Last week, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo called for a state net neutrality law as part of his 2020 legislative agenda, joining states like California in proposing a law to ensure his state’s internet users have access to a free and open internet. CNET reports: Cuomo’s plan comes two years after the Federal Communications Commission repealed Obama-era net neutrality protections, which…
Tag: Broadband
SpaceX Is Lobbying Against Amazon’s Internet-Beaming Satellites
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Motherboard: When Amazon confirmed it was planning to launch 3,236 broadband internet-beaming satellites into low-Earth orbit, much of the media reported it as if it were a done deal — the latest, inevitable step in the corporation’s quest to conquer commerce, the cloud, and beyond. Amazon officials said the massive satellite constellation, called Project…
House Calls ‘Save the Internet Act’ One of Its Biggest 2019 Accomplishments
House Democrats on the Energy and Commerce Committee listed the Save the Internet Act, a bill that would restore net neutrality rules, among their accomplishments in 2019. The Daily Dot reports: Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-N.J.) and Communications and Technology Subcommittee Chairman Rep. Mike Doyle (D-Pa.) said in a statement that the Save the Internet Act…
FCC Funds 25Mbps, Data-Capped Satellite In Rural Areas
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: The Federal Communications Commission is giving $87.1 million in rural-broadband funding to satellite operator Viasat to help the company lower prices and raise data caps. The FCC’s Connect America Fund generally pays ISPs to expand their networks into rural areas that lack decent home Internet access. Viasat’s satellite service already provides coverage…
‘Maximum PC’ Magazine Accurately Predicted Apple TV-Like Devices In 2001
Slashdot reader alaskana98 writes:
In the February 2001 issue of Maximum PC, technical editor Will Smith described in his column what he would like to see in the “perfect set-top box”. At a time when arguably the best ‘PVR’ experience was being provided by the first iterations of the Tivo (with no HDTV or LAN connectivity), Will’s description of what a set-top…
Bernie Sanders Unveils $150 Billion Plan To Expand High-Speed Internet Access
On Friday, Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-VT) announced a new plan aimed at expanding broadband internet access across the country and dismantling what he referred to as “internet and cable monopolies.” From a report: In his sweeping “High-Speed Internet for All” proposal, Sanders calls for broadband to be considered a public utility, much like electricity, and calls access “a basic human right.”…
Google Fiber Eliminates 100Mbps Plan For New Customers
Google Fiber, the division of Google parent company Alphabet that provides fiber-to-the-premises service in the U.S., will no longer sell 100Mbps broadband plans to new customers. From a report: In a blog post this morning, Fiber announced that it’ll only offer gigabit (1,000Mbps) plans going forward in all 18 regions where it’s launched to date. The gigabit plan’s pricing — $70…
FCC Bars Huawei, ZTE From Billions in Federal Subsidies
The US Federal Communications Commission on Friday voted to bar use of its $8.5 billion a year Universal Service Fund to purchase equipment and services from Huawei and ZTE. The government fund is used by multiple programs to subsidize US broadband deployment and services. From a report: In a unanimous vote during its November open meeting, the FCC approved an order…
Composite image of SpaceX Starlink satellite swarm
SpaceX’s Starlink satellite project will eventually place an initial 12,000 satellites in low-Earth orbit to provide worldwide internet access. This image is from the second batch of satellites launched November 11. Source: https://earthsky.org/todays-image/composite-spacex-starlink-satellite-swarm-nov-2019…
UK’s Labor Party Promises Free Fiber Broadband For All, Paid For By Taxing Tech Companies
Only 7% of the U.K. has access to full-fiber broadband, according to the country’s telecommunications regulator. But now long-time Slashdot reader AmiMoJo writes: With a General Election next month the UK’s Labour Party has promised to give every home and business in the UK free full-fibre broadband by 2030. The party would nationalise OpenReach, which owns the existing copper network, to…