Regulations

Obama broadband stimulus plan: Reality vs. industry dreams

The broadband stimulus plan, part of Obama’s broader economic stimulus, appears to be all but a done deal, but the value of the package falls far short of what some had hoped.

As currently proposed, the initiative would be focused on rural and underserved areas and would likely come...

FCC policies under Obama Administration

January 2 2009: An Xchange Magazine interview of Democratic FCC commissioner Adelstein may offer some insight into what an Obama FCC would do. Adelstein does not sound like he favors returning to a wholesale/unbundled age (not that it would likely pass muster with the...

The Obama FCC: Activist group?

December 29 2008 regarding the Obama FCC. The Obama administration may be nearing the naming of its FCC choices, and some names are (again) circulating, including Julius Genachowski, a venture capitalist, and Blair Levin, a former FCC chief of staff. Adelstein and Copps, the...

Australia nixes Telstra broadband bid

In a decision whose short-sightedness was worthy of U.S. process, the Australian government disqualified its national carrier Telstra from bidding on an enormous and controversial program to provide more universal broadband access in Australia. There have been political fights between Telstra...

Microsoft’s Yahoo bid

Microsoft has offered to buy Yahoo, a move that clearly indicates it believes Google to be a threat, and also that Google may be vulnerable. The move comes after a slower-than-expected quarterly growth rate from Google and a better-than-expected result from Yahoo (though the results didn’t help...

Telcos vs. Cable at FCC: Telcos Win the Day

The FCC voted today on a number of matters that impact the competition between cable companies and telcos, and it appears that the telcos won the day. In one action, the FCC adopted a Second Report and Order that further clarifies the right of new market entrants to obtain fair process in...

DSL services, Internet taxes – goverment action

Regulators didn't surprise anyone today with their news, but the did relieve some tensions. The Third Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the FCC's classification of DSL as an information service, and the House voted to extend the ban on Internet taxes for four years. The former ruling was the most...