The Federal Communications Commission on Thursday voted along party lines to exempt more internet service providers from an enhanced transparency rule that requires them to fully inform customers on any promotional rates, extra fees, and data cap and throttling policies they may apply. The rule was initially enacted as part of the 2015 Open Internet Order, which more famously set in place the net-neutrality rules that prevent ISPs from giving preferential treatment to certain internet services.
Category: Federal Communications Commission
FCC rolls back net neutrality ISP transparency rules
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission has voted to roll back some net neutrality regulations that require broadband providers to inform customers about their network management practices. The Republican-controlled FCC on Thursday suspended the net neutrality transparency requirements for broadband providers with fewer than 250,000 subscribers.
Republicans Are Trying to Let Internet Providers Sell Your Data
The Affordable Care Act is far from the only Obama-era policy Republicans want to take down now that they control the government. A set of internet privacy rules passed by the Federal Communications Commission last year has also become a target.
Verizon To Test 5G Service in 11 Cities
Between now and mid-year, Verizon expects to begin pilot tests of next-generation, 5G wireless services in 11 metropolitan regions across the U.S. Aimed at select customers in those regions, the tests will explore a variety of deployment scenarios. Compared to today’s 4G technology, the next generation of wireless communication promises far faster speeds with lower latency and many times more network capacity.
Illustration of Ajit Pai by Linas Garsys/The Washington Times
One of President Trump’s less publicized appointments also happens to be one of his best: Ajit Pai as the new chairman of the Federal Communications Commission is a cause for celebration. Mr. Pai possesses not only a keen legal mind and a great familiarity with the intricacies of the FCC ‘s current operations, he also favors new policies that are friendly to both the short- and long-term interests of consumers.
traffic jam
The Federal Communications Commission today approved two cellular base stations-one each from Ericsson and Nokia-to use LTE-U , marking the first official government thumbs-up for the controversial technology. FCC chairman Ajit Pai said in a statement that the unlicensed spectrum-historically, the territory of Wi-Fi-can now be used to help ease the load on carrier mobile networks.
How Starboard Hopes to Extract Value From Tribune
The fund recently disclosed a stake in the broadcaster, an investment suggesting a campaign pushing for stock buybacks, asset sales or an auction of the whole company could be next. Starboard Value ‘s Jeff Smith recently disclosed a 6.6% stake in Tribune Media , one of the fund’s largest positions and an investment that suggests an activist campaign pushing for stock buybacks, asset sales or even an auction of the whole company could be next.
FCC defends not fighting legal challenge to prison call rates
The Federal Communications Commission is defending its decision not to fight a legal challenge to its rate cap on prison phone calls that it passed under the Obama administration. Brendan Carr, the commission’s acting general counsel, wrote in a letter to Rep. Bobby Rush that the FCC’s stance has changed now that the group is chaired by Republican Ajit Pai, who criticized the original rule when it first passed.
FCC defends not fighting legal challenge to prison call rates
The Federal Communications Commission is defending its decision not to fight a legal challenge to its rate cap on prison phone calls that it passed under the Obama administration. Brendan Carr, the commission’s acting general counsel, wrote in a letter to Rep. Bobby Rush that the FCC’s stance has changed now that the group is chaired by Republican Ajit Pai, who criticized the original rule when it first passed.
New FCC head Ajit Pai could influence Canada’s net neutrality policies
Donald Trump’s pick to lead the U.S. telecommunications regulator has taken aim at net neutrality rules, a move that could have an influence on policy in Canada. Net neutrality is the principle that all Internet traffic should be treated the same.
AT&T says its merger with Time Warner is exactly what customers want
With AT&T planning to avoid a Federal Communications Commission review of its merger with Time Warner, Senate Democrats led by Al Franken recently asked the company to prove that the acquisition will benefit Americans. AT&T gave its response on Friday with a letter that describes the merger’s promised benefits-including targeted advertising.
seeks 30-day extension on FCC’s TCPA petition
NAFCU, with 10 other trade groups, has asked for a comment-period extension to April 10 on a rulemaking petition that would reverse the Federal Communications Commission’s interpretation that those who knowingly release their phone numbers have given consent to be called under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act. “We believe that such a dramatic change would prevent consumers from receiving important communications from our members on their mobile phones, communications that provide critical information that consumers want and need to receive,” stated the letter sent to the FCC last week.
