The Federal Communications Commission said it’s getting tough on text message spam by clarifying that phone companies can block unwanted texts. At its monthly meeting Wednesday, the Republican-led agency voted 3-1 to classify SMS text messages as a so-called Title I information service under the Telecom Act. The three Republicans on the FCC, which voted …
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California has agreed to not enforce its net neutrality law until a lawsuit challenging the Federal Communications Commission’s repeal of the federal regulations is resolved. The agreement is part of a temporary deal struck with the US Justice Department, which is suing the state over its new law. The deal still has to be approved by a judge. California’s law …
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In the 15 years that I’ve covered wireless industry for CNET, the debate over whether cellphone use is hazardous to our health has long simmered in the background. It comes to a boil each time a new study analyzing a possible link is released, briefly grabbing the attention of the phone-wielding public. When relayed quickly in our sound bite news …
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Given the hype and interest around 5G, you’d think any community would welcome the next-generation cellular technology with open arms. Not Doylestown, Pennsylvania. When cell tower operator Crown Castle in 2014 proposed to erect dozens of 5G small-cell antennas for Verizon along the town’s streets, Doylestown pushed back. Residents of the quaint community, nestled in the heart of history-rich Bucks …
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The broadband industry’s four main lobbying groups are joining forces to stop California’s state net neutrality law from taking effect. On Wednesday, mobile-industry lobbyist the CTIA; USTelecom, which lobbies for the telecommunications industry; and the two lobbying organizations for the cable industry, NCTA and the American Cable Association, jointly filed a lawsuit in federal court against the state of California …
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The Trump administration is all in on 5G and wants policy makers to do what they can to unleash private investment in the next-generation networks. The White House on Friday hosted a 5G summit, its first major event around 5G, to bring together industry executives, government agency heads, lawmakers and President Trump’s advisors to discuss policies to ensure faster deployment …
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The Federal Communications Commission voted Wednesday to limit how much local governments can charge wireless companies to attach small radios to utility poles when deploying next-generation 5G service. The three Republicans on the FCC said the plan will streamline the process for installing 5G gear and save wireless providers an estimated $2 billion, which can be used to build networks …
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The US Supreme Court stepped into the long-running debate over wireless and health on Thursday when it vacated a Berkeley, California, law requiring retailers to warn customers about possible wireless radiation exposure. Berkeley’s “Right to Know” ordinance, which went into effect in 2016 after years of discussion, mandated that anyone buying a cell phone in the city receive a notice …
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California may still get its super strong net neutrality protections after all. Democrats in the state legislature are heading back to the negotiating table after key provisions of the bill were cut during a committee hearing this week. The bill’s author, state Sen. Scott Wiener, a Democrat from San Francisco, on Friday said he and fellow Democrat Assemblyman Miguel Santiago …
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California will not be the poster child for the nation’s strongest set of net neutrality protections, as lawmakers in the state Assembly voted to cut many of the bill’s most powerful provisions. The vote on Wednesday in a California Assembly committee hearing advanced a bill that implements some net neutrality protections, but it scaled back all the measures of the …
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