April 02, 2008

Los Angeles Imposes Tax on VoIP Phone Service

Los Angeles voters have imposed a 9 percent tax on Internet phone calls, known as VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol). VoIP calls had been tax-free in the city.

Voters also enacted a 1 percentage point reduction in the tax on all other phone calls, from 10 percent to 9 percent. Most phone calls are still made over traditional wireline or wireless phones, but Internet phone service is a rapidly growing segment of the telephone market.

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February 04, 2008

Google Succeeds in Push to Open Wireless Airwaves

Google Inc. succeeded in its push to force the winner of airwaves being sold by the U.S. government to open its network to any mobile device.

One bidder offered $4.71 billion for the biggest set of airwaves being auctioned, surpassing a $4.6 billion threshold that triggered so-called open-access rules, the Federal Communications Commission said today on its Web site. The agency didn't reveal which company made the bid. 

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January 24, 2008

FCC Not Ready to Pry Open Wireless Networks

Federal Communications Commissioner Michael Copps doesn't favor using regulation to force wireless companies to open their networks for use by all phones or devices, preferring to let the industry's "voluntary initiatives" drive adoption of new standards forward, he told a think thank audience this week.

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January 22, 2008

Verizon Sues Cox Over Eight Phone Patents

Verizon, after winning a patent-infringement decision against Vonage Holdings last year, has trained its legal guns on cable's phone services with a similar lawsuit against Cox Communications.

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January 21, 2008

FCC to Test 'White Spaces' for Wireless Broadband Devices

Despite protests from broadcasters, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) next week will begin testing devices that will allow Internet service providers to utilize unused spectrum for wireless broadband service.  The commission on January 24 will kick off a four-to-six week lab test of equipment that will allow ISPs to access this spectrum, known as "white spaces." That will be followed by an additional six-week field test period, the FCC said.

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January 15, 2008

FCC Announces More 700Mhz Wireless Bidders

All the Colorado-based companies that applied to bid for Federal Communications Commission licenses to use 700-megahertz radio spectrum appeared on a list of qualified bidders published Monday afternoon.

The FCC-certified participants for the Jan. 24 auction include Frontier Wireless LLC, the subsidiary formed by Englewood-based EchoStar Communications Corp.

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December 18, 2007

Committee Caller - Asterisk-Based Democracy Phones Home

Note: Love it, what a great idea and project that uses Asterisk and helps cut through some of the "redtape".  I think I am going to take it for a test drive with this FCC vote happening today.  Media consolidation is not good for democracy and I think both sides can agree they want more not less options for getting information.

An NYU student has launched CommitteeCaller.com, a Web site that makes it easier for taxpayers to get in touch with their elected representatives. What a great use of technology in the furtherance of Democracy.

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August 21, 2007

FCC: Get Your Spectrum Paddles Ready

It once all seemed so inevitable, so cut and dried, so business as usual in Washington. By the end of January, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) plans to auction off a large swath of spectrum ideal for delivering wireless broadband and other advanced wireless services. Less than a year ago, it was considered a foregone conclusion that those airwaves would be bought by wireless incumbents like AT&T and Verizon.

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August 02, 2007

FCC Airwave Auction Rules Praised For Supporting Openness

The Federal Communications Commission's decision allowing U.S. consumers to connect to airways in the 700 MHz band using any device or software is a welcomed change, but the commission is facing criticism for ignoring larger broadband issues. Within a few hours of the FCC's announcement on Tuesday, industry associations, advocacy groups, service providers, and technology vendors, among others, began praising the commission for supporting "openness" of the wireless Internet.

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July 16, 2007

Truphone Wins Court Injunction Against T-Mobile Blocking Tactics

Editor's Note:  I bet this is being appealed as we speak.  
 
Competition in the mobile telephony sector intensified today when a judge granted a mandatory injunction forcing T-Mobile (UK) Ltd to interconnect with Truphone, which provides a low-cost internet telephony service on mobile phones.

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June 15, 2007

T-Mobile Trying To Stop Truphone VoIP Calling

Note:  Andy Abramson sent this over and I would say this looks like some pretty strong-arm tactics on TM's part.  We really need to define what is open market and what can be limited by mobile providers.
 
