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FCC Chairman Ajit Pai: ‘We need smart networks, not dumb pipes’
After cancelling his CES 2018 appearance in January, reportedly due to death threats, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai today attended a panel at MWC 2018 in Barcelona. During the event, titled "The Future of the Industry: Transatlantic Digital Policy and Regulation," Pai discussed his plans for 5G connectivity and, of course, his decision to repeal net neutrality in the US. He said that, despite public perception on the moves he's made since taking over the FCC as part of President Trump's administration, the internet will remain open and free and that "no one gets a pass." The "no one" he mentions is likely a reference to the idea that certain companies, particularly network carriers like Verizon, will get special treatment after net neutrality ends on April 23rd.
US Senate hands the FCC's reins to Obama nominee Tom Wheeler
Obama nominated Tom Wheeler for the Federal Communications Commission chairman post back in May, and today the US Senate has finally given him its blessing. Although Texas Senator Ted Cruz had concerns over the nominee at first, the agency's new head honcho has been approved unanimously. The FCC may not pipe up too often, but it influences everything from what spectrums cellular carriers use to whether or not devices are safe enough (radiation-wise, at least) to be sold stateside. It's not entirely clear how Wheeler's history as a cable and wireless industry lobbyist will influence his efforts in the post, but his stance on legal phone unlocking gives us hope that the outfit will take a particularly consumer-friendly tact to its duties.
President Obama to nominate Tom Wheeler as FCC Chairman tomorrow
As Julius Genachowski winds down his five-year term as Chairman of the FCC, rumors of his successor are in full swing. Now, Engadget has confirmed with a White House official that President Obama will nominate industry veteran, Tom Wheeler, for the position, in an announcement that will come tomorrow. According to Wheeler's profile on his personal blog, he currently identifies himself as a venture capitalist and sits on the boards of Roundbox, UpdateLogic, Twisted Pair Solutions, EarthLink and TNS. Wheeler's history in the cable and wireless industry spans decades. He served as president of the National Cable Television Association (NCTA) from 1979 to 1984, and later took the helm of the CTIA as its president and CEO from 1992 until 2003. According to Politico, Wheeler shares close ties with the Obama administration, and is said to have raised hundreds of thousands of campaign dollars for the President's two bids at the White House. Pending confirmation, Mignon Clyburn, will serve as interim chairman until a new leader is appointed.
FCC chairman green-lights AT&T's use of WCS spectrum for LTE with proposed order
AT&T is close to securing a major victory in its battle against the spectrum crunch. While it's not quite a done deal, FCC chairman Genachowski has submitted a proposed order to FCC commissioners that would authorize AT&T's deployment of its LTE service within a 20MHz portion of the 2.3GHz (WCS) band. The deal is unique in that the spectrum is currently reserved for satellite radio, and the reallocation would mark the first of its kind within the WCS band. As you may recall, AT&T previously conceded to a 5MHz dead zone on both ends of Sirius XM's operating frequency in order to mitigate interference concerns, and it seems the move was sufficient to gain the chairman's support. Also looming on the FCC's to-do list is the decision of whether to approve AT&T's purchase NextWave and its unused WCS spectrum. If it's any indication, however, Chairman Genachowski seems bullish on the reallocation and has suggested that the agency may authorize another 30MHz of the WCS band for mobile broadband use. AT&T has previously said that it could feasibly deploy LTE over the 2.3GHz spectrum within the next three years. One group fighting the deal is the Competitive Carrier Association, which posits that AT&T's purchase of such a significant chunk of spectrum on the secondary market is anti-competitive in nature. It'll no doubt be interesting to see if the argument gains any traction with the FCC. In the meantime, you can view remarks from the agency's spokesperson after the break.
