Verizon Communications committed $45 billion for 5G wireless airwaves in a government auction that attracted record bidding as the largest U.S. mobile carriers race to build faster networks. From a report: At $23 billion, AT&T was the second-highest bidder, according to the Federal Communications Commission, which ran the auction. Participants also included T-Mobile US Inc. and pay-TV providers such as Dish…
Tag: Charter
New study finds polyester fibers throughout the Arctic Ocean
A new study has found that pollution from microplastics is widespread in the Arctic Ocean, and 92% of those particles are minuscule synthetic fibers from our clothes. Source: https://earthsky.org/earth/polyester-fibers-arctic-ocean-microplastic-pollution…
Companies Could Face Hefty Fines Under New Canadian Privacy Law
New submitter dskoll shares a report from CBC.ca: New privacy legislation has been submitted to the Canadian parliament that could fine companies up to 5% of global revenue or $25 million, whichever is greater, for violating Canada’s privacy laws. According to Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains, The Digital Charter Implementation Act provides for the heaviest fines among the G7 nations’ privacy laws….
The Pandemic Has Created a Middle Class Private Jet Boom
An anonymous reader shares a report: While the commercial airline industry has been largely grounded following various global lockdowns — with outbound international travel from the UK set to be banned on Thursday — private aviation has soared among new customers. Many of them are families. Once the preserve of millionaires and A-listers, business planes have been taken up by holidaying…
The Tech Antitrust Problem No One Is Talking About: US Broadband Providers
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: After years of building political pressure for antitrust scrutiny of major tech companies, this month Congress and the US government delivered. The House Antitrust Subcommittee released a report accusing Apple, Amazon, Google, and Facebook of monopolistic behavior. The Department of Justice filed a complaint against Google alleging the company prevents consumers from…
AT&T’s CEO Predicts That Millions More Will Cut the Cord
TV cord-cutting is picking up steam, and AT&T’s CEO predicts there’s a long way to go before it stops. From a report: On an earnings call Thursday, AT&T Chief Executive Officer John Stankey said “we’re probably going to see a little bit of a plateauing” when the number of homes subscribing to pay TV hits 55 million to 60 million. Most…
Comcast Working Toward 10Gbps To Your Home Using Cable
Comcast has achieved a 10Gbps “technical milestone” that can deliver gigabit-plus download and upload speeds over existing cable wires, not fiber. ZDNet reports: Comcast has achieved a 10Gbps technical milestone by delivering 1.25Gbps upload and download speeds over a live production network using Network Function Virtualization (NFV) combined with the latest Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification (DOCSIS) hardware. This is…
Comcast is Looking To Enter the Smart TV Wars
Comcast wants to turn the software running on its set-top boxes into an operating system for smart TVs, Protocol reported Friday, citing multiple industry insiders with knowledge of the company’s plans. From the report: The company began pitching TV manufacturers on the idea in recent months and had some conversations on the subject at CES in January. It’s unclear how far…
Banks in US Can Now Offer Crypto Custody Services, Regulator Says
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) is letting all nationally chartered banks in the U.S. provide custody services for cryptocurrencies. From a report: In a public letter dated July 22, Senior Deputy Comptroller and Senior Counsel Jonathan Gould wrote that any national bank can hold onto the unique cryptographic keys for a cryptocurrency wallet, clearing the way for…
Charter Seeks FCC Permission to Impose Data Caps and Charge Fees to Video Services
“Charter Communications has asked federal regulators for permission to impose data caps on broadband users and to seek interconnection payments from large online video providers, starting next year,” writes Ars Technica. Long-time Slashdot reader Proudrooster shares their report:
Charter, unlike other ISPs, isn’t allowed to impose data caps and faces limits on charges for interconnection payments because of conditions applied to its…