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+23 +1
FCC flooded with comments before critical net neutrality vote
The FCC has received nearly 22m comments on “Restoring Internet Freedom” with just hours left before the window for public feedback closes on Wednesday
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+13 +1
U.S. House panel scraps Sept. 7 net neutrality hearing
A U.S. House committee said on Wednesday it has canceled a planned hearing on Sept. 7 on the future of internet access rules after no companies publicly committed to appearing. Among those who had been invited in late July to share thoughts before the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee were the chief executives of Alphabet Inc, Facebook Inc, AT&T Inc and Verizon Communications Inc.
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+16 +1
Apple calls for 'strong' open internet protection in FCC comments
Apple has historically kept quiet on the subject of net neutrality, but not anymore. The company recently filed a comment with the FCC calling for "strong, enforceable open internet protections" centered around the principles of consumer choice, transparency and competition. Apple got its comments in just under the wire, too: the FCC's electronic commenting system says the filing, signed by Apple Public Policy VP Cynthia Hogan, was received on the last day public comments were allowed.
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+12 +1
Comcast, Verizon, AT&T CEOs Refuse to Testify on Net Neutrality
So we've noted a few times how Verizon, AT&T, Comcast and Charter lobbyists have not only been lobbying the FCC to kill popular net neutrality protections, but they're also lobbying for a new net neutrality law. Why would they kill one set of rules only to push for the creation of another? These ISPs know the current cash-compromised Congress is so dysfunctional that such a law either won't happen, or if it does will be written by ISP lobbyists intent on making it as flimsy as possible.
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+25 +1
“Fake” net neutrality comments at heart of lawsuit filed against FCC
The Federal Communications Commission has ignored a public records request for information that might shed light on the legitimacy of comments on Chairman Ajit Pai's anti-net neutrality plan, according to a lawsuit filed against the FCC.
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+27 +1
FCC's deregulation of business data lines could mean a price hike
If you operate a small or medium-size U.S. business, you can expect to pay more for broadband services in the near future because the U.S. Federal Communications Commission plans to deregulate providers of business data lines, critics of the proposal say. Users of ATMs, shoppers in stores that use credit card scanners, and mobile phone customers could also see prices go up after the FCC deregulates the so-called business data services (BDS) market. Schools and hospitals also depend on BDS for their broadband service, and prices could rise as much as 25 percent in areas where the FCC removes price caps, critics warn.
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+20 +1
It’s time for Congress to fire the FCC chairman
FCC chairman Ajit Pai is genuinely one of the nicest people in Washington. He’s smart, personable, and the kind of guy you’d want to have a beer with. But nice guys don’t always make good policy (I’ve been bipartisan on this), and Pai’s record means real danger for American consumers and the internet itself. If you believe communications networks should be fast, fair, open, and affordable, you need ask your senator to vote against Pai’s reconfirmation. Now.
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+17 +1
FCC asks Apple to activate the iPhone’s hidden FM radio to aid public safety
FCC chairman Ajit Pai wants Apple to turn on the FM radio that’s hidden inside of every iPhone. In a statement today, he asked that Apple “reconsider its position, given the devastation wrought by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria.” The FM radio, he said, can be used to receive “life-saving information” during disasters. Most smartphones have an FM radio inside, and they have for a long time. Until recently, however, most of those radios were deactivated, so that owners couldn’t use them.
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+1 +1
Neutering Net Neutrality
In 2015, net neutrality advocates celebrated what seemed to be the final step in ensuring an open internet when the Federal Communications Commission officially reclassified broadband internet service as a public utility, just like telephone lines. But the celebration has been short-lived. Soon after the Trump administration entered the White House, the FCC’s new Chairman Ajit Pai announced that he would seek to reverse his predecessor’s efforts, and instead pursue “a light-touch regulatory framework” towards internet service providers.
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+6 +1
Steve Wozniak: Net neutrality rollback ‘will end the internet as we know it’
In an op-ed, Wozniak and Michael Copps, who led the FCC from 2001 to 2011, argued the rollback will threaten freedom for internet users and may corrode democracy.
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+34 +1
Wozniak & Copps: Ending net neutrality will end the Internet as we know it
The FCC should not let a few giant gatekeepers speed up and slow down their preferred sites and services. It should move us all into the fast lane.
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+14 +1
Apple Informs FCC Boss He Doesn't Know How iPhones Work
Last week, FCC boss Ajit Pai published a missive (pdf) proclaiming he was taking a stand for public safety by demanding that Apple "activate the FM chips that are already installed in almost all smartphones sold in the United States." This would, the agency boss insisted, be an immeasurable public safety benefit in times of disaster, such as in the wake of recent hurricanes Harvey, Irma. and Maria. “Apple is the one major phone manufacturer that has resisted doing so," stated Pai.
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+1 +1
US Telco Fined $3 Million in Domain Renewal Blunder
Sorenson Communications, a Utah-based telecommunications provider, received a whopping $3 million fine from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on Friday for failing to renew a crucial domain name used by a part of the local 911 emergency service. The affected service was the Video Relay System (VRS), a video calling service that telecommunication firms must provide to deaf people and others people with vocal disabilities so they can make video calls to 911 services and use sign language to notify operators of an emergency or crime.
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+13 +1
Local TV and radio stations no longer required to have local studios
Republicans eliminate rule, make it easier for stations to close local studios.
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+22 +1
The FCC will soon vote to kill net neutrality. But Congress can stop them if they hear from constituents now.
Yesterday afternoon the House subcommittee that provides Congressional oversight for the FCC held an important hearing about the agency’s current plans, including current Chairman (and former Verizon lawyer) Ajit Pai’s move to gut Title II net neutrality protections that prevent ISPs from controlling what we do online with throttling, censorship, and extra fees.
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+1 +1
Sinclair’s Vision for a TV Network to Rival Fox Draws Critics on the Right
Newsmax Media, One America News Network and TheBlaze are joining liberals in criticizing the merger.
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+31 +1
Dead People Mysteriously Support The FCC's Attack On Net Neutrality
We've noted for months how an unknown party has been using bots to bombard the FCC website with entirely bogus support for the agency's planned attack on net neutrality. Inquiries so far have indicated that whatever group or individual is...
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+2 +1
FCC tries to help cable companies avoid state consumer protection rules
The Federal Communications Commission is intervening in a court case in order to help Charter Communications avoid utility-style consumer protections related to its phone service in Minnesota. The FCC and Charter both want to avoid a precedent that could lead other states to impose stricter consumer protection rules on VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) phone service offered by cable companies.
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+1 +1
FCC plans to vote to overturn U.S. net neutrality rules in December: sources
The head of the Federal Communications Commission is set to unveil plans next week for a final vote to reverse a landmark 2015 net neutrality order barring the blocking or slowing of web content, two people briefed on the plans said.
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+35 +1
The FCC just repealed a 42-year-old rule blocking broadcast media mergers
The move paves the way for greater consolidation in the TV and radio industries.
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