AT&T’s new ‘Turbo’ charge raises net neutrality concerns

AT&T is now charging mobile customers an additional $7 per month for faster wireless data speeds with a new "Turbo" add-on. AT&T says the add-on is "built to support high-performance mobile applications, like gaming, social video broadcasting, and live video conferencing, with optimised data while customers are on the go."

The new fee comes just a week after the FCC voted to restore net neutrality rules that prohibit internet service providers from blocking, throttling, or...

3 May 2024 | 5G

FCC fines major telcos for selling users’ location data

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has fined major US telcos for illegally selling their subscribers' location data to third-party data brokers.

According to an FCC statement, AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile US – the latter two having merged in 2020 – were ordered to pay $57 million, $47 million, $12 million, and $80 million, respectively, for their involvement in the unauthorised sharing of customers' sensitive location information.

"Our...

30 April 2024 | 5G

FCC votes to restore net neutrality protections

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has voted to reinstate net neutrality protections, marking a significant shift in policy that aims to ensure the internet remains fast, open, and fair for all users. The decision comes after years of public outcry and regulatory shifts that saw the rollback of previous net neutrality rules.

The rules prohibit Internet service providers from blocking and throttling lawful content and ban paid prioritisation. Cable and telecom companies...

26 April 2024 | Broadband

EU antitrust chief warns against telecoms mergers  

EU competition chief Margrethe Vestager has issued a stern warning against further consolidation in the bloc's telecommunications industry, countering a recent EU report that advocated for mergers among operators to bolster networks.

Speaking at a conference in Brussels, Vestager forcefully rejected the notion that more concentrated national telecoms markets would lead to better outcomes.

"No evidence suggests that more concentrated national markets lead to better...

18 April 2024 | 5G

FCC to decide on net neutrality’s future

The FCC is gearing up for a vote aimed at regaining regulatory power over ISPs and reinstating federal net neutrality rules discarded by the Trump administration in 2017. Net neutrality is designed to ensure that the choices of internet users, not ISPs, dictate online activities.

Early in April, the FCC revealed its draft rules, which have since garnered praise for various reasons. Notably, the rules demand an end to the practice by mobile carriers such as T-Mobile, AT&T, and...

17 April 2024 | Broadband

Chinese telcos given 2027 deadline to ditch foreign chips

To reduce dependence on foreign technologies, Chinese officials have reportedly mandated the country's leading telecom operators – including China Telecom, China Mobile, and China Unicom – to eliminate foreign semiconductors from their networks by 2027.

Beijing’s directive particularly targets chips made by American giants Intel and AMD, which have been a staple in Chinese telecom infrastructure.

Issued by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the...

15 April 2024 | 5G

CMA launches in-depth probe into Vodafone-Three UK merger

The UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has confirmed it will conduct an in-depth Phase 2 investigation into the proposed merger between mobile operators Vodafone and Three. 

The competition watchdog had previously expressed concerns that the £11 billion ($13.92 billion) deal could lead to higher prices for consumers and reduced investment in Britain's mobile networks.

Last month, the CMA told Vodafone and Three they had five working days to respond with...

4 April 2024 | 5G

FCC denies spectrum request for Starlink’s mobile service

SpaceX's plans to expand Starlink to provide mobile services have encountered a roadblock as the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) dismissed the company's application to use several spectrum bands.

Starlink – the satellite internet division of SpaceX – is seeking approval to use up to 7,500 second-generation satellites with spectrum in the 1.6 GHz, 2 GHz, and 2.4 GHz bands to provide mobile services.

However, the FCC's Space Bureau ruled this week that SpaceX's...

28 March 2024 | 5G

Ofcom’s consumer protections ‘fall vastly short’

Ofcom has introduced new rules aimed at better protecting UK mobile customers against unexpected roaming charges while using their phone abroad and at home.

Following the UK’s exit from the European Union, EU ‘roam like at home’ rules – and UK law requiring mobile operators to alert customers of roaming charges when they start to roam – have ceased to apply. Since then, many operators have voluntarily continued to send their customers alerts.

However, a review...

26 March 2024 | 5G

CMA raises concerns about proposed Vodafone-Three merger

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has expressed concerns over the proposed merger between Vodafone and Three, two of the UK's four major mobile network operators.

The regulator launched its initial Phase 1 investigation in January after the two companies announced a joint venture agreement last year that would combine their 27 million customers under a single network provider.

The CMA's 40-day Phase 1 review aimed to identify whether the deal could lead to a...

22 March 2024 | 5G