WASHINGTON, April 15, 2013 – Tom Wheeler, one of the most-frequently mentioned names to take the chairmanship of the Federal Communications Commission, remains perhaps the leading contender for the role, according to a Friday telecom update from Medley Global Advisors. “Venture capitalist and former lobbyist Tom Wheeler picked up a strong vote of confidence from a… Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, April 4, 2013 – This week BroadbandBreakfast.com continues its series of profiles of many of the top prospective candidates that might be selected to serve as chairman of the Federal Communications Commission. Julius Genachowski, the 29th chairman, on Friday announced on March 22, that he would step down within a few weeks. Larry Strickling, currently… Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, March 27, 2013 – This week BroadbandBreakfast.com continues its series of profiles of many of the top prospective candidates that might be selected to serve as chairman of the Federal Communications Commission. Julius Genachowski, the 29th chairman, on Friday announced on March 22, that he would step down within a few weeks. Many credited Julius… Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, March 27, 2013 – This week BroadbandBreakfast.com will begin a series profiling many of the top prospective candidates that might be selected to serve as chairman of the Federal Communications Commission. Julius Genachowski, the 29th chairman, on Friday announced that he would step down within a few weeks. Mignon Clyburn joined Genachowski as one… Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, March 27, 2013 – “If we build super-fast networks, the innovators will come,” said Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski on Wednesday, in his first public statements since his announcement last Friday that he would leave the agency in a matter of weeks. While speaking at an FCC workshop on the development of gigabit-speed… Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, March 26, 2013 – Today’s cars are getting smarter because drivers are bringing smart phones into their cars and because autonomous-driving systems are getting closer and closer to market availability. Indeed, the accelerating use of the smart phone has dramatically brought the issue of auto safety to the forefront, panelists attending the March Broadband Breakfast… Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, March 25, 2013 – A recent wrap-up of global broadband news included the following items: Lusaka, Zambia Zamtel, a Zambian Telecommunications company, has announced plans to increase mobile broadband Internet service and availability in the nation, according to the Lusaka Times. Zamtel Chief Eexecutive Officer Dr. Mupanga Mwanakatwe spoke of the company’s plans to… Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, March 22, 2013 – In a hurriedly-scheduled Federal Communications Commission meeting on Friday, agency Chairman Julius Genachowski formally announced his resignation from the agency. Genachowski’s resignation, which was expected, puts forward the details of his timing: he will leave the agency in a few weeks. Genachowski has overseen the agency since he was confirmed… Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, March 17, 2013 – A recent wrap-up of global broadband news included the following items: Islands of Sicily The telecommunications company BT has announced plans to fund a 3.7 million Euro plan to “bring high-speed fibre broadband to the isles of Sicily,” according to digitalspy.com. The initiative will facilitate unused fibre-optic cables that have… Keep Reading
March 17, 2013 – How a music festival connects to their audience is paramount to having a successful event. In recent years, several festivals – including the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival – have turned to aggressive viral campaigns to keep people talking about a festival before and after the music plays. The culture of… Keep Reading
SILVER SPRING, Maryland, March 15, 2013 – Relationships between broadband providers and consumers can often be contentious. Gary Evans of the Minnesota-based Hiawatha Broadband Company, who spoke during the Monday afternoon session of the Freedom to Connect conference here last week, recounted how his simple business model has made Hiawatha a success. Evans described himself… Keep Reading
SILVER SPRING, Maryland, March 15, 2013 – A somber tone was set last week during the opening day of the 2013 Freedom to Connect conference here. Opening remarks by conference organizer David Isenberg were peppered with references to Wikileaks mastermind Julian Assange, Pvt. Bradley Manning currently under military trial for releasing classified State documents, and… Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, March 14, 2013 – With Catholics around the world awaiting the announcement of the new Pope, students at the Catholic University of America chose an alternative route to discovery. Hundreds of students gathered in the student-dining hall located in the Edward J. Pryzbala student center. There were no TV’s, no radios, and poor broadband… Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, March 14, 2013 – As print newspapers continue their long descent into inoperable demise, the rise of the blogger – specifically sports bloggers – has tossed the classic definition of journalist into grayer areas. Matthew Cerrone, a former P.R strategist, started MetsBlog.com in 2003. In the 10 years since the site’s inception, what was… Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, March 13, 2013 – At Tuesday’s oversight hearing of the Federal Communications Commission, Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.V., on Tuesday put the focus on the portion