The new HTC slider handset, shots of which were first leaked via Android Guys early last month, has now been officially confirmed, with the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recently posting the test results of the phone. The FCC release has referred to the forthcoming HTC handset as the “HTC PD42100.” The new HTC phone, which will reportedly be launched on the biggest US carrier, Verizon, with the next few months, will run dual 3G modems, one CDMA 2000 modem for EV-DO Rev. A access, and the other a GSM 850 modem. The dual modems will facilitate the use of the phone almost anywhere in the world. Though there has been no confirmation about the internal specifications of the HTC slider phone, the device will supposedly feature a 4-inch multi-touch display; a full slide-out keypad; microSD memory expansion; and a standard rear-facing camera with single-LED flash. It is also being rumored that the phone will have a notably speedy 1.2GHz processor; Bluetooth and 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi at 2.4GHz. While the internal code name of the HTC phone currently remains unknown, it is being assumed that the handset will probably be re-branded with a new ‘Droid’ name, as it id headed to Verizon. As such, it is highly unlikely that the final name of the phone will be revealed till it is officially announced by Verizon
As you’ve probably heard, Verizon Wireless is preparing to launch its LTE network later in the year (newly discovered leaked documents additionally prove this). It won’t be a full blown launch across the country, but most likely a limited rollout with only specific markets being covered at start. On that note, check out what we’ve discovered. The LG-made LTE-based USB modem for the Big Red carrier has been approved by the FCC! The model number is VL600 and it can sing along both CDMA EV-DO network at 850 and 1900 MHz, and LTE at 700 MHz. Dual-mode baby, meaning it can work in any part of the U.S. – even in places where there are no LTE signals around. Speaking of “signal areas,” Verizon is testing the LTE network in Boston and Seattle as you read this, hinting us about the first “blessed by the LTE” places. Exact launch date of the new network is still a mystery, but we’ll definitely talk about it the second we hear something new. Stay tuned in the meantime. [Via: PhoneScoop]
The problem, as FCC Chairman Genachowski sees it, is that the FCC can keep trying to regulate stuff using indirect authority (which sucks because it doesn't go far enough, as the chairman sees it), or they could reclassify internet communications, so that the FCC has direct authority, but that would mean ISPs would have crazy new regulatory requirements (which sucks because it goes too far down the regulatory road).
Hence, the third way, which tries to neatly slip between the two extremes by breaking broadband up into different components, subject to different regulations, giving the FCC what the chairman says is "modest authority" over broadband, shoring up the shaky legal ground its internet powers sit on following the Comcast decision:
• Recognize the transmission component of broadband access service-and only this component-as a telecommunications service; • Apply only a handful of provisions of Title II (Sections 201, 202, 208, 222, 254, and 255) that, prior to the Comcast decision, were widely believed to be within the Commission's purview for broadband; • Simultaneously renounce-that is, forbear from-application of the many sections of the Communications Act that are unnecessary and inappropriate for broadband access service; and • Put in place up-front forbearance and meaningful boundaries to guard against regulatory overreach.
The main point being that under this plan, "the transmission component" of broadband falls under the FCC's direct authority—not any of the actual content on the internet, or how much it costs—which the FCC says wouldn't change much for ISPs, since it's narrowly targeted (it "would not give the FCC greater authority than the Commission was understood to have pre-Comcast"), but at the same time, it would let the FCC move forward on the things it needs to do, like work on the national broadband plan. The upshot is that while broadband wouldn't be regulated as tightly as say, telephone service, the FCC is interested in applying a limited form of net neutrality, limiting the ability of ISPs to discriminate against particular services or applications or websites.
Broadband providers hate it, as the NYT and WSJ show, because they think it goes too far, with Verizon saying it's "legally unsupported," and Republicans apparently passing around proposed legislation from a year ago that would ban the FCC from regulating the internet. And so do the hardcore pro-net neutrality groups, thinking the FCC isn't grabbing the authority it really needs, like Public Knowedge. Well, you know, you can't make everybody happy.
