Federal Communications Commissions

FCC Auction Prices Continue to Soar: As the second day of the Federal Communications Commissions' unprecedented auction of radio spectrum drew to a close, companies hoping to offer a new generation of paging services had offered a stunning $354 million for 10 nationwide paging licenses. The bids more than doubled the total that had been offered on the opening day of the auction, and even the opening day offers were far higher than most observers had expected.

Preserving Net neutrality ? that is, preventing the companies that provide the Internet's infrastructure from picking winners and losers among websites and online services ? may sound like the tech-industry equivalent of protecting motherhood and apple pie, but policymakers in Washington can't seem to agree on whether to do it, let alone how. This week, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski laid out another proposal, this time using an ill-fated bill drafted by Reps.

Reeling from a string of embarrassing court setbacks, a humbled Federal Communications Commission voted Thursday to overhaul two key rulings affecting local telephone competition and an upcoming auction of licenses for new wireless paging services. The agency's five commissioners voted unanimously to give local telephone companies more leeway in providing facilities for rivals seeking to hook up independent phone networks. The vote was in response to a June 10 decision of the U.S.

Federal regulators are giving up efforts to negotiate a compromise between Web companies and Internet service providers over so-called net neutrality rules intended to prevent discrimination in the way online traffic is treated. The Federal Communications Commission said Thursday it would no longer try brokering a deal among various phone, cable TV and Internet companies, saying that weeks of talks had not "generated a robust framework to preserve openness and freedom of the Internet."

The Federal Communications Commission is being targeted as a high-tech piggy bank in the Clinton Administration's increasingly pointed search for more money to fund health care, immigration law enforcement and other programs. The Administration last week proposed that Congress raise $72.4 million in FCC user fees for things such as radio and TV broadcast licenses starting Oct. 1, in order to help states pay for the cost of jailing illegal immigrants convicted of felonies.

Shortly after his appointment last year as chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, Michael K. Powell surprised and delighted a cable trade show audience by performing a somersault on his way to the podium. The spontaneous stunt--a spoof of the acrobatic act that had preceded him onstage--was classic Powell, symbolizing the energy that industry leaders hoped the new FCC chief would bring to the stodgy but powerful agency. At this year's trade show, Powell avoided the circus acts.

In a further deregulatory action aimed at helping the shrinking fortunes of the three major television networks, the Federal Communications Commission on Thursday unanimously overturned a 22-year prohibition against networks owning cable TV systems.

Two years after a rise in Moorpark's cable TV charges set off protests among residents, the Moorpark City Council on Wednesday took a first step toward regulating local cable television companies. The council voted 4 to 0 to apply to the Federal Communications Commission for authority to set the basic rates that cable television companies impose on local residents, making Moorpark the second Ventura County city, after Thousand Oaks, to opt for regulating cable service.

Preserving Net neutrality ? that is, preventing the companies that provide the Internet's infrastructure from picking winners and losers among websites and online services ? may sound like the tech-industry equivalent of protecting motherhood and apple pie, but policymakers in Washington can't seem to agree on whether to do it, let alone how. This week, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski laid out another proposal, this time using an ill-fated bill drafted by Reps.

Federal regulators want to know just how fast you're surfing, and they're looking for 10,000 volunteers to submit to a speed check. Four out of five high-speed Internet users don't know how fast their home connections are, according to a survey released Tuesday by the Federal Communications Commission. That leaves those consumers unsure whether they're getting what they're paying for, and it hinders them in shopping for better service from competing Internet service providers, agency officials said.

Federal regulators want to know just how fast you're surfing, and they're looking for 10,000 volunteers to submit to a speed check. Four out of five high-speed Internet users don't know how fast their home connections are, according to a survey released Tuesday by the Federal Communications Commission. That leaves those consumers unsure whether they're getting what they're paying for, and it hinders them in shopping for better service from competing Internet service providers, agency officials said.

Shortly after his appointment last year as chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, Michael K. Powell surprised and delighted a cable trade show audience by performing a somersault on his way to the podium. The spontaneous stunt--a spoof of the acrobatic act that had preceded him onstage--was classic Powell, symbolizing the energy that industry leaders hoped the new FCC chief would bring to the stodgy but powerful agency. At this year's trade show, Powell avoided the circus acts.

Bidding for Paging Licenses Still Rising: Defying most predictions, the government's first auction for public airwaves completed its fourth day, with bidders raising the ante to nearly $610 million. At least 10 companies are still in the running to win 10 nationwide licenses to offer an array of advanced wireless communications services, including two-way paging and messaging, on a nationwide basis.

Reeling from a string of embarrassing court setbacks, a humbled Federal Communications Commission voted Thursday to overhaul two key rulings affecting local telephone competition and an upcoming auction of licenses for new wireless paging services. The agency's five commissioners voted unanimously to give local telephone companies more leeway in providing facilities for rivals seeking to hook up independent phone networks. The vote was in response to a June 10 decision of the U.S.

The Federal Communications Commission is being targeted as a high-tech piggy bank in the Clinton Administration's increasingly pointed search for more money to fund health care, immigration law enforcement and other programs. The Administration last week proposed that Congress raise $72.4 million in FCC user fees for things such as radio and TV broadcast licenses starting Oct. 1, in order to help states pay for the cost of jailing illegal immigrants convicted of felonies.

Two years after a rise in Moorpark's cable TV charges set off protests among residents, the Moorpark City Council on Wednesday took a first step toward regulating local cable television companies. The council voted 4 to 0 to apply to the Federal Communications Commission for authority to set the basic rates that cable television companies impose on local residents, making Moorpark the second Ventura County city, after Thousand Oaks, to opt for regulating cable service.

Federal regulators are giving up efforts to negotiate a compromise between Web companies and Internet service providers over so-called net neutrality rules intended to prevent discrimination in the way online traffic is treated. The Federal Communications Commission said Thursday it would no longer try brokering a deal among various phone, cable TV and Internet companies, saying that weeks of talks had not "generated a robust framework to preserve openness and freedom of the Internet."

In a further deregulatory action aimed at helping the shrinking fortunes of the three major television networks, the Federal Communications Commission on Thursday unanimously overturned a 22-year prohibition against networks owning cable TV systems.