With a broad boost from U.S. Reps. Anna G. Eshoo and Jackie Speier (D-Palo Alto, Hillsborough), a large coalition of Western cities and counties are waging a legal showdown with a shuttered federal government in the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals over control of 5G wireless installations. Eshoo's bill, H.R. 530 -- called the Accelerating Wireless Broadband Development by Empowering Local Communities Act of 2019, "essentially resets the clock on the FCC's new rules by erasing what the federal government has implemented in the under-the-wire maneuver." Eshoo noted "5G is essential for our country's communications network and economy, but it must be deployed responsibly and equitably."
Legislature looks to bring broadband to rural ‘black holes’
Areas like Keller, WA, which are known as "black holes" in the internet world, are the targets of a broadband proposal announced Wednesday by Gov. Jay Inslee during a press conference in Olympia. If the Legislature signs on, it could mean a new state broadband office within the Wa...
Sprint preps Atlanta for 5G with massive MIMO deployment
Sprint’s "bridge to 5G"—a technology known as Massive MIMO—is going to be out in full force during the Super Bowl in Atlanta next month. "It’s full of all kinds of goodness," said Heather Campbell, network director for the southeast region at Sprint. "It’s allowi...
Broadband expert says USDA shutdown is hurting rural internet expansion
Through its Rural Utilities Service program, the U.S. Department of Agriculture provides rural development grants to municipalities and local governments applying to expand or construct broadband infrastructure, and the agency invested $228 million last year across 22 states. But ...
Surgeon performs world’s first remote operation using '5G surgery' on animal in China
A surgeon in China has performed the world's first remote operation using 5G technology. The doctor in the southeastern province of Fujian used the next-generation network to control robotic arms while performing surgery on an animal. During the 8 January operation, the surgeon re...
Germany weighs banning Huawei from 5G amid heightened scrutiny
Germany is exploring ways to ban the use of Huawei Technologies Co. products in the country’s telecommunications infrastructure, according to a government official, extending the Western backlash against the Chinese tech firm over security concerns. The official stated that ...
FCC’s 5G order withstands initial legal challenge
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit denied a motion to stay the FCC decision, but Brian Namey of the National Association of Counties, said "the challenge will continue." Namey noted "we share the FCC’s goal of expanding broadband access for every American; howev...