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FCC sets up the 'incentive auction' that will lead to better wireless internet for everyone
Last week at the NAB (National Association of Broadcasters) show, FCC head Tom Wheeler pushed broadcasters to loosen their grip on spectrum that the agency plans to auction off to give wireless internet room to grow. Now, he's laid out a draft of the rules for the auction before it takes place next year. The upcoming incentive auction will be a three stage process that, once completed, should open up more wireless spectrum for high-speed services like WiFi. WiFi operates on "unlicensed spectrum" that's open for anyone to use, and similar networks or devices could take advantage of any new frequencies the FCC opens up, while reducing interference with existing networks. That's good and bad however, since they'd fill the space in between networks, it could be harder to build up something like WiFi.
Report: AT&T and Verizon spent heavily lobbying for favorable LTE auction rules
If AT&T and Verizon manage to shut out their smaller rivals in a critical LTE wireless auction, it would severely harm US wireless competition, according to the Center for Public Integrity. In a report it said that the pair of wireless giants spent nearly $30 million on lobbying last year, almost four times the $8 million paid out by Sprint and T-Mobile. The low-frequency 600MHz spectrum in question is highly valued for its long range and ability to penetrate buildings, necessitating fewer towers and lower infrastructure costs. AT&T and Verizon already control 74 percent of existing low-band frequencies, putting Sprint and T-Mobile at a significant disadvantage -- especially outside of cities. As a result, T-Mobile's CEO, John Legere has stressed the importance of the upcoming auction for the future of his company.
FCC FTW: wireless telcos agree to more consumer-friendly phone unlocking policies
About a month ago, FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler gave the U.S. wireless industry an ultimatum: choose to get on board with unlocking people's phones or face regulatory action forcing it to do so. Today, the CTIA -- the wireless industry trade association -- and Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and U.S. Cellular have acceded to Wheeler's demands by recommending that his policies be incorporated into the CTIA Consumer Code for Wireless Service. According to a letter sent to by the CTIA to the FCC, this means that the telcos mentioned above "will move quickly to implement these principles" in total within a year. In case you forgot, this means that within 12 months those companies will: provide a clear, concise and readily accessible policy on unlocking unlock mobile devices for legitimate owners of those devices once their service contract has been fulfilled notify customers when their devices are eligible to be unlocked and/or automatically unlock those devices for free (but they can charge a reasonable if you aren't a current customer) unlock devices or provide an explanation of a denial of any unlock requests within two days unlock devices for military service men and women upon deployment For its part, the FCC was gracious in victory, with Chairman Wheeler stating during an open Commission meeting today that he was happy that a cooperative agreement was reached in a speedy manner and that "this is the way things should work." Fellow commissioner Ajit Pai chimed in as well, stating that he was glad that the "specter of jail time for those who unlock their phones" was now removed, but that the policy change isn't enough. Pai went on to call on Congress to fix the flaws with US Copyright law that are the underlying root of the problem, and he hopes that this shift in CTIA policy will "help expedite the legislative process." Time will tell if our governmental's legislative arm heeds the executive's advice -- don't hold your breath.
FCC's wireless spectrum auction delayed to 2015 to prep bidding infrastructure
The lead-up to the government's wireless spectrum auction is going to be a little longer than expected, according to the Official FCC Blog. Partly because the government needs to finalize the event's rules and bidding structure. FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler writes that he wants to make certain that the event's infrastructure is up to the challenge, too. "For the incentive auction to be a success, we must also ensure that the operating systems and software to run it work from the moment the first bid is placed, until the final broadcast station is relocated," Wheeler writes. "Only when our software and systems are technically ready, user friendly, and thoroughly tested, will we start the auction." This nebulous answer puts the final auction in the middle of 2015. If you were planning on accessing that sweet wireless bandwidth, you'll have to wait until then.
FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler backtracks, says he's against in-flight voice calls
When FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler confirmed the agency's proposal to lift the ban on in-flight voice calls, he also issued a statement that sounded like he favored the change. According to AP, that didn't sit well with a bunch of folks , and the FCC's phones rang off the hook with complaints -- one representative even called him a "wireless lobbyist." Well, it looks like that's caused the chairman's quick change of heart: while he previously called the agency's rules "outdated and restrictive," he now agrees with passengers who'd prefer that cellular services remain banned on planes. If you were one of those who got excited at the prospect of making calls in the air, though, don't feel bad that Wheeler doesn't have your back anymore. In a new statement on FCC's website, he says that even if the agency lifts the ban, it's still the carriers that'll have to decide whether to adopt the policy and allow voice connectivity.
FCC will get you to tell it how fast your mobile broadband is
Remember when the FCC said that it'd be studying the best way to monitor mobile broadband speeds? A year (and a new chairman) later and it's finally come to a conclusion: an Android app. According to the Wall Street Journal, the commission will launch FCC Speed Test next Thursday, with the aim of getting users to test their speeds in order to crowdsource accurate data nationwide. We're excited to see if the truth stands up to the advertising, but we do wonder if Tom Wheeler couldn't have just nicely asked Ookla for a peek at its Speedtest.net database.
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.
FCC chairman nominee Tom Wheeler comes out in favor of legalized phone unlocking
He was nominated to replace Julius Genachowski as chairman of the Federal Communications Commission a mere six weeks ago, and before he's even got the job, Tom Wheeler's making headlines. Ars Technica reports that would-be chairman Wheeler wants what many (all?) cell phone owners want -- the ability to unlock our phones free from fear of legal retribution. The way he sees things, when folks have bought and paid for their phones and are contract-free, they "ought to have the right to use the device and move it across carriers." Unfortunately, while he's staked out his position on the matter, he has yet to say exactly how he plans to make phone unlocking legal, be it through legislation or other means. The good news is, he's not the boss just yet, so he's got time to address those niggling details while he waits to be confirmed as the new chairman.
President Obama nominates Tom Wheeler as next FCC Chairman
Not that there was much doubt after yesterday, but President Obama has just officially nominated Tom Wheeler to be the next Chairman of the FCC. In a statement, outgoing Chairman Julius Genachowski says that he has known Wheeler personally and professionally for almost 20 years, and says that with his "deep policy expertise and his first-hand experience as a technology investor, he is a superb choice to advance the FCC's mission of promoting innovation, investment, competition, and consumer protection." Much of that experience comes from Wheeler's role as a venture capitalist and lobbyist, which has up until now included spots on the boards of companies like Roundbox, UpdateLogic, Twisted Pair Solutions, EarthLink and TNS -- plus previous tenures at both the NCTA and CTIA. He's also been publicly commenting on a range of issues on his Mobile Musings blog, which saw its last entry in December of last year. As expected, current FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn will serve as interim Chair pending Wheeler's confirmation.
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.
