FCC commissioners voted 2-1 to freeze and review a rural rate floor that requires rate-of-return carriers to charge customers a certain monthly amount for basic voice service to avoid losing USF support. While voting in favor, Commissioner Mike O'Rielly suggested "means testing" the high-cost program so USF support better targets consumer need. Commissioner Mignon Clyburn dissented, saying the commission should have addressed other rural USF issues, particularly waste, fraud and abuse. NTCA and WTA applauded the freeze and criticized the rate floor.
Given operational problems in recent days with the FCC Electronic Comment Filing System (see 1705120052), groups opposed to a net neutrality rules rollback say the agency should delay its planned Thursday vote on the NPRM. The agency has no plans to do so. "No consideration is being given to delaying the vote," the agency emailed us. "If the Restoring Internet Freedom Notice of Proposed Rulemaking is adopted on Thursday, there will be three months for the public to comment on the Commission’s proposal. We appreciate the input we have received on the Chairman’s draft and look forward to further public participation in this process."
Given operational problems in recent days with the FCC Electronic Comment Filing System (see 1705120052), groups opposed to a net neutrality rules rollback say the agency should delay its planned Thursday vote on the NPRM. The agency has no plans to do so. "No consideration is being given to delaying the vote," the agency emailed us. "If the Restoring Internet Freedom Notice of Proposed Rulemaking is adopted on Thursday, there will be three months for the public to comment on the Commission’s proposal. We appreciate the input we have received on the Chairman’s draft and look forward to further public participation in this process."
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai is under intense pressure to delay Thursday’s vote on the net neutrality rulemaking notice. But industry officials say a delay is extremely unlikely. The FCC indicated in a special sunshine notice Thursday the vote is still on (see 1705110038). House Commerce Committee ranking member Frank Pallone, D-N.J., and Communications Subcommittee ranking member Mike Doyle, D-Pa., sent a letter to Pai Thursday seeking a delay (see 1705110066). “1 million #netneutrality comments already filed. Agree w/ @FrankPallone & @USRepMikeDoyle -- extend comment period,” Commissioner Mignon Clyburn tweeted in response.
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai is under intense pressure to delay Thursday’s vote on the net neutrality rulemaking notice. But industry officials say a delay is extremely unlikely. The FCC indicated in a special sunshine notice Thursday the vote is still on (see 1705110038). House Commerce Committee ranking member Frank Pallone, D-N.J., and Communications Subcommittee ranking member Mike Doyle, D-Pa., sent a letter to Pai Thursday seeking a delay (see 1705110066). “1 million #netneutrality comments already filed. Agree w/ @FrankPallone & @USRepMikeDoyle -- extend comment period,” Commissioner Mignon Clyburn tweeted in response.
Verizon beat out AT&T to buy Straight Path and its high-frequency spectrum for $3.1 billion -- almost twice what AT&T bid (see 1704260041). The FCC must review the deal and some observers believe it could face questions given the dominant millimeter wave position it establishes for Verizon, which previously bought XO and its high-frequency licenses. Buying Straight Path gives Verizon 39 GHz spectrum, one of the bands the FCC is teeing up for an auction and which is expected to be a spectrum building block for 5G.
Comcast unveiled the xFi experience Monday, a platform controllable by mobile app, website, TV or the X1 voice remote that’s designed to simplify home Wi-Fi networks as they become more advanced and handle more devices. With Comcast’s investment in Plume, the platform will get a boost later this year from Plume’s Adaptive WiFi technology, which uses pods around the home to maximize Wi-Fi in a “self-optimizing” mesh network that’s said to adapt to a household in real time to ensure fast speeds, the company said.
Videos of murders, sex assaults, suicides and tortures live-streamed or uploaded on Facebook prompted CEO Mark Zuckerberg to announce Wednesday the hiring of 3,000 more people to its 4,500-person community operations to review and report such incidents (see 1705030010). Experts said in interviews Thursday the move should help the company better manage such postings so they're taken down as quickly as possible and not widely disseminated. Some said the firm should do more.
Videos of murders, sex assaults, suicides and tortures live-streamed or uploaded on Facebook prompted CEO Mark Zuckerberg to announce Wednesday the hiring of 3,000 more people to its 4,500-person community operations to review and report such incidents (see 1705030010). Experts said in interviews Thursday the move should help the company better manage such postings so they're taken down as quickly as possible and not widely disseminated. Some said the firm should do more.
Videos of murders, sex assaults, suicides and tortures live-streamed or uploaded on Facebook prompted CEO Mark Zuckerberg to announce Wednesday the hiring of 3,000 more people to its 4,500-person community operations to review and report such incidents (see 1705030010). Experts said in interviews Thursday the move should help the company better manage such postings so they're taken down as quickly as possible and not widely disseminated. Some said the firm should do more.