Reporting

Google settles $5 billion lawsuit claiming ‘incognito’ mode was not private

Google has tentatively settled a $5 billion lawsuit accusing the tech giant of secretly tracking the internet activities of millions of users who believed its Chrome browser protected their privacy while in “incognito” mode, according to court documents. The class action lawsuit, scheduled for a February 2024 trial, was temporarily halted by US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers after a preliminary settlement was reached between Google and the consumers’ lawyers. The lawsuit, originally filed in 2020, claimed that users in “incognito” mode were misled by Google’s Chrome browser, thinking

How one IoT company is improving dairy production

When Alisa Gusterer tells farmers that her company’s technology can flag that their cows are getting sick before it actually happens, the most common response is happy disbelief.

Why are Comcast and AT&T trying to block millions in state money to boost Oakland’s high-speed internet?

Internet giants Comcast and AT&T are trying to prevent Oakland from receiving $14 million to build out its capacity for high-speed internet, the latest obstacle to the city’s efforts to close longstanding gaps in online access for its residents. In objections to Oakland’s latest share of a $3.87 billion California spending package, the two companies argued to the California Public Utilities Commision (CPUC) that the neighborhoods slated for enhanced fiber-optic infrastructure already enjoy faster internet speeds. Their evidence for that assertion has been kept confidential to everyone b

Dish cites T-Mobile’s low-band spectrum stash in bid for new FCC policies

Dish Network is re-upping its calls for the Federal Communications Commission to update spectrum holding policies, saying the agency’s current spectrum procedures have enabled incumbents like T-Mobile to amass too much low-band spectrum to the detriment of new competitors and regional carriers. Dish EVP of External & Legislative Affairs Jeff Blum and other Dish lawyers met with FCC representatives to discuss the current competitive landscape and importance of spectrum availability in giving new entrants a chance to compete. Dish pointed to comments from AT&T, Public Knowledge, and O

Clemson University unit teams up with CRO Precia to reach out to underserved rural communities

Clemson Rural Health—a unit of Clemson University’s College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences—is linking up with Seattle-based CRO Precia Group to bring more clinical trials to underserved rural populations. Precia, which was formed in 2020, usually focuses on addressing gender bias in clinical trials, particularly to increase the number of women participating in research studies. Ron Gimbel, the director of Clemson Rural Health, said the ultimate goal is to improve health outcomes through inclusive and decentralized clinical research.

Looking ahead: Building up the fiber workforce

Fiber network deployments in the US, while hitting a bit of a slowdown, are proceeding apace and will ramp up significantly as grants start to roll out from the $42.45 billion Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program in 2025.

FCC hears objections to symmetrical broadband definition

The Federal Communications Commission is suggesting raising the national fixed broadband speed benchmark to 100/20 Megabits per second (Mbps) from its current definition of 25/3 Mbps.

Charter running steep 1-Gigabit promo in Kansas City (MO) area

Charter Communications is running a promotion in the Kansas City, Missouri, area that pitches a 1-Gigabit broadband service for $39.99 per month for a period of two years. Under the terms of the promotion, Charter is also tossing in a $100 Visa Rewards Card and offering a line of Spectrum Mobile for 12 months. Pricing on the 1-Gig promotion rises after a two-year period.

Schools could be better protected against cyber attacks if FCC approves changes pushed by 1100 districts

Schools across the country are under attack, increasingly held hostage to ransomware and other vicious online assaults costing more than $10 billion a year in downtime alone. Contracts, tax forms, and passports, along with social security numbers, birth dates, and addresses for students, parents, and staff are up for grabs on poorly secured networks that are easily taken hostage. This is why more than 1,100 school districts, along with nearly two dozen groups, signed a letter asking the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to react now.

Google Allows More App Payment Options in Antitrust Deal With States

Google will allow developers on its Play app store to offer direct payment options to users in the company’s latest move to navigate increased regulatory scrutiny of its power. Google will allow apps to charge consumers directly rather than having to charge through Google.

Jails are embracing video-only visits, but some experts say screens aren't enough

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.

Hughes’ new Jupiter 3 supports new satellite broadband plans

Hughes Network Systems, an EchoStar company, launched its third geosynchronous satellite — Jupiter 3 — in July 2023. The company recently announced new satellite internet plans for the lower 48 US states, leveraging the higher capacity of Jupiter 3. Hughes claims Jupiter 3 is the world’s largest commercial communications satellite, and it enables Hughes to deliver download speeds up to 100 Megabits per second.

