With air travelers increasingly demanding high-speed Internet while aloft, satellite companies’ in-flight connectivity businesses are growing. "There's not enough bandwidth for all the markets we're going after," said Don Buchman, vice president of ViaSat's commercial mobility business. Air-to-ground (ATG) connectivity could start regaining some lost market share depending on how quickly the FCC moves on a Qualcomm petition for establishing an in-flight air-to-ground mobile broadband spectrum in the 14-14.5 GHz band on a secondary basis, satellite industry consultant Tim Farrar said. "It's really a critical time to see how that balance will shape up over the next five to 10 years."
With air travelers increasingly demanding high-speed Internet while aloft, satellite companies’ in-flight connectivity businesses are growing. "There's not enough bandwidth for all the markets we're going after," said Don Buchman, vice president of ViaSat's commercial mobility business. Air-to-ground (ATG) connectivity could start regaining some lost market share depending on how quickly the FCC moves on a Qualcomm petition for establishing an in-flight air-to-ground mobile broadband spectrum in the 14-14.5 GHz band on a secondary basis, satellite industry consultant Tim Farrar said. "It's really a critical time to see how that balance will shape up over the next five to 10 years."
With air travelers increasingly demanding high-speed Internet while aloft, satellite companies’ in-flight connectivity businesses are growing. "There's not enough bandwidth for all the markets we're going after," said Don Buchman, vice president of ViaSat's commercial mobility business. Air-to-ground (ATG) connectivity could start regaining some lost market share depending on how quickly the FCC moves on a Qualcomm petition for establishing an in-flight air-to-ground mobile broadband spectrum in the 14-14.5 GHz band on a secondary basis, satellite industry consultant Tim Farrar said. "It's really a critical time to see how that balance will shape up over the next five to 10 years."
A broader definition of multichannel video programming distribution to include some types of over-the-top video could be a boon for OTT operators looking to add local broadcast content to their offerings, or is a solution in search of a nonexistent problem, panelists said Tuesday at an FCBA panel. Such a reclassification is "putting a thumb on the scale way before it's necessary or appropriate," said 21st Century Fox Associate General Counsel Jared Sher. Minus the protections that come with MVPD categorization, some OTT providers "are going to be left 'under the bottom,'" said Jonathan Allen of Rini O'Neil.
NAB, NATOA and Minnesota's Northern Dakota County Cable Communications Commission petitioned the FCC Media Bureau to reconsider the expiration of some local franchising authority certifications related to the agency's 2015 effective competition order. The three petitioned the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit in August, asking it to review the June order establishing that the cable market is effectively competitive in every franchise area and put the onus of rebutting that presumption on franchising authorities (see 1508280033). The petition filed Tuesday in docket 15-53 -- pointing to the Media Bureau's December order, which listed franchising authorities that had sought new certification -- asked for reconsideration "so that the Bureau may vacate its [effective competition] findings and certificate expirations" if the D.C. Circuit sets aside the effective competition order.
A broader definition of multichannel video programming distribution to include some types of over-the-top video could be a boon for OTT operators looking to add local broadcast content to their offerings, or is a solution in search of a nonexistent problem, panelists said Tuesday at an FCBA panel. Such a reclassification is "putting a thumb on the scale way before it's necessary or appropriate," said 21st Century Fox Associate General Counsel Jared Sher. Minus the protections that come with MVPD categorization, some OTT providers "are going to be left 'under the bottom,'" said Jonathan Allen of Rini O'Neil.
A broader definition of multichannel video programming distribution to include some types of over-the-top video could be a boon for OTT operators looking to add local broadcast content to their offerings, or is a solution in search of a nonexistent problem, panelists said Tuesday at an FCBA panel. Such a reclassification is "putting a thumb on the scale way before it's necessary or appropriate," said 21st Century Fox Associate General Counsel Jared Sher. Minus the protections that come with MVPD categorization, some OTT providers "are going to be left 'under the bottom,'" said Jonathan Allen of Rini O'Neil.
Multichannel video programming distributors may be at a disadvantage in the fight over possible changes to good-faith retransmission consent negotiation rules, former FCC official Adonis Hoffman told us Friday. "Because of their proximity to communities and the high-touch nature of television, I give the edge to broadcasters, who are hyper-local and have a high name-identification quotient. Plus, broadcasters have shown their ability to mobilize members of Congress who understand that all politics is local," Hoffman, who was chief of staff to Commissioner Mignon Clyburn, said in an email. In multiple filings posted Friday in docket 15-216, broadcasters and MVPDs and allies assailed each other's arguments about possible changes to the "totality of circumstances" test and defended their own turf. Thursday was the deadline for reply comments.
As analysts question how much CEO Tom Rutledge's comments about the online video distribution market could create problems for Charter Communications' bids to buy Bright House Networks and Time Warner Cable, Charter is adding to its public interest commitments. This time, it's pledges on board and employee diversity. An industry official said the company began work on its memorandum of understanding with various civil rights organizations in July, shortly after Charter/TWC/BHN was announced, and the MOU doesn't reflect any concerns about regulatory approval.
As analysts question how much CEO Tom Rutledge's comments about the online video distribution market could create problems for Charter Communications' bids to buy Bright House Networks and Time Warner Cable, Charter is adding to its public interest commitments. This time, it's pledges on board and employee diversity. An industry official said the company began work on its memorandum of understanding with various civil rights organizations in July, shortly after Charter/TWC/BHN was announced, and the MOU doesn't reflect any concerns about regulatory approval.