This past week Truphone quietly introduced an advance look at version 3.0 which features a series.  At the same time Truphone is finding themselves in a sort of battle with a major UK operator T-Mobile. T-Mobile is trying a new tactic to kill off cheap mobile phone calls with a so called “T-Mobile policy decision” that denies access to cheap calls and leaves T-Mobile isolated among mobile operators, as the rest of the UK mobile operators are indeed allowing calls to reach Truphone numbers. Obviously this is more than a Truphone vs. T-Mobile issue, as it will affect all new carriers who want to play in the Mobile VoIP and Voice 2.0 arena.

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June 05, 2007

Coalition wants FCC to save 700MHz Spectrum for Wireless Broadband

Note:  I hope they do, it would be great to have a real wireless internet service that had some serious range. 

The FCC is currently preparing the rules for the upcoming 700MHz spectrum auction, but a coalition of nonprofit group and techies argues that simply selling the spectrum to the highest bidder could be a disaster for the US. Instead, the group wants this prime spectrum made available under special rules that could lead to a "third broadband pipe" that uses wireless technology.

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May 03, 2007

FCC Chairman Martin to Telcos: No Blocking Iowa Calls

Note:  Wow, this could blow up into a big fight.  Om Malik sent in this breaking news written by Paul K. 
 
FCC Chairman Kevin Martin said Thursday that the commission told large telcos to stop blocking calls into numbers for the Iowa-based free calling operations, threatening punitive actions if the carriers didn’t comply.

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March 23, 2007

VoIP Still on FCC's Open Road

A federal appeals court today upheld a 2004 Federal Communications Commission (FCC) ruling that Voice over IP services are interstate in nature and not subject to state public utility regulation. The ruling gives the FCC the responsibility and obligation to decide which regulations apply to Internet telephony.

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March 02, 2007

FCC Clarifies VoIP-PSTN Interconnection Rules

Note:  Can I say w00t?  Choice is Power.

 

The FCC granted a petition from Time Warner petition that clarifies rules of how voice traffic can be exchanged between broadband providers and the PSTN. By granting the petition, the FCC affirmed that competitive local exchange carriers (CLECs) are entitled to interconnect with incumbent local exchange carriers (ILECs) pursuant to section 251 of the Telecommunications Act for the purpose of exchanging traffic on behalf of VoIP-based service providers.

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February 28, 2007

Columbia University Law School Professor's Paper Sparks Wireless Net Neutrality Debate

Note:  It looks like this is heating up with now Skype and a Columbia Law Professor getting into the fray.   I have taken the liberty on linking too the paper in discussion for anyone to read.

A paper published by Columbia University Law School Professor Tim Wu claims that wireless networks don’t play by the same rules that wired networks do and limit consumer choice. Skype, for one, agreed with him and petitioned the FCC to mandate that wireless network operators open their networks to more devices and applications. The CTIA fired back.

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February 23, 2007

Skype Petitions FCC to Enforce Open Mobile Networks

Note:  Well I am not sure if Skype will be able to defend against the telecoms presumed argument that the Skype traffic will overload their existing infrastructure.  Personally I would like to see the "walled garden" of mobile networks open up a little as longer as the consumers do not see a huge impact on the quality of service they pay for monthly.
 
In a move that could benefit end users greatly, VoIP service provider Skype has petitioned the FCC to apply the 1968 Carterfone decision to wireless phone networks, opening up the possibility of easier use of services similar to Skype on mobile handsets. The Carterfone decision allows customers to attach any device to the phone network, provided it does not harm the network itself, which Skype sees as extending to allow any application to run on any device that can access the network.

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February 01, 2007

GigaOm and Forbes: Information Super Traffic Jam??? (Must Read)

Note:  As I was browsing Om Malik's Blog and I came across this piece which I thought was very entertaining piece of mis-information on the behalf of Forbes.com.  Now I am not saying that this is not a complex problem that has multiple solutions.  What I am saying is that EVERYONE of these broadband providers get this thing called "monthly access fees" from their customers. 
 
So I came up with idea that I wanted to share with these Large Corporations.  Maybe you could take some of the billions of dollars you are getting from your "customers' and spend it on upgrading your network so you continue to be competitive in the coming years.  Now back to the Forbes article, Philip Kerpen says that the networks need to not have net neutrality so they can get premium fees to justify upgrading their network?!??!??  Well it looks like Verizon's FIOS is going to take the cake because the first person that brings Fiber to my home is going to get these so-called "premium fees" from this blogger. 

