Tech

FAA forced delay in 5G rollout despite having no proof of harm to aviation

Enlarge / Federal Aviation Administration Administrator Steve Dickson testifies before a Senate panel examining safety certification of jetliners on June 17, 2020, in Washington, DC. (credit: Getty Images | Graeme Jennings ) Two weeks ago, AT&T and Verizon reluctantly agreed to delay the launch of 5G on newly acquired C-band spectrum licenses for one month, […]

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Republicans fight Biden FCC pick Gigi Sohn, claim she’ll censor conservatives

Enlarge / Gigi Sohn testifies during a Senate committee hearing on June 21, 2012. (credit: Getty Images | Alex Wong ) Senate Republicans are planning a strong fight against President Biden’s nomination of consumer advocate Gigi Sohn to the Federal Communications Commission. “I will do everything in my power to convince colleagues on both sides of […]

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FCC kicks China Telecom Americas out of US, cites Chinese government control

Enlarge (credit: Getty Images | MicroStockHub) The Federal Communications Commission today voted to block China Telecom Americas from the US market, saying that the “US subsidiary of a Chinese state-owned enterprise” is “subject to exploitation, influence, and control by the Chinese government.” The telco “is highly likely to be forced to comply with Chinese government requests […]

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Biden finally makes FCC picks: Rosenworcel as chair, Gigi Sohn as commissioner

Enlarge / FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel testifies before the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Communications and Technology Subcommittee on December 05, 2019, in Washington, DC. (credit: Getty Images | Chip Somodevilla) President Biden finally made his picks for the Federal Communications Commission today, ending a baffling delay that forced Democrats to operate in a 2-2 […]

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FCC plans to rein in “gateway” carriers that bring foreign robocalls to US

Enlarge (credit: Getty Images | Juj Winn) The Federal Communications Commission hopes to reduce the number of illegal robocalls from overseas with an expansion of rules that require phone companies to implement Caller ID authentication technology and block illegal calls. “Eliminating illegal robocalls that originate abroad is one of the most vexing challenges the commission […]

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Expanded robocall blocking has begun—but there are still “too many loopholes”

Enlarge (credit: Getty Images | RobertAx) In a new milestone for the US government’s anti-robocall efforts, phone companies are now prohibited from accepting calls from providers that did not comply with a Federal Communications Commission deadline that passed this week. “Beginning today, if a voice service provider’s certification and other required information does not appear in […]

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Biden’s baffling FCC delay could give Republicans a 2-1 FCC majority

Enlarge / President Joe Biden signs an executive order as (L-R) Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, Chairperson of the Federal Trade Commission Lina Khan, Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra, Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, Attorney General Merrick Garland, National Economic Council Director Brian Deese, and acting Chairwoman of the Federal Communications Commission […]

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Big ISPs fight to save exclusive wiring deals that limit choice in apartments

Enlarge (credit: Getty Images | niknikon) The cable lobby is trying to stop a possible ban on exclusive wiring deals between Internet providers and landlords, claiming that exclusive arrangements are “pro-competitive” even though they make it harder for new ISPs to provide service in multi-unit apartment and condo buildings. The Federal Communications Commission last week […]

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FCC seeks $5M fine for robocalls telling Black people that voting helps “the man”

Enlarge / Police officers surround Jacob Wohl as he taunts protesters during a “Trump/Pence Out Now” rally at Black Lives Matter plaza August 27, 2020 in Washington, DC. (credit: Getty Images | Michael Santiago ) The Federal Communications Commission yesterday proposed a $5.1 million fine against two right-wing political operatives accused of making over 1,100 […]

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Ajit Pai apparently mismanaged $9 billion fund—new FCC boss starts “cleanup”

Enlarge (credit: Getty Images | LdF) The Federal Communications Commission wants SpaceX to give up a portion of the $885.51 million in broadband funding it was awarded in a reverse auction in December 2020. SpaceX’s Starlink satellite broadband division was one of the biggest winners in the FCC’s Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) grants announced […]