fcc

FCC chair Wheeler says it's time to cowboy up

13 January 2014 by Steve Blum
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Be careful where the bull throws you.

“This is not my first rodeo. I played in the formulating of the rules for the very first spectrum auction”, said FCC chair Tom Wheeler, at CES last week. “I went around with my hair on fire talking about the end of western civilisation if they don’t do it my way”.

Wheeler was CEO of the National Cable Television Association from 1979 to 1984 and of the Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association (CTIA) from 1992 to 2004, the Washington DC-based national trade associations for the cable television and mobile phone industries.… More

FCC puzzles mobile broadband crunch and spectrum auctions

10 January 2014 by Steve Blum
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Washington works by twists and turns.

“I keep describing it as a Rubik’s cube”, said FCC chair Tom Wheeler as he answered questions at CES about plans to auction off television frequencies for mobile broadband use. Like a Rubik’s cube, it’s a constantly moving problem on three axes: a reverse auction to buy back TV channels and a regular auction to sell the bandwidth to mobile phone companies, all while repacking television stations into less spectrum.… More

Wheeler's success as FCC chair hinges on his enthusiasm for intervention

9 January 2014 by Steve Blum
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So far, so collegial at the FCC, commissioners Pai and Rosenworcel at CES.

Chairman Tom Wheeler’s intention of enforcing a “network compact” via the FCC’s Internet neutrality rule – the open Internet order – won’t go down well with republican-appointed commissioners, but his idea of case by case review might.

“The open internet order was a solution in search of a problem”, said commissioner Ajit Pai at CES yesterday. “The FCC lacks the authority to promulgate the rule”.… More

International passengers make voice calls on planes, politely

9 January 2014 by Steve Blum
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Can’t we all just get along?

“At Delta, we’re very much promoting cellular transmission on airplanes but not voice calls”, said Kirk Thornburg, an engineering executive for the airline. Chuck Cook, his counterpart at JetBlue, agrees. “We do not support the use of cellular voice airborne, that’s customer driven”.

In fact, nearly everyone on this morning’s CES panel discussing consumer electronics on airplanes agreed that passengers should be able to use cellular data services in the air, but shouldn’t be allowed to talk on their phones.… More

Consumer gizmos might get the same kind of regulatory attention as radio transmitters

8 January 2014 by Steve Blum
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Bandwidth hog?

“There is no spectrum shortage, what we have is a spectrum utilisation problem”, said Austin Schlick, director of communications law at Google. Several solutions were offered as technology executives and policy makers talked about “slicing the nation’s airwaves” at CES this afternoon.

One suggestion that would have a major impact on consumer electronics companies, not to mention consumers, is to start regulating wireless receivers in something like the same way that the FCC regulates transmitters.… More

First look at FCC's plans for Internet phone regulation expected tomorrow

8 January 2014 by Steve Blum
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“Software developers code sandboxes into their programs and create a space for safe experimentation”, said FCC commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel during a panel discussion at CES this afternoon. “We need to do that in Washington”.

We’ll find out tomorrow what kind of sandbox the FCC is thinking about using to test how it’s going to regulate the telephone business as it transitions from traditional switched networks to systems completely based on Internet protocol technology. The draft order – scheduled for a vote by the commission later this month – will outline a series of trials that’ll eventually lead to a new regulatory framework for the phone industry.… More

FCC chair Wheeler pushes network neutrality regulation

8 January 2014 by Steve Blum
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If he sees a foul, Wheeler is ready to throw a flag.

Tom Wheeler, the new chairman of the FCC, left no doubt today that he intends to enforce network neutrality rules. Speaking at CES, he made it clear that the FCC will play a central role in regulating the relationship between Internet service providers and their customers.

The first question is exactly how much power the FCC has to regulate the way Internet service is delivered.… More

Chairman or strawman? Wheeler's FCC manifesto takes both sides

8 December 2013 by Steve Blum
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Of course, some people do go both ways.

There are two ways to remain a mystery in public life: keep your mouth shut or unleash a flood of comments that have a profound ring, but make sure that half those statements contradict the other half. The chairman of the FCC, Tom Wheeler, has chosen the latter path.

In his maiden policy speech – given at his alma mater, Ohio State – and in subsequent conversation, Wheeler managed to be for and against network neutrality and came out in favor of competition, sort of.… More

Mobile broadband test results speeding back to the FCC

27 November 2013 by Steve Blum
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The FCC’s mobile broadband speed test app for Android is a hit. In its first two days, it was downloaded and installed on 30,000 devices. It’s been out now for two weeks, and its getting a 4.4 out of 5 rating on the Google Play store.

Those first two days produced 40,000 reports from all over the country. The FCC says that all 50 states and all the major carriers are represented in the data received so far.… More

New in-flight mobile phone rules could inspire airlines to catch fliers with honey, not vinegar

24 November 2013 by Steve Blum
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Have you ever been in a federal prison, Joey?

With the possible exception of screaming children, I can’t think of anything I’d like less on an airplane than a cabin full of loud and one-sided mobile phone conversations. Even bringing back smoking would be preferable: at least that section of the plane used to be relatively child free. Allowing in-flight mobile phone calls would push the U.S. airline experience from miserable to pure hellish.

That said, Tom Wheeler is correct when he said last week “modern technologies can deliver mobile services in the air safely and reliably, and the time is right to review our outdated and restrictive rules”.… More