15 Years Late, The FCC Cracks Down On Broadband Apartment Monopolies

A major trick dominant broadband providers use to limit competition is exclusive broadband arrangements with landlords. Often an ISP will strike an exclusive deal with the owner of a building, apartment complex, or development that effectively...

FCC To Take A Closer Look At Racial Discrimination In Broadband Deployment

The regional monopolization of U.S. broadband comes with all manner of nasty side effects. The lack of competition at the heart of the country's monopoly and duopoly problem contributed to high prices, comically bad customer service, slow speeds...

Senate Commerce Committee is Letting Big Telecom Hamstring the FCC

Six months have passed since the Biden Administration signed an Executive Order to restore Net Neutrality at the FCC. And three months have passed since the President nominated net neutrality champion Gigi Sohn, a member of the EFF board, to the...

New FCC Broadband 'Nutrition Label' Will More Clearly Inform You You're Being Ripped Off

For years we've noted how broadband providers impose all manner of bullshit fees on your bill to drive up the cost of service post sale. They've also historically had a hard time being transparent about what kind of broadband connection...

Hollywood, Media, And Telecom Giants Are Clearly Terrified Gigi Sohn Will Do Her Job At The FCC

Media and telecom giants have been desperately trying to stall the nomination of Gigi Sohn to the FCC. Both desperately want to keep the Biden FCC gridlocked at 2-2 Commissioners thanks to the rushed late 2020 Trump appointment of Nathan Simington...

Ron Yokubaitis: GOP Putting Partisanship over Reform with Gigi Sohn’s FCC Nomination

Nominated by President Biden as Federal Communications Commissioner, Sohn understands the real reason net neutrality is necessary.

The FCC proposes new data breach rules for phone companies

They wouldn’t have to wait before notifying customers.

FCC Politely Tells ISPs To Stop Abusing Covid Broadband Relief Program To Rip Off Poor People

During the COVID crisis the FCC launched the Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB program), which gives lower income Americans a $50 ($75 for those in tribal lands) discount off of their broadband bill. Under the program, the government gives money to...

FCC Revisits Transparency 'Nutrition Label' For Broadband

For years we've noted how broadband providers impose all manner of bullshit fees on your bill to drive up the cost of service post sale. They've also historically had a hard time being transparent about what kind of broadband connection...

Airlines ask FCC to again delay C-band 5G rollout near airports beyond Jan. 5

The Airlines for America association says 5G signals could disrupt flights and urges the FCC to delay C-band rollout until more testing can be done.

FAA Ignores FCC, Limits U.S. 5G Over Unsubstantiated Safety Concerns

We'd already noted that the FAA had been pushing to impose limits on 5G deployments in certain bands due to safety concerns. The problem: the FCC, the agency with the expertise in spectrum interference, has repeatedly stated those concerns are...

Fraternal Order Of Police Opposes Biden FCC Nom Because She....Supports Encryption

We'd already noted how telecom and media giants eager to keep their spoils from the Trump era have been waging a not so subtle smear campaign on Biden FCC Commissioner nomination Gigi Sohn, using loyal GOP lawmakers as marionettes. Sohn is...

FCC Gets Its First Permanent Female FCC Boss Ever

The US Senate this week approved a new five-year term for Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, making her the first permanent FCC chair in agency history. Technically the first female chair was Mignon Clyburn, who...

Rosenworcel FCC Confirmation Hailed as a Step Toward a 'Just and Democratic Media System'

"She's a longtime advocate of causes that prioritize people over powerful industry interests."

Is The Game Up For Baofeng In Europe?

For radio enthusiasts worldwide, the inexpensive Chinese handheld radios produced by the likes of Baofeng and other brands have been a welcome addition to their arsenal. They make an ideal first tr…

Senator Tillis To President Biden: How Dare You Nominate To The FCC Someone Prepared To Protect The Public

Senator Tillis penned a letter to President Biden this week that is breathtaking in its obtuseness. In it, he demanded that the President withdraw the nomination of Gigi Sohn to the FCC for having championed the longstanding ability of the public...

Big Telecom Continues Its Global Quest To Tax Big Tech For No Good Reason

A few months back we noted how FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr had taken to Newsweek to dust off a fifteen year old AT&T talking point. Namely that "big tech" companies get a "free ride" on telecom networks, and, as a...

Biden FCC Green Lights Yet More Telecom Consolidation With Verizon Tracfone Merger

For literally 30 years telecom regulators have, with the occasional rare exception, rubber stamped a steady parade of mergers, resulting in a consolidated, less competitive overall market. The end result of these decisions are everywhere, from...

Eighty Civil Society Groups Ask for Swift Confirmation of FCC, NTIA Nominees

The groups sent a letter emphasizing the need for internet access expansion ahead of Wednesday confirmation hearings.

The FCC Ponders A Hugely Problematic Tax On WiFi

For years, we've noted how telecom and media giants have been trying to force "big tech" to give them huge sums of money for no reason. The shaky logic usually involves claiming that "big tech" gets a "free ride" on...