What’s the difference between Wi-Fi and unlicensed spectrum?
Ask the Engineer: What’s the difference between Wi-Fi and unlicensed spectrum? Answer: Wi-Fi is a particular service that uses unlicensed spectrum, but there are others as well. As the FCC…
That Pesky Spectrum Crunch
With the election nearing, we’ve entered the busy season for fact-checking. The convention speeches are examined line-by-line, and every claim that’s plainly false, possibly misleading, imprecise, or simply a matter…
The 700 MHz Device Subsidy Plan
The FCC is considering new rules for mobile devices that operate in the 700 MHz band per a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) titled “Promoting Interoperability in the 700 MHz…
Why Apple Doesn’t Support LTE Yet (and why it doesn’t matter)
I was going to post this yesterday, but analyzing Apple products on the day of Steve Jobs’ passing would have been silly. As the ITIF tribute said, Jobs is an…
Video Killed the Radio Star
Remember that song? It was recorded by a band called the Buggles and it was (ironically, in the true sense) the first song aired on MTV when the video channel…
Recent Smartphone Developments
Some very interesting things are happening in the smartphone “ecosystem” these days that bear watching, especially if you’re in line for an upgrade like I am. The Blackberry Bold that…