Policy

The “Un-carrier” wants regulators to increase reserve for upcoming 600 MHz auction In a June 2 letter to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler, T-Mobile US pushed for the feds to include a larger reserve of 600 MHz spectrum in …

Coalition of lobbying and industry groups sent a letter in support of the pending Wi-Fi Innovation Act WASHINGTON – Telecommunications lobbying groups want federal lawmakers to open up unlicensed spectrum in the 5 GHz band to create more capacity for …

Is broadband access key to elevating low-income Americans into the middle class? WASHINGTON – Efforts by Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler and Democratic lawmakers to expand the Lifeline Assistance Program to provide low-cost Internet connection to low-income Americans is …

CTIA lobbyists support the push to bridge the digital divide WASHINGTON – Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), in conjunction with Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Rep. Doris Matsui (D-Calif.), introduced legislation to modernize the Universal Service Fund’s Lifeline Assistance Program to …

Presidential candidate Rand Paul blocks Senate reauthorization WASHINGTON – Despite support from both parties, federal collection of phone metadata has lapsed due in large part to efforts of Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), who stood against the Patriot Act provisions. The …

Reuters is reporting that the Federal Communications Commission is poised to reject requests from competitors to more strictly limit the participation of Verizon Wireless and AT&T Mobility in the next spectrum auction, content with its current plan as opposed to more …

Germany’s telecom regulator, the Bundesnetzagentur, this week began the bidding process for spectrum licenses in the 700 MHz band, becoming the first European country to open up the spectrum band deemed ideal for broad LTE deployments. Also on the block are spectrum …

Update, 9:24 a.m. CST, May 26: Charter Communications today confirmed reports it is making a play to purchase Time Warner Cable, the second-largest cable provider in the U.S. behind Comcast, for $55 billion. Charter also is working to purchase provider …

Petitioners ask higher court to decide on net neutrality WASHINGTON – The joint petitioners seeking a stay on the implementation of net neutrality rules, which go into effect next month, have appealed the FCC’s denial with a higher court. The …

AT&T remains confident of midyear close Despite countless delays, AT&T’s pending $48.5 billion acquisition of DirecTV looks to remain on track as the companies filed extensions on the “termination date” of the planned deal as it has now passed the …

Lincoln Labs betting that political clout is a function of tech savvy WASHINGTON – Lincoln Labs, a self-proclaimed conservative technology group created in 2013, operates with the stated goal of: “To create and support a community of like-minded individuals who …

Use it or lose it approach to spectrum licenses to discourage speculation WASHINGTON – Canada concluded its spectrum auction of 20-megahertz and 25-megahertz blocks in the 2500 MHz band with bids totaling close to $630 million. Industry Canada, the governmental …

Carrier wants feds to limit spectrum auction bidding credit for designated entities WASHINGTON – Carrier AT&T has asked the Federal Communications Commission to impose strict guidelines on the 2016 spectrum auction, limiting the bidding credit for designated entities to $10 …

Licensed spectrum is worth $500 billion, according to CTIA WASHINGTON – In a new report, the lobbying group Cellular Telephone Industries Association found that licensed broadband spectrum is a foundational asset that supports the multifaceted economic machinations. Titled Mobile Broadband …

WASHINGTON – The Federal Communications Commission’s decision to kill petitions against its open Internet order was met with praise from supporters and silence from groups that challenged the reclassification of the Internet as a public utility. Pantelis Michalopoulos, who heads …

Licensed spectrum is a $500B resource WASHINGTON – A senior telecommunications lobbyist, talking about the need for public policy opening up more broadband spectrum, boiled the situation down: “We have to keep feeding the beast.” That’s from Tom Power, general counsel …

AT&T strikes out in Washington, signs interconnect agreement with Level 3 The Federal Communications Commission said it won’t reconsider the part of its net neutrality policy that classifies the Internet as a public utility. AT&T Mobility and CTIA were the …

Incentive spectrum auction is seen as key by smaller carriers WASHINGTON – The Federal Communications Commission is circulating a proposed draft order for the 2016 spectrum auction, a source familiar with the situation told Broadcasting and Cable Magazine. According to …

Roaming rate regulations target Bell Canada, Telus and Rogers Citing a lack of competition, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission said it plans to take steps in regulating roaming rates across the country. The move is part of an ongoing …

FCC solicits public comments on unlicensed frequency use, standardization Federal regulators on May 5 released a public notice soliciting information from stakeholders involved in the research and development as well as standards-setting associated with LTE-Unlicensed and Licensed Assisted Access. Carriers and other …

Push for transparency or punishment for net neutrality? WASHINGTON – Congressional Democrats and Republicans rolled out separate bills pushing reform of the Federal Communications Commission as part of the ongoing political fight over net neutrality. Republican Chairman of the Subcommittee …

WASHINGTON – Numerous U.S. public safety organizations, including the Association of Public Safety Communication Officials-International, the International Association of Police Chiefs and the National Sheriffs Association, recently sent an open letter to the Federal Communications Commission and the Department of …

Chalks up possible delay to ‘demand for infrastructure’ and ‘workforce shortage’ HOLLYWOOD, Fla., – Michael O’Rielly, commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission warned of possible delays to the 600 MHz spectrum auction that’s planned for 2016. O’Rielly made the comments during …

The Wall Street Journal reports FCC looking at DE abuse The Federal Communications Commission is reportedly looking into revoking the $3 billion bidding discount Dish Network pocketed during the recent AWS-3 spectrum auction. The Wall Street Journal reported that FCC …

Regulators frowned on Comcast/TWC deal; will Charter/TWC be different? Comcast is dropping its bid for Time Warner Cable after the Federal Communications Commission signaled that it would not approve the deal. Charter Communications may be set to back out of …