Live from CTIA with FCC chairman Julius Genachowski
The first keynote of the week is a doozy. We've got Gary Flood from MasterCard, Patrick Riordan president of Cellcom and Joe Kennedy the CEO of Pandora. Not too shabby. But, the big fish in this four person pond is clearly FCC chairman Julius Genachowski. The chief regulator of the wireless industry here in the US will be taking to the stage to talk... well, we're not entirely sure. But, if the topic of spectrum doesn't come up, we'll be quite surprised. May 7, 2012 10:30 AM EDT
Join us for FCC chairman Julius Genachowski's CTIA keynote tomorrow at 10:30AM ET
Ain't no party like a Genachowski party, cause a Genachowski party don't stop. So long as you've got the spectrum and bandwidth to keep your your Niki and the Dove Pandora station bumpin'. The festivities here at CTIA Wireless 2012 in New Orleans are already underway, unofficially, but the true fun really kicks off tomorrow with a keynote from FCC chairman Julius Genachowski. The event will also feature appearances from Gary Flood of MasterCard, Joe Kennedy (the president of Pandora) and Cellcom CEO Patrick Riordan. What's the topic du jour? You'll just have to check back here at the time listed below to find out. May 8, 2012 10:30 AM EDT
FCC finds AT&T merger not in public interest, Genachowski issues order to hold trial
FCC chairman Julius Genachowski issued a draft order this morning that calls for a hearing to take the AT&T / T-Mobile merger before an Administrative Law Judge. Such a hearing, reminiscent of the one held for the attempted buyout of DirecTV by EchoStar in 2002, would be held once the Department of Justice's litigation is complete and would certainly be another blockade for AT&T to push through. According to the FCC, the Chairman's order is awaiting final approval from the Commission at a later date, and won't be made public until that time. If the order gets the green light and a hearing is held, it'll be done so like a trial -- one involving cross examination, witnesses, rules of evidence and a good 'ol fashioned two-sided duel. It's no secret that the FCC has raised concerns over the proposed merger, and pushing this order forward understandably reflects that. In fact, during a conference call with media, the FCC expressed fears that the deal would violate antitrust standards and isn't in the public interest, and the Commission cited records showing it would ultimately result in a loss of jobs, contrary to AT&T's claims. Naturally, this means there's one more hoop for the carrier to go through before it can hope to pick up T-Mobile, and it's a biggie; with the FCC and DoJ holding steadfastly against the acquisition, the GSM carrier's chances of success appear to be slimming significantly. Head past the break to see AT&T and Sprint's reactions to the news.
FCC halts AT&T's acquisition of Qualcomm spectrum, bundles it with T-Mobile merger review
AT&T's LTE spectrum acquisitions just hit a minor bump in the federal road. In a recently released FCC statement, Wireless Bureau chief Rick Kaplan announced the decision to stop the 180 day review clock on the telco's proposed takeover of Qualcomm's 700MHz spectrum. The $1.9 billion deal, inked last December, isn't getting the regulatory axe, but due to a "number of related issues" concerning spectrum overlap with the still unapproved T-Mobile merger, the commission is bundling the two into one future review. Maybe it's time the carrier's industry backers pen another letter of support to Chairman Genachowski. Update: Qualcomm's VP of Government Affairs Dean Brenner reached out to us with an official statement you can read after the break.
Obama taps Julius Genachowski to head the FCC
As widely expected by most folks who speculate on such things, President Obama has now formally nominated lawyer and former venture capitalist Julius Genachowski to head up the Federal Communications Commission and fill the slot vacated by Bush appointee Kevin Martin. Among other things, Genachowski's nomination is particularly notable given his support for net neutrality, which he made quite well known during the Obama campaign in his role as a top technology advisor. Of course, if and when he gets confirmed, he'll also have his hands full with a few other tricky issues, including the widespread rollout of broadband services as a result of the recent stimulus package, and that small matter of the digital TV transition. [Via Wired Epicenter]
Kevin Martin's last day at the FCC is the 20th
Of course we saw this coming with Obama's inauguration right around the corner, but now Kevin Martin has sent his official letter of resignation to his buddy George. This makes his official last day as chairman of the FCC January 20th. He has had the position for four years, and oversaw many of the decisions made by the agency that impacted us like the DTV transition date and the lack of progress of a two way digital cable solution. There's no word on what the eight year veteran of the FCC will do next though, and of course we'll also have to continue to wait for the official appointment of his successor.
