BROWSING: Policy

FirstNet gets new CEO

Joseph Wassel is a longtime DoD executive technologist with a focus on communications A Department of Defense senior executive who founded and chaired DoD's global working group on public safety communications has been named as the new executive director/CEO of the FirstNet Authority. Joseph Wassel...

Sohn withdraws from FCC consideration, predicts a ‘sidelined’ FCC

'The FCC deadlock ... will remain so for a long time,' Sohn said in withdrawal letter President Joe Biden's nominee to fill the fifth seat on the Federal Communications Commission, Gigi Sohn, has withdrawn from consideration for the seat as a result of the bitter...

Germany considers ban on Huawei, ZTE 5G equipment

The ban could include components already built into networks, said German media According to a German interior ministry paper obtained by Reuters, the country is considering a ban on certain 5G components made by Chinese companies Huawei and ZTE. German media further stated that this...

Additional chip restrictions could impact Nvidia, Qualcomm

The White House is pondering more extensive U.S. limitations on the sale of chips and chip-making equipment to Chinese companies, and those could have substantial impacts on Nvidia's ability to sell to Huawei and a lesser impact on Qualcomm, according to press reports on...

New cybersecurity strategy must stress accountability (Reader Forum)

Rampant malicious activity in cyberspace hurts individuals, companies, and government agencies, while threatening US national security. The expected release of a new National Cybersecurity Strategy by the Biden Administration is an occasion for us to learn lessons from past efforts to reduce cyber risk,...

MWC 23: Mobile broadband’s ‘usage gap,’ 5G adoption trends and the big question of monetization

New GSMA report looks at how many people have access to mobile broadband but do not use it BARCELONA—You've heard of the digital divide, but how about the "usage gap"? In a new report from GSMA Intelligence, the usage gap in mobile internet refers to...

FCC considers new rules to block unusual sus texts

Scammy texts are on the rise, and the FCC wants operators to block the ones most likely to be fraudulent The Federal Communications Commission is considering new rules that would obligate service providers to block texts that are likely to be scams or spam. FCC...

Four challenges facing broadband expansion

Extending broadband access has to be the baseline effort to close the digital divide in whatever form it takes, so that the most basic question of, “Is broadband internet service available?” can be answered with a “yes.”  The funding that is pouring into broadband by...

The digital divide: Rural vs. urban

Connecting all Americans needs different solutions in urban vs. rural settings There is a persistent and well-known gap between rural and urban populations in terms of their internet usage. But when you look at sheer numbers, the number of unconnected urban/metro-area users is far larger...

Five sources of federal funding that are fueling broadband investment

Show me the money: The biggest broadband investment cycle ever Broadband funding is, by and large, one of the few issues with reliable, bipartisan support. It has become an increasingly high priority, as evidenced by the more than $100 billion in federal, state and local...

How many digital divides are there?

The most obvious definition of the "digital divide" is a binary one: Either you have internet access, or you don't. But that simplistic approach doesn't capture the nuances of why an individual or household doesn't have internet access, and whether availability is their only...

Four assessments of the digital divide

The past three years have placed unprecedented demands on fixed and mobile broadband networks and underscored broadband as a necessity: A "seismic shift in broadband from being access to entertainment to becoming mission critical for work-from-home, online education, remote healthcare, economic development, and overall...

What is Industry 5.0? (And what’s the beef with Industry 4.0?)

The first plenary session at IoT Solutions World Congress (IOTSWC) in Barcelona last week saw an address by the European Commission about Industry 5.0. Say what? Industry 5.0? What about Industry 4.0? Are we done with that already? Are we finished with this process...

EU backs $100m venture capital fund for ‘Industry 5.0’ (Industry 4.0 with-a-conscience)

Zurich-based venture capital group Momenta has launched a $100 million target fund for ‘Industry 5.0’ tech – basically, for startups pushing Industry 4.0 with-a-conscience. The new fund is backed by the European Commission, which told IoT Solutions World Congress (IOTSWC) in Barcelona, where the...

FCC targets mortgage scam robocalls

The Federal Communications Commission says that it is working to shut down network access for robocalls coming from a Florida realty group that is being sued by three state attorneys general for deceptive business practices. The U.S. regulatory agency has asked voice service provider...

Norway opens 3.8-4.2 GHz band for private 5G (SA-NPN only; PNI-NPN not permitted)

Norway has opened up 400 MHz of prime mid-band spectrum, at 3.8-4.2 GHz, for enterprises to deploy local-area private 5G networks. Following pilots last year, the Norwegian Communications Authority (Nkom) is now offering four different-sized tranches of the 3.8-4.2 GHz band on 10-year deals....

“Tech is the problem, and the solution” – Telefónica on the future of work and society

A quick excerpt from a panel session at the World Economic Forum in Davos this week, courtesy of José María Álvarez-Pallete, chairman and chief executive at Telefónica, who directly and powerfully addressed the elephant in the elite Alpine conference rooms: that unfettered digital change...

‘A fork in the road’: 5G policy as a strategic imperative

Rosenworcel points to ITU presidency as evidence of importance of the vision of free-market democracies in tech 5G and other advanced technologies can be used to support and promote free markets, democracy and innovation, or exploited for "social control and information operations" by authoritarian governments—so...

FCC warns two more providers not to carry robocalls

The Federal Communications Commission has warned two additional voice service providers not to carry illegal robocall traffic, the latest move in its ongoing efforts to crack down on unwanted spam and scam calls. The agency said that it sent warning letters to SIPphony of...

Europe sets binding 2030 targets to boost digital skills, infrastructure, industry

European countries are now required to jointly develop and measure progress on digital skills, digital infrastructure, and digitalisation of both private industry and public services. A new ‘monitoring and cooperation’ mechanism obliges EU member states to collaborate on the development, implementation, and measurement of...

Amazon to launch, test Kuiper system

Amazon's Project Kuiper aims to support broadband with thousands of LEO satellites Amazon is prepping for more extensive testing of its prototype Kuiper LEO broadband communications system, based on an application for Special Temporary Authority (STA) granted by the Federal Communications Commission last Friday. Amazon...

Second round of FCC broadband availability data collection begins

Filing window runs through March 1, 2023 As federal regulators continue their efforts to better quantify where broadband is available and where it is not, the second window for data collection of where network operators are offering broadband services opens today. The Federal Communications Commission...

Australia watchdog blocks Telstra, TPG network-sharing deal

The deal would have an 'immediate and enduring' impact on infrastructure competition, says the ACCC The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) blocked an asset sharing deal between Telstra and TPG, the country’s two largest providers. In a statement, ACCC Commissioner Liza Carver said the...

Short extension of FCC auction authority makes the omnibus bill

The Senate has released a $1.7 trillion fiscal year 2023 omnibus appropriations bill, but it does not include long-term auction authority reauthorization for the Federal Communications Commission. Instead, the bill, which will fund the federal government for the coming year, gives the FCC an additional...