Proposed FCC independent video programming rules aim to give providers of such content more negotiating power with pay-TV providers by prohibiting certain contract clauses. The proposed changes came in the form of a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) adopted today at the monthly commission meeting....Learn More

News this week of five new municipal gigabit networks is a reminder that the recent municipal appeals court decision will have little or no impact in some states or for certain municipal network operators. A recent decision by the Sixth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals...Learn More

A new study found strong interest in citizen engagement technology on the part of government respondents. Enhancing the capacity of citizen contact centers by making use of multi-modal cloud services applications and information systems is a focal point for many of the 129 U.S. government...Learn More

A CenturyLink Verizon business data services feud arose today, with CenturyLink accusing Verizon of “doubletalk” on the issue of business data services (BDS) competition. It’s a topic that is being intensely debated as the FCC considers whether to impose price controls in this market, which...Learn More

Nearly 1,000 robocalls (986) were placed every second in the U.S. in August, an all-time high, according to the latest YouMail robocalling trends research. What the YouMail Robocall Index deems a robocalling epidemic continues to expand, increasing 9.3% since July alone. YouMail began tracking robocalls...Learn More

A proposal from FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai aims to encourage gigabit deployments in rural America by giving tax breaks to network operators deploying the high-speed broadband service. The Pai Gigabit Opportunity Zones proposal also would set aside 10% of the money raised from spectrum auctions...Learn More

Netflix is asking the FCC to establish a 10 Mbps downstream, 1 Mbps upstream definition for mobile broadband and to consider the impact that broadband caps have on the deployment of advanced telecom capability. The OTT video provider made its comments in a filing pertaining...Learn More

The impact of the impending FCC business data services decision could be critical for rural wireless carriers, argued Raul Katz, president of telecom policy consulting firm Telecom Advisory Services, LLC, at a Washington, D.C. event Friday that was also webcast. The BDS decision will impact...Learn More

A proposed FCC set-top box order circulating within the commission would not apply to video service providers with fewer than 400,000 customers, but those providers could adopt the technology if they choose to, said FCC senior officials on a conference call with reporters yesterday. The...Learn More

By working with city governments, Google Fiber has been steadily breaking down administrative barriers to prompt deployment of the company’s high-speed broadband service. To date, other service providers also have benefited from Google’s activities. But it’s a different story in Nashville, where pole attachment legislation...Learn More

Ten communities in six Appalachian states will receive technical assistance from an inter-agency Obama administration program aimed at using broadband to revitalize downtown areas.  The Obama Cool and Connected program taps resources within the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Department of Agriculture and...Learn More

Comcast has helped bridge the digital divide by helping provide low cost Internet access to some 750,000 low-income families – 3 million Americans – via its Comcast Internet Essentials program, according to a five-year progress report. Six-time Olympic medalist Jackie Joyner-Kersee joined Comcast Senior Executive...Learn More