Infrastructure
NY Sued Over Low-Cost Internet, Apple Antitrust Allegations, CETF Concludes Surveys, 5G Device Growth
New York sued over $15 internet, Apple faces EU antitrust allegations, California surveys conclude, and 5G device adoption grows.
Infrastructure
Hawley Calls For Ban On Large Corp Mergers, Chip Shortage Coming For Routers, Big Telecom Breakup
April 12, 2021 – Senator Josh Hawley, R-MO, shared with Axios a new proposal that would bar corporate giants from acquisitions and strengthen century-old antitrust laws. “This country and this government shouldn’t be run by a few mega-corporations,” Hawley told Axios. The Republican Party “has got t
Infrastructure
FCC Broadband Focus; Facebook Fiber In Indiana; Telco Fiber To 68M Homes; Right Of Repair Bill In Nevada
March 30, 2021 – The Federal Communications Commission is focusing on objectives of President Joe Biden’s $1.9-trillion American Rescue Plan, which includes $7 billion for the E-Rate internet subsidy program, Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said last week. The E-Rate program – which provides i
1996
T-Mobile Wins on Infrastructure, Lina Khan FTC Nomination, Open Source Collaboration
March 23, 2021 — A federal judge ruled Friday that the San Francisco city leader unlawfully denied T-Mobile permits to upgrade infrastructure during the pandemic. The ruling was made under the 2012 Spectrum Act, which prevents State or local government from denying improvements and upgrades to exist
Antitrust
House Committee Hears of Big Tech’s Alleged Anticompetitive Behavior in New Hearing
WASHINGTON, March 2, 2021 – A House committee on Thursday heard of the need for strengthened antitrust measures to stem the influence of big technology companies, which are alleged to have increased its stranglehold on data on the internet. The committee heard of Google’s and Facebook’s overwhelming
COVID
Emergency Internet Subsidy Will Aide in Closing Digital Gap in Black Communities
February 22, 2021 – Federal Communications Commissioner Geoffrey Starks said the federal government’s emergency program that subsidizes internet service for low-income households has been a major benefit for the Black community. Starks said the program, which provides $3.2 billion over six months to
Infrastructure
Parler Returns Online, Shawnee Gets $22 Million for Illinois Build, Clubhouse’s Quantum Leap
February 16, 2021 — After being abruptly removed from web servers by tech giants on January 10, the controversial social network Parler returned online on Monday. Parler is a social network dominated by right-wing users which, following the removal of former President Trump from Twitter, grew in p
Infrastructure
Montana Democrats Push for Rural Broadband, Hints for Big Tech under Biden, Parler CEO Fired
February 8, 2021—Montana state Democrats have announced a legislative package that aims to fill the rural broadband gap. State Rep. Katie Sullivan has introduced LC 2670, a bill that would see the creation of either a broadband manager or an advisory board under the state’s executive. The goal of t
Defense Department
New Rules Against Chinese Products, Telegram and Violence, Trump’s Overlooked Impact on Tech
January 19, 2021—The U.S. Department of Commerce issued a new rule on Thursday, following up on Executive Order 13873, concerned with “Securing Information and Communication Technology and Services Supply Chain.” This rule will further the protection of U.S. citizens’ data and personal information a
Antitrust
Should Conservatives Be For or Against Big Tech? A Question Raised at CES 2021
January 14, 2021 – Big tech companies like Google literally control the flow of information, with significant significant network effects, said Rachel Bovard, a self-described conservative invited to speak at a panel on “What to do about Big Tech” at CES 2021. Speaking at the Consumer Technology Ass
Broadband Live
Special Broadband Breakfast Live Online Town Hall on Section 230 on Wednesday, January 13, 2021
See, “Crackdown on Online Conspiracy Speakers After January 6 Highlights Need for Platform Accountability,” Broadband Breakfast, January 14, 2021 Our Broadband Breakfast Live Online events take place every Wednesday at 12 Noon ET. You can watch the January 13, 2021, event on this page. You can also
Justice Department
Google Hit With Third Antitrust Lawsuit, This One by Both Democratic and Republican Attorneys General
December 17, 2020 — As many as 38 state attorneys general filed the latest antitrust suit against Google on Thursday. The suit alleges that the company has operated an illegal monopoly in online search and search advertising markets. This will be the second antitrust lawsuit filed against Google in
ADTRAN
Apple Pays $113 Million Over Battery Slowdowns, Caution on Cellular Generator Requests, Douglas Fast Net Leverages ADTRAN
Apple agreed to pay $113 million to settle an investigation by 34 states and the District of Columbia over the company’s practice of slowing down the performance of older iPhones when their batteries degrade. The settlement may be a step towards more transparency in the company’s operations. Million
CETF
Voters Back Community Internet, ATIS Boosts Next G Alliance, A New State-Federal Broadband Partnership
Voters in Chicago and Denver have shown overwhelming support for local broadband projects. Roughly 90 percent of voters in Chicago approved a referendum question that asked: “Should the city of Chicago act to ensure that all the city’s community areas have access to broadband Internet?” This could a
Big Tech
The Techlash May Be Due for a Comeuppance, Say Gigi Sohn and Techdirt Founder Mike Masnick
November 9, 2020 — Two technology policy intellectuals said on Friday at the Reboot conference that the “techlash” may due for a comeuppance. Gigi Sohn, distinguished fellow at the Georgetown Law Institute for Technology and Policy, and Techdirt Founder Mike Masnick critiqued the techlash movement a
Biden-Harris Administration
Apple Gets a Foot in Joe Biden’s Door. What Will It Mean for Silicon Valley?
One question looming over the final vote-count is the 2020 Election: How will big tech fare during the next presidential administration?
