THE MOBILE-PHONE INDUSTRY FINDS ITSELF ADRIFT in a sea of uncertainty as the 2008 election year approaches, with litigation, legislation and other factors casting a collective cloud over spectrum auctions critical to rollout of next-generation wireless services and the existing regulatory regime.Competition for new...
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit rejected Verizon Wireless' emergency motion for fast-track treatment of its challenge to the Federal Communication Commission's open-access rule, increasing the likelihood that litigation will remain in play in the lead up to the...
The Federal Communications Commission and Frontline Wireless L.L.C oppose Verizon Wireless' emergency motion to have its court appeal of the 700 MHz open-access rule put on a fast track."It would make little sense for the court to expedite this case when, halfway through the...
DEMOCRATS WARNED FCC CHAIRMAN KEVIN MARTIN not to cripple the open-access stipulation on the 700 MHz spectrum up for auction early next year, following the agency chief's failed attempts to revise the rule through a procedural maneuver shortly after Verizon Wireless lobbied on the...
The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected on procedural grounds a challenge to the Federal Communications Commission's small business bidding rules, delaying for another day a ruling on the merits of a case with the potential to overturn the results of last year's...
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin is aggressively pushing for prompt revisions to the 700 MHz open-access rule-even before the agency completes a review of the various regulatory challenges to the full 700 MHz decision, according to industry sources who suggest the behind-the-scenes activity...
The upcoming auction of 700 MHz could give birth to an unprecedented infrastructure that could serve countless rural consumers as it provides a crucial boost to the nation's public-safety industry.Or it could be a debacle.The winner of the highly prized chunk of spectrum will...
The Federal Communications Commission launched a rulemaking on the highly-sought 2155 MHz-2175 MHz spectrum band, setting the stage for a resumption of a wireless open-access debate that gained strength during in the agency's 700 MHz proceeding.Late last month, the FCC tossed out applications of...
M2Z Networks Inc. said it reached a wholesale wireless broadband pact with rural telephone companies, a business relationship that depends on the startup winning a legal challenge against the Federal Communications Commission or winning a license after rules are set for the 2155 MHz-2175...
Verizon Wireless challenged in federal appeals court the Federal Communications Commission's 700 MHz open-access rules, the opening salvo in what could evolve into a messy legal battle. The move puts a cloud of uncertainty over the upcoming auction of more than a thousand wireless...
METROPCS COMMUNICATIONS INC. last week made public a proposal to merge with flat-rate rival Leap Wireless International Inc. in a move that could create a fifth carrier with a national presence and catapult no-contract offerings from the fringe to the spotlight.So far, Leap has...
Despite the Federal Communications Commission's publicly stated desire to avoid anti-competitive behavior in the 700 MHz auction and its embrace of blind bidding as a safeguard against such activity, there are growing concerns that the combination of hefty reserve prices on key spectrum blocks,...
THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS Commission appeared poised to reject M2Z Networks Inc.'s plan to offer free nationwide broadband service on the 2155-2175 MHz band, a move likely to prompt a court challenge and refocus the campaign to integrate open-access wholesale requirements in the wireless space.Once...
Who says you can't buy influence? Or at least attempt to.During the first six months of this year, the communications-electronics sector spent big money attempting to curry favor from elected officials on topics ranging from trade disputes to the upcoming 700 MHz spectrum auction.According...
The Federal Communications Commission appeared poised to reject M2Z Networks Inc.'s plan to offer free nationwide broadband service on the 2155-2175 MHz band, a move likely to prompt a court challenge and refocus the campaign to integrate open access-wholesale requirements in the wireless space.Once...
Google Inc. Chairman and CEO Eric Schmidt left the door open to bidding on wireless licenses when the 700 MHz auction begins in mid-January, but the Web search-engine giant and others are not apt to make final plans until after the Federal Communications Commission...
The Federal Communications Commission set Jan. 16 for the start of the 700 MHz auction, and asked for public comment on competitive bidding procedures for the 1,099 wireless licenses up for grabs. The agency will employ anonymous bidding as a safeguard against anti-competitive behavior...
M2Z Networks Inc. said it will take the Federal Communications Commission to court to force the agency to consider its request for 25 megahertz of vacant spectrum.The Silicon Valley-based outfit applied for the spectrum more than a year ago, vowing to deliver free broadband...
THE FCC'S RULES FOR NEXT YEAR'S auction of 700 MHz spectrum could change the game substantially for wireless content owners and application developers. Then again, maybe not.Chairman Kevin Martin last week seemed to avoid drawing the ire of any of the major players-or would-be...
WHILE THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION AND OTHERS CELEBRATED anticipated public-safety and wireless benefits of last week's 700 MHz auction rules decision, skeptics question whether the action will indeed produce a competitor to the Bell telephone-cable TV broadband duopoly and a strong commercial entity willing...
THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION LAST WEEK approved 700 MHz rules to foster the creation of a nationwide public-safety/commercial broadband network and introduce new devices and applications in a wireless space tightly controlled by four national operators.The FCC designated for auction a nationwide 10-megahertz spectrum...
Sprint Nextel Corp. is pulling out of the joint venture it formed with four cable companies to participate in the Advanced Wireless Services spectrum auction last year, but said the move has long been planned and does not reflect a change in carrier's strategy....
While the Federal Communications Commission touts anticipated public-safety and wireless benefits of its 700 MHz rulemaking decision, others are skeptical about whether the ruling will indeed produce a competitor to the Bell telephone-cable TV broadband duopoly or a strong commercial entity willing to partner...
The Federal Communications Commission approved 700 MHz auctions rules to foster the creation of a nationwide public safety-commercial broadband network and the introduction of new devices and applications in the wireless space.The agency voted to designate for auction a nationwide 10-megahertz spectrum block adjacent...
