Robert Strayer, the US deputy assistant secretary for cyber and communications, has said that the Trump administration has not given up on its fight to stop the UK using Huawei for its 5G networks. Strayer said he did not believe the UK government’s decision to give the Chinese firm limited access was final. “Our understanding […]
The US Federal Communications Commission’s Office of Economics and Analytics (OEA) has released updated data which it suggests shows that the digital divide substantially narrowed during the first two years of Chairman Ajit Pai’s leadership of the FCC. Specifically, from December 2016 to December 2018, the number of Americans without any options for at least […]
Rural areas in the UK will benefit from a series of government-funded trials to help them seize the potential of modern technology, the Digital Secretary Oliver Dowden has announced. Nine projects across the country will receive a share of £35 million (€41.9m) from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport’s rural and industrial 5G […]
For the first time, legal proceedings have been launched in Italy against users of pirated TV content using IPTV technology. After a lengthy investigation, Italy’s Financial Police have identified and reported to the Judicial Authority 223 individuals responsible for having purchased pirate IPTV subscriptions to the main pay-TV platforms (Sky Italia, DAZN and Mediaset Premium). […]
The UK government under Prime Minister Boris Johnson has reiterated its intention to scrap the television licence fee and make viewers pay a subscription. In plans revealed to the Sunday Times, the Corporation could also be made to downsize and sell off most of its radio stations. The plans would make the BBC to sell […]
“Democracy is the worst way to run a country, except all the others,’” said Winston Churchill. The same may well be true of a licence fee and a PSB national broadcaster. But that doesn’t stop every new Tory government concerning itself with scrapping it, no matter how many much more urgent things they have to […]
German regional operator NetCologne is taking legal action challenging EU approval of Vodafone’s acquisition of Unitymedia from Liberty Global. German press also reports that Deutsche Telekom and Tele Columbus have formally objected to the approval. The operators believe the deal distorted competition and threatens the German governments broadband access targets. Timo von Lepel, head of […]
Senator John Kennedy (Republican, Louisiana) is reportedly considering introducing emergency legislation which could override the FCC’s decision of $9.7 billion of inventive payments. The Politico news-site says that Kennedy has plans for his Appropriations Committee (which he chairs) to “unvote” the FCC’s proposals later in the year and ahead of the December spectrum auction. Kennedy […]
John Whittingdale MP has been appointed Minister of State at the UK’s Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. He previously served as Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport from May 2015 until July 2016, having previously chaired the House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee between July 2005 and June […]
Ofcom has fined the licence holders of Talk Radio £75,000 (€90,000) and NTV Mir Baltic £20,000 for breaking broadcasting rules. Talk Radio is a national digital speech radio station. NTV Mir Baltic is a television channel broadcasting to the Russian-speaking community in Latvia. Under Ofcom rules, all broadcasters must remain duly impartial when covering matters […]