of the Universal Service Fund designed to provide connectivity to schools and libraries, as well as on the public safety network described as FirstNet. The Senate and the agency,… Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, March 12, 2013 – The Federal Communications Commission and the U.S. Justice Department on Tuesday announced their approval of the proposed merger of mobile wireless carriers T-Mobile and MetroPCS. Two years after the two agencies nixed AT&T’s attempted acquisition of T-Mobile on antitrust grounds, different non-profit interest groups found different reasons to applaud the… Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, February 25, 2013 – A recent wrap-up of global broadband news included the following items: Leading Indian Cable Operator Speaks to Expanding Telecommunications Climate In preparation for the coming “TV Connect Asia” summit in Hong Kong, InCablenet, India’s leading cable provider, has recently spoken about their support of improving telecommunications in India. Ravi Mansukhani,… Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, February 18, 2012 – A recent wrap-up of global broadband news included the following items: Microsoft 4Afrika Initiative Microsoft recently launched the Microsoft4Afrika Initiative, in a push to promote economic and broadband development in Africa. The initiative hopes to promote inexpensive smartphone usage on the African continent, and teach digital literacy to citizens. This… Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, February 20, 2013 – Policy-makers and consumers alike are struggling to grapple with a rising-tide of data usage from wireless devices, according to the chief of the Federal Communications Commission’s wireless bureau and panelists speaking at the Broadband Breakfast Club on Tuesday at Clyde’s of Gallery Place. Panelists noted the challenges that data caps… Keep Reading
February 18, 2013 – When pitcher C.J. Nitkowski first started blogging in 1997, even he could never have predicted how fast the medium would grow. By his own accord, Nitkowski “fell into being the first active player on the web.” In 1997, the Houston Astros website, astros.com, asked Nitkowski to write a semi-annual newsletter chronicling… Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, February 12, 2013 – The United States is, in fact, among the world leaders in broadband deployment, according to a study released Tuesday by the Information Technology and Information Foundation. “Through this report, we identify multiple areas where America is doing well, where improvement is needed and most importantly the real reasons for some… Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, February 11, 2013 – The increasing prevalence on job applications being online is just one of many reasons why it is vital to “close our nation’s digital divide and [improve] digital literacy,” Rep. Doris Matsui, D-Calif., said Thursday. Having more people connected would in turn allow more people to have access to jobs and… Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, February 8, 2013 – The Federal Communications Commission is not able to flexibly adapt to changed circumstances in the communications world, according to officials participating in a January 30 panel on here the transition to internet protocol networks. With the topic in hand of the “retirement” of traditional copper wiress, and the regulatory paradigm… Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, February 6, 2013 – While combing the internet to wax nostalgic via old commercials from my childhood, I made my way through memories of nerf-guns and ninja turtles toys. Along the way I discovered an AT&T commercial from 1993 entitled “View of the Future.” The commercial features what were once wild-eyed and futuristic elements:… Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, February 6, 2013 – Members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee collectively patted themselves, and their nation, on the back at a hearing on Tuesday entitled, “Fighting for Freedom: Dubai and Beyond.” Our notions are grounded in freedom, said Rep. Ted Poe, R-Texas. Indeed, said Rep. Poe, “freedom is what we do in… Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, January 29, 2013 – For Max Brown, founding partner and owner of Washington’s Chinatown Coffee Company, small business owners need to embrace the benefits that technology brings. In the two years that Chinatown Coffee has used the app called “Square,” Brown has seen his credit card charge costs drop by about 50 percent. That… Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, January 25, 2013 – Data-sharing in a broadband-enabled world enables greater productivity for the government and the private sector, said officials at the first annual “Data Innovation Day” hosted Thursday by the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation. Representatives from Amazon Web Services and the U.S. Department of Education touched on a common thread that… Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, January 24, 2013 – Broadband is about more than internet connection speeds, but now is everywhere, and affecting the way that consumers interacting with constantly-connected devices, according to a guide released by the Internet Innovation Alliance. The IIA guide highlights the usage of broadband connectivity in the advancement of distance learning in schools, as… Keep Reading
WASHINGTON, January 24, 2013 – Whenever a large gathering commences, chances are that, in addition to cramped quarters and long lines, the influx will also mean a major increase in the number of cell phones, laptops and other Wi-Fi dependent devices. As when on January 21, 2013, President Barack Obama was sworn in for his… Keep Reading