Antitrust
FTC Opens Microsoft Antitrust Investigation, Trump Must Decide Whether to Keep
It's the latest action of more than three years of aggressive antitrust enforcement shepherded by FTC Chair Lina Khan.
FTC
Twitter Loses Senior Officers, Gains White House and Federal Trade Commission Scrutiny
The current kerfufle isn’t the first time Twitter has had a run-in with the Federal Trade Commission.
Defense
Pentagon Gives Up Spectrum For 5G, Dish Buys Ting Mobile, Low Earth Orbit Satellite Developments
The White House announced a massive transfer of electromagnetic spectrum traditionally used for military operations to become available for commercial 5G use, reported Breaking Defense on Monday. The move is aimed at dramatically expanding 5G access for all Americans. The Federal Communications Comm
FCC
Broadband Roundup: Section 230 Fears, T-Mobile Claims 5G Rollout, Ajit Pai Challenges Twitter
President Donald Trump’s executive order potentially restricting protections for social media platforms like Twitter is a mistake, wrote Daniel Lyons, visiting fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. The order would make tech companies liable for the content that is posted on their websites if
Coronavirus Roundup: Municipal Broadband, Zoombombing, Voter Registration Via Snapchat
A report from BroadbandNow finds that people from states with municipal broadband restrictions pay more for their internet than those without them. The report found that more than half of those from states without municipal broadband restrictions paid $60 or less for their connection. Several states
Big Tech
Big Tech’s Response to Coronavirus: Face Masks, Hiring Binges, Free Web Sites and Cash Donations
April 2, 2020 – Big technology companies have been closely scrutinized by legislators and the executive branch in Washington for at least two years now. But this “techlash” is largely forgotten in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Whether the future looks back on big tech as a savior or a vultur
White House
Trump Delays 10 Percent Tariff on Chinese Tech Goods, Buttigieg on Broadband, Facebook Eavesdropping
The Trump Administration on Tuesday decided to delay a new 10 percent tariff for Chinese goods such as laptops and other electronics, Law360 reported. Any other products will have a tariff imposed beginning in September. The decision to delay tariffs stems from importers who warned that expanding th
Broadband Mapping and Data
Faster Access in Metro and Suburban Areas, Amazon and Higher Prices, Trump and Social Media
Broadband technologies are getting better and faster, but access is still concentrated in metro and suburban areas, Kim Hart and Sara Fischer report in Axios. Despite efforts to narrow the digital divide, rural areas, small towns and low-income neighborhoods in big cities still struggle to have acce
Broadband Mapping and Data
Broadband DATA Act Clears Senate Committee and Dish Network Purchases $5 Billion Wireless Assets
The Senate Commerce Committee unanimously passed the Broadband Deployment Accuracy and Technological Availability Act on Wednesday, Broadcasting and Cable reports. The bill was introduced in June by Sens. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., Gary Peters, D-Mich., John Thune, R-S.D. and Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn. The
Spectrum
Amie Stepanovich at Silicon Flatirons, Amazon Stores Voice Recordings, and Dish Network’s Spectrum Assets
Silicon Flatirons announced Amie Stepanovich as the new executive director of the technology policy think tank based at the University of Colorado Law School. A noted cybersecurity and privacy law and policy expert, she plans to build upon Silicon Flatirons’ legacy of interdisciplinary conferences a
Broadband's Impact
Broadband Technology is Powering a New Generation of TV Startups, Including Jeffrey Katzenberg’s
BROADBAND BREAKFAST INSIGHT: With Jeffrey Katzenberg getting into the game, we now see a multitude of video entities and many over-the-top outfits promoting an array of content offerings. Katzenberg’s take? Short-form TV. Let a thousand flowers bloom! Katzenberg’s NewTV Video Startup Raises $800 Mil
Broadband's Impact
Trump Budget Proposal To Include $200 Billion for Infrastructure Spending
BROADBAND BREAKFAST INSIGHT: Mixed signals emerging from Office of Management Budget about the role of infrastructure in the Trump administration plan. Trump Budget Said to Include $200 Billion for Infrastructure, from Bloomberg: President Donald Trump will propose spending $200 billion in federal f
House Judiciary
Broadband Roundup: More Action on Connect America Fund, FTC versus FCC, NSA Surveillance Continues
WASHINGTON, June 23, 2014 – The Federal Communications Commission announced that its open meeting on July 11 will center on closed captioning of internet protocol-delivered video clips, the Connect America Fund’s rural broadband expansion, and modernizing E-Rate to deliver digital learning. Tom Whee
FCC
Broadband Roundup: AT&T Won’t Block Internet, Google and Vodafone Working to ‘Seal Cracks’ in Net
WASHINGTON, June 9, 2014 – In a blog post on Friday, AT&T gave its assurance that paid prioritization was not part of the telecommnications gianits plans. “Not a single [internet service provider] has asserted a desire or right to engage in any of these practices to create ‘fast lanes and slow lanes
FCC
Broadband Roundup: Sprint and T-Mobile Proposal, Mobile Broadband Rising, Media Ownership Rules
WASHINGTON, June 5, 2014 – Another significant telecommunications merger proposition is underway between Sprint and T-Mobile. The Wall Street Journal reported that the acquisition would cost Sprint $32 billion, or about $40 per share in cash and stock. Sprint and T-Mobile are the third and fourth la
Wall Street Journal
Broadband Roundup: China’s Tit-for-Tat with America on Cybercrime; FCC Chairman Wheeler Discusses Next-Generation Internet Networks
WASHINGTON, May 27, 2014 – In what appears to be a tit-for-tat on the United States Justice Department’s indictments last week for cybercrime, China has accused the United States of spying on government officials, businesses and mobile phone users, reported the BBC News. “As a superpower, the United
