Category Archives: fcc

Inmarsat hands LightSquared a lifeline, hopes to get that $56 million back later

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Remember LightSquared? Of course you do, it was the noble yet doomed attempt to build a nationwide 4G LTE network. Days before Sprint dumped it, billionaire Philip Falcone's enterprise defaulted on a $56 million spectrum allocation payment to British satellite operator Inmarsat. Now LightSquared's biggest creditor has offered a stay of execution to give the company time to overcome the regulatory hurdles (we'd suggest praying Julius Genachowski gets another job elsewhere) and get the project back on track. Cynics might suggest it's only been given the breathing room because it's not worth being pushed into Chapter 7 bankruptcy, to which we say shame on you, you naughty cynics.

Continue reading Inmarsat hands LightSquared a lifeline, hopes to get that $56 million back later

Inmarsat hands LightSquared a lifeline, hopes to get that $56 million back later originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 20 Apr 2012 13:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FCC begins tracking wireless carriers’ implementation of bill shock notifications

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FCC begins tracking wireless carriers' implementation of bill shock notifications

If you've ever mistaken your wireless bill for your phone number, only to discover a dollar sign in front of all those digits, you're far from alone. The CTIA estimates that one in six mobile subscribers have experienced bill shock, but thanks to the efforts of the nation's wireless carriers -- along with a bit of help from the FCC -- consumers will start to receive notifications of any potential overages, along with alerts when the threshold has been crossed. The program is still in its infancy, but the FCC has launched a website to track wireless carriers' implementation of the notification system, which will alert consumers to any voice, data, SMS or international roaming charges. Carriers have until October 17th to have alerts for at least two of these categories in place, and will have until April 17th of next year to implement all four. Consumers may track the monthly progress of individual carriers at the FCC's bill shock website, but for a current peek at their progress, just hop the break.

[Bill shock photo via Shutterstock]

Continue reading FCC begins tracking wireless carriers' implementation of bill shock notifications

FCC begins tracking wireless carriers' implementation of bill shock notifications originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 19 Apr 2012 19:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Verizon selling 700MHz spectrum, but only if government approves its AWS purchase

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Verizon selling 700MHz spectrum, but only if government approves its AWS purchase

Seems odd that Verizon would decide to sell off some of it's wireless spectrum considering it told the FCC that it doesn't have enough space for its future LTE needs. Yet Big Red's doing just that, pledging to pawn off its 700MHz A and B licenses should its purchase of AWS spectrum from a contingent of cable companies be approved by the FCC and DOJ. Why would Verizon do such a thing? It appears that the 700MHz upper C band (where VZW's LTE service currently resides) combined with the new AWS licenses will provide Big Red the bandwidth it needs. Plus, selling off some of its other spectrum will surely grease the wheels with the governmental powers that be, and perhaps even assuage Verizon's competition arrayed against its AWS acquisition. Of course, the A and B licenses being offered for sale don't blanket the nation, but they do cover quite a few large metropolitan markets. Check out the full list after the break.

[Tower photo via Shutterstock]

Continue reading Verizon selling 700MHz spectrum, but only if government approves its AWS purchase

Verizon selling 700MHz spectrum, but only if government approves its AWS purchase originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 Apr 2012 13:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung Galaxy Beam crosses paths with FCC, sports 3G connectivity for AT&T

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Samsung Galaxy Beam crosses paths with FCC, sports 3G connectivity for AT&T

The FCC comes across many smartphones in its daily routine, but it's hardly an everyday occurrence for one of those handsets to rock a miniature projector. That's the claim to fame of the Samsung Galaxy Beam, which just made its way through the regulatory body with full 3G support for AT&T's 1900MHz and 850MHz bands. We were first introduced to this updated version of the original Galaxy Beam at Mobile World Congress, and for a quick refresher, the Android 2.3 device packs a dual-core 1GHz CPU, 768MB of RAM, a 4-inch WVGA display and a projector that'll toss 50-inch imagery onto the wall. Naturally, whether AT&T chooses to sell the smartphone is another consideration entirely, but this certification will keep users in proper standing with the feds, and that's a good thing.

Samsung Galaxy Beam crosses paths with FCC, sports 3G connectivity for AT&T originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 Apr 2012 07:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pantech FCC filing hints at LTE Breakout successor for Verizon Wireless

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Pantech FCC filing hints at LTE Breakout successor for Verizon Wireless

We've just stumbled across a subtle hint from the FCC that suggests the Pantech Breakout will need to watch its back from now on -- it seems there's a successor in the pipeline. The Korean manufacturer just passed a new LTE handset through the regulatory agency with support for Verizon's particular flavor of 4G. Known so far only as the Starq (or Star Q), the phone will offer 802.11b/g/n, and while it lacks 5GHz WiFi, we're pleased to see that it'll support the new, low-power Bluetooth 4.0. Only time will reveal the true nature of this handset, but for the moment, we're given reason to hope that Verizon will soon receive a powerful, entry-level smartphone that's closer in specification to the Pantech Burst on AT&T -- and because it never hurts to dream, perhaps this time we'll see a better camera.

Pantech FCC filing hints at LTE Breakout successor for Verizon Wireless originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 Apr 2012 03:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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