Nov. 16 France telecom regulator ARCEP confirmed the process to award 30 megahertz of spectrum in the 700 MHz band to support LTE services will kick off Nov. 16. The regulator previously confirmed the firms submitting applications for the spectrum auction...

Feds prep RF rules for 5G, IoT

The FCC is overhauling RF rules for first time since 1998 WASHINGTON – The federal government is adapting policies to change with the times. Among those polices being updated are those designed to benefit the "Internet of Things" economy. Over the next decade, IoT is...

T-Mobile US, AT&T swap spectrum

Deal intended to create larger, contiguous blocks of spectrum in select markets Carriers T-Mobile US and AT&T, in notifications to the Federal Communications Commission, swapped spectrum blocks in some markets in an effort to boost wireless capacity. Based on details of the exchange, both carriers come...

CCA 2015: Spectrum auction haul could be vast, and last through end of 2016

Predictions for the spectrum auction haul top $80B, though process could take 9 months FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The Federal Communications Commission’s planned 600 MHz incentive auction may not have been the focus of all of the events at this week’s Competitive Carriers Association Annual...

FCC grants AT&T waiver for Wi-Fi calling

WASHINGTON – The Federal Communications Commission has granted carrier AT&T Mobility a waiver related to voice-over-Wi-Fi calling as it applies to people with hearing problems.  The waiver is valid until Dec. 31, 2017. This comes following a complaint lodged last week by AT&T Mobility that competitors Sprint...