(1) (Federal Communications Commission, Washington, DC, www.fcc.gov) The U.S. government agency that regulates interstate and international communications including wire, cable, radio, TV and satellite. The FCC was created...
FCC Chair Kevin Martin is addressing NXTComm now via a satellite hookup.Priorities he's mentioned include:Â Making sure that Uni versal Service fee assessment policies are updated so that people live in rural areas can be connected to broadband. He backed reverse auctions as a way to fast-track this goal. Making sure that...
Late Thursday, The Federal Communications Commission extended the disability access requirements of Sections 225 and 255 of the Communications Act, which currently apply to traditional phone services, to providers of interconnected VoIP services and to manufacturers of equipment used to provide those services.Section 255 of the...
FedEx has a squeaky clean image. It is hard to imagine them running afoul of local law enforcement by interfering with police dispatching signals.But thats exactly what FedEx did in and around Riverside, California. And in a judgement announced by the FCC last Friday, FedEx is going to have...
Heres an even more apt reference than a play on the title "Smells Like Teen Spirit," by Nirvana.We go a little further back for this one: "One likes to believe in the power of music"But glitter and prizes and endless compromises, shatter the illusion of integrity""Spirit of Radio,...
From Washington comes late word tonight that a compromise has apparently been hammered out that will clear the way for AT&T to acquire BellSouth for $85 billion.Thats the AT&T headed by "one-time," fierce net neutrality opponent Edward Whitacre, Jr. Youre lookin at him. The compromise is said to be...
Turns out that FCC Commissioner Robert McDowell wont vote on the AT&T-BellSouth merger.I have to tell you I am surprised. In the last six years, we havent seen all that many Republicans buck the "free market" mantra enthusiastically championed by the GOP. And it is not common that regulators...
Earlier this week, the Federal Communications Commission said that broadcasters have "only limited First Amendment protection," that the V-chip is "ineffective," and that they have every right to mete out punishment for the use of swear words as indecent practice.I dont know about you, but when I hear a...
FCC Overstepping its authority againWhy do we as a society, blindly ignore when the government overreaches its authority?The FCC only has authority to regulate the airwaves.The Internet and related technologies have nothing to do with the FCC, and they have no authority in this area.We need to wake up, people....
The FCC is embarking on a review of several innovations that have now gained critical mass, among them, cloud computing, identity management and government data transparency. by Doug Hanchard
Is a Google Voice a phone service or a web service? The fact is, it's a question that can't be answered under our current definitions. But one thing is clear: Google Voice is the camel's nose under the policy tent that should - and perhaps will - cause a full-blown...
Google is obviously annoyed with the fact that AT&T is stirring the pot, and in their words, using "regulatory capitalism" to block or slow down innovation. This is turning into a fairly heated debate, and is getting more interesting all the time. Google defends its position...
Here's Google's response to AT&T's charges that Voice discriminates against users in certain, expensive locations. Google's argument: yes, the common carrier system is broken and should be fixed so that local carriers can't rip off common carriers for outrageous connection fees. >Under the common carrier laws, AT&T...
There's a Net Neutrality battle going on and AT&T has put a double-edged sword at the feet of the FCC - and Google's name is written all over it. AT&T sent a letter to the FCC today, asking the regulatory agency to look into the practices of...
Nice intent, bad ideaWhat happens when someone's personal, or company's name is Bank, Banker, Banks or some variation on the word?What if I'm trying to start an environmental management site for sustainable fishing called, "The Georges Banks"? Or my new bar and grill, "The Iowa River Bank"?Crazy ideaIf only...
Not surprising..They got caught with their hand in the cookie jar and now want to deny it. So of course they will change their tune when any type of action is taken. Comcast needs to be strung up from the tallest tree and hung for the world to see. I...
Stop coddling wireless companiesThey are no longer fledgling upstarts but the new normal. It is simply mind-boggling why they get away with a much looser regulatory framework than landlines. Why is it, for instance, that you do not have a choice of carrier for international calls the way you do...
How They RollThis is just how the GOP rolls. When Bill Clinton left office we were number one or two in broadband. Now we're down around 17 behind some Eastern European countries. The GOP keeps saying they're about competition, but they keep passing bills to stifle real competition. Sort of...
Led by Texas Republican Kay Hutchison, six Republicans sign onto a bill to cut off funding to the FCC for new regulatory activity. It's an absurdly unconstitutional move and one destined to fail. by Richard Koman
One thing I have learned about our "great" government is that it acts slowly, no matter what the subject/task at hand. To be ready by spring says it's either a rubber-stamp issue and/or has been well paid for ahead of time. Even then I'd be willing to be nothing...
A waste of tax payers' money as wellMarket would be better off if these clueless 'Czars' could lay their messy hand off economy.RE: Will the FCC's inquiries about wireless market be a waste of time?Yes it will be a waste of time because their reports will find that nothing is...
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