updates

Muni broadband ruling posted by FCC

12 March 2015 by Steve Blum
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Today is the day. The FCC just followed up its release of new common carrier rules for the Internet with the text of its decision to preempt state restrictions on municipal broadband projects in Tennessee and North Carolina…

Click here to download the muni broadband decision…

The statements issued by the five commissioners can downloaded here.

It’s 116 pages long. Added to the 400 pages of new common carrier rules all the associated commissioner statements, objections and press releases, that makes for a serious reading assignment today.… More

FCC common carrier rules for broadband released

12 March 2015 by Steve Blum
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The FCC has posted the full, and presumably official, version of the common carrier rules that will apply to broadband infrastructure and service that it approved two weeks ago. It’s 400 pages long, but looks to be fascinating reading…

In The Matter Of Protecting And Promoting The Open Internet Report And Order On Remand, Declaratory Ruling, And Order

…All the commissioners have released statements, those can be downloaded here.

Republican commissioner Ajit Pai has posted more detailed objections to the ruling, those can be found here.

Video of Google's North Carolina press conference is online

27 January 2015 by Steve Blum
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WRAL-TV in Raleigh, North Carolina covered this afternoon’s press event there. Which included governor Pat McCrory, seven mayors from the area and Google representatives. The video is available here.

Lots of good words were spoken about fiber, gigabits, Google and North Carolina. The prepared announcement read by Google exec Michael Slinger pretty much tracked with the press release Google posted earlier today. He cited the “passion, commitment and dedication” that the seven Raleigh-Durham area cities brought to the process as key reasons for chosing them.… More

Google confirms fiber in South Carolina, Nashville, Atlanta, other cities told to wait

27 January 2015 by Steve Blum
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It’s confirmed: Google has decided to build out fiber to the home systems in four metro areas: Raleigh-Durham and Charlotte in North Carolina, Nashville and Atlanta.

The remaining five metros under consideration – Silicon Valley, Portland, San Antonio, Phoenix and Salt Lake City – are still officially in the maybe column. All Google will say is that they’re “continuing to explore” those areas and will have something more to say “later this year”.

Obama criticises lack of broadband competition in Iowa speech

14 January 2015 by Steve Blum
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U.S. president Barack Obama just wrapped up a 20 minute speech that focused on community broadband. He pretty much stuck to the talking points released by the white house yesterday. He talked about tens of millions of U.S. homes that only have 1 high speed ISP available, if they have options any at all, putting them “at the whim of whatever broadband provider is around”. Obama’s solution is to offer cities technical assistance, implement previously approved rural broadband grant and loan programs, ask the FCC to preempt state restrictions on municipal broadband and telling federal agencies to get rid of unnecessary regulations.

Community broadband gets presidential endorsement when Obama speaks in Iowa tomorrow

13 January 2015 by Steve Blum
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Ahead of a speech tomorrow by U.S. president Barack Obama, the white house released a ringing endorsement of community broadband this afternoon, and promised at least administrative and political support for local government efforts to build broadband networks (h/t to Gladys Palpallatoc at CETF for the timely tweet). No new money for construction was include or, indeed, anything that would require the cooperation of the republican majority in congress. But direction to the commerce and agriculture departments to assist local broadband projects will be heard, as will a request to the FCC – which has a democratic majority – to override state restrictions on what local governments will do.… More

Spectrum could be a major limiting factor for the Internet of Things, Ericsson CTO says

8 January 2015 by Steve Blum
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“Radio frequencies are going to become the most scare resource on the planet, more scarce than oil”, said Ulf Ewaldsson, Chief Technology Officer for Ericsson. “Frequencies are scarce because there are better frequencies and less better frequencies”.

Speaking at CES this afternoon, he said that current frequency allocations often reflect policy choices intended to keep particular interests happy rather than making the most efficient use of spectrum possible. Television broadcasters in Europe are one example, he said.… More

FCC considers raising broadband bar to 25 Mbps down and 3 Mbps up

8 January 2015 by Steve Blum
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The new national standard for acceptable home broadband speeds is on its way to being 25 Mbps down and 3 Mbps up. At CES yesterday, FCC chair Tom Wheeler endorsed raising it from the current 4 down/1up spec. According to Ars Technica, Wheeler is circulating a draft report – the annual broadband progress report required by congress but only sporadically produced by the FCC – that would declare 4/1 unacceptable and set 25/3 as the new minimum.

Looks like enough yes votes for common carrier broadband rules at the FCC

7 January 2015 by Steve Blum
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Immediately after FCC chair Tom Wheeler announced that common carrier broadband rules are on the way, the 4 other commissioners spoke at a panel session, also at CES. All were circumspect about Wheeler’s plan – they haven’t seen it yet, at least not officially.

Democrats Jessica Rosenworcel and Mignon Clyburn made generally positive comments. The two republicans – Ajit Pai and Michael O’Rielly – expressed concerns.

That’s all in line with past statements and positions.… More

FCC chair Wheeler says common carrier regulation of broadband is on the way

7 January 2015 by Steve Blum
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“There’s a way to do Title II right that says that many parts of Title II are inappropriate and would thwart investment” said FCC chairman Tom Wheeler today at CES. “A model has been set in the wireless business that’s had billions of dollars of investment”.

“We’re going to propose rules that say no blocking, no throttling…all that list of issues. And that there is a yardstick against which behavior should be measured, and that yardstick is just and reasonable”.… More