State Patrol Arrests Two Men Who Prompted Lockdown in Aurora
As per Federal Communications Commission Regulations following is certified: Platte River Radio Inc. does not discriminate in the sale of commercial time, and will not accept advertising which, in its sole opinion, is purchased with intent to discriminate unlawfully on the basis of race, gender, or ethnicity. The advertiser hereby certifies that its purchase of commercial time is not made for an unlawful discriminatory purpose, including specifically that it is not based upon a decision to place advertising on a station on the basis of race, gender, or ethnicity.
Recent change by the FCC could cause cost of inmate phone calls to surge in South Carolina prisons
The already high cost for inmate phone calls in South Carolina’s prisons could skyrocket now that federal regulators have abandoned a proposed cap on rates. A recent change by the Federal Communications Commission has South Carolina regulators scrambling to figure out how high the costs of calls from inmates to family might head.
Larry Klayman’s CNN Fail
The bulk of Larry Klayman’s Feb. 17 WorldNetDaily column is his letter to the Federal Communications Commission demanding that it “fine, discipline and revoke any and all licenses from the Federal Communications Commission for CNN, or any other legal and appropriate remedial action.”
Larry Klayman’s CNN Fail
The bulk of Larry Klayman’s Feb. 17 WorldNetDaily column is his letter to the Federal Communications Commission demanding that it “fine, discipline and revoke any and all licenses from the Federal Communications Commission for CNN, or any other legal and appropriate remedial action.”
Recent change by the FCC could cause cost of inmate phone calls to surge in South Carolina prisons
The already high cost for inmate phone calls in South Carolina’s prisons could skyrocket now that federal regulators have abandoned a proposed cap on rates. A recent change by the Federal Communications Commission has South Carolina regulators scrambling to figure out how high the costs of calls from inmates to family might head.
FCC head: Turn on smartphones’ FM radio capabilities, aid users
Millions of Americans use their smartphones every day to stream music from services such as Pandora or Spotify. Others use mobile devices to access podcasts or radio shows.
NH TV station sold to FCC for $100M, will go off air
A New Hampshire television station that debuted in 2014 has been sold at auction to the Federal Communications Commission for an estimated $100 million and will go off the air in the coming months. Bill Binnie of WBIN-TV said Friday that proceeds from the sale will be used by the company to acquire other media assets in digital, outdoor and radio areas.
T-Mobile stock climbs on report SoftBank open to Sprint combination
The stock of Bellevue-based T-Mobile US rose 5.5 percent Friday following a report that SoftBank would be willing to give up control of Sprint if it would help cement a potential merger of the two mobile-phone carriers. The stock of Bellevue-based T-Mobile US rose 5.5 percent Friday following a report that SoftBank Group would be willing to give up control of Sprint if it would help cement a potential merger of the two mobile-phone carriers.
Access to airwaves made WBIN valuable in $68M sale NEW
Television broadcasting is all about visuals, but it turns out that the valuable part of WBIN-TV wasn’t anything that we could see. On Friday, Bill Binnie announced that he would be shutting down the state’s youngest television station because he had sold its broadcast spectrum – the right to send out its signals at certain wavelengths – to the Federal Communications Commission for $68 million, more than seven times the $9 million he paid for the station in 2011.
FCC notice to WTTW of fines for underwriting violations, 1997
In 1997, the FCC fined Chicago public TV station WTTW for violating commission standards for underwriting credits . More than two years later, the commission found that three of the four contested credits were permissible, and reduced the fine .
Does broadband speed always matter?
Is establishing a baseline speed for broadband service the wrong approach? According to Daniel Lyons, a visiting scholar with the American Enterprise Institute’s Center for Internet, Communications and Technology Policy, the government should instead use an objective, activity-based definition based on the core activities users expect a broadband network to provide. Potential activities could include access to email, news, job boards or digital voice service for easy access to public safety officials.
Exclusive: SoftBank willing to cede control of Sprint to entice T-Mobile – sources
Japan’s SoftBank Group Corp is prepared to give up control of Sprint Corp to Deutsche Telekom AG’s T-Mobile US Inc to clinch a merger of the two U.S. wireless carriers, according to people familiar with the matter. The logo of U.S. mobile network operator Sprint Corp is seen at a Sprint store in San Marcos, California August 3, 2015.
The FCC wants you to be able to listen to FM radio from your smartphone
Millions of Americans use their smartphones every day to stream music from services such as Pandora or Spotify. Others use mobile devices to access podcasts or radio shows.
America’s latest spectrum auction
MARKETS don’t simply emerge, but are created by the state, argued Karl Polanyi, an economist, in “The Great Transformation”. This is certainly true for radio spectrum, an intangible natural resource, which governments now regularly sell in auctions.
