Confusing broadband bills and a lack of competition "make it difficult for consumers to budget and compare prices with alternative service options," said Consumer Reports in a report Thursday. The group reviewed more than 22,000 consumer broadband bills and received speed tests from study participants. More than 18,000 bills with an internet price identified had an average monthly cost of high-speed internet was $74.99, the group said, saying bundles, discounts and other fees contribute to billing confusion. Consumer Reports also said the "overwhelming majority of bills" it reviewed "subscribed to the same ISP, or one of just two ISPs." A "large number of consumers" were found to have paid "as much or more for a sub-broadband plan" as those paying for advertised speeds of at least 300 Mbps. "While we expected some confusing bills, we were surprised to see how difficult it was for consumers to understand what they’re paying for and the frequency of hidden fees," said Senior Policy Counsel Jonathan Schwantes: "These findings should alarm policymakers and regulators about the lack of competition in the marketplace and the tactics providers deploy to increase profits.” The group recommended requiring the FCC's forthcoming broadband labels on "every monthly broadband bill" that are machine-readable, and data cap justifications. It also urged the FCC to "reassert its regulatory authority over the broadband internet service industry."

Elon Musk’s leadership at Twitter will differ from his previous business ventures because he’s now operating in the heavily unregulated realm of social media, former FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler wrote Monday. A visiting fellow at the Brookings Institution, Wheeler said Musk is "now outside the rules-based worlds in which he has flourished." Musk, “who made his money in businesses governed by hard science and regulation” now must navigate a “messy reality where companies make money by selling advertisements to users attracted by virtually unbridled outrage, conflict, and misinformation,” Wheeler said.

Elon Musk’s “policy intentions” at Twitter “could significantly harm the Latine community by dismantling necessary safeguards against hate speech and disinformation,” National Hispanic Media Coalition CEO Brenda Castillo said Monday. NHMC is concerned Twitter’s content moderation council will include people who “actively promote hate and disinformation,” Castillo said, arguing staff cuts will mean less content moderation. She raised concerns about Musk’s reported plans to reinstate former President Donald Trump on the platform.

Public Knowledge helped launch a coalition of public interest advocates Tuesday, with the goal of making the internet work “better for everyone.” Other organizing partners in the Movement for a Better Internet are the Creative Commons, the Niskanen Center, the Wikimedia Foundation, the Internet Archive, Derechos Digitales and the Association for Progressive Communications. The internet is “fraught” with “misinformation and manipulation; deceptive privacy practices; and all-powerful, unaccountable gatekeepers,” PK Senior Policy Analyst Lisa Macpherson said. “By joining the movement, we can ensure an internet shaped by our shared public interest values -- an internet that puts people and communities first.”

New rules for internet platforms cleared the European Parliament Tuesday, with lawmakers overwhelmingly approving the Digital Services Act (DSA) and Digital Markets Act (DMA). Under the DSA, digital services providers such as social media or marketplaces will have to act to prevent the spread of illegal content, disinformation and other risks, Parliament said. These include new requirements to react quickly to illegal content, stronger checks on online traders to ensure services and products are safe, requiring platforms to be more transparent about their algorithms for recommending content and bans on practices such as advertisements that target children or use sensitive data. Platforms and search engines with 45 million users or more monthly will be subject to stricter rules, including making their algorithms accessible by authorities and vetted researchers. Under the DMA, very large platforms acting as "gatekeepers" will have to allow third parties to interoperate with their services and let business users access the data they generate, Parliament said. They won't be allowed to rank their own offerings more favorably or process users' personal data for targeted advertising without express consent. Noncompliance could result in fines of up to 10% of a company's total worldwide revenue in the preceding fiscal year or up to 20% in cases of repeated failure to comply. The measures need formal approval from EU governments, expected this month and in September. "The European Parliament has adopted a global first: Strong ambitious regulation of online platforms," said European Commission Vice President Margrethe Vestager. The DSA and DMA are "turning the page on 'too big to care' platforms," said Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton. The European Telecommunications Network Operators Association and GSM Association praised EU efforts to balance preventing the spread of illegal content online while respecting fundamental rights "by recognising that intermediaries should bear responsibilities proportionate to their role in disseminating such material." Consumers and digital rights groups warned the laws must be closely monitored. The DMA is a "gamechanger" for users but the EC must allocate the necessary resources to enforce it, emailed European Consumer Organization Deputy Director General Ursula Pachl. The DSA "is only a first step in ensuring people's rights online are protected," said European Digital Rights.

MediaTek is shipping the Dimensity 1050 SoC, offering dual connectivity for mmWave and sub-6GHz 5G smartphones and Wi-Fi 6E support, it said Monday. The chipset supports 144Hz Full HD+ displays, and its dual HDR video capture engine allows smartphone users to simultaneously stream with the front and rear cameras, MediaTek said. It also touted advanced noise reduction for low-light photos. Phones using the 1050 are due in Q3, it said.

The global slim modem market for smartphones and tablets grew 72% to $5.8 billion last year, led by Qualcomm with 56% share, said Strategy Analytics Wednesday. Qualcomm’s shipments grew 377% with the X55 5G slim modem in the iPhone 12 series and multiple Android devices. Intel shipments declined 23% on Apple’s shift to Qualcomm; the iPhone 11 series and SE 2020 drove Intel's shipments in the category. SA expects slim modem vendors, also including MediaTek and Samsung, to target more applications in cellular IoT, automotive, connected PCs, fixed wireless access and mobile broadband segments in the next few quarters.

The smartphone applications processor market had revenue growth last year for the first time since 2016, advancing 25% year on year to $25 billion, said Strategy Analytics Thursday. Qualcomm (31% share), Apple (23%) and HiSilicon (18%) led the dynamic market, said SA. 5G AP shipments were a quarter of smartphone AP units. On-device AI engines crossed 900 million shipments in 2020 and will be in 71% of smartphones sold globally this year, SA said (see 2103100006).

The White House should take “technology-neutral action” to resolve the semiconductor shortage without playing favorites among the various tech sectors, Telecommunications Industry Association CEO David Stehlin wrote President Joe Biden Wednesday. “America’s broadband networks and the secure deployment of new technologies such as 5G are vital to U.S. interests, necessitating a level playing field." As Biden weighs an executive order addressing supply chain fixes for the chip shortage (see 2102120022), “we strongly encourage a balanced approach to U.S. government action that does not favor one sector over others,” the TIA chief said. The White House didn’t comment.

On Semiconductor is evaluating its product portfolio, looking to allocate capital and R&D resources to “accelerate growth in high-margin products and end-markets by moving away from non-differentiated products” with lower gross margins, said the company’s 10-K report Tuesday at the SEC. The aim is to reduce complexity, streamline the organization and improve operating efficiencies, it said. The company’s focus is on gross margin expansion and achieving significant revenue growth in its automotive, industrial and communication infrastructure segments while being “opportunistic” in other end markets, it said. On shipped about 64.3 billion units last year, compared with 66.2 billion units in 2019, a 3% drop year on year. New CEO Hassane El-Khoury plans to take a surgical knife to product sectors that aren't in “strategic alignment” with the company’s “growth margin expansion initiatives,” he told investors this month (see 2102010020).