Showing archive for: “Spectrum & Wireless”
The FCC Is Right To Keep Every Band on the Table for Direct-to-Device
Note: Our editor is on vacation. The image for this post and any errors in the body are solely the fault of the author. At its August 6 open meeting, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is scheduled to vote on a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) titled “Unleashing Unlicensed Spectrum for Direct-to-Device.” This proceeding will ... The FCC Is Right To Keep Every Band on the Table for Direct-to-Device
The AI Boom Still Runs on Old-Fashioned Airwaves
AI may live in the cloud, but the cloud still needs roads. Those roads are communications networks—and the airwaves they depend on may determine how far and fast the AI boom can travel. That two-way relationship will take center stage tomorrow, when the U.S. Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Telecommunications and Media holds a hearing titled ... The AI Boom Still Runs on Old-Fashioned Airwaves
The Roswell Loophole: How to Stop Wireless Deployment One Permit at a Time
A city does not need to hang a “no cell towers allowed” sign to keep wireless service out. It can get there the quieter way: deny one permit, then another, each for reasons that sound local, particular, and perfectly ordinary. The question at the heart of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 is whether federal law ... The Roswell Loophole: How to Stop Wireless Deployment One Permit at a Time
Claims of Monopsony in the Wireless Industry Don’t Add Up
A recent report prepared for NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association by the Brattle Group paints a troubling picture of the U.S. wireless-infrastructure industry. But a closer look at the report’s narrative demonstrates that it is built on faulty premises, misapplied economics, and a failure to connect the dots. While the report serves as a ... Claims of Monopsony in the Wireless Industry Don’t Add Up
Media-Ownership Regulations in a Streaming World: Time to Change the Channel
Today’s media landscape bears little resemblance to the one that existed when most existing broadcast and cable regulations were created. While consumers increasingly access video content through streaming platforms subject to minimal oversight, legacy media providers continue to operate under restrictive regulatory frameworks designed for a bygone era. This regulatory asymmetry creates economic inefficiencies and ... Media-Ownership Regulations in a Streaming World: Time to Change the Channel
Examining the DOJ’s Challenge to Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s Acquisition of Juniper
Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) proposed a $14 billion deal in early 2024 to acquire Juniper Networks. HPE, it should be noted, is not the Hewlett Packard (HP) of printer and ink fame, as it was spun off from the larger HP corporation in 2015. Instead, HPE is, like Juniper, involved in connectivity—specifically, wireless technology, including ... Examining the DOJ’s Challenge to Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s Acquisition of Juniper
What Project 2025 Can Tell Us About Brendan Carr’s FCC Priorities
My high-school-aged son came home from school the day after Election Day in distress. His history teacher spent the entire class listing the Parade of Horribles in Project 2025 and its dire consequences for the United States. I asked my son, “Project 2025 is more than 900 pages. Do you think your teacher read it?” ... What Project 2025 Can Tell Us About Brendan Carr’s FCC Priorities
FCC’s New Satellite Rules: Sharing Is Caring
In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene in September, SpaceX provided a masterclass in public relations by handing out thousands of Starlink satellite-broadband kits, waiving monthly fees, and enabling emergency alerts over cellular networks in affected areas. Not only did the effort generate significant goodwill for the company, but it also demonstrated that satellite technology can ... FCC’s New Satellite Rules: Sharing Is Caring
Has the Biden Administration Taken Over Broadband?
Betteridge’s Law of Headlines states: “Any headline that ends in a question mark can be answered by the word no.” But, apparently, folks in the nation’s capital found a way around Betteridge’s Law. This week, a U.S. House subcommittee hearing featured testimony from all five members of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The majority on ... Has the Biden Administration Taken Over Broadband?
Indiana Jones and the Allocation of Spectrum
Hootenannies are mostly peaceful affairs, so it’s a bit awkward to invoke a violent metaphor here. In “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” Indiana Jones runs down a Cairo sidestreet only to be confronted by a swordsman. The swordsman makes a big show of tossing his weapon from hand-to-hand and swirling it around. But Indy has ... Indiana Jones and the Allocation of Spectrum
Competition in the Low-Earth-Orbit Satellite Industry
Amazon on Friday launched its first two prototype satellites for its planned Project Kuiper internet-satellite network. It was the latest milestone in the rapid evolution of the low-Earth-orbit (LEO) satellite industry, with companies like SpaceX and OneWeb joining Project Kuiper in launching thousands of satellites to provide broadband internet access globally. As this nascent industry ... Competition in the Low-Earth-Orbit Satellite Industry
ICLE on the ACP, BEAD in the Spotlight, Small Steps Toward Ending the Spectrum Impasse
School’s back in session and the Telecom Hootenanny is heating up. We’ve got a hot-off-the-presses issue brief on the ACP, more BEAD agonistes, and the latest on spectrum auctions. The Affordable Connectivity Program: ‘Good Enough’ to Keep Funding In a new International Center for Law & Economics (ICLE) issue brief, Kristian Stout and I examine ... ICLE on the ACP, BEAD in the Spotlight, Small Steps Toward Ending the Spectrum Impasse