While most of the FCC's new Broadband plan has been about, well, broadband, there's also some great news for HDTV fans. We expected a few mentions about CableCARD and its future when the FCC requested comments and declared it a failure, but we're still glad to see that the FCC listened to consumer electronics companies like TiVo and Sony -- among others. The biggest news is that the FCC has asked the industry to come up with a residential IP gateway that is open and that will provide same abilities as your provider's equipment, and most importantly, it should enable the very same gear to work no matter what type of service you prefer, whether it be satellite, cable or fiber -- for example, via various gateways the same TiVo would work with either DirecTV or Comcast. But while the FCC has given the industry until December of 2012 to define and deploy these IP gateways before implementing an "appropriate enforcement mechanism," in the meantime the FCC wants to see the biggest issues with CableCARDs resolved by this Fall. The list below of immediate fixes is pretty impressive, and other than the persistent lack of video on demand support, it'll help make CableCARD a pretty respectable solution.
Ditch Tuning Adapters and let devices with Ethernet ports communicate upstream via IP to tune SDV channels.
If a customer has a CableCARD in their leased set-top box, it must be reflected on the bill like any other CableCARD would.
If the provider offers a self install for leased set-top boxes, they must also allow self install of a CableCARD.
Software shouldn't require the same CableLabs certification hardware does.
All of these resolutions are a result of comments to the FCC -- that'll make you think twice before saying our system doesn't work -- with most of them coming as a result of TiVo's comments. The first is a result of the mess that SDV has made of CableCARD devices. TiVo told the FCC that SDV was killing 'em, and a quick read of any TiVo forum makes it easy to understand why. The Tuning Adapters aren't reliable and add an extra level of complexity that just isn't necessary when many devices like TiVos already have IP connectivity to the providers network via broadband.
The price transparency and self-install items are based on comments made by the Consumer Electronics Association and honestly make way too much sense. The few who actually use CableCARDs will probably tell you they had to do the install themselves -- despite paying the $50 for the truck roll -- so might as well let them skip the wait and save some money. And the price issue might seem silly at first glance, but currently the lack of transparency makes it easy for operators to overcharge CableCARD customers and makes it difficult for consumers to determine the real cost of buying their own box.
But the last one might just be our favorite, it would allow anyone to write software to support CableCARD tuners for PCs. This would mean that if SageTV wanted to support CableCARD it wouldn't have to pay thousands to CableLabs to be certified -- although it would have to pay for a PlayReady license as it's the only DRM currently approved. Now we always suspected that SageTV wanted to support CableCARDs and based on the fact that this new rule is because of comments by the company to the FCC, it appears to be the case.
Ultimately we applaude the FCC for finally coming up with a plan that will spur real competition in the set-top box space. Sure it took way longer than it should have, and sure we're probably fool hearted to believe that all of this will become reality, but one thing that is encourage is that unlike the majority of Broadband plan, Congress has already given the FCC the power to enforce these. Our fear is that this little light at the end of the tunnel will quickly die off once the cable and satellite companies have time to figure out a way to get out of it.
Feel like your broadband's not living up to how it's advertised? Here's your chance to prove it: the FCC's introduced a Consumer Broadband Test that'll let you know exactly how good a connection you've got.
The test is in beta, but can be used for both fixed and mobile broadband, and there are already iPhone and Android apps available for download. You can already figure out your broadband speed with YouTube, but the info the FCC collects will be used by the agency to determine the state of broadband in the US. Hopefully it'll also be ammo to help reconcile the difference between hyperspeed ISP claims and your pokey broadband reality. [Broadband Task Force via Boing Boing]
Call me a cynic, but I'm not sure this is ever going to happen: the FCC wants to dedicate a chunk of the wireless spectrum to providing free internet service.
The FCC plans to make its recommendation under the National Broadband Plan set for release next week, which has the goal of making broadband more affordable for everyone in America.
Of course, they didn't, you know, say how they were going to do such a thing. And they're going to have to claw that spectrum out of the cold, dead hands of telecom lobbyists. But you know what? Good for them for actually worrying about what people would benefit from instead of what gigantic telecoms want.
Although there have been inklings in the past that Sprint was working on a USB EV-DO modem with Novatel Wireless, recent FCC approval documents have confirmed its existence and given us a first glimpse at what the modem actually looks like. In comparison to its peers, the U720 is visually appealing, although the single shot of the device doesn't provide a very good idea of its size thanks to the USB port being out of sight. Not that the style of the modem matters: we know people (read: MacBook owners) that would kill to see a USB EV-DO modem come to the States -- it's probably a good thing that the FCC approved the device then, eh?
