FCC chief defends media ownership plan
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The Republican chairman of the Federal Communications Commission is disputing Democratic assertions that a new rule loosening restrictions on media ownership is full of loopholes and will lead to a wave of mergers and fewer choices for consumers.
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US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Michael Powell is calling for a hands-off regulatory approach to Voice over IP (VoIP) and has vowed to try to take regulatory control
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You buy a cell phone, load any software you want on it, then choose your carrier. This vision of expanded consumer choices in the wireless world might be a little closer today than it has ever been, especially with reports that the chair of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is circulating an &quot;open platform&quot; proposal for the upcoming auction of the 700-MHz band.
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After a congressional report last month criticized the FCC and private industry for not working better together to ensure a smoother DTV transition, one commissioner responded by saying the executive branch should get involved.
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In a short but impassioned public statement this afternoon, FCC Commissioner Robert M. McDowell boldly reiterated his refusal to vote in the current debate over the AT&T/BellSouth merger, citing his former involvement with a legal advocacy group opposed to the merger, and at times quoting the pillars of American ethical jurisprudence.
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The head of the U.S. Federal  Communications Commission flatly refused on Thursday to delay a  vote next week on a plan to ease U.S. media ownership rules  despite a barrage of criticism from Senate lawmakers.
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Comcast head Brian Roberts says he and archrivals should work in concert to fight government intervention. Verizon CEO rolls his eyes.
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Chairman Kevin Martin supports open spectrum access. The catch is that the spectrum auction rules being floated make it unlikely an open network could ever actually be built.
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(InfoWorld) - In its clearest statement of intent so far, Google said that it will compete in an upcoming wireless spectrum auction --Â if the government agrees to certain rules. On Friday, Google sent a letter to the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC)Â chairman informing him that the company will commit a minimum of $4.6 billion toward the auction, but only if certain conditions are met. Google spelled out those conditions in an earlier filing with the FCC. The billion-dollar commitment could assure the FCC that if it does implement the conditions, it can expect to raise the amount of money it hopes to. "The odds are still against the FCC imposing the conditions Google seeks, but this significantly ups the ante," said Kevin Werbach, an assistant professor of legal studies at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and former counsel for new technology policy with the FCC. Google's proposals are controversial for existing mobile operators, which could decide not to participate in the auction if the rules don't suit them, resulting in potentially less income to the government. On Thursday, Verizon Wireless said that complying with Google's ideas would amount to corporate welfare and bad public policy. The $4.6 billion amount appears to be the figure that Google believes the FCC will require as a minimum price for the spectrum. In its letter to the FCC, Google wrote that it understood that a draft order from the commission had specified that figure. The FCC typically sets a minimum price to sell spectrum; if the minimum isn't met, the agency can cancel the auction. "We're putting consumers' interests first and putting our money where our principles are -- to the tune of $4.6 billion," Chris Sacca, head of special initiatives at Google, wrote on the company's public policy blog. Google says that unless the FCC sets certain rules on the auction, existing large mobile operators will inevitably win the spectrum, and competition in the market will stagnate. In order to prevent that, Google is urging the commission to ensure that end-users can download any applications, services, or content they want. Consumers should also be able to buy a phone and use it on any network. In addition, Google says the winner of the spectrum should be required to allow third parties to resell services over the network on a wholesale basis. Some other groups, such as Frontline Wireless, a company backed by luminaries including former FCC chief Reed Hundt and former Netscape CEO James Barksdale, have proposals similar to Google's. While Google has been vocally urging the FCC to ensure that the spectrum can be used by any device and service, the company has until now hedged on questions about whether or not it plans to bid for the spectrum. The FCC auction for 700-MHz spectrum is expected to happen next year. The frequencies are considered prime for mobile communications because signals sent through them can travel far and can penetrate walls better than higher frequencies. Much of the similar spectrum is already spoken for, so this auction is considered a rare opportunity. In a perhaps related announcement, on Friday U.K., femtocell maker Ubiquisys said that Google has invested in the company. Femtocells are small base stations that can be used in homes or offices to improve mobile phone coverage. Ubiquisys' current products operate over 3G networks.
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The chairman of the congressional panel that oversees the Federal Communications Commission accused the agency of overstepping its authority in approving an order meant to create more competition and lower prices in the cable television industry.
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A progressive Washington think tank Tuesday blasted the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Bush administration for failing to invest in and develop a robust broadband network in the U.S. that can support consumers as well as first responders and anti-terrorist teams.&quot;The policy of relying on market forces that the Bush administration claimed for seven years would propel broad access is irresponsible and insufficient,&quot; Mark Lloyd, senior fellow at the Center for American Progress (CAP), said in a statement on the CAP&#39;s Web site.&quot;The result of administration neglect, industry intransigence and the incompetence of the Federal Communications Commission ... has left the American people and most policymakers with no clear idea where broad services are deployed in the U.S.,&quot; said Lloyd, who is also an affiliated professor at Georgetown University&#39;s Public Policy Institute.Although it&#39;s a nonpartisan organization, the CAP is headed by John Podesta, who served as chief of staff to Bill Clinton when he was president. P.J. Crowley, CAP&#39;s director of homeland security, served as Clinton&#39;s special assistant for national security and joined Lloyd in a call with reporters Tuesday.Lloyd and Crowley urged policymakers, including the presidential candidates, to find government funds to support the building of a 10Gbps, redundant and ubiquitous broadband network. They also urged current leaders to create a commission to implement that goal.&quot;We should not wait for another Katrina or 9/11 for this to happen,&quot; Lloyd said. The CAP said the broadband network could be wired and wireless. The organization also said the network must provide enough components so that if one system fails, another is available and the network can quickly repair itself.The FCC has created an elaborate system to&#160;auction off 700MHz wireless spectrum&#160;starting Thursday, including a special D Block that would be shared by first responders and commercial users.But even the plans to use that portion of the spectrum for public safety imperiled, since the sole known bidder, Frontline Wireless LLC, failed to submit a $128 million down payment to the FCC to qualify to bid. On Jan. 12, the company issued a short statement saying: &quot;Frontline Wireless is closed for business at this time. We have no further comment.&quot;&quot;The bidding on the D Block is a perfect example of the challenge the FCC faces,&quot; said Lloyd, who urged Verizon Wireless or Google Inc. to consider bidding on the D Block. &quot;We need somebody to step up to the plate and if not, the feds must. We cannot rely on market forces alone.&quot;Lloyd said all branches of government need to work with service providers in a &quot;necessary and forced partnership&quot; to bring about a broadband network.Computerworld is an InfoWorld affiliate.
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Kevin Martin, chairman of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC), is trying to get the ball rolling toward a decision on AT&T Inc.'s proposed acquisition of BellSouth Corp.
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September 28, 2004 -- Michael Powell, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, plans to hold a vote this year on a proposal to require US television broadcasters such as Viacom Inc.
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Broadcasters nationwide need not worry about local advertising revenue disappearing if the proposed takeover of XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. by Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. goes through, the FCC's chairman said Thursday.
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Policy analyst Randolph J. May says the FCC needs to revise set-top equipment rules, or costs to consumers will be great.
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The chairman of the U.S. Senate's  antitrust subcommittee on Wednesday urged regulators to block  Sirius Satellite Radio Inc.'s proposed acquisition of XM  Satellite Radio Holdings Inc..
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Opponents and supporters  of the proposed Sirius-XM deal, which would shrink the  satellite radio universe to one provider, laid their pros and  cons before the Federal Communications Commission on Monday.