Wireless Telecommunications

With nearly half of Puerto Ricans without clean drinking water, and with the territory's electricity systems “totally shot,” according to President Donald Trump, the Caribbean island is in dire need of hurricane assistance. But that's not all: A report by the Federal Communications Commission shows that cellular service has been all but obliterated in Puerto Rico as a result of Hurricane Maria. Although the area's two 911 dispatch centers are functional, as much as 91 percent of Puerto Rico's cell sites are out of action, according to the FCC. The US Virgin Islands aren't faring much better, with 66 percent of their cell sites currently down.

The internet is a powerful enabler for social change; yet, for 34 million Americans it remains out of reach. A disproportionate number of these people include vulnerable populations such as low-income families or individuals, seniors, and adults living with a disability. Mobile Beacon works hand-in-hand with community organizations to create digital inclusion programs that provide the internet to the people that need it most. Together, we help connect people to this vital tool to improve their lives. That’s why we’re offering the to help you create programs that will really take off. When you become one of our pilot sites, you’ll have access to the full which includes:

25 donated 4G LTE mobile hotspots
FREE unlimited 4G LTE data plans during the pilot program
25 donated Lenovo Thinkpad E560 laptops

Pilot applications should have a clear focus on how mobile, high-speed internet will make a tangible change for the people you serve. Provide as much detail as you need to explain what you plan to do and how you will measure your impact.

[Commentary] This week, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will officially confirm that the US wireless marketplace is characterized by effective competition. As this new generation of wireless service takes hold, it seems likely that most Americans will no longer have a reason to buy both types of service.

Peter Rysavy, an engineer whose firm has been examining wireless technology issues for more than two decades, says that “eventually consumers will pay for just one broadband connection, fixed and mobile.” He sees 5G as “a serious threat” to the wireline-only companies because it will enable consumers who generally prefer wireless to abandon wired broadband altogether.

[Shane Tews is president of Logan Circle Strategies]

AT&T rural broadband expansion via Connect America Fund-supported fixed wireless service now reaches 160,000 locations across 18 states. Nine states were recently added. The expansion nearly doubles the reach since AT&T’s last update on the service in June 2017. Arkansas, California, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Ohio, Texas, and Wisconsin join Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. AT&T has plans to reach 400,000 locations by the end of this year, and over 1.1 million locations by 2020. The Connect America Fund, the Federal Communications Commission’s program to expand rural broadband access.

The internet of things (IoT) is about more than just connecting widgets to networks and to each other, according to Dish Network CEO Charlie Ergen. It’s also about providing access for those who might not otherwise have it.

Dish spent $6.2 billion to buy licenses during the auction of 600 MHz that wrapped up in 2017, far exceeding the expectations of most analysts and adding low-band airwaves to its significant holdings of mid-band spectrum. The company outlined plans to build a narrow band IoT network to provide connectivity to a wide range of devices other than traditional tablets and smartphones. But people are also a key component of the IoT, Ergen observed. “Where we are focused as a company is really on the connectivity side,” Ergen said. “We have a lot of spectrum that we’ve acquired over the years that can be used in a wireless way to connect communities and people and things.” For that connectivity to be fully leveraged, though, it must be accessible to as many users as possible, Ergen continued. That not only includes consumers in urban areas—a key segment of the emerging IoT market—but also those in outlying areas who may not have reliable access to networks through wireless or fixed-line services. “For smart cities, that’s going to be an important thing so that you can connect more efficiently regarding street lights or garbage cans or parking tickets or air quality or whatever it’s going to be. I think we can play a role in that as a company and we get excited about that piece of it,” he said. “When you really get into connectivity, as long as everybody has access to that connectivity on an equal basis, then it’s what they do with it…. You don’t want red-line networks where certain people can’t get access to parts of the network when other people can. You’ve got to bring those people together, and then it’s their game and they make of it what you can.”

You'll soon be able to text on any Delta flight for free. Delta flights worldwide will have free texting through a Gogo app, starting Oct 1. Free messaging will be available on Gogo-enabled Delta flights for planes with two or more cabins. Travelers will be able to access the feature through Delta's Wi-Fi portal page, airborne.gogoinflight.com. Delta has 1,300 planes worldwide and all but 130 of them have Wi-Fi, according to a Delta spokeswoman.

It is ironic that at the very moment the public is debating whether reliance on four-firm competition is enough to protect small businesses and consumers, the Federal Communications Commission declares "mission accomplished." We shouldn’t ignore how four-firm competition, data roaming rules, spectrum screens and other regulations adopted by previous Administrations continue to benefit consumers. At the same time, we cannot ignore the continuing problems of concentration -- particularly in rural markets and for low-income Americans. The purpose of the Competition Report is to provide an important tool for Congress and the American people to understand the wireless market. It is not intended to put a happy face on an industry that remains concentrated by conventional antitrust metrics.

On Sept 21, the Open Technology Institute filed comments with the Federal Communications Commission about the availability of broadband across the United States.

In its comments, OTI explained that mobile broadband is not a substitute for fixed broadband—they are complements. Mobile services are generally more expensive, less reliable (particularly in rural areas), slower, and are also subject to restrictive data caps and expensive overage fees. Consumers also typically access mobile broadband on portable devices with smaller screens and limited computational abilities that cannot complete the full range of functions of a desktop or laptop computer for work, entertainment, and educational purposes. OTI also urged the FCC to continue steadily increasing its speed benchmarks to reflect the changing nature of fixed broadband.

The Federal Communications Commission approved its 20th Annual Mobile Wireless Competition Report. For the first time since 2009, the FCC makes an affirmative finding that the metrics assessed in the Report indicate that there is effective competition in the marketplace for mobile wireless services. The 20th Report concludes that competition continues to play an essential role in the mobile wireless marketplace, driving innovation and investment to the benefit of the American people and economy.

The Federal Communications Commission proposed revisions to its wireless hearing aid compatibility (HAC) reporting rules to reduce unnecessary regulatory burdens, particularly for non-nationwide service providers. All handset manufacturers and wireless service providers are currently required to file annual status reports with the FCC on their HAC deployment and compliance efforts. The FCC is proposing rule changes to provide relief from these reporting obligations to small, rural, and regional service providers while maintaining other safeguards to ensure that all consumers enjoy the benefits of having available hearing aid compatible handsets. Specifically, the item seeks comment on, among other things, whether to amend the FCC’s HAC reporting requirements to exempt non-nationwide, wireless service providers from the annual reporting requirement. It also asks about the feasibility of reliance on informal complaints and other required sources of information to ensure industry compliance. Finally, it seeks details on the costs and benefits of the proposed reporting exemption, as well as additional ways to streamline or simplify these requirements for service providers generally.