FCC

FCC tracks wireless carriers that alert consumers of overages

In an effort to minimize "bill shock" for cell phone customers, or the surprise people experience when they are charged unexpected or ambiguous overages and fees, the Federal Communications Commission launched a new site that will keep track of carriers that alert their customers when they approach or exceed their plan limits.

During the fall of last year, several top phone carriers (all of which cover over 97 percent of U.S. wireless phone customers) agreed to begin sending out free overage alerts to their customers starting October 2012.

These warnings would notify their subscribers if they've … Read more

EPIC demands full copy of FCC's probe of Google Street View

An Internet privacy advocacy group wants the Federal Communications Commission to release the full report of its investigation of Google Street View's collection and storage of data from unencrypted wireless networks.

The Electronic Privacy Information Center has filed a Freedom of Information Act request to see the commission's full 25-page report, saying it "raised questions about the scope of the FCC's Street View investigation." A heavily redacted version painted Google as being too busy to respond with alacrity to its request for information and suggested more than slight frustration.

The FCC announced earlier this week … Read more

FCC nails Google with $25K fine for dragging heels in StreetView probe

Updated: 9:30 A.M. PTFrustrated by Google's slow response, the Federal Communications Commission slapped a $25,000 fine on the company, alleging that the Web giant "deliberately impeded and delayed" its probe into the policies governing the StreetView street-mapping service.

The government started its investigation a couple of years ago after Google was found to have collected and stored payload data from unencrypted wireless networks as part of a project where it Wi-Fi-enabled Street View cars got sent around the United States and Europe. At the time, Google said this was inadvertent and that it was … Read more

Why Facebook snatched up Instagram

Links from Tuesday's episode of Loaded:

Mobile carriers partner with FCC to battle cell phone theft

Almost everyone knows someone who has had their cell phone stolen. And most likely, there wasn't much that person could do about it. Some mobile carriers and the U.S. government are now trying to change that.

The Federal Communications Commission announced today that it is partnering with four major carriers to work toward curbing rampant cell phone theft, according to The New York Times. The plan is to jointly create a centralized database of lost or stolen cell phone information that will make it easy to track the devices and cutoff voice and data service.

"It's … Read more

Why Clearwire needs Sprint now more than ever

Editors' note: This is a guest column. See Roger Entner's bio below.

One thing is clear about Clearwire: no matter what happens, it needs Sprint more than ever.

Just look at 2011. The 4G WiMax service provider's best news was the increase in subscribers, from 4.4 million to 10.4 million. Impressive as that was, it came solely on the back of Sprint.

With growth like that, and lingering fears about its survival, you'd think Clearwire would play nice. But Clearwire played a high-risk game of chicken with Sprint during negotiations to extend its resale agreement, … Read more

Lights dim further on LightSquared

A year ago, hedge fund manager Philip Falcone's LightSquared offered the Federal Communications Commission a huge opportunity to satisfy some of its most lofty wireless broadband goals. Today, the company is facing possible bankruptcy and only the slimmest chance of actually building its network, leaving policy makers in Washington focusing on alternatives.

Earlier this week, Falcone, whose hedge fund Harbinger Capital is the largest stakeholder in LightSquared, told Reuters that bankruptcy protection is one of several options he is considering as he tries to keep the company alive. LightSquared, which has been battling the GPS industry over claims that … Read more

No, Comcast is not breaking the Internet...again

Comcast annoyed media activists last week by announcing it wouldn't count television programming retrieved through a customer's Xbox console against a monthly "excessive use" threshold for Internet access.

As with any change to existing Internet services -- even one that sounds like a good thing -- the response in Washington was to sound the doomsday alarm. "The reports that Comcast is offering a video product through the Xbox 360 without the data counting toward the customer's data cap," Public Knowledge said last week, "raises questions not only of the justification for the … Read more

House Republicans vote to limit FCC authority

Congressional Republicans are taking aim once again at the Federal Communications Commission.

Earlier this week, House Republicans approved legislation that would put limits on conditions that the FCC could impose on future mergers and wireless spectrum license transfers. The legislation would also require the FCC to justify the costs and benefits of new rules it imposes as well as imposes a "shot clock" when making decisions. The legislation also requires the FCC to publish proposed rules before voting on them.

Senate Democrats oppose the legislation. And President Obama has threatened to veto it if it reaches his desk. … Read more

Feds target 95MHz of wireless spectrum for mobile broadband

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration has taken a big step in freeing up more wireless spectrum for wireless broadband service providers.

The agency, which is part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, announced on Monday that it has determined that it can repurpose 95MHz of wireless spectrum used by the government for commercial use. Specifics of how and when this spectrum will be cleared, and how much it will cost, are still being developed. But the agency said its preliminary report shows that it is possible.

The addition of this 95MHz of spectrum, which lies in the 1755MHz-to-1850MHz … Read more