Policy

Federal judge tosses AT&T’s claim that carrier isn’t subject to FTC authority in data throttling lawsuit The Federal Trade Commission can continue its data throttling lawsuit against AT&T, according to a March 31 decision handed down by the U.S. District …

Verizon’s advertising tracking tags drew Congressional rebuke Making good on a January promise, Verizon Wireless customers, as of March 31, can opt out of a targeted advertising program powered by so-called supercookies. Supercookies are an identification number used to track …

Ericsson, Duetsche Telekom, China Mobile and others eye the future As carriers continue the research and development that will inform the next generation of 5G mobile networks, Deutsche Telekom recently announced its new innovation lab, the “5G haus.” Germany-based DT …

Verizon chief: Congress needs to ‘re-take responsibility’ for Internet from FCC WASHINGTON – Verizon Communications CEO Lowell McAdam recently pressed federal lawmakers to rein in the Federal Communications Commission, the regulatory influence of which he wrote has reached “absurd new …

Draft Report and Order looks to unleash up to 150 megahertz of new spectrum for unlicensed, small cell use The Federal Communications Commission took the next step in freeing up 100 megahertz of spectrum in the 3.5 GHz band as …

Contract impacts more than 100,000 phone numbers each day The Federal Communications Commission has conditionally approved Ericsson’s Telcordia to administer the number portability service that allows customers to keep their phone numbers when switching carriers. The commissioners voted 5-0 in …

Spectrum auction winners haven’t been revealed Although the winners haven’t been disclosed, an Indian government spectrum auction ended on March 25 after 19 days and 115 rounds of bidding. The spectrum auction raised more than $17.5 billion, which is 36% …

Verizon, AT&T, CenturyLink and other members want net neutrality review The US Telecom Association, which counts carriers Verizon Communications, AT&T, Alaska Communications and many others as members, on March 23 asked a federal appeals court for a review of the …

FCC commissioner blasts Dish Network move as a ‘rip off’ WASHINGTON – Pay TV giant Dish Network placed winning bids totaling $13 billion in the recent Federal Communication Commission spectrum auction, but because of a loophole that designates the company as a …

FAA gives online retailer Amazon experimental license E-commerce giant Amazon’s ambitions to provide delivery via drone gained some traction on March 19 with federal regulators granting the company an “experimental airworthiness certificate.” The Federal Aviation Administration gave Amazon Logistics permission …

Kevin Fitchard previews panel on future of the Internet Kevin Fitchard, formerly of Giga Om, discussed with RCR Wireless News how the Internet could philosophically change as private interests foster more accessibility, particularly to underserved populations. Fitchard previewed a panel …

FCC planning reverse, forward auctions of Super Wi-Fi in 2016 AUSTIN, Texas – Unused television broadcast spectrum, sometimes referred to as super Wi-Fi, could be used to provide Internet access to otherwise underserved communities, according to panelists at South by …

WASHINGTON – MegaFon, the second-largest mobile carrier in Russia, is forecasting a decline in sales and revenue for 2015, according to a report from Bloomberg Business. The report follows a 5.9% increase in revenue in 2014 with a profit margin …

WASHINGTON – Two of the five commissioners serving on the Federal Communications Commission voted against net neutrality regulations that apply Title II regulation and classify the Internet as a public utility. Commissioner Ajit Pai was the most vocal of the …

Four hundred-page net neutrality document expected to see legal challenges The Federal Communications Commission released the full Report and Order tied to its net neutrality ruling, which as expected has drawn divergent commentary. The 400-page document lays out the FCC’s …

Regulations for drones in the works WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration last month released its proposed framework of regulations that would allow routine use of unmanned aircraft systems – drones – for commercial purposes. Until …

Title II and net neutrality In my capacity as a correspondent for RCR Wireless News and a resident of the Washington, D.C., area, I often write about wireless telecom policy. Wireless policy is a fascinating and complex subject, especially when …

Walden comments on net neutrality, Title II and FCC WASHINGTON – House Communications and Technology Subcommittee Chairman Greg Walden (R-Ore.) recently delivered an address to the American Enterprise Institute, a well-known conservative think tank, discussing the reauthorization of the Federal …

Net neutrality postures follow party lines WAHINGTON – In releasing its long-awaited rules regarding net neutrality, some at the Federal Communications Commission were unhappy with the decision. One of those was Republican Commissioner Ajit Pai, who stated, “Read my lips. …

Five of 10 qualified bidders picked up spectrum licenses; 2.5 GHz auction next Canada’s AWS-3 spectrum auction came to a quick end after one day of bidding saw 39 of the 42 licenses up for bid find takers. In total, …

Verizon claims Dish collusion with DEs impacted fairness of Auction 97 You can add Verizon Communications to the list of companies unhappy with Dish Network’s bidding activity during the Federal Communications Commission’s recent Auction 97 proceedings. In a letter filed …

Spectrum auction is latest attempt by Canada to bolster wireless competition On the heels of its southern neighbor conducting its most lucrative spectrum auction ever, Canada this week is set to kick off bidding for 50 megahertz of spectrum in …

FCC commissioners Pai and O’Rielly seek at least 30-day public review on net neutrality legislation The Federal Communications Commission’s Republican members have asked that the government agency push back a vote on its Internet regulation plan in order to consider …

AT&T CEO says legal action imminent WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Federal Communications Commission has yet to release its long-awaited net neutrality recommendations on whether to enact Title II regulations in regard to the Internet. Yet, the legal wrangling is already …

Possible investigation comes on heels of $975M Chinese settlement Just days after agreeing to a nine-figure settlement with the Chinese government, chipmaker Qualcomm is now under investigation by South Korean commerce authorities, according to a report in The Wall Street …