The Federal Communications Commission is planning to overhaul the $8 billion phone subsidy program to include funding for broadband in underserved communities. The FCC is expected to vote on an order tomorrow that will open comments for revising the Universal Service Fund, or USF. In a speech today at the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation …

Editor’s note: This live event has concluded. You can replay our full coverage of the announcement–including the David Blaine magic show Sprint used to warm up the crowd–in the Cover It Live module at the bottom of this post. Or, for details on the new Echo device and hands-on photos, check out this summary post. NEW YORK–Sprint Nextel will take …

The long wait for the Verizon iPhone is almost over, but consumers are wondering if they should hold out a little longer for Apple’s next-generation device. Will Verizon’s eventual version of the upcoming iPhone 5 work on the LTE network? Will that service be cheaper or more expensive than what Verizon is offering with the iPhone 4? These are some …

The average U.S. wireless subscriber is overpaying on his or her cell phone bill by $336 a year, according to a study by BillShrink, a search engine designed to help people find the best service deals to meet their needs. About 80 percent of U.S. wireless subscribers miscalculate how many anytime voice minutes, text messages, and megabytes of data they …

Verizon Wireless got off to a relatively smooth start today as it began the preorder process for the long-awaited Verizon iPhone. The company started taking preorders from existing Verizon Wireless customers for the device at 3 a.m. EST. It will be begin selling the device to all consumers online and in retail locations starting next Thursday, February 10. As many …

Google has announced a new Web-based Android Market online store that will make it easier for people to get to new applications for their smartphones and tablets. Google’s Android Market for the Web CNET The announcement was made today at an event where Google is showing off the new Android 3.0 software known as Honeycomb, which is designed specifically for …

Wireless carriers will see mobile data traffic increase 26 times between 2010 and 2015 according to Cisco’s latest Visual Networking Index Forecast. Will wireless operators be ready for it? That’s the big question. The prediction of steep increases in traffic load are not entirely unexpected. Wireless carriers have been preparing for traffic increases by adding more capacity not only to …

The Federal Communications Commission last week asked a federal court to dismiss lawsuits filed by cell phone service providers Verizon Communications and MetroPCS that challenge the FCC’s new Net neutrality regulations. The FCC said in a statement that the companies filed their suits in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit too early. The new rules …

It’s official. Comcast has completed its acquisition of NBC Universal. On Saturday, the cable giant announced that the transaction is complete. Comcast now owns 51 percent of NBC Universal. General Electric still owns 49 percent of the media conglomerate. The new company, which will be called NBC Universal, is valued at $37 billion. The deal was originally announced in December …

Now that the Verizon iPhone has been introduced, the next question people ask me is if they should get it now or wait until the summer when a new version of the Apple iPhone is expected. This is indeed the age-old question of buying now or waiting for the new generation of product. It’s hard to advise people, because there …