Policy

Comcast forges 2 partnerships to broaden Internet Essentials’ reach

September 26, 2012 3:23 pm | by Mike Robuck | News | Comments

Comcast has struck partnerships with the U.S. Department of Labor and Connect2Compete to further stretch the reach of its low-cost Internet Essentials broadband tier. Comcast said the new partnerships would help close the gap on the digital divide.

Dish lashes out at Sprint AWS proposal

September 26, 2012 3:19 pm | by Maisie Ramsay, Wireless Week | News | Comments

Dish Network has stepped up its offense against a Sprint proposal that it says could "severely jeopardize" its wireless plans. The two companies are fighting over the FCC's proposed rule changes to Dish Network's AWS-4 spectrum, 40 MHz of satellite spectrum it wants to use for a land-based LTE network.

Chicago works to expand broadband access

September 24, 2012 2:20 pm | by The Associated Press | News | Comments

The city says Millennium Park has already begun offering free wireless Internet to the public, and all parks in Chicago will eventually offer free Internet. The city also wants to expand high-speed access for residents in underserved areas.

TiVo settles lawsuit against Verizon for $250M

September 24, 2012 2:12 pm | by The Associated Press | News | Comments

Verizon will pay TiVo at least $250.4 million to settle a patent lawsuit related to its digital video recording technology, and the two have a licensing deal. The two companies agreed to dismiss all pending litigation. They had been scheduled to go to trial in October.

Verizon, ActiveVideo make nice

September 24, 2012 2:04 pm | by Brian Santo | News | Comments

After an appeals court affirmed that Verizon violated ActiveVideo Networks’ patents, the two companies have negotiated a cross-licensing agreement to seal the result of the lawsuit. ActiveVideo charged that Verizon’s FiOS VOD service infringed on four of its patents.

FCC deflects criticism over LightSquared

September 24, 2012 1:56 pm | by Maisie Ramsay, Wireless Week | News | Comments

Federal Communications Commission officials told Congress that the GPS industry should have raised concerns about interference long before it gave LightSquared the go-ahead for a wholesale wireless service in an adjacent band. The Commission is in hot water.

SCTE forms working group on recycling

September 21, 2012 1:32 pm | by Mike Robuck | News | Comments

In its ongoing efforts to be a more eco-friendly industry, the Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers has formed a recycling working group. The Recycling Working Group is part of the SCTE Standards Program’s Sustainability Management Subcommittee (SMS).

Apple loses German patent case vs. Samsung, Motorola

September 21, 2012 1:25 pm | by The Associated Press | News | Comments

A German court has dismissed Apple's claim that Samsung Electronics and Google's Motorola Mobility infringed patents used in touchscreen devices. The Mannheim state court's ruling Friday follows similar decisions in Britain and the Netherlands.

100G migrations accelerating

September 20, 2012 2:25 pm | by Brian Santo | News | Comments

With video constituting an ever-larger percentage of growing worldwide data traffic, communications companies are accelerating the migration to 100 gigabit transmission on backbones and metro area networks. There have been a lot of recent announcements in the U.S.

AT&T buys San Diego WCS spectrum

September 20, 2012 2:05 pm | by Maisie Ramsay, Wireless Week | News | Comments

AT&T continued its WCS shopping spree with the purchase of two licenses in San Diego, a key market in California. The spectrum will be used to supplement AT&T's LTE network in the California market, where competitor Verizon Wireless has already launched LTE.

Liberty Global to buy rest of Telenet for $2.56B

September 20, 2012 2:00 pm | by The Associated Press | News | Comments

Liberty Global wants to buy the rest of Belgian cable TV provider Telenet Group Holding for about $2.56 billion. Liberty Global has been the Belgian cable provider's controlling shareholder since 2007 and owns 50.4 percent of Telenet's outstanding shares.

FCC clears path for MSOs’ purchase of telcos

September 18, 2012 3:33 pm | by Brian Santo | News | Comments

A new FCC ruling will make it easier for smaller cable companies to invest in or outright buy a small phone company. The FCC’s specific act was to grant forbearance on a section of the Communications Act of 1934 – Section 652(b) – which contains specific language that prevents cable ops from buying CLECs.

Commissioner: FCC has 'fallen behind' on spectrum promises

September 17, 2012 1:49 pm | by Maisie Ramsay, Wireless Week | News | Comments

FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai said the agency has "fallen behind" on a 2010 pledge to free up spectrum for the wireless industry. "The Commission has fallen behind schedule in meeting the goals set forth in the National Broadband Plan," Pai said before the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington, D.C.

House hearing set on FCC's handling of LightSquared

September 17, 2012 1:46 pm | by Maisie Ramsay, Wireless Week | News | Comments

House lawmakers have scheduled a hearing on the FCC's management of LightSquared's botched attempt to build an LTE network. The Commission has been criticized for granting LightSquared a waiver for the service, only to block the company from moving forward with its plan because of problems with GPS interference.

Federal judge hands Samsung setback against Apple

September 17, 2012 1:39 pm | by The Associated Press | News | Comments

In a preliminary move, a federal judge has denied Samsung's request for a ban on imports of the iPhone, iPad and iPod. It's another setback for Samsung in a globe-spanning legal battle, where each company is accusing the other of violating its patents.