wireless broadband

Smartphone Adoption and Usage

Stevie Converse — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 09:00:00 -0400

Full article: Pew Internet & American Life Project
Aaron Smith
In its first standalone measure of smartphone ownership, the Pew Internet Project finds that one third of American adults -- 35% -- own smartphones. Several demographic groups have high levels of smartphone adoption, including the financially well-off and well-educated, non-whites, and those under the age of 45.

FCC's New Wireless Bureau Chief Advocates Making Spectrum More Productive

Stevie Converse — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 12:09:58 -0400

Full article: Fierce Wireless
Sue Marek
FCC Wireless Bureau Chief Rick Kaplan says one of the greatest challenges for his office is to figure out how to squeeze the most productivity out of existing spectrum by making technology more efficient. He also wants to explore early termination fees. He said that he thinks operators may be using ETFs to lock consumers into staying with their current provider in ways that are anticompetitive.

Does the Wireless 'Law of Three' Apply in U.S. Market?

Stevie Converse — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 11:08:39 -0400

Full article: Media Post
Mark Walsh
Mobile consultant Chetan Sharma says the top wireless operator shouldn't have more than 50 percent of the market share, and the number three player shouldn't have less than twenty percent in order to achieve some semblence of equilibrium in the market. If AT&T and T-Mobile merge, it will leave Sprint with about 12 percent market share. And that leaves a duopoly of AT&T and Verizon.

Former Sen. Dorgan Joins Wireless Startup

Stevie Converse — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 10:23:57 -0400

Full article: Hillicon Valley
Brendan Sasso
Telecommunications startup LightSquared announced that former Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) and other retired lawmakers will serve on the advisory board of a new initiative to resolve problems with Global Positioning System technology in rural areas.

Verizon Confirms Wireless Data Pricing Shakeup

Stevie Converse — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 08:28:40 -0400

Full article: Broadband Reports
Karl Bode
Verizon has confirmed that they will be stopping unlimited data pricing on July 7. As of that date, all 3G or 4G smartphone owners will have just three data options available to them: $30 for 2GB of data, $50 for 5GB of data, and $80 for 10GB of data.

Senate Commerce Committee Passes Incentive Auction Bill

Stevie Converse — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 13:20:21 -0400

Full article: Broadcasting & Cable
John Eggerton
With promises to continue to work on the bill before it gets to a floor vote, the Senate Commerce Committee voted 21 to 4 to authorize incentive auctions that would compensate broadcasters for giving up spectrum for wireless broadband.

Obama to Promote Wireless Networks

Lindsy Embree — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 09:36:18 -0500

Full article: Detroit Free Press
Todd Spangler
President Barack Obama will head to Marquette, Mich. on the shores of Lake Superior to talk about his administration's initiative to extend next-generation wireless communication service to rural areas and eventually reach 98 percent of the American population.

Net Neutrality Rules May Signal a Change in Wireless Pricing

Stevie Converse — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 09:35:55 -0500

Full article: GigaOM
Stacey Higginbotham
The FCC's implementation of rules around Net Neutrality may open up a change in the way carriers price mobile broadband -- and it's not going to get cheaper.

The Internet Splits in Two

Stevie Converse — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 11:30:03 -0500

Full article: Daily Beast
Dan Lyons
The FCC ruling on Net Neutrality shifts billions in profits and boils down to one fact: There will soon be a fast Internet for the rich and a slow Internet for the poor. We are going from Phase One, where everything is free and open and untamed, into Phase Two, which is all about centralization, consolidation, control -- and money.

Rep. Waters: FCC Net Neutrality Rules Could Harm Minorities

Stevie Converse — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 11:27:53 -0500

Full article: Multichannel News
John Eggerton
Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) said that she was "very concerned" that the FCC's just-adopted Net Neutrality regulations are "insufficient and harmful to many American consumers," including creating a mobile digital divide.