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.
Apple CEO Tim Cook noted a “pause in purchases” on iPhones, speaking on the company’s fiscal Q2 earnings call Tuesday. He blamed a lag in buying intent for current iPhones on “earlier and much more frequent reports about future iPhones.” Reports have been circulating for months about the 10th anniversary iPhone with features expected to include an OLED display, no-bezel screen and wireless charging.
Apple CEO Tim Cook noted a “pause in purchases” on iPhones, speaking on the company’s fiscal Q2 earnings call Tuesday. He blamed a lag in buying intent for current iPhones on “earlier and much more frequent reports about future iPhones.” Reports have been circulating for months about the 10th anniversary iPhone with features expected to include an OLED display, no-bezel screen and wireless charging.
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and ranking member Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., moved Tuesday to file the Senate version of the Register of Copyrights Selection and Accountability Act. The bill mirrors the House-passed version of the legislation, lobbyists told us. The Grassley-Feinstein bill and HR-1695, which the House approved last week 378-48, would make register a presidentially appointed, Senate-confirmed position with a 10-year term (see 1703230068 and 1704260062). Chatter about HR-1695's Senate companion spread as House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., indicated he intends to gather more feedback on additional legislation on Copyright Office modernization.