October 2020

Joe Biden Win Could Curb Deals, Revive Net Neutrality in FCC Pivot

A victory by Joe Biden in the Nov. 3 election could usher in an abrupt change in the nation’s telecommunications policy, restoring so-called net neutrality regulation and shifting the Republican drive to rein in social media outlets, among other things. Biden hasn’t talked much about the Federal Communications Commission during the campaign, but his party’s platform is specific. It calls for restoring net neutrality rules put in place under then-President Barack Obama when Biden served as vice president and taking a harder line on telecommunications mergers.

White House getting pushback on possible government-owned 5G network

The Trump administration is getting pushback from industry groups, both sides of the aisle, and even internally about the Pentagon's moves toward a possible 5G network owned and operated by the government. President Trump's chief of staff, Mark Meadows, is reportedly leading a pressure campaign for the White House's favored candidate, wireless company Rivada Networks, in its efforts to construct a 5G network, though Rivada says such a network should not be government-owned. Senior administration officials are reportedly alarmed at Meadow's efforts to get the Department of Defense to fast-tr

Why the 5G Pushiness? Because $$$.

It is helpful to look for the profit motives behind what’s happening in our shopping lives. So why does it feel as if every other commercial you see on TV or online is a phone company blaring “5G! 5G! 5G!” into your earholes? Because each once-in-a-decade changeover in wireless technology is a shot for companies like Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile to pad our cellphone bills without us going nuts and to steal customers from one another.