Items tagged with FCC
Any year in review that covers the major events of 2018 should include the repeal of net neutrality laws that were implemented during the Obama administration. Former Verizon attorney and current Federal Communications Commission chairman Ajit Pai led the charge in rolling back net neutrality regulations, and on Wednesday he patted Congress on the back for upholding the controversial vote. Image Source: Flickr via Gage Skidmore "I’m pleased that a strong bipartisan majority of the US House of Representatives declined to reinstate heavy-handed Internet regulation. They did the right thing—especially...
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A new AT&T device has been seen passing through the FCC that isn't a phone or a smart wearable. Instead, it is a very slick charger aiming directly at Apple device users that can charge the iPhone and Apple Watch on the go, at the same time. The gadget is called the Power Drum Wireless Charger & Apple Watch Power Bank, and it was spied at both the FCC and in documentation from the Qi Wireless Power Consortium. The Power Drum has a flat section around the perimeter of the device that is meant to wirelessly charge the Apple Watch. The iPhone would be placed flat on top of the Power Drum to...
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The FCC upset a lot of people when it voted to repeal net neutrality rules. The Commission then wanted to reduce the speed that is considered to be broadband in some areas, however, the backlash to that move saw the FCC step back and stop its attempts to reclassify broadband speeds in some areas. The FCC has worked to ensure that it's easier for broadband providers to get their speedy services to more people; Google Fiber in particular benefitted from a change in FCC regulations regarding utility pole usage. The FCC has now announced that it is launching an investigation into one or more major...
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The FCC is a very good place for fans of technology to peruse documents and glean details on devices that haven't been released to the public. FCC images gave us one of the first looks at the RED Hydrogen One smartphone that many had dubbed vaporware before it officially launched. The FCC has now given up many details on the Moto G7 Play mid-range smartphone ahead of its official launch. Images show that the G7 Play will come in black or silver colors and has the familial looks of other devices Motorola has launched in recent years. The back of the smartphone has a single camera, and one of the...
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The debate surrounding net neutrality is going to court.The United States Justice Department is suing the state of California over their new net neutrality law. The lawsuit will decide whether federal or state governments can enact laws that affect national telecommunication companies. The suit was filed on Sunday with the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California. Governor Jerry Brown recently signed a bill that prevents companies like Verizon and AT&T from slowing or blocking Internet traffic. Companies are also unable to allow unlimited access to certain...
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Earlier this year, we heard rumors that a Palm-branded smartphone would making its way to Americans in late 2018. TCL, which breathed new life into BlackBerry smartphones, is also the driving force behind this Palm resurrection, having purchased the rights to the brand back in 2015. Now, we're receiving more evidence that a smartphone launch is imminent. The PVG100 smartphone manufactured by the TCL subsidiary Palm Ventures Group has been certified by both the Wi-Fi Alliance and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). One of the interesting things gleaned from its Wi-Fi Certified Interoperability...
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Samsung is getting ready to release another smartwatch, and there are plenty of rumors and speculation leading up to the launch. There is also some conflicting information out there. The name is no longer one of them—in a new listing with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Samsung refers to its upcoming wearable as the Galaxy Watch. It's a brand new listing with the FCC, so the information can be considered up-to-date and representative of the current build, and likely the final build since its presumably headed to market soon. On top of that, this is not the first semi-official...
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Alphabet says that going into the ambitious rollout of its Google Fiber internet that it knew things would be costly, hard to pull off, and slow-going. What the search giant didn’t expect going into Google Fiber rollout was how hard it would be to gain timely access to space on a utility pole to install its equipment. Google says that one of the bigger challenges it encountered with utility poles had to do with making the poles ready for the new attachments. Google says that the "Make Ready" portion of the install currently involves a sequential process that means multiple crews coming...
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In recent months, we've heard reports that a new, low-cost Surface tablet will be released to the public very soon. Now even more evidence of the entry-level tablet has passed through the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The things that clue us in to the fact that this is an entry-level device is that it comes with a 24-watt power supply versus the 36-watt power supply found on the current-generation Surface Pro tablets. In addition, a 7.5v battery is used instead of a 7.66v battery. Both of these are indicators that the power needs of this tablet are as great as its Surface...
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The backlash against the FCC has been stiff ever since the regulatory agency voted to eliminate the rules back in May 2017. Protestors tried everything to get the FCC to go back on its decision to eliminate the rules, include a “Break the Internet” day but the FCC has plowed on. This year the U.S. Senate voted to repeal the FCC’s decision on killing net neutrality, but this was seen as a largely symbolic victory. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai As of today, the end of net neutrality is official. Under the new rules, internet providers are no longer required to offer equal access to...
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Supporters of net neutrality will be thrilled to hear that the U.S. Senate has voted to restore the net neutrality rules that the FCC announced that it would kill off back in April. A Senate vote was held today, and the Senators came down 52-47 to restore the net neutrality rules. The Senate vote was very close with all 49 Democrats voting to restore net neutrality rules along with three Republicans senators -- Susan Collins (ME), Lisa Murkowski (AK) and John Kennedy (LA) . Republican Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana said that his vote came down to whether he and others should trust the local...
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The FCC is often a good place to get a glimpse of a new gadget before it gets official. This is exactly what has happened with an alleged new Google-branded device that looks like a beefed-up Chromecast that has landed on the FCC for testing. What we know of the device thanks to the FCC is that it runs Android TV and comes with a remote control. The manufacturer of the device is listed as Shenzhen SEI Robotics Co. Ltd. and the model number printed on the materials is SN5B6AD. We know the device will support 4K resolution thanks to the identifier the FCC uses "4K ATV Stick." The helpful Google Assistant...
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In the eyes of the National Rifle Association (NRA), Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chairman Ajit Pai "saved the Internet" by shooting down net neutrality rules that were implemented under the previous administration. Apparently the NRA was so pleased by this that it felt compelled to gift Pai a real life gun, a "Kentucky handmade long gun," as part of its Charlton Heston Courage Under Fire Award. The NRA presented the award at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Maryland on Friday. American Conservative Union (ACU) executive director Dan Schneider was part of the ceremony,...
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The FCC “Restoring Internet Freedom” order has been entered in the Federal Register. This is the order that makes massive changes to the Net Neutrality rules that required all internet traffic to be treated equally. The order was published this morning and opens the doors for legal battles to start in earnest. There is no doubt that intense debates and legal battles will ensue over the order and there are strong opinions and feelings on both sides of the Net Neutrality argument. FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel issued a statement today: The FCC’s net neutrality decision is...
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