Oct. 7, 2010 at 12:06 p.m.
Filed under:
Technology,
Wireless
By Wailin Wong
Verizon Wireless said Thursday it has invested roughly $135.5 million in its network in Illinois during the first nine months of the year, laying the groundwork for the planned Chicago launch of its 4G network by the end of 2010.
Company spokeswoman Carolyn Schamberger said Verizon’s total Illinois investment for all of 2009 was $168 million, putting the operator on track to outspend last year’s investment. A direct nine-month comparison was not available.
Verizon announced Wednesday that it will light up its 4G wireless network in 38 metropolitan areas, including Chicago, by year-end. In the Chicago area, the 4G network will cover more than 7 million people, T.J. Fox, Verizon’s region president for Illinois and Wisconsin, told reporters on a Thursday call. Get the full story »
By Reuters
Communications regulators on Wednesday put off a controversial decision on Internet traffic rules, giving industry and consumer groups a chance to forge a compromise while avoiding a politically sensitive issue ahead of the November elections. Get the full story »
By Wailin Wong
Clearwire Corp. launched Monday a new pay-as-you-go 4G mobile Internet service aimed at a young urban consumers in Chicago and 48 other markets.
Clearwire launched 4G service in Chicago late last year, offering broadband speeds that top those of 3G networks and allow for bandwidth-intensive activities such as streaming high-definition video. Sprint and Comcast also offer 4G products and services, which run on Clearwire’s network.
The new pay-as-you-go service is called Rover and will be branded separately from Clearwire’s other 4G offerings. Mike Sievert, Clearwire’s chief commercial officer, said in a conference call that Rover is geared toward city-dwelling youth between the ages of 18 and 24. Get the full story »
By Reuters
The majority of Americans do not favor making affordable high-speed Internet access a government priority, according to a study released by the Pew Internet & American Life Project on Wednesday. Get the full story »
Aug. 5, 2010 at 2:56 p.m.
Filed under:
Computers,
Internet,
Technology,
Telecommunications
By Associated Press
Federal regulators are abandoning efforts to negotiate a compromise on so-called “network neutrality” rules intended to ensure that phone and cable companies cannot discriminate against Internet traffic traveling over broadband networks.
The announcement by the Federal Communications Commission ends weeks of FCC-brokered talks to reach an agreement on the thorny issue among a handful of big phone, cable TV and Internet companies. And it comes as two big companies that have been taking part in those talks — Verizon Communications Inc. and Google Inc. — try to hammer out their own proposal on how broadband providers should treat Internet traffic.
According to people briefed on the negotiations, Verizon and Google hope their proposal could help shape legislation in Congress.
Aug. 5, 2010 at 1:31 p.m.
Filed under:
Computers,
Internet,
Technology,
Telecommunications
By Dow Jones Newswires
Google Inc. on Thursday strongly denied a report that said the search giant was close to an agreement with Verizon Communications Inc. that would allow the carrier to speed the delivery of online content to Internet users if content creators paid for the privilege.
The purported agreement, reported by the New York Times, would severely undercut the Internet tenet known as net neutrality, in which no form of content is favored over another. The Times suggested an agreement between Google and Verizon could lead to a new tiered system in which consumers pay more for premium levels of service. Get the full story »
June 28, 2010 at 11:48 a.m.
Filed under:
Government,
Telecommunications,
Wireless
By Dow Jones Newswires
President Barack Obama on Monday signed a memorandum to nearly double the amount of federal and commercial spectrum available for smartphones and wireless Internet devices.
The move is aimed at spurring investment, economic growth and job creation as demand for broadband surges with the boom in wireless Internet devices such as iPhones, BlackBerrys and laptops. Get the full story »
