With the nationwide expansion of fiber-optic wiring and digital delivery at the turn of the century, the federal government reclaimed and is still reclaiming large amounts of spectrum. Much of it, according to a former government official, has remained unused for seven years, and he blames the Federal Communications Commission for stifling competition in the wireless space.

Though M2Z Networks threatened to take to the FCC to court to force a decision on the company’s "family friendly" free nationwide wireless broadband proposal by September 1, a likely "no" vote from the commission has made M2Z decide more public debate is necessary.

The US broadband situation is so dire that you may not even be able to give away access. Worse, there might be good reason for that. You may not have heard of M2Z Networks, Inc., but 50,000 others have and are pressuring the FCC to approve the company’s offer of free nationwide broadband access.

Google will "probably" bid in the FCC’s 700 MHz spectrum auction set to take place in 2008, CEO Eric Schmidt told attendees at a Colorado summit with telecommunications industry representatives heavily in attendance.

Federal Communications Commissioner Michael Copps cited AT&T’s recent censorship of a Pearl Jam concert as evidence for the necessity of Network Neutrality to preserve democracy and freedom of speech.

In case you had any hope left that the FCC really works for you, the taxpayer, and not for telecom incumbents, or even a smidge of optimism that the regulatory agency is competent, leave this article now, I’m about squash what hope you have remaining.

Federal Communications Commissioner Michael J. Copps isn’t happy about how the commission has handled a number of recent issues, and is speaking loudly about it. And if one is as disgruntled as much of the public is, then that might be a positive sign.

The FCC has long fought the airline industry over providing cellular access in flights, but their stamp of approval for in-flight WiFi has yielded a product announcement for this service.

If Google wants to see the winner of the 700MHz spectrum adhere to its four proposed openness conditions, Google will have to push its money into the pot. That isn’t going to happen.

The Federal Communications Commission will lay down the ground rules for the 700MHz auction coming in 2008, as Google and a host of telcos watch.

Tomorrow, the FCC will vote on rules, proposed by Chairman Kevin Martin, governing the auction of the 700 MHz band of wireless spectrum. Trying its best to persuade the commission to endorse neutrality in the airwaves, similar to what many want to happen with the Internet, Google succeeded in getting at least two of its four wishes granted.

Not that there’s a potential conflict of interest or anything, but Cisco, or at least Mary Brown, Cisco’s Director of Technology and Spectrum Policy, sounds insulted by Google’s attempt to strong arm the FCC into imposing a certain set of rules on the upcoming spectrum auction.

Time’s running out for FCC Chairman Kevin Martin to set rules for the 2008 spectrum auction, and it looks like he’s sticking with the half-concession he originally made regarding open access. And whether or not Google will bid is up in the air.

Concepts of open access for 700 MHz wireless spectrum coming up for auction have Republicans screaming mad. Let’s play my favorite game, Follow The Money.

As AT&T resorts to playground taunts, Google pushes up its glasses and resorts to economic theory. But it’s still not certain yet which side the FCC will take: the bully’s or the Poindexter’s.

As predictable as daylight, AT&T isn’t happy about Google’s plan to bid on the 700MHz wireless spectrum. The telecommunications giant is poised to claw any competition out of the equation, and is hoping its traditional ally, the FCC, will have its back again.

Google announced this morning its intention to bid in the upcoming 700 MHz wireless spectrum auction, which is being touted as one of the most important communications auctions in American history. The company said it’s willing to bid a minimum of $4.6 billion.

The Federal Communications Commission’s official Net Neutrality inquiry ended Monday, but not before a deluge of public comments in support flooded in.

Oh, man! He got me. He really did. I really, truly thought FCC Chairman Kevin Martin was taking the side of the good guys. Boy do I feel like a dope! What a cut-up this guy is.

Verizon Wireless is not happy about the FCC’s draft to set aside the "Google block" of spectrum that will have conditions attached requiring that wireless customers are given more choice in how they access the network.

What’s this? Is FCC Chairman Kevin Martin actually about to acknowledge that incumbent phone companies may have too tight a grip on their market and discourage real innovation? Maybe his head’s not as thick as we thought.