August 2022

FCC Wins Court Battle to Repurpose Auto Safety Spectrum for Wi-Fi

The Federal Communications Commission won an important battle in a fight to free up more unlicensed wireless spectrum for Wi-Fi devices. A federal appeals court on August 12 sided with the FCC in its decision to reallocate a big chunk of key spectrum for an expansion of unlicensed Wi-Fi use. The spectrum had previously been set aside for auto safety.

If you get free phone or internet in California, watch out for this snag

Researchers have found that salespeople offering free phone service through the California LifeLine Program often leave consumers in the dark about the trade-offs that come with it. In particular, each household can have only one account subsidized by LifeLine, and they can have only one supported by the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), the federal program which enables lower-income people to get free or deeply discounted broadband service.