FCC // Current

Survivor - Yul Kwon Goes To Washington

Yul Kwon took home the big prize on Survivor Cook Islands, now he has found himself in... more

MacKenzieFox
added this
12 days ago
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Cisco Planning FlipShare TV: Watching Flip Videos on Your TV Made Easy

Let the wild and rampant speculation begin! Apparently some on the Internet have... more

Ajoyshop
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15 days ago
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WHACKO-TV PECKER IN PICTURE

WHACKO-TV's PECKER JOHNSON seems to be finding all the things about technology we love... more

dwightdouglas
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19 days ago
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Wondering What All the 'Net Neutrality' Fuss is About? Watch This Video.

If you're reading this post, chances are that you're pretty familiar with the concept... more

TheRealEdwin
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23 days ago
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The Internet: Public forum or commercial enterprise

The federal government this week is stepping squarely into a high-stakes technology battle with this seemingly straightforward question at its core: Should Internet providers such as Comcast and AT&T be allowed to control what you do online once you buy access to their networks?

If the answer seems obvious -- of course they shouldn't -- the debate hardly ends there. What if your activity online hogs so much bandwidth, like watching TV or downloading movies, that it slows your neighbor's Internet speed to a crawl?

Or what if the application you're using undercuts the Internet provider's business model? One example: Should AT&T be allowed to stop you from making free calls over the iPhone data network, bypassing the company's lucrative cell phone network?

Those are the kinds of vexing issues at play as the Federal Communications Commission assumes an enhanced role as Internet traffic cop. The goal, according to the commission's new chairman, Democrat Julius Genachowski, is to keep the Internet as open and accessible as possible for consumers and innovators.

"It's about fair rules of the road for companies that control access to the Internet," Genachowski said in a recent speech. "This is about preserving and maintaining something profoundly successful and ensuring that it's not distorted or undermined."

But in pursuing that aim, the FCC is thrusting itself into a real-world business clash between some of the nation's fastest-evolving industries, raising questions about the appropriate level of government regulation.

On Thursday, the five-member commission is expected to vote to take an initial step toward adopting so-called "net neutrality" rules, siding with top Silicon Valley content providers such as Google and Yahoo (which benefit from open, unnegotiated access to the Internet to promote their services) over telecommunications giants including AT&T and Verizon (which argue that they should maintain control over their networks after investing billions of dollars in them). In a significant shift, the rules would extend beyond wired broadband networks to the realm of wireless networks.

(more after the jump)The federal government this week is stepping squarely into a high-stakes technology... more

logicpocket
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23 days ago
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McCain Battles Google, Twitter, eBay Coalition Over Net Neutrality

Federal regulators took an important step Thursday toward prohibiting broadband... more

atomiclegion
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24 days ago
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9 comments

First Public White-Space Network Is Alive

The first public white space network officially launched on Wednesday in Claudville,... more

Tyrannous
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25 days ago
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First 'white space' network hits Claudville, Virginia

Well, this one's been years in the making (literally), but it looks like the very... more

lordsbassman
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25 days ago
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1 comment

Private Investment: FCC Should Tread Carefully On Broadband Rules

The Federal Communications Commission recently led discussions on proposed Net... more

LeonardGrace
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1 month ago
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AT&T Posts New Press Release: Calling for Constructive, Fact-Based Dialog with FCC

According to a post on the AT&T News Room site, "The FCC is conducting inquiries into the wireless industry regarding competition and innovation. Additionally, the FCC has announced an upcoming rule making on net neutrality that would apply to wired and wireless networks." said Ralph De la Vega during an address at CTIA’s semi-annual convention. If not the FCC than who? AT&T should be left to their own devices?

Getting calls on your mobile is one thing, but when you start allowing TelCo's to sanction access to internet based content, we are treading into the global, public pools of information. It comes down to cost, only those who can afford top-level services will have access to what should be publicly accessible information if AT&T et al have their way.

AT&T CEO, Richard Del La Vega is quoted as saying “The facts are clear: the U.S. wireless industry’s virtuous cycle of innovation and investment is working to deliver real value to American consumers,” said de la Vega. “We want that to continue.”

The post goes on to site the top ten reasons AT&T should be allowed to do whatever they want... (*ahem*) I mean, what de la vega says: “As part of our dialog with the FCC, we hope to present some important facts to show how — and why — less regulation is the best path to the future for America’s wireless industry,” or, "Why AT&T should be allowed to be the entity making those regulatory decisions because they know best! And to prove they know best, AT&T "created a site dedicated to the first completed decade of AT&T innovation in the 21st century. Supporting Mr. de la Vega’s remarks at CTIA, the new site reflects on AT&T’s effort to set a leader’s pace in bringing more innovation and customer choice to areas such as devices, networks and application development."

