It took four million public comments and a pitched political fight invoking everything from civil rights to Presidential power, but the FCC has finally passed…
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Does the FCC want to oversee peering deals like Netflix vs. Comcast?
The FCC will soon pass new rules for how ISP’s must handle broadband traffic and, while it’s expected to impose a policy of net neutrality when…
Read MoreGOP calls for open internet, but more in symbol than substance
“Open internet” has become one of those political catch-phrases like “freedom” or “innovation” that enjoys universal support but is rapidly losing any real meaning. Consider,…
Read MoreIn surprise FCC filing, Sprint endorses net neutrality
Supporters of net neutrality got a boost from an unlikely source on Friday as telecom giant Sprint stated in a letter to the FCC that…
Read MoreIs public broadband a threat to taxpayers? Let towns decide
A casual observer might think towns across the country are contemplating Communism, rather than construction projects. Such is the state of the national…
Read More3 big questions remain as net neutrality heads to the end game
The FCC has scheduled a February 26 vote on net neutrality, touching off a final flurry of debate over how the agency should oversee the…
Read MoreAs Comcast merger enters final phase, deal may be on thin ice
When telecom giant Comcast announced plans in February to swallow its largest rival, Time Warner Cable, the consensus in Washington and on Wall…
Read MoreThe biggest danger to net neutrality is now political, not legal
After President Obama came out with a surprise call for net neutrality, Verizon struck back with a new lawsuit threat. But the case for net neutrality is on solid legal ground -- it's the political case that's now shaky. Here's why.…
Read MoreMore cities call for control of their broadband destiny, as FCC looks at states’ power to overrule them
Should cities have the right to determine their own internet policies? A new coalition from across the country has formed to argue for faster broadband speeds.…
Read MoreObama pans internet fast lanes, as calls increase to treat broadband as “public utility”
The White House appears to be providing the FCC with fresh political cover in the event the agency decides to defy the cable industry and impose net neutrality rules.…
Read MoreWill the FCC be tempted by AT&T’s suggestion of internet ‘fast lanes’ run by users?
What if the FCC could solve net neutrality in a way that pleased both industry and consumer advocates? User-directed fast lanes hold out that promise in theory -- but might be a different story in practice.…
Read MoreFCC’s Wheeler tells towns to fight for faster internet
Should city governments play a bigger role in getting faster internet for their citizens? The FCC's chairman shared some thoughts at a time when the city of Palo Alto and others are doing the same in a public proceeding.…
Read MoreGood news for football fans as FCC will vote to end TV blackouts September 30
Are you a fan of the Bills, Packers, Chargers or other small market NFL team? Relief from blackouts is on the way as FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler says the agency will stop supporting the rules.…
Read MoreWhen John Oliver says “fight for Net Neutrality” the US listens: new study parses 800,000 FCC comments
Can big data tools sway the outcome of a debate? The Sunlight Foundation has applied machine learning to the FCC debate to show popular sentiment. But it's unclear if the impact of the report does much more than offer new insight into how advocacy groups work "get-out-the-comment" process.…
Read MoreEtsy sees hope for small retailers in fight over internet fast lanes
How does the FCC's controversial plan for internet fast lanes affect small retailers? Plenty, according to Etsy. The handcraft site is afraid fast lanes will harm its sellers, but believe that momentum is shifting its way.…
Read MoreFCC can knock out state laws that limit broadband, Wheeler warns
Tension is building between the telecom industry, which is using state laws to shut down cities from building broadband networks, and the FCC, where chairman Tom Wheeler repeated a warning that he will overrule such laws.…
Read MoreFCC wants to protect citizens from Stingray-style cell phone trackers
Stingrays are a secret but popular technology that police forces -- and possibly gangs and foreign governments -- are using to track cell phone locations and conversations.…
Read MoreFCC to Verizon: Your throttling had better be about managing congestion, not cash
Apparently the chairman of the FCC isn't a fan of Verzion's plans to throttle the speeds of customers signed up for its unlimited plans, and has asked Verizon's CEO to justify that decision.…
Read MoreNetflix to FCC: reclassify Comcast and Verizon so they can’t choke the internet
Netflix submitted an unusually blunt filing to the FCC that blasts Verizon and Comcast, and says the agency should use its "Title II" power to enforce net neutrality.…
Read MoreSenator Schumer calls for big stick of “Title II” as net neutrality debate heats up
Senator Chuck Schumer suggested on Facebook that the FCC should classify internet providers as "common carriers."…
Read MoreDemocrats propose bill to halt “fast lanes” on the internet
Should big content companies be able to pay ISP's to bring their traffic in ahead of other content? Democrats in Congress want to forbid the FCC from allowing this.…
Read MoreFCC takes aim at local laws that limit broadband, but faces states’ rights pushback from Republicans
The cable industry has been lobbying state governments to pass laws that forbid cities from competing with them for broadband services. The FCC may use its legal authority to put a stop to that.…
Read MoreOpposition to FCC’s controversial “fast lane” plan is gaining steam
The backlash against the FCC's proposed plan to implement "net neutrality" by bifurcating internet traffic is growing, with venture firms and two commissioners calling for the agency to fall back, or at least delay the scheme.…
Read MoreMozilla’s crazy plan to fix net neutrality and turn broadband into a utility – and why it could work
Mozilla thinks it has found a way to ensure true network neutrality without going back and reclassifying broadband. Will its regulatory sleight of hand find support?…
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