The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) wants to make it easier than ever for communities across the nation to bring cutting-edge wireless service to millions of Americans. On September 26, 2018, the FCC will vote on a proposed rule that will hasten nationwide implementation of 5G cellular infrastructure. If adopted, the rules would limit the burdensome […]
Publicly-funded broadband overbuild is an ongoing problem across the country. It is far easier to deploy new services alongside existing infrastructure than to build-out to those who remain in unserved areas. On March 23, 2018, President Trump signed into law H.R. 1625, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2018, which funds the government through September 30, […]
The National Emergency Number Association estimates that 240 million 9-1-1 calls are made each year, with more than 80 percent of those calls originating from wireless devices in some areas of the country. The 9-1-1 emergency systems, including fire and rescue operations, are funded, in part, through fees imposed on consumer telephone bills. Unfortunately, over […]
The state of California has moved ahead with one of the most ambitious pieces of state-based net neutrality legislation to date. SB 822, the Communications: Broadband Internet Access Service, reinstates the restrictions put in place by the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) in 2015 and goes even further with additional regulatory restrictions. First introduced on […]
On June 28, 2018, Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.) and Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) introduced S. 3157, the Streamlining The Rapid Evolution And Modernization of Leading-edge Infrastructure Necessary to Enhance Small Cell Deployment Act (STREAMLINE Small Cell Deployment Act), which seeks to reduce barriers to deploying small cell technology. Creating a network of small cells is crucial […]
On July 12, 2018, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted to adopt an Order and Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Expanding Flexible Use of the 3.7 to 4.2 GHz Band (GN Docket No. 18-122). As noted by the 147 filings already received in this proceeding, there is strong interest across the communications industry in how […]
On June 18, 2018, T-Mobile and Sprint submitted their requests with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for approval to merge their companies together to form a stronger, more nimble company called New T-Mobile. With this merger request, one can expect the usual outcry of those who believe that competition of three is anti-competitive, and the […]
On June 11, 2018, the Restoring Internet Freedom Order (RIFO) went into effect. The hysteria over its impact nearly rivaled the doomsday scenarios created around January 1, 2000, when wild claims were made that every computer system in the world would be unable to adjust to the new century. For example, implementation of the RIFO […]
Consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the risk online activities pose to privacy and data security following the Equifax data breach and Cambridge Analytica’s use of social media sites to collect information about potential voters. It is understandable that consumers are concerned about how private companies protect their information; what should be of greater concern […]
Among the many problems with Sen. Ed Markey’s (D-Mass.) Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution of disapproval of the Restoring Internet Freedom Order (RIFO) is the gaping hole in privacy protection that will occur if the legislation is enacted into law. It is the one issue that supporters do not wish to be brought up or […]