Ah, Mr. de la Vega started his career in 1974 with BellSouth (then Southern Bell) as a management assistant. He _would_ know how innovative AT&T is after all this time. See, they made a chart and everything! http://www.att.com/gen/press-room?pid=2949

What do you think?According to a post on the AT&T News Room site, "The FCC is conducting inquiries into... more

NicoMcLane
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1 month ago
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Meet the Bandwidth Bastards: The FCC, Sprint Nextel and TiVo??

Nico McLane (User of much Bandwidth and Streaming Media All-Star) muses along side A.M. Arno (abuser of much bandwidth and marketing professional) on the question of... "How should Net Neutrality affect the mobile Internet?"

It really is quite simple: the same way NetNeutrality effects the real internet. Why should there be a difference between the "mobile" internet and the "real" internet? There is only one internet, and it should not matter how you access content on it of whether it's via a smartphone, netbook, or your tv's set-top box. These are all IP-based communications over the same internet we all know and love today.

Watching live shows in real time requires real streaming over the real internet, mobile or otherwise. Cable companies have made some provisions toward handing over access to subscribers, and more options are available as to how subscribers are able to watch what they watch, but the industries are taking baby steps. Nico loves her new Palm Pre on Sprint Nextel; the live streaming experience may not be 100% at all times, but the seeds have been sown, and because we have access to the network and the devices are not locked down, we as an industry can work together to make the experience better.

Nico notes: "After spending a lot of time thinking about how I want to experience mobile to set top box to notebook programming, I think that Sprint, with their live Sprint TV already off the ground should partner with TiVo to develop the ultimate semantic, take-me -with-you programming experience—they share a similar corporate culture and the more I think about it, the more I realize what a wonderful partnership that would be!"

Verizon's FiOS TV offers limited access to a some user-generated web sites, and Comcast and Time Warner Cable are rolling out services that let subscribers stream cable channels to their PCs, but we are still in the proverbial "lab" of life trying to figure this all out! What do you think?

Time Warner Cable asked the FCC to lay off the Net Neutrality conversation, stating "Now is not the time to engage in a debate about the need for net neutrality obligations." But if we don't start out with equal and open access, how would we go backwards?Nico McLane (User of much Bandwidth and Streaming Media All-Star) muses along side... more

NicoMcLane
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1 month ago
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Please Help Save European Net Neutrality

A few days ago I was ruminating on the recent on-the-spot conversion of the US FCC's... more

DreemTeem
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1 month ago
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AT&T says Google Voice breaks the law

AT&T on Friday accused Google of violating the US Federal Communications Commission's... more

DreemTeem
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1 month ago
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Senate Republicans suspend opposition to FCC net neutrality regulation

As first reported in the Washington Post this afternoon, and as has been independently... more

laniard
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1 month ago
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2 comments

FCC--- New Diversity ZAR ..."Few things americans fear more than Black MEN"

The hits just keep Comming and Comming this NUT is surely going the way of Rev Wright Ayres Doren Van jones and on and on and on ..we are led to belive "ALL" the people Obama knew before becomming Elected were not like him...But what about the ones he brought with him????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????This is scary stuff coming from someone that is President Obama’s FCC Czar. Unbelievable. Does Obama expect the American people to believe that appointments of people with crazy views like this are not a part of his radical views? He sat in Jeremiah Wright’s church for 20 years but claims he had no idea of radical speech; Obama immediately took the side of black Professor Gates after admitting he didn’t have all the facts. Obama’s Presidency is falling apart. What a shame.....I can name 100 things off the top of my head that frighten me; Socialism, losing my freedom, health of my kids, health of my wife, keeping my job, losing my house, terrorism, foot shortages, burglars, Capt’n Crunch and so on. Black men are not on my list. The Liberals are racist people who keep people down and constantly stir the coals for more power. This man is nothing more than a Marxist that wants to control the airwaves in order for his ideological friends to buy more votes......ANOTHER racist in the Obama administration??? he sure does like racists and terrorists, doesn’t he? Well, looks like it’s time to put the pressure on and get rid of this neanderthal too......The President is a black man elected by a predominantly white electorate. Mark Loyd is a moron. Hopefully a soon to be unemployed moron.
Does Obama actually have anything to do with picking his appointees and if so…is he an idiot?
Is there no vetting process in the Obama Whitehouse, no way of weeding out the stuck in the 60’s Viva Che nutjobs?....I guess this is another guy who forgot to fill out the White house Questionaire Yea that's the Ticket!!! LOL Hey Hey Ho Ho Obama's gotta go!! I am so sick of this Lier and all his Racest FriendsThe hits just keep Comming and Comming this NUT is surely going the way of Rev Wright... more