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Congress/House of Representatives/Privacy/Wireless

Barton, Markey to Wireless Carriers: ‘Do You Track Customers’ Location Info?’

WASHINGTON, March 31, 2011 - Reps. Edward Markey (D-MA) and Joe Barton (R-TX), Co-Chairmen of the House Bi-Partisan Privacy Caucus sent letters Tuesday to Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon and AT&T asking the wireless companies to disclose how the firms collect and stored user location data. The letters to all four major wireless carriers were sent response to a recent story in the New York Times, which reported that the German mobile provider Deutsche Telekom tracked the locations of German politicians. Keep Reading

Broadband Mapping/Broadband's Impact/Congress/Education/Health/House of Representatives/NTIA/Recovery Act/Senate/States/Universal Service

Schools, Health and Libraries Broadband Coalition Holds Broadband Summit

WASHINGTON March 30, 2011- The Schools, Health and Libraries Broadband Coalition assembled broadband stimulus award winners and government officials for their inaugural broadband summit on Tuesday to share solutions and success in solving digital literacy and adoption issues. The SHLBC, formed two years ago, comprises libraries, hospitals, schools, non-profit groups and corporations that seek to further broadband availability for community anchor institutions. Keep Reading

FCC/House of Representatives/Media ownership/Mobile Broadband/Spectrum/Wireless

AT&T Announces $39B Deal To Acquire T-Mobile

WASHINGTON, March 21, 2011 - Nationwide wireless carrier, AT&T announced Sunday that it had finalized an agreement to acquire competitor T-Mobile from Deutsche Telekom for $39 billion in cash and stock. The deal between the nation's second- and fourth-largest carriers would likely create the largest nationwide wireless carrier, topping current leader, Verizon. Keep Reading

Broadband's Impact/Congress/Expert Opinion/FCC/Mobile Broadband/Public Safety/Spectrum/Wireless

Expert Opinion: How to Bring More Handsets to More Carriers

WASHINGTON, March 15, 2011 - Despite fanfare regarding the end of exclusivity for the Apple iPhone with the launch of a CDMA version, the reality is that many carriers are still unable to attain certain devices. While the majority of current subscribers now have access to the once-exclusive iPhone, because AT&T and Verizon have been allowed to create a duopoly in the wireless industry, from a competition standpoint, AT&T and Verizon are the only two carriers with access to the device. Translation: Less than 2 percent of domestic wireless carriers have access to one of the nation’s most coveted devices. Just as the iPhone is not the only smartphone on the market, it is also not the only device that is unavailable to consumers. Due to exclusive handset arrangements, consumers are left to choose between robust coverage where they live or the latest hot device they desire. Keep Reading

Congress/House of Representatives/Intellectual Property/Patents/Senate

Patent Reform Passes Senate; Bill Headed to House

WASHINGTON, March 8, 2011 - The Senate passed a bill Tuesday evening that would significantly reform the U.S. patent system for the first time in nearly 60 years. The bill will now go to the House for consideration. The Senate passed the America Invents Act - formerly the Patent Reform Act of 2011 - by an overwhelming majority of 95-5. Congress has failed to pass comprehensive patent reform in each of the last four Congresses. Keep Reading

Congress/FCC/Net Neutrality

Subcommittee Postpones Vote on Resolution to Reverse Open Internet Order

WASHINGTON, March 2, 2010 – The House Subcommittee on Communications and Technology postponed last-minute a vote scheduled for Wednesday morning on a resolution that would reverse the Federal Communications Commission’s Open Internet Order. Chairman Fred Upton agreed to postpone the vote in order to complete regular order and a legislative hearing before voting on the… Keep Reading

Congress/Privacy

Reps. Barton, Markey Keep Watchful Eye On Facebook Privacy Settings

WASHINGTON, February 28, 2011 – Reps. Joe Barton (R-TX) and Edward Markey (D-MA), Co-Chairmen of the House Bipartisan Privacy Caucus, shared Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s response to a letter they wrote to him on February 2, 2011, questioning a particular privacy feature on Facebook that would potentially share mobile numbers and home addresses with websites and third party-applications. Keep Reading

Congress

Markey Urges FTC to Investigate In-App Purchases

WASHINGTON, February 8, 2011 - Rep. Edward Markey (D-MA), a senior Democrat on the House subcommittee on Communications, Technology and the Internet, sent a letter to the Federal Trade Commission urging it to investigate suspect practices surrounding purchases made through mobile applications. Keep Reading

Congress/FCC/Net Neutrality

Cantwell Introduces Pro-Net Neutrality Legislation

WASHINGTON, January 25, 2011 – Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) introduced legislation Tuesday to strengthen Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) net-neutrality rules. The Internet Freedom, Broadband Promotion, and Consumer Protection Act of 2011 is co-sponsored by Sen. Al Franken (D-MN), who, along with Cantwell, asserted that the Open Internet Order rules handed down by the agency last… Keep Reading

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