If we were the betting type — and hell, some of us really are — we’d wager a crisp ten spot that LightSquared isn’t going to assuage the FCC’s concerns over those pesky GPS interference issues in the next few weeks. After previously stating that the interference test reports were rigged by GPS insiders, the upstart LTE network is now getting political with its argument and is calling on the FCC to institute new standards for GPS equipment. LightSquared contends that current GPS devices on the market are poorly designed and purposefully encroach on the company’s licensed spectrum. Of course, this change would do little to remedy the millions of interference prone / (causing?) devices on the market, but LightSquared notes that, by the FCC’s own admission, GPS receivers must “reasonably discriminate against the reception of signals outside their allocated spectrum.” With the company’s latest argument flying high atop the flagpole, it begs the question, will anybody salute? You’ll find LightSquared’s statement in its entirety after the break.

Continue reading LightSquared gets desperate, seeks regulatory changes to satisfy GPS debacle

LightSquared gets desperate, seeks regulatory changes to satisfy GPS debacle originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Feb 2012 21:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Despite occupying a questionable space on the scale of must-have audio goods, Jawbone’s little Bluetooth speaker that could managed to win us over with its ample range. Now, that stylish peripheral is about to get shunted out of the spotlight, making way for a plus-sized sibling. As recent FCC documents have revealed, the company has a Big Jambox in the works which is, presumably, bigger than its diminutive kin. Aside from ports for micro-USB, audio-in and power, not much else could be gleaned from the filing. Given its larger-than-life moniker, however, we’d expect this new offering to be more of a standard dock than kitschy accessory.

Jawbone Big Jambox packs on the pounds, rears its fat head at the FCC originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 03 Feb 2012 09:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Samsung R760 has been tossed around as the likely model number of US Cellular’s upcoming Galaxy S II, and it’s just cleared one more hurdle: the FCC. While this doesn’t guarantee that the carrier will indeed get its own flavor of the GSII anytime soon, it’s just another piece of evidence to consider. For anyone hopeful that this could’ve become the Skyrocket or Galaxy S II LTE, we’re shooting down your dream — the FCC docs don’t indicate the presence of LTE, which means this will not be the mysterious smartphone slated to launch in April.

Samsung Galaxy S II for US Cellular clears FCC, lacks LTE originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 Jan 2012 07:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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That didn’t take long. A day after Verizon confirmed it was going to charge for single credit and debit card payments online and over the phone, it backed down following a chorus of complaints online. This Internet thing works, apparently.

Verizon originally framed the convenience fee as a way to cover costs for single payments. It was supposed to go into effect on Jan. 15. But many, including my colleague Kevin Fitchard, saw the fee as a way to direct people to pay bills through their preferred channels including AutoPay, which is one of a number of payment methods that would not require a fee.

“At Verizon, we take great care to listen to our customers. Based on their input, we believe the best path forward is to encourage customers to take advantage of the best and most efficient options, eliminating the need to institute the fee at this time,” said Dan Mead, president and chief executive officer of Verizon Wireless.

Verizon may have been motivated by news that the Federal Communications Commission was also looking into the fee. “On behalf of American consumers, we’re concerned about Verizon’s actions and are looking into the matter,” the FCC said just hours before Verizon reversed course.

Verizon already has to deal with questions about recent LTE outages. And the fact that it was introducing a new fee that seemed to penalize its own customers did not go over well with consumers, some of whom brought up comparisons to Bank of America’s failed debit card fee.

It’s nice to see that Verizon was listening to consumers and reacted quickly to its overreach. But it should have known that a fee like this wouldn’t have gone over well. Score another one for the Internet.

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Continue reading FCC Fridays: December 16, 2011

FCC Fridays: December 16, 2011 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 16 Dec 2011 10:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Continue reading Pantech P9070 brings a dose of AT&T LTE love to the FCC

Pantech P9070 brings a dose of AT&T LTE love to the FCC originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Dec 2011 23:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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