AT&T’s pending attempt to acquire Leap Wireless gained a new foe as the recently re-branded Rural Wireless Association said it has filed comments with the Federal Communications Commission asking that a “reasonable” spectrum cap be considered before moving forward on the deal.
“If the proposed...
Rural wireless carriers look to be gaining more attention as the Rural Telecommunications Group has reigned in its focus, changing its name to the Rural Wireless Association in a move to “better reflect the association’s mission and focus.”
RWA noted that the name change was...
Looking to further the contentious issue of LTE roaming, the Rural Telecommunications Group unveiled a program dubbed the LTE Roaming initiative designed to offer roaming capabilities for rural operators. The initiative is launching with the help of rural operator Union Wireless and a...
The Federal Communications Commission can compel commercial wireless carriers to provide data roaming arrangements, according to a ruling by the U.S.Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in a lawsuit brought by Verizon Wireless.
When small carriers began to run into difficulties persuading...
The Federal Communications Commission is looking to keep its review of proposed spectrum deals by Verizon Wireless on track, announcing late last week that it would not extend the comment period in light of a new deal announced late last month with T-Mobile USA.
Verizon...
Editor's Note: The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation approved the Spectrum Act this morning, a key step in getting more spectrum into the hands of first responders. The text of the bill, including amendments, was not available at press time. Once the...
Taking a cue from Sprint Nextel Corp. (S) , comments are starting to pour into the Federal Communications Commission about whether the agency should allow AT&T Mobility (T) to buy T-Mobile USA Inc. (DTEGY) To date, most parties are commenting as...
The Federal Communications Commission adopted rules mandating that wireless operators offer data roaming on what it calls commercially reasonable terms and conditions along a 3:2 party-line vote, with Republicans Robert McDowell and Meredith Atwell Baker dissenting from the order. Under the new regulations,...
The lack of mandated data roaming remains a hot topic for just about every domestic operator outside of AT&T Mobility (T) and Verizon Wireless (VZ), highlighted by the continuous push by these operators and trade organizations in garnering government action behind their cause.This continued...
Reaction to President Obama's Expanded Wireless Access Initiative was welcomed by wireless industry groups, which used the platform to continue to promote their own agendas. The initiative, announced at Northern Michigan University, is designed to bring high-speed wireless coverage to 98% of Americans in...
The Rural Cellular Association and The Rural Telecommunications Group are both fighting pending actions by the Federal Communications Commission to implement an automatic mandate for wireless carriers to aid their customers in avoiding “bill shock,” saying the proposed regulation would be too expensive for...
Resurrection of the spectrum cap could prove tricky for the Federal Communications Commission next year when Democrats seize control of the agency, given President-elect Barack Obama's call for expanded broadband deployment in a market dominated by telephone and cable TV giants and the promise...
So far, despite massive lobbying over scheduled Nov. 4 votes on white spaces, wireless mergers, the universal service fund and intercarrier-compensation reforms, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin has yet to blink. The FCC last night released the official agenda for the...
Small, rural and regional wireless carriers and trade groups said the Federal Communications Commission should not vote Nov. 4 on the Verizon Wireless-Alltel Communications L.L.C. merger before acting on unresolved roaming, spectrum concentration and handset exclusivity issues."Approving this merger without debating and addressing those...
The TV white spaces debate -- already highly controversial and politicized, but largely limited to potential unlicensed Wi-Fi use -- just got messier.The mobile-phone industry recommended to the Federal Communications Commission that most vacant broadcast channels be auctioned for area-wide licensing. Cellular trade group...
A high-tech group urged the broadcast industry to stop mischaracterizing government testing of unlicensed wireless devices. The testing, which is set to enter a second round, is being conducted to determine whether portable wireless gadgets can operate in vacant television channels - called white...
Sprint Nextel Corp. and T-Mobile USA Inc. urged the Federal Communications Commission to embrace a plan to allocate vacant TV channels -- known as white spaces -- on a fixed-licensed basis for wireless backhaul services. The move injects a new element into an already...
WASHINGTON-Small and regional wireless carriers petitioned the Federal Communications Commission to conduct a special inquiry designed to collect and inspect a representative sample of wireless roaming agreements on a confidential basis. Airpeak Communications L.L.C., Airtel Wireless L.L.C., Cleveland Unlimited Inc., Leap Wireless International Inc.,...
WASHINGTON—Small and regional wireless carriers petitioned the Federal Communications Commission to conduct a special inquiry designed to collect and inspect a representative sample of wireless roaming agreements on a confidential basis. Airpeak Communications L.L.C., Airtel Wireless L.L.C., Cleveland Unlimited Inc., Leap Wireless International Inc.,...
WASHINGTON—The Federal Communications Commission is set to vote Wednesday on new rules likely to dramatically curtail bidder information at the advanced wireless services auction scheduled to begin June 29. The FCC, backed by the Justice Department, Federal Trade Commission and some academics, support anonymous...
WASHINGTON-Spectrum being reclaimed from broadcasters as part of the digital TV transition should be auctioned in smaller chunks than is contemplated today, Sen. Conrad Burns told Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin in a letter. "I am convinced of the importance to rural America...
WASHINGTON—Spectrum being reclaimed from broadcasters as part of the digital TV transition should be auctioned in smaller chunks than is currently contemplated, Sen. Conrad Burns told Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin in a letter. "I am convinced of the importance to rural America...
WASHINGTON-Coming on the heels of a successful lobbying effort to change the 2 GHz band plan, rural wireless carriers are asking the Federal Communications Commission to revise the 700 MHz band plans to allocate more spectrum in smaller chunks.The Rural Telecommunications Group last week...
WASHINGTON-Coming on the heels of a successful lobbying effort to change the 2 GHz band plan, rural wireless carriers are asking the Federal Communications Commission to revise the 700 MHz band plans to allocate more spectrum in smaller chunks.The Rural Telecommunications Group late Tuesday...
