Policy

FCC approves new WCS rules

October 18, 2012 4:04 pm | by Andrew Berg, Wireless Week | News | Comments

AT&T and satellite radio provider Sirius XM submitted the revised rules that the two companies say would limit interference between Satellite Digital Audio Radio Services (SDARS) and providers of wireless communications, both of which have been operating for the past 15 years in the 2.3 GHz band.

@ Cable-Tec Expo: Planning for capacity constraints

October 17, 2012 4:01 pm | by Brian Santo | News | Comments

The “Bandwidth Hunger Games” session was down to three last contestants: Cisco’s Ron Hranac, Motorola’s John Ulm and InnoTrans’ Mani Ramachandran, who covertly stalked each other, each waiting for the others to make the fatal mistakes that would leave a single survivor.

Comcast, Connect2Compete complete partnership agreement

October 17, 2012 3:56 pm | by Mike Robuck | News | Comments

Connect2Compete (C2C) announced that it has completed its partnership agreement, which was first announced last month, with Comcast to help the company provide additional choices for affordable computer equipment for Internet Essentials.

Aereo’s service expands to PCs

October 17, 2012 3:51 pm | by The Associated Press | News | Comments

Barry Diller-backed company Aereo is broadening the availability of its service, even as broadcasters challenge the legality of the start-up's live television transmissions over the Internet. Aereo is still limited to residents of New York City.

FCC relents, lifts basic tier encryption ban

October 16, 2012 1:08 pm | by Brian Santo | News | Comments

After Congress passed the Cable Television Consumer Protection and Competition Act of 1992, the FCC implemented the ban, with the intent of assuring that the many cable subscribers who were getting cable without a set-top box could continue to do so.

Chinese government backs Clearwire TD-LTE band

October 16, 2012 12:22 pm | by Maisie Ramsay, Wireless Week | News | Comments

The Chinese government is backing the use of the 2.6 GHz band for TD-LTE, the same band Clearwire plans to use for its TD-LTE network in the United States. The announcement is a victory for Clearwire, which has been working with China Mobile to build global support for TD-LTE in the band through the Global TD-LTE Initiative.

Numéricable picks Calix, Arcadiz for broadband business service

October 16, 2012 12:19 pm | by Mike Robuck | News | Comments

Brussels cable operator Numéricable has picked Calix’s GPON technology to upgrade its service delivery platform in Belgium and Luxembourg. Numéricable is also using Calix’s Ethernet Service Access Platform (ESAP) and will work with optical specialist Acradiz Telecom to launch the new business services across the region.

EU regulators ask Google to change privacy policy

October 16, 2012 12:16 pm | by The Associated Press | News | Comments

European regulators have asked Google to clarify its new privacy policy and make it easier for users to opt out of it because of concerns that the Web giant may be collecting too much data and holding it for too long. France's data protection agency led a European investigation into Google's new unified privacy policy.

Softbank pays $20B to gain control of Sprint

October 15, 2012 2:46 pm | by Maisie Ramsay, Wireless Week | News | Comments

Japanese operator Softbank is shelling out $20.1 billion to acquire a controlling 70 percent stake in Sprint, a transaction that will give Sprint much-needed cash to compete with AT&T and Verizon Wireless. The buyout buoys Sprint's heavily indebted balance sheet with $8 billion in new capital.

Reports: U.S. regulators move closer to suing Google

October 15, 2012 2:34 pm | by The Associated Press | News | Comments

Federal regulators are moving closer to suing Google over allegations that the company has abused its dominance of Internet search to stifle competition and drive up online advertising prices. Staff members at the FTC are preparing to recommend that the agency file an antitrust lawsuit against the search giant.

Clearwire a possible factor in Sprint, Softbank talks

October 12, 2012 1:14 pm | by Maisie Ramsay, Wireless Week | News | Comments

Sprint confirmed that it is holding discussions with Softbank for a "substantial investment" from the Japanese operator. The size of the investment remains unknown, but Sprint said the stake could be large enough to "involve a change of control."

Court sides with Samsung in dispute with Apple

October 12, 2012 1:04 pm | by The Associated Press | News | Comments

A federal appeals court has sided with Samsung Electronics in one aspect of its ongoing patent dispute with Apple. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit overturned a judge's order blocking Samsung from selling its Galaxy Nexus smartphone pending a patent lawsuit by Apple.

Comcast kicks off Internet access program in Va.

October 11, 2012 3:06 pm | by The Associated Press | News | Comments

Comcast is kicking off the second year of a program aimed at making sure low-income families in Virginia have Internet access. Company executives are joining officials from the Federal Communications Commission and local leaders in Richmond to launch the program.

Air Force CIO: Prospects few for vacating government spectrum

October 11, 2012 3:01 pm | by Maisie Ramsay, Wireless Week | News | Comments

Robert Wheeler, who serves as the agency’s deputy CIO, said that while the Defense Department is “working hand in hand with the industry” to free up the 500 MHz of spectrum called for under the National Broadband Plan, it could be extremely difficult to move existing technology to new bands.

Verizon Wireless LTE markets to hit 410 next week

October 10, 2012 3:09 pm | by Maisie Ramsay, Wireless Week | News | Comments

Verizon Wireless will light up its LTE network in 21 cities, making the service available in 410 markets. The LTE deployment is currently ahead of schedule, CTO Nicola Palmer said at a MobileCON press event. The company has aggressively expanded the service since its launch in December 2010.