May 14 - 10:15am EDT   Verizon today took further steps to promote its image as an open carrier by announcing it would join the LiMo Foundation, an industry group dedicated to developing and promoting Linux on cellphones. The US cell provider takes the last seat on the Foundation's board of directors alongside handset makers such as Motorola and Samsung as well as NTT DoCoMo and Vodafone, and claims to be a "champion" of openness in the process. [full story]

May 12 - 11:45am EDT   XM expects its proposed merger with Sirius to be approved by the summer, the satellite radio provider said today during a conference call discussing its latest quarterly results. President and chief executive Nate Davis now claims that the winter 2008 quarter is XM's last "as a standalone company" and goes so far as to drop its financial guidance for the upcoming quarter, saying the prediction won't apply to a unified company. Recent government steps to greenlight the deal are signs approval is close, according to Davis. [full story]

May 8 - 10:10am EDT   Verizon on Thursday responded to Google's filing, allegedly spinning the situation that Google – not Verizon – is trying to "change the rules" of the now-closed auction. The response comes to a filing with the FCC, where Google claims Verizon is not going to live up to the terms of a truly open network. It fears that, if left unchecked, open devices such as Google's Android platform would be deadlocked with Verizon, despite the open nature of the portion of the 700MHz spectrum Verizon won. [full story]

May 7 - 9:20am EDT   Comcast is evaluating a capping system that it hopes will pay for the cost of very heavy users without affecting most reasonable use, according to a tip sent to BBR. In the proposed plan, the provider would implement a clear 250GB monthly data transfer cap and charge users $15 extra per month for every 10GB increment past the limit. The effort would target the top 0.1 percent of users, or about 14,000 subscribers, who download well in excess of others but would still provide enough bandwidth for frequent use, such as video downloads. [full story]

May 5 - 3:50pm EDT   Google has filed an FCC petition asking that the FCC drop Verizon's $4.7 billion winning bid in the recent 700MHz wireless auction. Filed late last week, the motion accuses Verizon of planning to use its Any App, Any Device plan to shelter customers buying its own devices from having to follow FCC open access guidelines set out before the auction, which would require that any 700MHz service on the relevant spectrum support any legal device or software regardless of which company has sold either component. Verizon's plan forces users of truly open devices to follow a different set of rules while those who buy from Verizon itself are trapped, Google claims. [full story]

May 5 - 12:35pm EDT   An unusual new Samsung phone has been approved by the FCC, filings show. The SCH-i770 uses the new Windows Mobile 6.1 operating system, but its main feature is a hybrid receiver, allowing users to switch between GSM and CDMA networks at will. Such receivers are common in countries like Russia, but not in the United States, where large national networks, unique frequencies and a lack of unlocked sales can deter importing. Crucially, the i770 supports the common 850 and 1900MHz bands used by American carriers. [full story]

April 30 - 4:30pm EDT   Both Sirius and XM satellite radio providers decided to postpone their respective shareholder meetings as they await the FCC's approval of their merger. XM had a shareholder meeting scheduled for May 23, with Sirius execs assembling on May 20, suggesting the two don’t expect the matter to be resolved at least until the end of next month. The FCC is reviewing concerns that analysts believe include "public interest" issues such as pricing of the service, which would effectively have no competition on the satellite radio market. [full story]

April 30 - 3:55pm EDT   Sirius and XM today said they would continue their merger agreement indefinitely. The two satellite radio operators say they will continue to extend their agreement on a recurring two-week basis until the US government completes its decision on the proposed merger or else one of the companies decides to back out of the deal. Neither company can back out until the May 15th date set with an earlier agreement struck in February. [full story]

April 25 - 4:45pm EDT   Sirius sent a prototype Starmate 5 satellite radio receiver to the FCC for testing, revealing some images as well as specs. Other than the color difference of an otherwise identical body, it's not clear how the Starmate 5 differs from the current Starmate 4. One hint as to a unique feature is mention of either an XM or Sirius radio signal used in testing in a memo between a member of the testing firm and FCC authorization staff. [full story]

April 17 - 1:20pm EDT   Verizon has filed a lawsuit against Sprint in a federal court in Delaware, reports say. The former company alleges that Sprint has not only failed to pay almost $10 million in interconnection charges, but has in fact repeatedly refused to cooperate, despite numerous attempts to avoid going to court. These offers were "made over many months and through both written and personal communications," according to a Verizon filing, but have ultimately been "fruitless." The charges in question are said to be mainly for eastern states subject to tariffs filed with the FCC. [full story]

April 15 - 4:45pm EDT   Google deliberately manipulated the outcome of the FCC's recent 700MHz auction, three US Representatives have alleged. Republicans Cliff Stearns and John Shimkus, along with Democrat Eliot Engel, said at a hearing today that Google unfairly managed to obtain an open wireless network without having to win it, by promising to bid at least $4.6 billion on the 22MHz block if the winner was forced to allow open (third-party) access. Evidence of this is claimed to be bolstered by a recent Google blog post, in which officials admit that open access was a key priority during bidding. [full story]

April 15 - 4:00pm EDT   Cable and Internet provider Comcast, in tandem with peer-to-peer tech company Pando Networks, says it is launching a new industry initiative in order to address conflicts relating to P2P file sharing. Dubbed the "P2P Bill of Rights and Responsibilities," it would see the creation of a document addressing "best practices" for both ISPs and filesharers themselves. The companies hope to gradually involve other parties, such as experts, media producers and other ISP or P2P companies; controversially, they have no present intentions of involving public interest groups, such as the Electronic Frontier Foundation. [full story]

April 9 - 4:05pm EDT   The proposed merger of the United States' two major satellite radio networks may finally be nearing completion, FCC filings show. Following an initial meeting with FCC chairman Kevin Martin in late March, records indicate that Sirius and XM Radio representatives have continued to speak regularly with Martin and other Commission officials, seeking some way of accelerating the last step in the merger's approval. The corporations already have authorization from the Department of Justice. [full story]

April 3 - 10:35pm EDT   Verizon will use its recent 700MHz wins to setup a nationwide 4G cellular network, the company declared tonight. A lift of the FCC's ban on discussing the 700MHz auction results reveals that the telecoms firm will introduce a Long Term Evolution (LTE) wireless network on its share of the frequency, providing much faster Internet access than the carrier's existing 3G, EVDO Revision A-based network. [full story]

March 31 - 4:45pm EDT   A updated version of Sony's PlayStation 3 console has been sent to the FCC, documents show. Any new device with wireless technology must be approved by the FCC; the Sony application notes, however, that the company has only made two minor changes, one of which is merely an adjustment to the construction of the Bluetooth module. The other is a switch to an 80GB hard drive, a boost from the presently-offered 40GB capacity. The storage should allow gamers to keep more games, music, videos and other material. [full story]