June 2016

FCC May Budge on Cable Box After Hearing From Google and AT&T

The Federal Communications Commission is considering changes to FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler’s proposal to break cable companies’ hold on the set-top box market, following a joint counteroffer from cable providers and AT&T, and a nod from their rival Google. “Chairman Wheeler has repeatedly said he is interested in a constructive dialogue,” said Kim Hart, an FCC spokeswoman.. “He welcomes the feedback to his proposal to give consumers new options for accessing the content they pay for, and he looks forward to engaging in continued conversations to inform the final rules.”

Alphabet's Google, an early backer of Chairman Wheeler’s White House-backed proposal to give households alternatives to the cable box, in a statement called the cable-AT&T proposal a “constructive effort.” The National Cable & Telecommunications Association trade group and DirecTV owner AT&T in meetings with FCC officials offered to let subscribers watch shows on third-party devices through Internet apps that conform to an industrywide standard, according to filings

FACT SHEET: Obama Administration Announces Columbus (OH) Winner of the $40 Million Smart City Challenge to Pioneer the Future of Transportation

Columbus (OH) is the winner out of 78 cities that accepted the challenge, will receive up to $40 million from the Department of Transportation to prototype the future of transportation s as part of the Obama Administration’s efforts to accelerate game-changing technologies from self-driving cars to smart traffic lights to vehicle to vehicle communications.

The Smart City Challenge called on cities to do more than merely introduce new technologies onto city streets. Rather, the Challenge called on mayors to boldly envision new solutions that change the very face of transportation in our cities by closing the gap between rich and poor; capturing the needs of both old and young; and through smart design, bridging the digital divide so that the future of transportation meets the needs of all city residents, not just those who are technology savvy. Columbus has been selected to receive up to $40 million from the Department of Transportation to carry out its Smart City Plan. Paul G. Allen’s Vulcan, Inc. will provide an additional $10 million to Columbus. And a range of national industry partners will provide the winning city with technology to help implement its plan, including NXP® Semiconductors, Amazon Web Services, Mobileye, Autodesk, Alphabet’s Sidewalk Labs, AT&T, and DC Solar. In its Smart City plan, Columbus will leverage a new central connected traffic signal and integrated transportation data system to address specific transportation challenges faced in four districts across the city.