fcc

Billions of dollars at stake this week for rural broadband upgrades

25 August 2015 by Steve Blum
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Ready for an upgrade?

AT&T and Verizon have until Thursday to claim billions of dollars in subsidies to upgrade broadband in rural areas of the U.S., including hundreds of millions to improve service in California.

The Federal Communications Commission gives operating subsidies to telephone companies that provide broadband service in rural and/or remote areas, as a part of its universal service mandate. In the current round – Phase 2 – of the Connect America Fund (CAF) program, the FCC is offering large telephone companies a right of first refusal to accept these funds, on a state by state basis.… More

Verizon says screw you California (and Texas and Florida), we're not gonna upgrade

24 August 2015 by Steve Blum
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Frontier says it’ll try, Verizon says fuhgeddaboudit.

Verizon is finally saying flat out that it’s not going to improve its pitiful wireline infrastructure in California, and in particular it’s not going to upgrade any more copper telephone systems to modern broadband standards or capabilities. That’s probably not the intent of a joint filing made by Verizon and Frontier at the FCC as the two companies try to gain approval for their pending transaction. But it’s the plain meaning of what was said.… More

Verizon's plan to blast LTE traffic over unlicensed spectrum questioned by FCC

7 August 2015 by Steve Blum
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Can you hear me now?

Plans by mobile phone companies to use unlicensed spectrum – including that currently used by WiFi devices and wireless Internet service providers – to supplement licensed frequencies are getting a harder look from the Federal Communications Commission. The head of the FCC’s office of engineering and technology – Julius Knapp – is asking the Verizon-backed LTE-U Forum, an industry group that’s working on a standard for 4G broadband service in unlicensed bands, for more information on what, exactly, it’s up to.… More

$10 Internet access for low income homes is the only novel requirement of AT&T-DirecTv deal

29 July 2015 by Steve Blum
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The Federal Communications Commission released the details yesterday regarding the conditions imposed on AT&T in exchange for approving its purchase of DirecTv.

Those conditions a commitment to build out and offer fiber-to-the-premise service to 12.5 million customer locations, restrictions and reporting requirements on AT&T’s management of its Internet service business, and a discount stand-alone broadband offering for low income households which is the only major element of the deal that you could call truly new.… More

AT&T gets green light to buy DirecTv, FCC gets a press release

25 July 2015 by Steve Blum
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Potemkin would be proud.

AT&T has the blessing of the Federal Communications Commission to buy DirecTv. That’s the big regulatory hurdle that the deal had to clear – the federal justice department already seemed okay with it – and yesterday the FCC said yes, with conditions…

As part of the merger, AT&T-DIRECTV will be required to expand its deployment of high-speed, fiber optic broadband Internet access service to 12.5 million customer locations as well as to E-rate eligible schools and libraries.

… More

Mobile operators take federal subsidies and subsidised customers for granted, for now

18 July 2015 by Steve Blum
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Innovative enough for lifeline subscribers.

The Federal Communications Commission runs a lifeline telephone program that provides subsidies to low income people in order to make sure they have access to at least a minimum level of telephone service. It’s more or less technology-neutral – wireless operators, and particularly re-sellers – have been enthusiastic participants. But as the FCC asks for comments on how its lifeline program should be changed, it notes that even as the mobile industry is constantly improving subscription offers and consumers are increasing use, the subsidised side of the business is stagnant…

It has been over three years since the Lifeline Reform Order, and the standard Lifeline market offering for prepaid wireless service has remained largely unchanged at 250 minutes at no cost to the recipient.

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Local agencies would be able to challenge cell tower permits in court, under bill in California senate

13 July 2015 by Steve Blum
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Not so fast.

A bill to put teeth in the FCC’s shot clock rule for local review of permit applications for wireless towers and equipment has been watered down a bit in the California legislature. As it reads now – after being amended twice so far in the senate – it basically says that if a mobile carrier or other wireless telecoms company provides all the necessary information, a permit application for a new site has to be acted on by local agencies within five months and a collocation request within three.… More

Frontier says California approval delayed is funding denied

8 July 2015 by Steve Blum
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Let’s hope there will be something to celebrate come New Year’s Eve.

It’s worth $192 million to rural areas of the state if the California Public Utilities Commission sticks to the schedule it set for reviewing Frontier Communications’ proposed purchase of Verizon’s wireline telephone systems. That’s one of the significant points of a joint response made by the two companies to questions posed by the Federal Communications Commission as it also reviews the transaction.

Frontier says it will use state and federal subsidies to upgrade broadband infrastructure in California…

If Frontier is able to obtain regulatory approvals for the Transaction prior to December 31, 2015, it will utilize available funding for broadband deployment in the high cost areas within the Transferring Companies’ territories.

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FCC tells ISPs to ask permission first before getting on with business

6 July 2015 by Steve Blum
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It’s 5 o’clock somewhere, so slip it under the door and we’ll get back to you.

The Federal Communications Commission is making the same catch-22 offer about its new common carrier broadband regulations that it made regarding data privacy rules. It’s basically saying we’re not in any hurry to actually write the rules – hey, it’s a holiday weekend, after all – so why don’t you just tell us what you want to do and we’ll get back to you on whether it’s OK or not.… More

Federal justice department has no problem with AT&T's takeover of DirecTv

3 July 2015 by Steve Blum
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Move along. Nothing to see here.

AT&T’s purchase of DirecTv is about to get the green light, without any inconvenient conditions, at least from the federal justice department. That’s the word from Bloomberg, which has a pretty good track record on this kind of reporting. According to a story by Todd Shields and David McLaughlin…

Justice Department officials closed their investigation without demanding any conditions, such as promises about fair treatment of Internet traffic, or demanding the sale of business units, said the person who wasn’t authorized to speak publicly.

… More