President Donald Trump‘s threat to pull NBC’s broadcaster’s licenses, in response to a report he called “fake news,” has First Amendment hawks lining up. But could he really do it? Not without a lot of effort, say experts. “Anyone can file a challenge with the FCC to the renewal of a broadcast license,” said Glen …
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Though Apple and Android fanboys and girls will scratch each other’s eyes out arguing over which phones have the best technology, when it’s time to trade in your old phone, there’s still only one clear winner. That’s something to consider when investing in your next phone. The glory days of the wireless carrier subsidies are long gone, which means people …
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The Federal Communications Commission is kicking in money to help restore badly battered phone service on Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. The agency voted Wednesday to provide up to $76.9 million in Universal Service Fund money to help wireless carriers restore service. The FCC unanimously voted to provide the funds immediately to carriers. It also promised up to …
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The biggest benefit of AT&T’s $85 billion acquisition of Time Warner? Cheaper prices for consumers, fueled mostly by more targeted advertising. That’s what AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson said Wednesday at the Vanity Fair New Establishment Summit in Beverly Hills. Stephenson said not many people can afford the $110 to $120 a month cable companies charge for their traditional TV bundle. …
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Walmart may have accidentally let the cat out of the bag on the yet-to-be-announced Google Home Mini. Droid Life reported Tuesday that the retailer listed the rumored smaller, cheaper version of the Google Home assistant speaker for preorder on its site. But it quickly took the page down. According to the preorder information, the Google Home Mini, which weighs less …
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As expected, Ajit Pai will stay on as chairman of the Federal Communications Commission in spite of protests from pro-net-neutrality activists who pushed lawmakers to reject his reconfirmation. The US Senate voted 52-41 Monday to give Pai another five-year term on the commission. The confirmation is retroactive to July 2016, giving him at least another four years as chairman. Nominated …
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It looks like Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai will get to keep his job for another five years, despite protests from Democrats. The US Senate voted 55-41 Thursday to advance his nomination. A final vote to approve the nomination is expected Monday. Republicans have enough votes to reconfirm Pai, whose term expired in June. Nominated as a commissioner under …
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Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai has a message for Apple CEO Tim Cook: “Flip the switch” and turn on FM radios embedded in iPhones. In the wake of three major hurricanes that have wiped out communications for millions of people over the past month, Pai issued a statement Thursday urging Apple, one of the largest makers of cellphones in …
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AT&T is trying to take the fight over the Obama-era net neutrality rules to the US Supreme Court. On Thursday, AT&T, the cable industry group NCTA, and CenturyLink filed separate appeals asking the court to overturn the controversial 2015 rules. A federal appeals court last year upheld the rules, which were passed by a Democrat-controlled FCC and supported by President …
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Sprint is taking cell service airborne by mounting lightweight cellular radios to drones. The wireless carrier said this week that it has successfully adapted its Magic Box signal boosting technology to fit on a drone and provide temporary cell coverage over as many as 10 square miles. The company tested the setup, which uses a lighter version of the mini …
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