By Jasmin Melvin

(Reuters) – U.S. broadband start-up LightSquared said it had debunked criticism that high-precision global positioning system devices cannot coexist alongside its planned cellular network.

A Carlisle executive told reporters on Wednesday that the company had partnered with a leader in GPS technology to develop a prototype device that can provide the same precision performance. He did not name the partner company.

WASHINGTON, Sept 13 (Reuters) – Washington insiders have
high hopes for legislation this year that would open up large
swaths of spectrum to wireless companies desperate to meet the
booming demand for data-heavy wireless devices.

Language giving the U.S. Federal Communications Commission
authority to auction some airwaves currently held by TV
broadcasters is popping up in bills in both chambers of
Congress, as well as in President Barack Obama’s jobs plan.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Top Republicans in the House Energy and Commerce Committee want more information on why regulators are not supporting AT&T Inc’s $39 billion bid for Deutsche Telekom AG’s T-Mobile USA.

The Justice Department went to court last week to block the deal, and the Federal Communications Commission said it also had concerns about the deal’s impact on competition.

WASHINGTON, Sept 9 (Reuters) – Top Republicans in the House
Energy and Commerce Committee want more information on why
regulators are not supporting AT&T Inc’s (T.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) $39 billion bid
for Deutsche Telekom AG’s (DTEGn.DE: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) T-Mobile USA.

The Justice Department went to court last week to block the
deal, and the Federal Communications Commission said it also
had concerns about the deal’s impact on competition.
[ID:nN1E77U1HR]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A federal judge, who had been critical of the Justice Department deal to allow Comcast Corp to buy NBC Universal, signed off on the transaction on Thursday, but added reporting requirements.

The department announced in January that Comcast could buy NBC Universal on the condition it cede control of the popular video website Hulu and make stand-alone broadband service available to customers at $49.95 per month for three years. But the settlement still required final approval from a judge.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – AT&T Inc employed a small army of economists to promote its plan to buy smaller rival T-Mobile but the Justice Department viewed the deal as snuffing out a plucky competitor to the detriment of consumers.

A review of documents filed with the Federal Communications Commission shows the merger parties as recently as last week were trying to sway government officials with more information to back their proposal.

NEW YORK/WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Federal Communications Commission said it has restarted the clock on its review of AT&T Inc’s (T.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) proposed $39 billion purchase of smaller rival T-Mobile USA.

The FCC, which had started examining the deal in late April, had paused what is typically a 180-day review on July 20 after AT&T said it would submit new arguments to support its application.

WASHINGTON, Aug 24 (Reuters) – U.S. cable companies are
warning regulators about a plan that would give traditional
phone companies a first bite at government subsidies to build
out broadband in underserved areas.

The Federal Communications Commission is seeking industry
input on plans to revamp a government subsidy program that
would help deploy high-speed Internet service to millions of
Americans living in rural and costly-to-serve areas.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Disruption of cell phone service by a rare East Coast earthquake on Tuesday prompted renewed calls for Congress and regulators to provide a dedicated wireless network for emergency workers.

The 5.8 magnitude earthquake centered in Virginia shut federal government agencies some 90 miles away and sent office workers into the streets as tremors were felt as far as Canada.

WASHINGTON, Aug 22 (Reuters) – The U.S. Federal
Communications Commission is stripping 83 rules from its books
as part of its reform agenda and commitment to a request from
President Barack Obama earlier in the year to improve or remove
any rules that were out of date, the agency said on Monday.

Among the eliminated rules are Fairness Doctrine
regulations that were intended to promote honest, balanced
discussion of controversial issues when introduced in 1949.