Because every American
should have access
to broadband Internet.

The Internet Innovation Alliance is a broad-based coalition of business and non-profit organizations that aim to ensure every American, regardless of race, income or geography, has access to the critical tool that is broadband Internet. The IIA seeks to promote public policies that support equal opportunity for universal broadband availability and adoption so that everyone, everywhere can seize the benefits of the Internet - from education to health care, employment to community building, civic engagement and beyond.

Wednesday, May 16

More Cuts For T-Mobile

By Brad

Last March, T-Mobile announced it had cut its workforce by 5% in the wake of the blocked merger with AT&T. Now, Brier Dudley of the Seattle Times reports, the company is gearing up for a new round of cutbacks:

T-Mobile USA Chief Executive Philipp Humm warned employees a few months ago that more layoffs would happen by the end of May. It’s happening right on schedule.

Today, the company is informing employees of “a series of organizational changes,” a spokeswoman said.

A net loss of about 900 jobs will result. But even more jobs are likely affected by the changes, which include layoffs and shifts to outsource more work.

Innovative Proposal of the Day

By Brad

Via the Huffington Post comes the heartwarming story of a creative marriage proposal:

Any creative marriage proposal involves a fair amount of planning, but taking five months to coordinate popping the question is perhaps bringing things to another level. But that’s how long it took Kyle Taylor, a recent college graduate from Texas, to get Pandora to create an original audio advertisement and play it while his girlfriend Maggie listened in through the Pandora app that’s built into her car.

Mobile App Nation

By Brad

Nielsen has published the results on a new survey on smartphones and mobile apps, and it’s no surprise that the top apps are still Facebook and YouTube. As for the number of apps people are installing on their devices:

In just a year, the average number of apps per smartphone has jumped 28 percent, from 32 apps to 41.

Interestingly, while the number of apps have increased, the time spent inside apps has only increased 10%, from an average of 37 minutes last year to 39 minutes today.

Before the FCC is Before the Senate

By Brad

The full FCC is set to appear before the Senate Commerce Committee today, Broadcasting & Cable’s John Eggerton has a preview of what newly appointed Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel will say during the appearance:

According to a copy of those remarks, she will give a shout out to incentive auctions and the FCC’s history of delivering the goods—raising $50 billion for the treasury. She will also express confidecence that with the “right mix of engineering and economics,” the incentive auctions can follow in that tradition and, so long as the FCC follows the law, be “fair to all stakeholders.”

That law includes the requirement that broadcasters not be forced to participate.

The hearing begins at 2:30 pm EST, and will be streamed on CSPAN.

Monday, May 14

Weird Story of the Day

By Brad

Via FOX News comes the tale of film company Kodak, an industrial facility in Rochester, NY, and the bizarre nuclear reactor in the building’s basement.

Commerce Department Looking for Input

By Brad

Via Brendan Sasso of The Hill, the Commerce Department is moving forward with a planned national public safety network:

The Commerce Department agency responsible for the government’s use of the airwaves will ask for comments on a planned nationwide public-safety broadband network.

Larry Strickling, the administrator of the Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), announced the request for information Monday in a speech at the National Broadband Summit and Expo.

The agency will ask for input on the distribution of $135 million in grants for state and local governments to plan the deployment of the network.

The Mobile Social Network

By Brad

It’s going to be a big week for Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg. First up is his birthday, which is today. Then later in the week, Facebook’s IPO, which is expected to be massive. But as Alistair Barr of Reuters reports, the 27-year-old tech titan isn’t slowing down — in fact, he’s aiming to better position Facebook for the future of the Internet:

Zuckerberg, 27, who started Facebook in his Harvard dorm room 8 years ago, said Facebook’s key priorities in 2012 were to improve its mobile application, to build stronger ties incorporating its social network with other online apps and to create a “transformative” advertising experience.

The company is “just getting started” with its mobile app, said Zuckerberg, who appeared on stage in a grey T-shirt and dark trousers at Palo Alto’s Crowne Plaza, flanked by Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg and finance chief David Ebersman.

Friday, May 11

Flashback Friday

By Brad

What did the Internet look like on a cellphone in the mid-’90s? Thanks to this dusty ad from Qualcomm, we can take a trip back in time.

Connecting Rural Communities Means Encouraging Investment

By Brad

At the Daily Yonder, Nicole Palya Wood of the National Grange (which is one of our members) writes about the promise of 4G networks in rural areas, and how government must ensure the private investment necessary to connect every corner of America to mobile broadband continues to be encouraged:

This year alone, wireless companies will invest about $26 billion in these networks – far more than the government can or should spend at a time when private companies are vigorously competing for customers in all but the handful of communities targeted by the FCC’s auction program. 

Let’s hope Washington can keep its end of the bargain – by making sure that the new fund works as promised and by implementing smart policies that support private investment. The universal service fund alone can’t reach every high-cost rural area across the country.

Boucher on Capital Insider

By Brad

Earlier this week, our own Rick Boucher appeared on Capital Insider to talk about the FCC, incentive auctions, and ensuring enough spectrum is available to keep investment and innovation in mobile broadband going. Here’s the video:

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