public policy

Sprint says let a thousand poles bloom

26 January 2016 by Steve Blum
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Smaller cells on poles in public right of ways and microwave backhaul are Sprint’s formula for future success, according to media reports (h/t to Omar Masry with the City and County of San Francisco for the pointer).

It’s all about operating costs. Right now, Sprint is paying for capacity on Crown Castle and American Tower-owned, full size macro cell sites. Instead, rumor has it, Sprint will opt for a multitude of cheaper small cells stuck on top of steel and/or wooden poles, planted along public roads and such, and leased from Mobilitie, a Newport Beach-based company.… More

Power to the people and back it up too

24 January 2016 by Steve Blum
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Consumer groups are asking the Federal Communications Commission to reconsider its new rule that requires telephone companies to sell back up batteries to customers when an outside power source is required. Companies should give subscribers batteries, the groups say.

The core issue is whether carriers will be required to pay for backup batteries at users’ homes to make sure that phone service remains available during a power outage. Old style phone service – copper – was self powered and remained operational during power failures.… More

Hyperloop development heads for the Nevada desert

23 January 2016 by Steve Blum
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Elon Musk is serious about adding yet another crazy techno-biz idea to his collection, which already includes no way that can work ventures like PayPal, Tesla Motors and SpaceX. Originally pitched as a way to get from San Francisco to Los Angeles, his Hyperloop transportation system will get its first test run in the desert north of Las Vegas.

That’s where Hyperloop Technologies is building a test track and technology proving ground for the system, which basically involves shooting a capsule through a long, airless tube at 700 miles per hour.… More

Competition heats up for broadband subsidies in the Californian desert

22 January 2016 by Steve Blum
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There’s a second bid for grant money to build a fiber to the home system in the San Bernardino County desert communities of Phelan, Piñon Hills, Oak Hills and West Cajon Valley, plus parts of Victorville and Hesperia. Yesterday, Ultimate Internet Access, Inc. (UIA) asked for a $21 million infrastructure subsidy from the California Advanced Services Fund CASF) for the project. It’s now competing directly with Race Telecommunications for the cash.

Last August, Race submitted a $48 million grant proposal, also for an FTTH build in that area.… More

DISH hops in late to California's Charter party

21 January 2016 by Steve Blum
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DISH, the only independent direct broadcast satellite company in the U.S., has been trying to scuttle Charter Communications’ purchase of Time Warner’s and Bright House’s cable systems. Up until today, it’s focused its efforts on the Federal Communications Commission’s review of the deal. Now, though, in kind of a daddy’s not sure, go ask mommy move, it’s asking the California Public Utilities Commission for permission to get into the proceeding here.

In its filing, DISH says it fears Charter will use its control of the high speed broadband market to kill off competition…

This transaction would permit and motivate the combined company (“New Charter”) to hurt or destroy online video rivals, including the Sling TV over-the- top video service [owned by DISH], through its control over the broadband pipe…

This transaction will create a duopoly in the market for high-speed broadband service (defined as 25 Mbps and above), as it will result in two broadband providers – New Charter and Comcast – controlling about 90 percent of the nation’s high-speed broadband homes between them.

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People understand broadband, they just can't always afford it

20 January 2016 by Steve Blum
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Any questions?

In the I’ve been meaning to write about this file is the Pew Research report released last month that showed a dip in fixed home Internet access and a corresponding blip in mobile-dependent households. Overall, the report says the national consumer broadband adoption rate is staying steady at about 80% of homes. But at the margins, where cost is critical, more people are putting smartphones ahead of wired (or, presumably, fixed wireless) service.

Cost is also the issue for people who have no broadband service at all.… More

CPUC approves first subsidy for Internet via TV white space

19 January 2016 by Steve Blum
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White space below the tree line.

Besides allowing a wireless claim jumper to ace two towns out of fiber to the home service last Thursday, the California Public Utilities Commission approved a $1.1 million grant from the California Advanced Services Fund (CASF) for wireless Internet service in northern Eldorado County. Cal.net’s deployment is the first CASF project to lean heavily on newly available television white space spectrum.

The plan is to use a combination of three bands: unlicensed 5 GHz, LTE in semi-licensed 3.65 GHz spectrum and coordinated TV white space, with three usage cases, i.e.… More

Surprise, Trona and Searles Valley! You've been chopped

18 January 2016 by Steve Blum
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“Do the folks in Trona and Searles Valley that initially expressed strong support for this project, are they aware of this change?” asked commissioner Mike Florio as the California Public Utilities Commission considered a greatly trimmed fiber to the home project proposed for several high desert communities.

“No they are not, mostly likely they are not, unless they were attending today’s meeting and received the [revised] version”, replied Rob Wullenjohn, the CPUC staff manager who oversees the California Advanced Services Fund CASF).… More

Money is no object for high tech traffic laws

17 January 2016 by Steve Blum
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“A billion here, a billion there, pretty soon, you’re talking real money”, Illinois senator Everett Dirksen said of Washington’s spending habits back in the 1960s. That was when a billion dollars would get you more than a cup of coffee. Heck, it might even have bought an official U.S. Air Force toilet seat back in the day.

Now, it’s only a good start on writing new rules for self-driving cars. The U.S. transportation department is planning to spend $4 billion to come up with new laws and procedures that would allow fully autonomous vehicles to operate on the nation’s roads.… More

Last minute WISP challenge kills FTTH for two California towns

14 January 2016 by Steve Blum
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No gigabit for you.

It’s still called the Five Mining Communities broadband project, but only three will be getting fiber to the home service, assuming the California Public Utilities Commission approves a $2 million California Advanced Services Fund (CASF) grant as currently drafted at its meeting tomorrow.

Race Telecommunications will get the money to build out in Randsburg, Johannesburg, and Red Mountain, near the junction of Inyo, San Bernardino and Kern counties. But neighboring Trona and Searles Valley are off the list, because of a last minute challenge from a wireless Internet service provider, SBC Wireless, who just popped up in town…

[CPUC] staff followed up with SBC-Wireless and was told that SBC-Wireless began operations in the area in late October 2015, has eight employees, and as of November 20, 2015 has 142 residential customers signed up for service.

… More