WASHINGTON-While the network-neutrality issue holds up telecommunications reform, fissures in the telecom industry between big and little carriers are forming. Generally large carriers-both wireline and wireless-oppose any attempts to legislate or regulate network neutrality. Wireless trade association CTIA in June officially came out against...
WASHINGTON—CTIA is asking the Federal Communications Commission to clarify recent universal-service rules that have sparked a puzzling situation where the FCC has accused the industry of not fully reporting its "toll" revenues—and by implication not paying its full share of universal-service contributions. "Commercial mobile...
WASHINGTON—A federal appeals court ruled Monday the Federal Communications Commission overreached when it said states could not prohibit wireless carriers from putting certain line items on their bills. Only Congress can overturn the court’s decision. Wireless trade association CTIA bemoaned the ruling."Creating a mish-mash...
Welcome to Hedgehogging. As you know from your own jobs, there is always something happening in the wireless industry. Some of it makes us stop what we're doing to clap, boo or simply question these developments. This column is a round-up of wireless happenings...
WASHINGTON-Cingular Wireless L.L.C. came out as the only major wireless carriers largely in favor of the so-called Missoula Plan, which calls for reforming the way and amounts telecommunications carriers pay each other to carry traffic, known as intercarrier compensation. "For wireless carriers, the Missoula...
WASHINGTON—Wireless carriers largely are against a plan proposing to reform the way and amounts telecom carriers pay each other to carry traffic. The only wireless carrier supporting the so-called Missoula Plan is Cingular Wireless L.L.C."The Missoula Plan does not serve the interests of consumers...
WASHINGTON—Rep. Chip Pickering (R-Miss.), co-chairman of the Congressional Wireless Caucus, is asking lawmakers to join him in writing a letter to the Federal Communications Commission urging the FCC to declare that states have no jurisdiction over early-termination fees. "In our view, there is no...
WASHINGTON-The Federal Communications Commission's spectrum-sharing test-bed proposal attracted a mix of responses that appear to support parochial agendas among incumbent telecom carriers and others looking for a platform to leverage emerging, smart wireless technologies that may offer solutions to the nation's dwindling supply of...
WASHINGTON—The mobile phone industry has teamed up with other telecom players to lobby for universal service reform. The new USF by the Numbers Coalition backs a numbers-based plan that the group said is a fairer and more equitable contribution methodology than the current revenue-based...
WASHINGTON-Two new class-action lawsuits filed against Cingular Wireless L.L.C. and Verizon Wireless, and industry's tax lawsuit loss in Maryland, raise questions about whether wireless carriers would significantly rid themselves of consumer litigation and state and local fees if it won expanded federal pre-emption and...
WASHINGTON-A new study claims mobile-phone use while driving is as dangerous as drinking while behind the wheel, reinforcing previous research on distracted driving and further complicating industry's message the wireless phones are a safety tool. "We found that people are as impaired when they...
WASHINGTON-Wireless trade association CTIA officially came out against net neutrality, posting a policy paper on its Web site against efforts to include network neutrality language as part of Congress' efforts to reshape existing telecom laws. CTIA posted its position on the topic June 21,...
WASHINGTON—Federal Communications Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein joined the wireless industry in expressing concern about federal guides for relocating broadband licensees from the 2150-2162 MHz band to make room for advanced wireless services. "I was disappointed … because we were unable to adopt self-relocation procedures that...
NEW YORK—The Yankee Group once again pulled together a quality list of speakers for its Wireless Leadership Summit, including executives from Sprint Nextel Corp., Cingular Wireless L.L.C. and Verizon Wireless, as well as representatives from a handful infrastructure vendors and wireless content providers. Notable...
WASHINGTON—The Senate Commerce Committee passed its sweeping telecommunications-reform bill, including in it two critical bits for the wireless industry: wireless pre-emption with a small caveat and a moratorium on cell-phone taxes. The bill is now headed to the Senate floor. However, Sen. Ron Wyden...
WASHINGTON—The Senate Commerce Committee passed its sweeping telecommunications-reform bill Wednesday. The bill includes two critical bits of legislation for the wireless industry: wireless pre-emption and a moratorium on cell-phone taxes. The bill is now headed to the Senate floor. However, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.),...
WASHINGTON—The Senate Commerce Committee Wednesday morning muddied the waters on wireless pre-emption by including stringent truth-in-billing requirements that would be determined by the Federal Communications Commission as part of a larger set of consumer protection rules.The action, which passed by voice vote, does not...
CAMBRIDGE, Mass.—Google Inc., Nokia Corp., Vodafone Group plc and others are hoping to spur uptake of the wireless Web with a set of development guidelines for Internet publishers. The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) unveiled the initial draft of instructions for developers "on how...
WASHINGTON-States will no longer be able to regulate the wireless industry under language included in the latest draft of the Senate telecommunications-reform bill. The question now for the wireless industry is whether the decision will remain as the Senate Commerce Committee continues marking up...
WASHINGTON-The Federal Communications Commission last week raised the safe harbor percentage that the wireless industry can use to pay into the universal-service fund, but the agency will continue to allow mobile-phone carriers to also estimate their contribution amounts based on traffic studies. The 5-0...
WASHINGTON—The Federal Communications Commission Wednesday morning raised the amount that the wireless industry pays into the universal-service fund, but will continue to allow mobile-phone carriers to estimate their contribution amounts based on traffic studies. The 5-0 decision to raise the safe harbor to 37.1...
Cellular association CTIA may yet get language introduced-perhaps even added-to telecom reform legislation that would expand federal pre-emption beyond that approved by Congress in 1993. Whether an amendment further curtailing state wireless jurisdiction would have enough staying power to survive a House-Senate conference is...
WASHINGTON-The wireless industry continued to press for pre-emption as telecom reform plods along in the Senate. But the industry could be making some headway on universal service provisions that are more favorable to wireless carriers. At a Senate Commerce Committee hearing, CTIA President Steve...
WASHINGTON-Wireless industry trade association CTIA continued to press the Federal Communications Commission to allow its members to use studies to determine long-distance vs. local traffic to figure how much they owe in universal-service fund contributions. The commission expects to consider the issue at its...