Baltimore (MD) introduces free public Wi-Fi network

Mayor Brandon Scott (D-Baltimore) announced FreeBmoreWiFi, a free, public WiFi network in the City of Baltimore, which will be implemented by the Office of Broadband and Digital Equity and funded by American Rescue Plan Act funds. The first locations that will be getting this free WiFi are Middle Branch Fitness and Wellness and the Solo Gibbs Recreation Center. The City aims to have the network up at all of Baltimore City's recreation centers by the end of 2024, with future expansion expected. "FreeBmoreWiFi is about more than internet access," says Baltimore City IT Director Todd Carter.

102 million people eligible for Google’s lawsuit settlement

Tens of millions of U.S. consumers will get a payout as Google shells out $700 million to settle an antitrust lawsuit brought by state prosecutors over the high fees it charges app developers. Google will pay $630 million into a fund that will be divided among an estimated 102 million eligible consumers across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, according to the settlement terms for Utah et al v. Google.

Inside Amazon’s Effort to Challenge Musk’s Starlink Internet Business

Amazon executives tend to describe their satellite venture, Project Kuiper, in philanthropic terms, emphasizing its potential to connect people in remote or impoverished areas with education and global commerce. Less altruistically, Amazon also hopes the $10-billion-plus project can transform it into a global telecommunications giant.

Consolidated says fiber build will slow without private equity backing

Consolidated Communications filed a letter to shareholders, asking them to vote for the company’s proposed acquisition by Searchlight Capital Partners and British Columbia Investment Management Corporation (BCI).

Nvidia Staffers Warned CEO of Threat AI Would Pose to Minorities

Masheika Allgood and Alexander Tsado left their 2020 meeting with Nvidia Corp. Chief Executive Officer Jensen Huang feeling frustrated. The pair had spent a year working with colleagues from across the company on a presentation meant to warn Huang of the potential dangers that artificial intelligence technology posed, especially to minorities. The 22-slide deck and other documents pointed to Nvidia’s growing role in shaping the future of AI and warned that increased regulatory scrutiny was inevitable.

TikTok staff told to avoid flagging problems with Amazon accounts

TikTok staff were told they should avoid flagging potential problems on Amazon accounts to protect the video platform’s lucrative commercial relationship with the e-commerce multinational, according to internal communications seen by the Guardian. Some moderators were told in the autumn not to take negative action against a list of more than 60 Amazon-related accounts on TikTok because the US company is a heavy advertiser on the platform.

Top Broadband Developments of 2023

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.

AI's road to reality

A middle road for AI adoption is taking shape, routing around the debate between those who fear humanity could lose control of AI and those who favor a full-speed-ahead plan to seize the technology's benefits.

Federal Communications Commission’s Net Neutrality Docket Bulges With Initial Deadline Input

Already the Federal Communications Commission’s busiest docket, the effort to restore network neutrality rules saw a rush of new comments on December 14, the deadline for initial submissions by interested parties looking to affect the outcome of the proceeding. Replies to those comments are due January 17, 2024, after which the FCC can schedule a vote on a final rulemaking. A majority of FCC Commissioners support restoring the rules by reclassifying internet access as a Title II telecommunications service subject to FCC regulation as a common carrier.

Third Court Upholds Legality of Universal Service Fund

A third US Appeals Court has concluded that the Federal Communications Commission is on sound constitutional footing when it comes to delegating oversight of the billions of dollars in government advanced telecommunications subsidy money it hands out annually with a big assist from the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC). The 11th US Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the FCC is within its authority to delegate administration of those funds through a private company—USAC—because the government regulator maintains control and oversight.

The Robber Barons of Prison Tech

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.

For Years, Prison Life Was Isolated From Tech. Now Tech Is Beginning to Define It.

Around 1.9 million people are currently incarcerated in the United States, and an estimated 45 percent of Americans have at some point experienced the incarceration of an immediate family member. For many years, prisons have largely been tech bunkers, keeping incarcerated people isolated from the world outside. But things have started to change. In some cases, they changed because prison leaders recognized the need to connect incarcerated people to their communities.