WASHINGTON, July 31, 2013 — The House Energy and Commerce Committee held a session Wednesday to mark up H.R. 2844, the Federal Communications Commission Consolidating Reporting Act. The legislation, sponsored by Reps. Steve Scalise, R-LA; Greg Walden, R-OR; and Anna Eshoo, D-CA, would reduce the number of reports that the commission is required to make. The… Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, July 31, 2013 — Last Monday, Verizon announced that it would release a new high speed FiOS Quantum Internet service, providing download speeds of 500 megabits-per-second and upload speeds of 100 Mbps. The new speeds are a drastic improvement on most other connections, allowing large files to be sent as easily as a simple email.… Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, July 29, 2013 — The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation held a panel on the impact of the National Security Agency’s PRISM program on digital trade last Wednesday. Ambassador Phil Verveer, former coordinator of international communication and information policy, said recent revelations about the PRISM program have not added any real substance to concerns over… Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, July 25, 2013 — The Senate Subcommittee on Communications, Technology and the Internet held a hearing examining the implications of the transition to Internet Protocol for wireline communications on Thursday. Several of the witnesses stressed the need for modernization, both in terms of regulations and technology. Gigi Sohn, President of Public Knowledge, stated that now… Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, July 24, 2013 — The House Subcommittee on Communications and Technology held a hearing Tuesday on the upcoming spectrum auction, focusing primarily on possible restrictions on larger carriers and efforts to ensure that broadcasters are treated fairly. The question of whether or not to impose restrictions on AT&T Inc. and Verizon Communications Inc. dominated much… Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, July 23, 2013 — The Fiber to the Home Council Americas released its proposal to the Federal Communications Commission for a Gigabit Communities Race to the Top Program on Tuesday. FTTH Council Americas held a media conference call discussing the proposal and highlighting the success of Kansas City, which already has a gigabit network.… Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, July 23, 2013 — The Fiber to the Home Council Americas will propose a Gigabit Communities Race to the Top program to the Federal Communications Commission on Tuesday to complement the commission’s recent decision to modernize the E-Rate program. The purpose of the proposal is to spur the development of ultra-high speed broadband networks… Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, July 22, 2013 — July’s Broadband Breakfast Club, “Over the Top: Broadband Video’s Impact on Future TV,” centered on the transition from video distribution on television to distribution directly over broadband connections. Eric Wolf, Vice President for Technology Strategy and Planning at the Public Broadcasting Service, presented a number of statistics that demonstrate that… Keep Reading
A panel of experts discussed the causes and possible solutions of the wealth gap that exists between whites and minorities at the Minority Media and Telecom Council’s eleventh annual Access to Capital and Telecom Policy Conference on Tuesday. Maureen Lewis, Director of the Minority Telecommunications Department of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, placed a… Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, July 15, 2013 – The Minority Media and Telecom Council began its eleventh annual Access to Capital and Telecom Policy Conference with a lunch panel of legislators discussing efforts to increase minority access on Tuesday. In his keynote speech, Rep. G.K. Butterfield, D-NC, discussed efforts at the federal level. He noted that access to broadband… Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, July 12, 2013 – Several leaders of microgrid initiatives from around the country spoke on the successes of their projects at the National Town Meeting on Demand Response and Smart Grid on Thursday. First, Tom Vosburg, Policy and Project Manager for Fort Collins Utilities Light and Power Operation, discussed the Renewable and Distributed Systems… Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, July 12, 2013 – A panel of experts discussed the potential for the use of cloud computing by federal agencies at an event held by the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation on Wednesday morning. The security of cloud computing was a primary concern for many of the panelists. Matt Wood, General Manager of Data… Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, July 12, 2013 – A panel discussion held Wednesday afternoon addressed advances in smart grid technology as well as the challenge ahead for the future, at the 10th annual National Town Meeting on Demand Response and Smart Grid. Jason Wilson, Senior Vice President of Business Management and Product Development for On-Ramp Wireless, said that… Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, July 12, 2013 – A group of experts gave a presentation on the role of smart cities in advancing smart grid and other energy efficient technology at the National Town Meeting on Demand Response and Smart Grid on Thursday morning. Eugenie Birch, Chair of the Graduate Group in City Planning at the University of… Keep Reading
Washington, Friday, July 12th, 2013 – BroadbandBreakfast.com will hold its July 2013 Broadband Breakfast Club event: “Over the Top: Broadband Video’s Impact on Future TV” on Tuesday, July 16th, 2013 at Clyde’s of Gallery Place, 707 7th St. NW, Washington, DC 20001 from 8 am – 10 am. Registration at: http://broadbandbreakfast.eventbrite.com “Over the Top,” or… Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, July 3, 2013 – The National Telecommunications and Information Administration described the projects that are already underway that will help achieve the goals laid out in President Barack Obama’s ConnectEd program in a blog post on Monday. Currently, 75 percent of the NTIA’s 116 network infrastructure projects are providing connections to schools. However, schools… Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, July 3, 2013 – Federal Communications Commission Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel discussed the increasingly important role of telemedicine at the American Telemedicine Association Policy Summit on Friday. Rosenworcel described the growing use of telemedicine, with 10 million Americans benefitting from it in the last year. She highlighted its ability to bring specialists to people who… Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, July 2, 2013 – On Friday a coalition of 36 interest groups sent a letter to Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., urging her to reconsider her position calling for the eliminating the Lifeline program, one of a handful of programs that currently make up the Universal Service Fund. On June 11, McCaskill had sent a… Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, July 2, 2013 – The Institute for Local Self-Reliance released a fact sheet describing the basic principles behind wireless internet technology and policy on June 17. The fact sheet defines the basic terminology associated with wireless internet such as fixed wireless and data caps. It describes the differences between licensed and unlicensed spectrum and… Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, July 2, 2013 – In a blog post on June 18, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration highlighted its interactive map of broadband projects funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The map displays projects by the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program and State Broadband Initiative, which are funded by $4 billion investment from… Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, July 1, 2013 – On Monday the Gigabit Libraries Network announced a pilot project that will equip libraries across the country with a new technology dubbed “super Wi-Fi.” The Gigabit Libraries Network will undergo a selection process to choose which libraries will be included in the program. Those selected will receive a base station… Keep Reading