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January 31, 2007

Coming Soon: More Big Brother to Love

Note: I found this article in the Huffington Post today about some new revisions into the eavesdropping rules allowing the different agency to"tap" into data streams and voice IP packets.  I do believe we should have some basic privacy even if it means we are a little less safe.  The key is to respect each other and we will get along fine.
 
"Over the past several months, the FCC and Justice Department have been working overtime, and fighting hard to tap not only your landline phone, your cellphone, but to tap Internet phonecalls, as well.  Effective in May, those who provide "voice transmission," and broadband services will have to ensure that their equipment that is wiretap-ready, and accessible to your local police force, and the FBI." 

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Nelson, Clinton, Snowe Re-Introduce Voice Over IP (VoIP) E-911 Legislation

Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL); Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY), Co-Chair of the Congressional E-911 Caucus and Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME) today announced that they have reintroduced the IP Enabled Voice Communications and Public Safety Act. The bill addresses the need to ensure the growing number of Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephone service subscribers have full access to 911, including Enhanced (E)-911 capability that allows 911 dispatchers to trace the phone number and location of calls for help.

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January 14, 2007

Senators Resurrect 'Net Neutrality Bill

Note:  Music to my ears.  Time to ring my local representative again...

Sens. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) and Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) reintroduced their network neutrality bill Jan. 9. The legislation would prevent broadband providers from manipulating Internet traffic. Support for network neutrality was generally split down party lines during the last Congress, with Democrats for and Republicans, except for Snowe, against.

Network neutrality legislation was killed in the House last summer by the Republican majority there. Senate Democrats then took up the measure. Snowe and Dorgan introduced their bill during Commerce Committee hearings on a wide-ranging telecom package, which was ultimately blocked by Democrats because it lacked strong network neutrality language.

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January 07, 2007

FCC denies wireless carriers, industry seeking E911 extensions

The Federal Communications Commission is denying requests from cell phone companies that wanted extensions to a federal mandate that requires cell phones to be located by emergency call centers. The nine wireless carriers that petitioned the F-C-C included Chicago-based U-S Cellular Corporation.

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Posted by Dal at 10:49 AM |

December 29, 2006

Net Neutrality Safe For Two Years

Note:  Nice Read Rich.  Well I am glad the consumers got some pretty nice concessions from the AT&T merger with Bell South.  No one know what affects it will have us going forward?  I guess Ma Bell is back on duty.

"Yesterday I wrote about ensuring net neutrality and just to show you how fluid the telecom market is, today AT&T may have ensured net neutrality for all of us last night. Well at least for 24 months. The company made a number of concessions to the FCC in order to complete their merger with BellSouth. Some of the concessions have to do with freezing prices on enterprise broadband services and giving up wireless spectrum. Other concessions are more important – selling high-speed internet service without the need to buy phone service. This is often called naked DSL." 

Click Here to the Full Article 

Posted by Dal at 04:01 PM |

December 27, 2006

FCC Sides with Verizon & AT&T and Votes to Strip Local Communities of Control Over Cable Franchising

Note:  This is not a good decision at all.  People should be aware that there are some interests in the Communications industry that are really trying to rewrite how "public interest" is handled.  If you agree or disagree please call your local representative and tell them how you feel.  If you don't express your opinion now there will be alot of "closed door" decisions that are being made that you will not have a chance to weigh in on.

"The Federal Communications Commission has agreed to change cable franchising laws so that local communities have less control over incoming pay-television providers.

The vote was pushed for by the telecom giants Verizon and AT&T. The measure was passed by a three to two vote -- with Democratic commissioners, Michael Copps and Jonathan Adelstein dissenting.  Critics of the FCC's decision are already planning a court challenge."

Click Here to Read Amy Goodman's Interview Transcript 

 

Posted by Dal at 10:06 AM |

December 20, 2006

Save The Internet - Net Neutrality Video

Note:  Spread the Word. 

Click Here to See the "Save the Internet" Video 

 

Posted by Dal at 01:42 PM |

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