News of the Day

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FTC head cautions against net regulation
Federal Trade Commission Chairwoman Deborah Platt Majoras warned policymakers that additional regulation of high-speed Internet traffic should be avoided. Without evidence of "market failure or demonstrated consumer harm, policymakers should be particularly hesitant to enact new regulation in this area," Majoras said. NYTimes.com/Associated Press (6/28)

Business & Industry Watch

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Group urges user-friendly processes for broadband providers
The evolution of the broadband market is making it increasingly difficult for providers with old back-end processes to meet customer demands simply and efficiently. A new initiative from the TeleManagement Forum is encouraging firms to streamline with automated systems for interactions like ordering, billing and service calls. America's Network (6/28)

Verizon Wireless, NBC hook up on streaming video from Wimbledon
Verizon Wireless V CAST Mobile TV customers will be able to catch the tennis action at the Wimbledon Championships via live streaming through NBC's NBC2GO. Mobile access to the tournament starts Saturday and runs through the end of the tournament July 8. Multichannel News (6/27)

CommScope buys Andrew Corp. for $2.6 billion
CommScope intends to pay $15 a share for Andrew Corp., which produces antennas and towers, helping to increase control over the wireless-service market. NYTimes.com/Bloomberg (6/28)

New Siemens CEO says turnaround will take time
Peter Loescher, who will take over as Siemens AG's new CEO next week, said the company would need "evolution, not revolution" to overcome a scandal that involved alleged illegal payments to win contracts. Loescher replaces Klaus Kleinfeld, who is departing in the wake of the scandal. Forbes/Associated Press (6/27)

How will the iPhone affect wireless?
On the eve of Apple's iPhone release, analysts contemplate the impact the handset will have on other wireless players, including Sprint Nextel and Motorola. A Strategy Analytics analyst said he believed, at least at the onset, the iPhone "will steal mindshare from all brands," while a Credit Suisse analyst expects Sprint to feel the pinch more than Verizon Wireless because it doesn't have a landline-service tie-in with its customers. Chicago Sun-Times (6/28) Akron Beacon Journal (Ohio)/Bloomberg (6/28)

Technology Trends

Vodafone helps GPS find its place in the U.K.
While operators in the U.K. have been slow to employ GPS technology, some companies are working to promote the technology. Vodafone and TomTom recently announced a co-branded project to help drivers avoid traffic. The Register (U.K.) (6/28)

Mobile video opens door to new ad revenue
A new report found that revenue from mobile television and video subscriptions has grown 198% year-over-year to $146 million during the first three months of this year. The Telephia survey also found that more than 50% of those surveyed remembered viewing ads on their mobile devices within the last month. RCR Wireless News (6/26)

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Industry group publishes VoIP recommendations
The Open Mobile Terminal Alliance has released its recommendations for network operators and handset manufacturers on provisioning and maintaining VoIP settings on new handsets. The document states that operators are entitled to remove or lock VoIP applications on subsidized handsets, but must provide the ability to remove that lock when the contract period expires. The Register (U.K.) (6/28)

Vancouver Airport to enhance terminals with IPTV
The airport has hired Optibase to provide IPTV broadcasting of TV channels and announcements to plasma screens throughout its terminals. An estimated 17.5 million travelers will pass through Vancouver International Airport this year. Mediacaster (6/27)

Regulatory & Legislative

Qwest asks FCC for $500 million for rural Internet projects
Qwest Communications has asked FCC regulators to move $500 million from a wireless-subsidy fund to support high-speed Internet projects in rural areas nationwide. The request is a portion of a larger effort to reform the $7 billion Universal Service Fund, which has recently come under fire. Denver Rocky Mountain News (6/28)

EU takes legal action against Germany over telecom rules
The European Court of Justice is considering legal action taken against Germany in regards to its refusal to change a law that protects Deutsche Telekom from opening up access to its high-speed Internet network to rivals. Forbes/Associated Press (6/27)

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