In The News

The House Communications Subcommittee's bipartisan approval of a pair of broadband-boosting bills drew plaudits from various stakeholders Wednesday (Dec. 2).

While the World Radiocommunication Conference 2015 (WRC-15) is underway in Geneva this month, it's paramount that the world's spectrum leaders agree on some common spectrum allocated for 5G. Meanwhile, it's worth noting some of the work that's occurring here in the U.S.

The high-speed data connectivity of 3G networks launched the smartphone revolution, and the step up to 4G put an incredible wealth of high-bandwidth applications — from video and navigation to health tracking — into our hands. The United States has been at forefront of these developments, reaping enormous economic and social benefits.

But as next generation 5G networks promise to again fundamentally shift how we live, work and play, our leadership is being challenged.

Businesses potentially have a lot to gain from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the biggest trade deal since the North American Free Trade Act was signed into law in 1993.

The Federal Communications Commission has named Brian Scarpelli, director of government affairs at the Telecommunications Industry Association, co-chairman of a cybersecurity-focused working group under FCC’s Communications Security, Reliability, and Interoperability Council.

Scarpelli will co-lead CSRIC’s Secure Hardware and Software — Security by Design group with Joel Molinoff, chief information security officer at CBS Corp., TIA said Monday.

Telecom execs are headed to the FCC today for the second advisory council meeting this year on protecting the nation's core telecommunications infrastructure. The Secure Hardware and Software - Security by Design working group will be co-chaired by Brian Scarpelli, director of government affairs at the Telecommunications Industry Association, and Joel Molinoff, chief information security officer for CBS. They'll try to craft a set of voluntary best practices recommendations for how network equipment manufacturers can improve the security of their products.

U.S. car companies say they are on the cusp of rolling out life-saving wireless technology as soon as 2016 that will allow vehicles and transportation infrastructure to “talk” to each other.

Did 4G pass your business by? No worries — providers have begun laying the foundation for fifth-generation wireless communications.

Widespread use of 5G wireless (which will live in frequencies from 6 gigahertz to potentially 90GHz) remains years off, but the first tools are in development. In part, adoption will hinge on availability of some enabling technologies, such as millimeter wave, which is used for space and military applications.

The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA), which represents manufacturers of network equipment, has issued multiple standards related to fiber optic cabling. Some of these new standards are aimed at harmonizing U.S. practices with international practices.

The TIA said that Standard TSB-4947, also known as Guidance for Adhesive Usage in Fiber Optic Components, is intended to present the most commonly observed adhesive usage pitfalls and provides guidelines for proper alternatives.

The process of "checking the fine print" always has been an important aspect of consumer behavior. For product manufacturers, providing important transaction information to consumers also has been a challenging part of business operations.

Take the fine print of warranty information, for example. In the world of e-commerce, how should sellers and buyers approach the issue of an appropriate way to transmit warranty information vital to concluding a sale?