Broadband.gov
Federal Communications Commission



Wireless Telecommunications Bureau Category

Private and Public Stakeholders to Collaborate on Better Informing Consumers About Accessible Apps

July 26th, 2010 by Karen Peltz Strauss

On Friday, I participated in an Apps4Access event on Capitol Hill, hosted by the Committee on Disability Power and Pride, that focused on the wide array of wireless and other applications that can benefit people with disabilities.   Participants included representatives from the disability community, industry, and government, as well as apps developers.

At the event, I asked what industry can do to ensure that consumers are aware of the great number of accessibility apps that are available now and may become available in the future.

In response, CTIA - the Wireless Association volunteered to work with consumers and the FCC to figure out the best way to make this information available to consumers.  Among other things, this may include updating and expanding the wireless association's accessibility website, so that it would be a first stop for consumers searching for information about accessible wireless devices, services, and apps.  CTIA's acceptance of this challenge was conditioned on the agreement of consumers, the FCC, and other stakeholders to collaborate with industry representatives on this project.   We and all of the consumer groups in attendance at the event readily agreed to work together and committed to moving the project forward in a coordinated effort with CTIA.

This is exactly the kind of industry initiative and collaborative problem solving that we think will drive the Accessibility and Innovation Initiative that the Chairman launched last Monday, during our celebration of the 20th anniversary of the ADA.  We applaud the wireless industry's leadership and look forward to working with all stakeholders to make its commitment a reality for consumers.

An ADA Celebration for the Broadband Age

July 23rd, 2010 by Karen Peltz Strauss

Monday’s celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act was a momentous occasion – and we plan on building from that momentum over the coming weeks and months.

The White House, the FCC and the Department of Commerce teamed together to sponsor an all-day event that started at the White House with accessibility-related technology announcements from all over the Federal government.

In the afternoon, FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski launched the Accessibility and Innovation Initiative, which will bring together consumer, industry, government, technology, and academic stakeholders in collaborative efforts to explore accessibility solutions to access barriers. The Chairman also announced the start of the Initiative’s website, the establishment of the Chairman’s Awards for Advancements in Accessibility, and other disability-related challenges and events in which the Commission will be participating.

Commissioner Copps was also actively engaged in the day’s activities, and gave remarks during a morning panel at the White House and the afternoon program at the Department of Commerce. Both Chairman Genachowski and Commissioner Copps toured some of the 40-plus accessibility and technology exhibits arranged by the FCC and on display at the Department of Commerce.

The afternoon included a moving program with musical and dance acts by the Wild Zappers (a deaf dance troupe) and Gallaudet University students, and an FCC original video chronicling personal stories about the impact of technology on people with disabilities. Watch for this video, which will soon be posted on the FCC’s website.

On Monday, the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau (CGB) also released a Public Notice seeking comment on the accessibility of the Commission’s activities and programs (to fulfill its Section 504 obligations) and CGB and the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau jointly released a Public Notice seeking comment on accessible mobile phone options for people who are blind, deaf-blind, or have low vision.

The day ended with a brainstorming discussion by technology developers and persons with disabilities to identify and prioritize technology barriers to people with disabilities and to explore possible solutions to those barriers.

Today, the FCC participated in Apps4Access, an event being hosted by the Committee on Disability Power and Pride that is focused on giving consumers an opportunity to become better acquainted with wireless and other applications that are accessible to people with disabilities. Stay tuned for more about this event, as well as future blog posts on other exciting disability-related announcements and events involving the FCC.

FCC Consumer Broadband Tests Surpass 1 Million Results and Still Counting

July 16th, 2010 by Jordan Usdan - Acting Director, Public-Private Initiatives

Last week the FCC’s Consumer Broadband Tests recorded its one millionth test, providing users and the FCC with real-time data on the performance of fixed and mobile broadband networks.  You can take the fixed test or download the mobile test application in the Android or iPhone “App” stores by searching for “FCC”. 

We are pleased with the popularity of these tools and we look forward to updating them in the coming months to add more features, provide richer feedback to users and make more data available to the public.  Additionally, we encourage you to sign up to put your broadband to the test at testmyisp.com, where you can volunteer to help the FCC gather and report statistical data on the performance of broadband providers across the United States via a hardware testing platform in your home.  As a reminder, the engines supporting the FCC Consumer Broadband Tests independently make some of their data available: click here to learn more about M-Lab and Ookla.

Broadening Development of Universal Service Policy for Broadband

June 14th, 2010 by Sharon Gillett

It’s an axiom that broadband breaks down barriers, an axiom that is true at the FCC as well.  Take Universal Service, the program meant to ensure that all Americans have access to affordable telecommunications services.  The program has long focused on telephone service, and its policies have been developed by the Wireline Competition Bureau.

But the National Broadband Plan recognized that Universal Service needs to be updated to provide all Americans with access to the communications technology of the 21st Century: broadband. The Plan also recognized that broadband may be delivered by a variety of technologies, including wireline, cable, wireless and satellite.  So it only makes sense to involve multiple bureaus – not just the Wireline Bureau – in the process of overhauling the program. 

That’s why Chairman Genachowski has launched the Universal Service Working Group, which will facilitate collaboration between the bureaus on the FCC’s broadband universal service agenda.  I will lead the group, which will include representatives from the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau, the Office of General Counsel, the Office of Managing Director, the Office of Strategic Planning, the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, the International Bureau (satellite) and my bureau, the Wireline Competition Bureau. 

I look forward to collaborating with this group to develop a truly comprehensive approach to Universal Service reform for the broadband age.  You can  a meeting with Universal Service Working Group staff regarding Universal Service issues related to the broadband action agenda using this online form.

A Billion Broadband Speed Test Records Made Public

May 26th, 2010 by Jordan Usdan - Acting Director, Public-Private Initiatives

Over a billion broadband speed test records from across the world have been made publicly available this week by two of the largest broadband measurement platforms: Measurement Lab (M-Lab) and Ookla, Inc. (of speedtest.net).

M-Lab released their entire data set via Google's BigQuery, which allows academics, researchers and others to access and run queries against the entire 60TB dataset.  Read more about it here.  M-Lab had previously made their dataset available via another service, but the BigQuery partnership enables real-time analysis without having to download the entire 60TB dataset.

Ookla also announced they will make their data set of over 1.5 billion speed test records available over the internet, and launched a website that ranks countries and regions based upon broadband speed using this data.

The FCC’s Fixed and Mobile Consumer Broadband Tests allow users to test their internet connection and add their anonymous speed tests results to the M-Lab and Ookla databases.

We applaud these efforts as making more broadband data available serves the public interest.  As Ookla states on their website: “This valuable information can be used to shape broadband policy, help carriers and ISPs make informed business decisions, and even allow individuals to compare and contrast their results with those near them or others around the world.”



Capture The Phone Numbers Using Your Camera Phone

If you have a camera and a 2D matrix code reader on your mobile phone, you can capture the FCC Phone numbers right to your phone by following these three easy steps:
Step 1: Take a photograph of one of the codes below using the camera on your mobile phone.
Step 2: Use your phone's Datamatrix or QR Code reader to decode the information on the photograph. Please note, these code readers are device specific and are available to download on the internet.
Step 3: Store the decoded address information to your phone's address book and use it with your Maps or GPS application.

Datamatrix and QR FCC Phones