Verizon has been fined $1.05 million by the FCC for multiple 911 outages in 2022, including one lasting almost two hours that affected several states. The FCC emphasizes the importance of reliable 911 access and is taking action to ensure service providers uphold their responsibilities.
The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has fined four major US wireless carriers a total of $200 million for illegally sharing and selling customers’ real-time location data without their consent. The fines, ranging from $12 million to $80 million, stem from an investigation that found the carriers sold access to customers’ location data to third-party companies, which resold the data to other companies without obtaining customer consent.
In a historic reversal, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted 3-2 to restore net neutrality, returning broadband internet to Title 2 common carrier service. This reinstates Obama-era rules that prohibit internet service providers (ISPs) from blocking, throttling, or prioritizing traffic based on payment or content. The decision is a significant victory for consumer advocates and comes as the nation recognizes the critical role of broadband in the post-pandemic digital landscape. Additionally, the FCC emphasized its commitment to addressing financial support for the Affordability Connectivity Program (ACP), which provides internet subsidies for low-income consumers.
US Congressman Chip Roy has expressed concerns over billionaire George Soros’s alleged attempt to accelerate the acquisition of Audacy, America’s second-largest radio company. Soros has become the largest shareholder in Audacy after acquiring $400 million of its debt during its bankruptcy proceedings. Congressman Roy claims that Soros’s group is requesting the FCC to waive the usual regulatory process and grant special warrants in the meantime. The deal could potentially grant Soros part-ownership of broadcasters in 45 US states, prompting concerns about undue foreign influence on American media.
A new Wear OS-powered smartwatch from Google has recently surfaced at the FCC, but it doesn’t appear to be the Pixel Watch 3. The device, model number G4SKY, has similar FCC E-label instructions to the current Pixel Watch, indicating it’s a smartwatch but not a phone or tablet. It also lacks UWB connectivity, a rumored feature of the Pixel Watch 3. This mystery device could be a mid-range “Pixel Watch 2a” or another Pixel Watch alternative. It’s expected to be unveiled at Google I/O 2024, which is less than a month away.
