The FCC is moving forward with a controversial plan to entice broadcasters to give up their airwaves so they can later be auctioned off to carriers who need more spectrum to deliver mobile broadband. FCC officials expect the auction in 2014. Read more »
The Justice Department is giving Verizon clearance to close its $3.9 billion acquisition of the cable companies’ 4G airwaves. While it is imposing conditions on their joint-marketing agreements — basically non-compete pacts — to resell each others wireline and wireless services, the concessions are relatively minor. Read more »
Much like the welfare-to-work reform bill had bipartisan support because it moved people from welfare into a job, the FCC needs to reform the Lifeline program to provide broadband so it moves people from government assistance into jobs. Not just any jobs, but tech-oriented jobs. Read more »
The FCC condemned AT&T-Mo in every way it could think of short of denying the actual merger. Instead it passed it along to an administrative law judge, where telecom deals go to die. But first AT&T has to face down the DOJ. Read more »
The FCC may soon have a new chairman according to Washington blog, The Hill. The site reports that FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski is ready to leave his role as head of the agency and says his name has been floated as the next Secretary of Commerce. Read more »
The FCC chairman today outlined a vision for 100 Mbps connections to 100 million homes. But that goal will be easy compared with other aspects of the National Broadband Plan he outlined such as delivering faster universal service, telehealth, a smart grid, and digital literacy programs. Read more »
FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski came to our office today to talk about broadband, and during both the event itself and the conversations I had with people before and after, it became clear to me how optimistic many of us should be about the New FCC. Read more »
