PolicyBlog

In a letter today to key lawmakers on Capitol Hill, Verizon Wireless’ President and CEO Lowell McAdam announced “Effective immediately for small wireless carriers... any new exclusivity arrangement we enter with handset makers will last no longer than six months – for all manufacturers and all devices.” Read the full letter for yourself below. July 17, 2009  The Honorable Rick Boucher Chairman Subcommittee on Communications, Technology and the Internet House Committee on Energy and Commerce... Read More

The Internet is a complex series of networks, applications and connected devices and I’ve talked a lot about its evolution over the last couple of years.    Various facilities make up the Internet’s physical networks including the backbone, local facilities and high capacity lines connecting businesses, web sites and large companies to each other and the backbone.   A variety of technologies – wired and wireless – make up the high capacity networks including what are sometimes called private... Read More

Ivan Seidenberg had a wide ranging discussion on the Charlie Rose Show recently about Verizon, his vision for the company, and his views on everything from the role broadband and wireless networks play in societal change to policy issues like net neutrality.  I am biased I admit but I believe Ivan covers most of the major issues in our industry and provides a view of the future as he sees it for the communications industry. I am not surprised by the vision and understanding Ivan exhibits... Read More

There is a lot of criticism on many fronts with regard to the broadband industry. In fact, when I attended a recent Free Press event, I heard many comments about the failure of the market place and the lack of competition. A new survey released today by the Pew Center, however, suggests that the industry is doing very well on a number of levels.   Not all is perfect, but on the whole, the glass is very much more full than empty.   The new report is based on a survey conducted of Americans... Read More

Competition is great for consumers, but for Comcast, it must be intimidating.  How else to explain the over-the-top propaganda campaign Comcast has mounted against Verizon?  We have demanded that Comcast “cease and desist” from this unfair, untruthful and illegal advertising.  Comcast cares, we keep hearing, but a series of new Comcast ads demonstrates conclusively that Comcast does not care about getting accurate information to consumers. In these ads, Comcast once again tries to convince the... Read More

Our own Link Hoewing serves up some good data as one of my first victims subjects for something I’m calling PolicyBlogTV. He previews some of the points he’ll make on a Free State Foundation panel this Friday entitled, "Broadband Nation: Where Does the U.S. Really Stand in the World Rankings?" If you can’t make it there, here’s a short preview of Link’s remarks and why we feel the US broadband market is both healthy and... Read More