It has been revealed that the latest WiMAX-equipped Android Smartphone from Motorola, The Photon 4G, seems on schedule for a late summer release.
FCC
The proposed AT&T – T-Mobile transaction poses a conflict and a challenge for the Obama Administration. Both the President and the FCC’s National Broadband Plan promote the goal of rolling out next generation wireless broadband service to 95 percent of the nation. Proponents of the transaction claim that the AT&T acquisition of T-Mobile’s spectrum licenses is the best way for the company to meet the nation’s broadband goals.
Until now, customers of Sprint’s 4G WiMax network have had precious few devices with which to valiantly navigate the speedy mobile broadband terrain offered them. The HTC Evo 4G and Samsung Epic 4G have performed admirably in the kingdom of next-generation wireless, so you’d think consumers would be content wielding their net surfing phones in the most perilous situations where a blazing fast connection is all that stands between them and certain doom–or in this case the important text message they need to respond to. Sure those devices do the trick just fine, but in this era where having just two options is akin to insanity, Sprint customers may soon get a third– their very own “Knight” in shining armor.
The FCC has just approved HTC’s latest 4G WiMax-enabled handset with an impressive set of specs for Sprint to tack onto a growing roster of 4G-ready hotspots, modems, laptops and phones The smartphone, presently dubbed the “HTC Knight,” is equipped with Froyo, an 8-megapixel camera, 1GHz processor, 3.7 inch display and a most appealing sliding QWERTY keyboard.
Several blogs are predicting the latest member of the Sprint 4G WiMax phone family will get to stores in time for the holiday rush. We’re not so optimistic as that day as fast approaching, but it could make for a nice present for those last-minute shoppers. If it does hit the stores in the next few days, keep your eyes peeled for a few different monikers, as the ” HTC Knight” name is not set in stone strong enough to keep Excalibur. The alternate names are thought to include the “Sprint HTC Desire Z,” “HTC Speedy,” and the “HTC Evo Shift 4G.” We prefer the “Knight” if only because it brings a certain amount of valor to the act of using our cell phone for something as common as downloading a ringtone. … Read the rest
The FCC recently proposed rules that would require mobile service providers to provide usage alerts and information to assist consumers in avoiding unexpected charges on their bills.
By Craig D. Dingwall
Last month the FCC modified the E-rate program to bring fast, affordable Internet access to schools and libraries through the National Broadband Plan. Formerly called the Schools and Libraries Universal Service program, the E-rate program, which provides up to $2.25 billion annually to support schools and libraries telephone and Internet connections, was adopted 13 years ago to help ensure that almost every school and library across America has Internet access. The E-rate program has, however, not kept pace with technological advances or funding requirements in the broadband era. Accordingly, on September 28th the FCC upgraded the program by:
- allowing participants to use E-rate funds to connect to the Internet in the most cost-effective way possible, including via unused fiber optic (dark fiber) lines;
- opening the door to “School Spots” — where schools have the option to provide Internet access to the local community after students go home;
- launching a pilot program that supports off-campus Internet connectivity for mobile learning devices such as digital textbooks and other wireless devices; and
- indexing the cap on E-rate funding to inflation, supporting connections to the dormitories of schools that serve students facing unique challenges (such as Tribal schools or schools for children with physical, cognitive, or behavioral disabilities), codifying competitive bidding requirements, clarifying ethics obligations, and streamlining the E-rate application process for educators and librarians.
Perhaps the most significant and controversial part of the FCC’s Order from the service provider’s perspective is the FCC’s conclusion that “eligible schools and libraries should be free to meet their communications needs by leasing fiber from entities other than telecommunications carriers that are able to provide schools and libraries the same services that a traditional telecommunications carrier can provide a school or library over a fiber network.” This means that schools and libraries can now lease E-rate eligible fiber from any provider—including research and education networks, regional, state and local governments, non-profit and for-profit providers, and utility company—purportedly giving schools and libraries “more flexibility to select the most cost effective broadband solutions” and allow them to “pay less for the same or greater bandwidth . . ” While the FCC claims that the competitive bidding process will help protect against waste, fraud, and abuse of the E-rate program, non-public entities raise fairness concerns about competing with taxpayer-funded entities such as state and local governments.
Others raise concerns regarding … Read the rest
By Craig D. Dingwall
Last week the FCC adopted the Second Memorandum Opinion and Order (Second MO&O) to make vacant airwaves between TV channels—so called “white spaces”—available for unlicensed broadband wireless devices. Touted as the first significant block of “prime real estate” spectrum made available for unlicensed use in more than 20 years that will create jobs, investment, innovation and unleash a host of new technologies such as super Wi-Fi and other diverse applications, this spectrum is attractive because it allows signals to reach farther with better penetration of structures. According to the FCC, this spectrum could promote “super Wi-Fi hot spots” with extended range and speed while improving broadband access to schools, rural areas, and campus networks to promote streaming video and other applications. But will it live up to these promises and, if so, under what terms and conditions? The MO&O provides additional details and addresses several technical and legal issues. Specifically, among other things, the FCC through the MO&O:
- Modified the protection criteria for low power auxiliary stations such as wireless microphones to reduce the required separation between such devices and unlicensed personal/portable devices that rely on geo-location and database access to determine available channels at its location;
- Modified the definition of the receive sites entitled to protection outside of a television station’s service area to include all multi-channel video programming distributors as defined by its rules;
- Reserved two vacant UHF channels for wireless microphones and other low power auxiliary service devices across the country;
- Allowed operators of event and production/show venues using large numbers of unlicensed wireless microphones that cannot be accommodated in the two reserved or other available channels to register those venue sites on TV bands databases to receive the same geographic spacing protections afforded licensed wireless microphones;
- Restricted fixed TV bands devices from operating on locations where the ground level is more than 76 meters above the average terrain level;
- Eliminated the requirement that TV bands devices incorporating geo-location and database access must also listen (sense) to detect the signals of TV stations and low power auxiliary service stations (wireless microphones);
- Adopted power spectral density limits for unlicensed TV bands devices;
- Modified the rules governing measurement of adjacent channel emissions;
- Restricted fixed TV bands devices from operating at locations where the height above average terrain of the ground level is greater than 76 meters;
- Required that communications between TV bands devices and
This Bill was introduced on January 27, 2010, and was referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and the Committee on Energy and Commerce “for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker.” This Bill amends the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 to establish in the Department of Agriculture the Office of Rural Broadband Initiatives, to be headed by the Under Secretary for Rural Broadband Initiatives. If enacted, this Bill would give the Under Secretary the power to administer rural broadband-related grant and loan programs, conduct rural outreach, foster development of a comprehensive rural broadband strategic vision, assess technologies (including WiFi, WIMAX, DSL, cable, satellite, fiber, and broadband over power lines), serve as a single information source and provide technical assistance to develop broadband deployment strategies. The Bill also requires the Under Secretary to submit a comprehensive rural broadband strategy report to the President and to Congress, and it establishes a National Rural Broadband Innovation Fund of $20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2008 through 2012. The Fund is to be used for experimental and pilot rural broadband projects and applications, including WiFI, WIMAX, DSL, cable, satellite, fiber, and broadband delivery over power lines.
