John Eggerton

National Advertising Division of Better Business Bureau Asks Verizon to Drop 5G Claim

The National Advertising Division (NAD) of the Better Business Bureau says that Verizon's claims in TV ads that it is "building the most powerful 5G experience for America" is not supported by the evidence and recommended that it discontinue or modify that claim. AT&T had complained about the ads, which promote 5G service in sports venues, to the NAD, which is the investigative unit of the ad industry's self-regulatory unit.

House Armed Services Committee Members Take Aim at FCC's Ligado Decision

In the wake of a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on the subject of allowing Ligado to operate a 5G service adjacent to GPS spectrum (a hearing that saw the Federal Communications Commission hammered by legislators, military brass, and even iconic pilot Sully Sullenberger), almost two dozen bipartisan members of the House Armed Services Committee have written to the FCC to express their "deep concern."  Lead signatories on the letter include Strategic Forces Subcommittee Chairman Jim Cooper (D-TN) and Ranking Member Michael Turner (R-OH)  They said that while Ligado has argued that D

FCC, Ligado Draw Major Fire in Armed Services Committee

The Federal Communications Commission's decision to allow a new terrestrial broadband service alongside spectrum for critical GPS uses drew fire from both sides of the aisle, as well as top military brass, in a hearing in the Senate Armed Services Committee. The military brass in attendance had not changed their marching orders or their target, and the committee's chairman and ranking member were clearly in bipartisan agreement with the Department of Defence. Ligado took some issue with the fact that there were no witnesses scheduled from Ligado or from the FCC at the hearing.

NAB to FCC: Don't Muck Up White Spaces Compromise

The National Association of Broadcasters is warning the Federal Communications Commission not to mess with the hard-fought compromise broadcasters struck with Microsoft over freeing up more white spaces spectrum for 5G, particularly in rural areas, while not interfering with broadcasters sharing the spectrum band. In comments on the FCC's white spaces proposal, which was unanimously adopted Feb.

Pandemic Colors View of Broadband Deployment

The Federal Communications Commission is signaling that broadband deployment is still a work in progress, but it’s progressing at a pace that does not require regulatory intervention to speed it up. It is a conclusion being challenged by critics of the pace of broadband deployment, who argue that old definitions of reasonable deployment should not hold in the new normal of a pandemic. As with everything else in the country and the world, deployment is now seen through the lens of a pandemic, which magnifies the longstanding issues with the quality, or lack thereof, of FCC data collection on

Groups Petition Congress for Broadband Billions During Pandemic

Backed by Sens Ed Markey (D-MA) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), a dozen internet access activist groups have generated over 110,000 signatures on a petition to Congress to include funds in the next COVID-19 aid bill to make sure every American has internet and phone service during the pandemic. The groups backing the petition are Access Now, Common Sense Media, Consumer Reports, Demand Progress, Fight for the Future, Free Press Action, Libraries Without Borders, MediaJustice, the National Digital Inclusion Alliance, the National Hispanic Media Coalition, New America’s Open Technology Institu

Public Interest Groups Call for 5.9 GHz WiFi Spectrum

The Benton Institute for Broadband & Society joined Public Knowledge and New America's Open Technology Institute in the push to open up the lower 45 MHz of the 5.9 GHz band for Wi-Fi, spectrum heretofore entirely reserved for vehicle-to-vehicle communications (V2V). The other 30 MHz would remain reserved for V2V under a proposal the Federal Communications Commission is considering. In reply comments to the FCC, the groups said that the pandemic-driven work-at-home environment has "upped the urgency" for freeing up more spectrum for unlicensed Wi-Fi broadband connections. "The gigabit-fa

National Association of Broadcasters to FCC: COVID-19 Challenges Emphasize Need for Deregulation

Broadcasters are telling the Federal Communications Commission that the current pandemic provides even more argument for loosening broadcast ownership regulations.

Chairman Pai: FCC is Monitoring ISP Compliance with Connectivity Pledge

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai says the FCC is committed to holding ISPs to their Keep Americans Connected pledge to keep subscribers connected during the COVID-19 pandemic. When asked how the FCC would enforce the pledge, Chairman Pai said he has been personally working with the FCC's Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau to "make sure that providers are following through with the commitments that they made." But the pledge is voluntary, so it's not something the Enforcement Bureau can enforce.

NCTA: Peak Broadband Traffic Growth Plateaus

In the fourth week of its COVID-19 Internet Dashboard, NCTA-the Internet & Television Association said that peak broadband growth, both downstream and up, has plateaued.