BROWSING: Policy

Ligado sues US government over spectrum rights

Ligado claims that DoD has previously undisclosed systems running in its spectrum and has sued for compensation Ligado Networks has filed suit against the U.S. government, including the Department of Defense, the Department of Commerce and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, claiming that DoD...

FCC sets deadline for broadband consumer labeling

New consumer broadband labeling must be in place next year The Federal Communications Commission has laid out the deadlines for broadband service providers to put in place new consumer labeling that, much like nutrition labeling, is meant to give consumers a thorough and standardized view...

US, UK, Canada, Japan and Australia form global telecom coalition

New global organization will focus on "shared priorities" including open networks and diversifying the telecom supply chain The United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and Japan have joined together to form the new Global Coalition on Telecommunications (GCOT). The partners say that they will...

FCC confirms that Dish is meeting 5G deployment commitments

Dish has six months to complete drive testing to confirm its network speeds The Federal Communications Commission has confirmed to Dish Wireless that it has met its 5G build-out requirements and two of three related commitments, with one set of test results still pending...

Two FCC commissioners re-confirmed

Carr, Starks confirmed to five-year terms The U.S. Senate has confirmed two FCC commissioners to five-year terms. Brendan Carr and Geoffrey Starks were confirmed by voice vote late Saturday, amid a rush by federal legislators to avoid a government shutdown. Carr, a Republican, was confirmed...

Net neutrality rules are back on the table

With a fifth Federal Communications Commissioner newly seated to round out a Democratic majority on the Commission, Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel is reviving the prospect of Title II-based, or "net neutrality", regulation of mobile and fixed internet services by the Federal Communications Commission. Speaking at...

European policies for competition and growth in ICT through regulation of Big Tech, network operators and standard-essential technology licensing

Big Tech companies have profited greatly from dominant market positions while riding largely for free over the top of fixed and mobile telecom networks and devices. The entire Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) ecosystem is enabled by a variety of interoperability technologies including 5G...

FCC—finally—has a full house

Anna Gomez confirmed to fill FCC seat Three years into the Biden administration, the Federal Communications Commission finally has all five seats filled. The U.S. Senate voted on Thursday to confirm telecom law and policy veteran Anna Gomez as an FCC Commissioner. “Congratulations to Anna Gomez...

NTIA proposes ‘limited and targeted’ waiver on US-made products for BEAD

NTIA holds firm that 'close to 90%' of materials involved in BEAD projects should be made in the United States With more than $42 billion poised to pour out in support of broadband deployment projects across the United States, the federal government is sticking closely...

Revolutionizing policy and connectivity with AI (Reader Forum)

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is making its mark as a game-changer. With its ability to analyze vast amounts of data, automate processes and enhance customer experiences, AI is revolutionizing policy and connectivity like never before. My interest in AI dates back to 2009 when it wasn't...

CTIA report suggests segmenting spectrum below 3.3 GHz

Everybody else is doing it, so why can't we? A new CTIA report breaks down how lower-midband spectrum at is being used for 5G—and already co-existing—with U.S. military systems in use around the world, and urges federal regulators to segment the band at 3.3...

Intel terminates $5.4 billion acquisition of Tower Semiconductor

Intel announced the deal in February 2022 and hoped it would help scale its foundry services Intel has terminated the $5.4 billion deal to acquire Israel-based chip company Tower Semiconductor, citing regulatory hurdles. The deal, announced in February 2022, was intended to help scale Intel’s...

FCC seeks a better view of spectrum usage

Rosenworcel expresses hope that AI can help deal with congested airwaves The Federal Communications Commission is asking for input on new technological approaches to assessing spectrum usage, so that it has better insights into current technologies that might help the agency to manage spectrum and...

Nokia onshoring fiber electronics for BEAD projects

One of the telecom industry's concerns about the massive amount of federal Infrastructure Act dollars that are poised to pour into the market to close the digital divide over the next few years, has been associated requirements on buying American-made products for use in...

NTIA tees up another billion in Tribal broadband funding

New NOFO for Tribal funding provides up to $980 million More broadband funds are poised to flow to Tribal areas, with the Biden administration releasing a new Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) with a nearly billion-dollar pot to draw from. The National Telecommunications and Information...

UK launches £40m 5G-IoT fund for local authorities to drive economy, services

The UK government has launched a £40 million fund for local authorities to deliver 5G-based IoT solutions to help in the fields of manufacturing, transport, agriculture, and healthcare, as well as with their own smart-city services. The money will go to create broad ‘5G...

Broadcom provisionally cleared to buy VMware by UK

Broadcom announced plans to acquire VMware for $61 billion in May 2022 Following a previous delay while regulators in both Europe and the U.S. asked for more time for consideration, Broadcom’s plan to acquire VMware for $61 billion, first announced in May 2022, has received provisional approval...

New IoT cybersecurity labeling proposed

New FCC effort seeks alignment with NIST principles on cybersecurity The Biden administration and the Federal Communications Commission are working on a product labeling effort focused on standards for cybersecurity in consumer and IoT products. A new "U.S. Cyber Trust Mark" program has been proposed...

Three FCC nominations advance

Senate committee approves nominations of Carr, Starks and Gomez A Senate committee advanced the nominations of three Federal Communications Commissioners yesterday, bringing the FCC closer to a full headcount. The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation advanced the nominations of Commissioners Brendan Carr and Geoffrey...

Rosenworcel proposes new rules on authentication to prevent SIM swapping

Rules would focus on preventing fraudulent transfers of phone numbers In an effort to prevent SIM swap and port-out fraud, FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel is proposing new rules focused on ensuring that carriers authenticate that a phone service belongs to a particular user before allowing...

5G deadline caused ‘minimal disruption’ to aviation, says FAA

Passenger jets had until July 1st to upgrade their altimeters to address potential 5G interference The July 1st deadline for passenger jets to upgrade their altimeters to address potential 5G interference has come and gone, and according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the aviation...

How CBRS and federal funding are enabling tribes to achieve connectivity, today (Reader Forum)

Huge swaths of the U.S. population still struggle to work, study, or even communicate without access to reliable or affordable high-speed connectivity. This situation, given greater attention as our working and learning routines have shifted over the past few years, disproportionally affects tribal communities...

Kagan: Does EU have proof Huawei and ZTE are high-risk vendors?

Recently, the European Commissioner for Internal Market, Thierry Breton declared both Huawei and ZTE as high-risk vendors. As such, he recommends European Union Member States avoid using 5G networking equipment from these two Chinese companies. He says the security of 5G networks is essential...

FCC awards another $29 million in broadband funding

Rosenworcel has also proposed E-Rate changes to continue distance learning support The Federal Communications Commission has parceled out another $29 million from the Emergency Connectivity Fund to connect schools and libraries, bringing the total awarded from the pandemic program to around $6.7 billion. The U.S....