Telecommunication

After closing on his re-merger of Dish Network and EchoStar, Chairman Charlie Ergen outlined a series of strategic asset shifts that shield certain spectrum assets, as well as the cash generated by about three million Dish pay-TV subscribers, from existing creditors. The moves “further unlock incremental strategic, financial and operating flexibility for its business following completion of its merger” with Dish Network.

Some major US cities are targeting a federal rule that likely stands between them and a gusher of broadband gold. Under current Federal Communications Commission rules, cable’s broadband revenue is off limits to local taxing authorities.

Over the last year, there has been a significant increase in the number of federal broadband grant programs that require a domestic preference (“Buy America”) for the purchase of manufactured products. The problem, however, is that there are two different Buy America standards that apply across multiple federal agencies and there are 4 different waivers available for 6 different programs.

The Federal Communications Commission released its third report on the implementation of the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program and the work done by recipients to permanently remove, replace, and dispose of covered communications equipment or services. The Bureau submitted the Third Report to Congress to explain the additional steps the FCC has taken to implement the Reimbursement Program and to provide an update on recipient progress toward removal, replacement, and disposal of covered communications equipment and services in the intervening months.

The holidays are all about trying to spend time with family—a hard thing to do when a family member is behind bars. And it's even harder if that person is held in a local jail, where there's been a growing trend away from in-person visits. "There's no more eye-to-eye, face-to-face visitation," says Maj. David McFadyen, the head of administrative operations for the sheriff's office in North Carolina's Craven County. Since the pandemic, the county jail has switched to a remote video system for family visits. It's not free; families pay the video service contractor $8 per 20 minutes. But Maj.

There’s a lot of optimism in the broadband industry, driven by new opportunities in rural broadband, technology advances and more. In no particular order, here are 11 important developments that we saw this year.

The Federal Communications Commission's Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau) and the Office of Economics and Analytics (Office) announced the 2024 reasonable comparability benchmarks for fixed voice and broadband services for eligible telecommunications carriers (ETCs) that are subject to broadband public interest obligations.

When it comes to the technological advances that have graced our ever-expanding, ever-crowded, ever-exploitative prisons, observers rightly tend to point out the insidious panopticon they’ve enabled: sophisticated surveillance and security networks that ensnare the lives of nearly 2 million people locked up throughout the United States. But the technology that prisoners themselves use and depend on is frequently overlooked.

The Federal Communications Commission has taken a step toward prohibiting early termination fees charged by cable and satellite TV providers. If given final approval, the FCC action would also require cable and satellite providers to provide a prorated credit or rebate to customers who cancel before a billing period ends. The new rules are being floated in a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that the FCC voted to approve in a 3–2 vote, with both Republicans dissenting.

Ofcom issued new guidance to broadband providers to ensure consumers are given clear information about their service when signing up to a new deal. Full-fibre networks are currently being deployed at pace, meaning customers are increasingly able to choose from a range of different network technologies for their broadband service. However, the term ‘fibre’ is being applied inconsistently by the telecommunications industry and is often used to describe different types of networks, leading to confusion among customers.