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Daily news and top headlines for broadband communications engineering and design professionals
Softbank pays $20B to gain control of Sprint
October 15, 2012 2:46 pm | by Maisie Ramsay, Wireless Week | News | CommentsJapanese 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 | CommentsFederal 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 | CommentsSprint 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 | CommentsA 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 | CommentsComcast 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 | CommentsRobert 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 | CommentsVerizon 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.
AT&T, T-Mobile swap PCS spectrum
October 10, 2012 3:08 pm | by Maisie Ramsay, Wireless Week | News | CommentsAT&T is snapping up a handful of AWS, PCS and 700 MHz spectrum through separate deals with T-Mobile USA and Peregrine Spectrum. According to documents released by the FCC, Peregrine is selling AT&T three lower 700 MHz B-block licenses spanning Florida, Minnesota and Puerto Rico.
U.S. House: Chinese communications vendors pose security threat
October 9, 2012 3:28 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsThe House Intelligence Committee issued a report that recommends that American companies avoid sourcing network equipment from China's two leading technology firms – Huawei Technologies and ZTE – because they pose a national security threat to the United States.
FCC seeks input on Liberty bid to control Sirius
October 3, 2012 2:10 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsFederal regulators opened up a public comment period on an application by John Malone's Liberty Media Corp. to take control of satellite radio company Sirius XM Radio, in which Liberty already has amassed the equivalent of a 47.3 percent stake.
iControl adds bridge to energy usage data
October 1, 2012 5:58 pm | by Brian Santo | News | CommentsiControl Networks said its OpenHome software platform will enable home security and broadband service providers to integrate energy usage data into their service offerings. OpenHome now provides direct access to Green Button information about energy consumption.
LightSquared's latest LTE plan: share Federal spectrum
October 1, 2012 3:59 pm | by Maisie Ramsay, Wireless Week | News | CommentsLightSquared wants the FCC to let it share spectrum with the federal government under a new plan for its LTE network, which has been stymied by problems with GPS interference. It wants to swap a slice of spectrum it now has a license to for spectrum used for government weather balloons.
IPTV: Coming soon to a town near you
September 30, 2012 12:18 am | by Brian Santo | Articles | CommentsWith IP-based video technology maturing, there is a growing number of smaller companies able to provide subscribers in their typically exurban-to-rural areas with services and features that include larger packages of top-ranked channels (with more of those channels in HD), multi-room DVR, TV Everywhere-type services and hybrid features like Caller ID on TV.
$Billions up for grabs in SIP trunking
September 29, 2012 7:34 pm | by Doug Wadkins, chief technical officer of Edgewater Networks | Articles | CommentsCable operators may have a golden opportunity in the business services market. Old-style PBXs in the enterprise equipment market are gradually being updated to IP PBXs. On the one hand, some new IP-based services are possible with these new systems. On the other hand, however, TDM trunking of those IP PBXs is still the predominant method of interconnection.
Ciciora's Corner - Patent wars
September 29, 2012 5:59 pm | by Walt S. Ciciora, expert on cable and consumer electronics issues | Articles | CommentsArticle I, Section 8 gives Congress the power to establish patent and copyright laws. Because it’s a constitutional issue, patent cases are tried in federal court and can be appealed all the way to the Supreme Court. A patent is the right to exclude someone from making, selling or using a patented invention.
