Jan 05 Biden signs bill aiming to ease costs for prison calls By Colleen Long, Associated Press Biden has signed into law a bill aimed at easing the cost for prisoners to call family and friends. The legislation clarifies that the Federal Communications Commission can set limits for fees on audio and video calls inside corrections facilities. Continue reading
Oct 19 Investigation finds lower internet speeds for higher prices in poor, less white U.S. neighborhoods By Leon Yin, Aaron Sankin, The Markup Residents of neighborhoods offered the worst deals aren’t just being ripped off; they’re denied the ability to participate in remote learning, well-paying remote jobs, and even family connection and recreation. Continue reading
Jun 09 FCC fines insurance telemarketers $225 million for a billion robocalls By Tali Arbel, Associated Press The Federal Communications Commission said two men in Texas, through their companies, made the calls that purported to sell products from major insurers but actually worked on behalf of other companies. Continue reading
Mar 31 Watch 3:35 News Wrap: Dow Jones concludes worst quarter since 1987 In our news wrap Tuesday, Wall Street ended a brutal first quarter with fresh losses. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 23 percent during the first three months of 2020 -- the largest percentage decline since 1987. Also, Senate Majority… Continue watching
Oct 01 FCC can't stop states from enacting net neutrality rules, court decides By Marcy Gordon, Associated Press The Federal Communications Commission can drop its own rules that keep internet providers from favoring some services over others, the court ruled. Continue reading
Jul 26 Justice Department OKs T-Mobile's $26.5 billion Sprint deal By Tali Arbel, Marcy Gordon, Associated Press The deal comes despite fears of higher prices and job cuts, in a settlement that would create three giant U.S. cellphone companies. Continue reading
Jun 11 States sue to stop $26.5 billion T-Mobile-Sprint merger By Tali Arbel, Mae Anderson, Associated Press The group of state attorneys general who filed the federal lawsuit said the promised benefits, such as better networks in rural areas and faster service overall, cannot be verified, while eliminating a major wireless company will immediately harm consumers. Continue reading
Apr 30 Sprint, T-Mobile try to sell antitrust regulators on $26.5 billion deal By Tali Arbel, Stan Choe, Associated Press To gain approval for their $26.5 billion merger agreement, T-Mobile and Sprint aim to convince antitrust regulators that there is plenty of competition for wireless service beyond Verizon and AT&T. Continue reading
Nov 21 Analysis: Why the FCC's proposed internet rules may spell trouble ahead By David Choffnes, The Conversation As the Federal Communications Commission takes up a formal proposal to reverse the Obama-era Open Internet Order, a key question consumers and policymakers alike are asking is: What difference do these rules make?… Continue reading
Nov 16 Watch 4:17 How new FCC rules could affect your local news By PBS News Hour Longstanding rules that prevented an individual or company from owning broadcast stations and newspapers in the same local market have been abandoned by the FCC. The sweeping changes come amid wider transformations in the media and digital landscape, and have… Continue watching