Meet the man who’ll dismantle net neutrality ‘with a smile’ – CNET
Ajit Pai, the newly christened chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, won’t let a little thing like a hurricane stop him from his obligations. When the rest of the East Coast was taking cover from Hurricane Sandy in 2012, then-FCC Commissioner Pai was sitting in his kitchen at his home in Northern Virginia delivering a keynote speech via video conference to attendees at the 4G World Trade show in Chicago.
The Trump administration’s other war on the media
The Trump administration’s unrelenting attacks on the media and assault on reality have been well covered by journalists and media outlets that find themselves in the new administration’s crosshairs. Yet while the White House’s insistence on ” alternative facts ” may be more visibly ominous, there is another growing threat to the independent media that also demands our attention.
Money talks with TV ads
The Observer-Reporter is excited to announce new digital offerings, including our new e-Edition apps, available for download in the iTunes & Google Play stores.
NCL statement on FCC decision to not enforce affordable prison phone rate price caps
The National Consumers League , the nation’s pioneering consumer and worker advocacy organization, today expressed disappointment in the Federal Communications Commission’s “The National Consumers League is disappointed by FCC Chairman Ajit Pai’s decision to not enforce price caps for intrastate prison phone calls. Capping rates at reasonable levels is common sense as numerous studies have shown that providing prisoners access to family members and loved ones dramatically reduces recidivism.
Neumann Becomes FCC Media Bureau Chief Engineer
Federal Communications Commission Acting Media Bureau Chief Michelle Carey today announced the appointment of Jeffrey Neumann as chief engineer. “Jeffrey’s breadth of knowledge will be a great asset to the Bureau as it tackles the challenging work pending before it,” Carey said.
Trump, The FTC and Unleashing The U.S. Economy
After a stunning win in a change election, President Trump is off to a fast start implementing major change. The President and his administration are moving aggressively to implement pro-growth policies that will boost our economy after years of a sluggish recovery.
New chairman quickly shakes up FCC
Ajit Pai, the new Republican chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, is quickly making his mark on the agency, shaking up its operations and rolling back Obama-era initiatives. His moves have drawn Republican praise, but also alarmed Democrats and consumer groups, and set the stage for the fights ahead.
Time for Trump to make his acting FTC chair permanent
After a stunning election win, President Trump is off to a fast start implementing major change. The president and his administration are moving aggressively to implement pro-growth policies that will boost our economy after years of a sluggish recovery.
The FCC talks the talk on the digital divide – and then walks in the other direction
IN HIS first speech in the role, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai extolled the importance of bridging the digital divide between those who can afford Internet access and those who cannot. Days later, though, he opened another gap, this time between his words and his actions.
Ajit Pai Starts To Roll Back Latest Internet Regulations From Obama’s Team
The new head of the Federal Communications Commission has taken steps to unravel many of his predecessor’s policies. These changes might directly affect consumers and their access to the Internet.
Net neutrality fix faces hard sell
Two key Senate Republicans say they are open to a bipartisan legislative compromise on net neutrality, but their effort faces skepticism from both parties. John Thune Net neutrality fix faces hard sell FCC faces doubleheader of Hill hearings GOP senators demand more answers on Yahoo hacks MORE Roger Wicker Net neutrality fix faces hard sell Lawmakers push FCC chief to boost rural broadband FCC chairman unveils plan to increase transparency MORE , the chairman of a Commerce subcommittee on the internet, have said they are willing to work on a measure that keeps the core of the controversial internet rules but also allows Congress to limit the Federal Communications Commission’s powers.
About half of Spokane households still have a landline phone – Sat, 11 Feb 2017 PST
Lee Ann Mauk has an old rotary dial wall phone that has been in her South Hill home for decades. Mauk said her landline was the only thing working in her house after the 2015 windstorm.
WVIA expects $26 million from sale of broadcast spectrum
TV expects to receive nearly $26 million from the Federal Communications Commission-driven sale of its airwaves in a move the station said will have little impact on viewers but will help secure the future of public broadcasting in Northeastern Pennsylvania. WVIA disclosed the completed broadcast spectrum sale and announced it has entered a channel-sharing agreement with the parent company of the WNEP-TV on Friday after the FCC lifted a “quiet period” that prohibited the public broadcaster from even discussing its participation in the secretive auction process.
WNKU to be sold to Bible Broadcasting Corporation in $1.9 deal
On Tuesday The Northern Kentucky University Board of Regents voted to sell the non-commercial radio station to the Bible Broadcasting Corporation for $1.9 million. For over three decades, WNKU served the Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky area.