Wireless Telecommunications

Cities across Texas stand to lose millions of dollars due to a new law that slashes fees telecom providers pay to them. But before the savings go into effect in 2020, it’s likely cities will challenge the legislation in the courts. The bill would slash right-of-way fees telecom providers pay cities to supply cable and phone service.

The public-private partnership touted two years ago as a way to bring Sacramento to the forefront of a new digital frontier is being called an example for other cities of what not to do, by the Communications Workers of America.

The National Security Agency purged millions of Americans’ phone records after learning that some of the data was collected in error in 2018 as part of a controversial counterterrorism program. Between Oct. 3 and 12, an unidentified phone company provided the NSA with records that it should not have received — records not related to terrorism suspects. The NSA assessed that “the impact was limited given the quick identification, purge processes and lack of reporting,” according to one report.

On May 23, Sens Tom Udall (D-NM), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Ed Markey (D-MA), and Cory Booker (D-NJ) wrote to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai expressing concern that the proposed merger of T-Mobile and Sprint does not serve the public interest and urging both the FCC and Department of Justice to reject the transaction. 

On May 13, Sens Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA) sent a letter to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai with a straight-forward request: don't allow wireless companies to operate in a 24 GHz band until vital weather forecasting operations are protected. 

Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) sent a letter to Department of Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and introduced a resolution on June 24, both concerning US development and deployment of 5G wireless technology. The senator’s letter to Sec Ross raises concerns that the Department of Commerce may be intentionally delaying progress in the race to 5G. 

A platform of recommended media-and-tech policies for all presidential candidates. Over the summer of 2019, Free Press Action will send the platform to each of the presidential candidates. Free Press Action will also generate a scorecard rating each candidate’s positions relative to Right to Connect’s recommendations. What is the platform asking candidates to do?

On June 24, researchers at Boston-based cybersecurity firm Cybereason revealed the results of tracking a years-long cyberespionage campaign they've called Operation Soft Cell, which they say targeted the networks of at least 10 cellular providers around the world. And while researchers' visibility into that hacking campaign is incomplete, they say it appears to be a prolific but highly targeted espionage campaign likely based in China.

Americans used 82% more mobile data in 2018 than in 2017, as results of annual survey showed an increase in wireless across nearly every metric, reflecting unprecedented consumer demand. Key findings:

A look at the Federal Communications Commission's 5G strategy -- the 5G FAST plan -- which consists of three central components: 1) freeing up much more spectrum for the commercial marketplace, 2) promoting wireless infrastructure deployment, and 3) modernizing our regulations to promote more fiber deployment.