Communications

How Using Open Wi-Fi Could Get Safer

A standard called Enhanced Open aims to make using free networks more secure than it is now.

  • By John Breeden II
Senate Minority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer Senate Minority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer

Schumer, Rubio Seek to Reverse Trump Reversal on ZTE Ban

Trump wants to help ZTE as part of a U.S.-China trade deal, but lawmakers say the company’s a national security risk.

  • By Joseph Marks

FCC Bans Surprise Phone Charges

The agency is also cracking down on surprise network switching.

  • By Caitlin Fairchild
FILE - In this June, ... ] FILE - In this June, ... ]

Huawei Slams FCC Efforts to Bar It From Federal Communications Program

Government officials say the Chinese telecom poses a hacking threat to national security.

  • By Joseph Marks
President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, November 9. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, November 9.

ZTE Kerfuffle Shows Cybersecurity Doesn’t Operate in a Vacuum

Lawmakers have decried the president’s efforts to reverse a ban on a Chinese telecom, citing security fears, but there’s a lot more at stake.

  • By Joseph Marks

FBI Considering One $5 Billion Contract For All IT Supplies, Services

A request for information sheds light on the FBI’s upcoming IT Supplies and Support Services contract, including the bureau’s preference to include all such services in a single contract.

  • By Aaron Boyd
The National Security Agency campus in Fort Meade, Md. The National Security Agency campus in Fort Meade, Md.

AT&T Won Secret $3.3 Billion NSA Contract Despite More Expensive Bid

Legal documents shed light on one of NSA's most important tech contracts.

  • By Frank Konkel

$17.5 Billion Defense IT Contract Award Survives Four Protests

DISA’s ENCORE III contract is now open and ready for use after the Government Accountability Office dismissed several protests.

  • By Aaron Boyd
Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., pauses before testifying during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing. Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., pauses before testifying during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing.

Congress Mulls a CIO's Authority, Future of Homeland Security and Data Breaches

And one caucus is concerned about climate change data vanishing form federal websites.

  • By Heather Kuldell, Joseph Marks and Jack Corrigan

5G Could Be Coming To A City Near You

2018 could be the year of lightning-fast internet—depending on where you live.

  • By Caitlin Fairchild

Watchdog: GSA Assuming ‘Unnecessary’ Risk in Telecom Transition

The Federal Acquisition Service has doled out $9 million to agencies supporting the EIS rollout without receiving the required interagency agreements.

  • By Frank Konkel

How It Became Normal to Ignore Texts and Emails

Digital messages mimic the speed of real conversation, but often what people like best is the ability to put them off.

  • By Julie Beck, The Atlantic
President Donald Trump speaks at the American Farm Bureau Federation annual convention Monday, Jan. 8, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. President Donald Trump speaks at the American Farm Bureau Federation annual convention Monday, Jan. 8, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn.

Trump Signs Executive Order to ‘Streamline’ Rural Broadband

The order offers no funding for broadband projects but aims instead to reduce bureaucratic barriers for industry.

  • By Frank Konkel

IT Modernization and the Benefits of Cloud Collaboration Systems

Efforts to updates systems will also transform how employees will work.

  • By Steven Boberski

Proposed FCC Rules Could Threaten Local Broadband Competition

Rural areas, in particular, may continue to go unserved if small wireless internet providers get shut out of bidding wars for large license areas by the mobile industry.

  • By Dave Nyczepir

FTC 'Do Not Call' Numbers Get 375,000 Robocalls Every Month

New tech is making it easier for telemarketers to make calls and hide from law enforcement.

  • By Jack Corrigan
Electrical lineman work on transmission towers in Barceloneta, Puerto Rico. Electrical lineman work on transmission towers in Barceloneta, Puerto Rico.

How Puerto Rico is Rebuilding Its Network Three Months After Maria

Puerto Rico's post-Maria communications effort could serve as a disaster-response playbook for other governments.

  • By Jack Corrigan

Hurricane Maria Has Made Puerto Rico a Testbed for New Technology

Government, tech companies, and nonprofits have all worked to bring the US territory back online.

  • By Karen Hao, Quartz
This NOAA GOES-16 satellite image taken Sept. 19, 2017, shows Hurricane Maria southeast of Puerto Rico. This NOAA GOES-16 satellite image taken Sept. 19, 2017, shows Hurricane Maria southeast of Puerto Rico.

Third Time's a Charm? NOAA Reschedules Next-Gen Weather Satellite Launch

Wind delayed the two previous launch dates.

  • By Frank Konkel

Cutting Regulations Could Entice 5G Network Investment, says FCC Commissioner

Nationwide high-speed internet promises many benefits but still relies on private companies to foot the infrastructure bill.

  • By Jack Corrigan