Some U.S. airwaves used for free, over-the-air TV signals must be repurposed for mobile broadband use to tackle a looming spectrum crisis, the top U.S. communications regulator said on Tuesday. The Federal Communications Commission wants Congress to grant it authority to hold incentive auctions that would compensate television broadcasters for giving up some of their … Continue reading
U.S. regulators on Thursday adopted data roaming rules that would allow smartphones to access the Internet in areas across the country not covered by their wireless carrier. The rules set by the Federal Communications Commission in a 3-2 vote would force wireless carriers like AT&T Inc and Verizon Wireless to offer “reasonable” roaming rates. “Mobile … Continue reading
With all the hype surrounding 4G technologies such as LTE and WiMAX, it’s easy to forget just how useful Wi-Fi is in our daily lives. And as many at this week’s ITEXPO in Miami reminded us, that utility isn’t going away anytime soon. Whether we’re talking about evolutions to current 802.11 Wi-Fi standards on the … Continue reading
The proponents of net neutrality believe that all individuals and companies should have equal access to the Internet, and that service providers should not be allowed to block their customers from using services offered by rival companies. Not surprisingly, some wireless service providers, including Verizon, have a different opinion. The Federal Communications Commission recently weighed … Continue reading
The Federal Communications Commission just moved Google a lot closer to its longtime vision of “free airwaves.” On Wednesday, the FCC revealed it has tapped the search giant to be an administrator of an online database designed to match electronic devices with unlicensed TV spectrum. The decision could have far-reaching consequences for Google, which has … Continue reading
The FCC issued an order Tuesday at its January open meeting that set a 4G common standard for a nationwide, interoperable, public safety mobile broadband network. The Order, which addressed changes recommended by the 9/11 Commission Report, would require the use of a Long Term Evolution (LTE) air interface in the 700Mhz range of radio … Continue reading
Partisan politics is being blamed for killing off US legislation to protect the “net neutrality” that sees all web traffic treated equally. Democrat Henry Waxman said he failed to garner the necessary Republican support for his net neutrality bill. The bill aimed to stop ISPs from acting as online gatekeepers controlling the content flowing through their … Continue reading
