The FCC’s Space Bureau has opened a consultation period into a SpaceX modified application to launch 15,000 satellites into a Very Low Earth Orbit (VLEO). According to the FCC’s Public Notice DA 25-1018 (released December 5th) the Space Bureau confirmed the application meets the baseline technical requirements for consideration. This procedural milestone triggers a 30-day […]
The Italian Antitrust Authority has levied a €4.2 million fine against Sky Italia for engaging in three distinct unfair commercial practices. The ruling, detailed in the Authority’s weekly bulletin, comes after a period of scrutiny into Sky’s consumer interactions. The largest portion of the fine, €2 million, was imposed for “misleading communications regarding price increases […]
Denver-based satellite operator EchoStar has told the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that it had no intention of selling off its valuable spectrum, but said it did so due to uncertainty fuelled by the FCC’s investigation into its usage. EchoStar sold spectrum to AT&T and SpaceX. The FCC filing confirmed a meeting between EchoStar founder and […]
Research commissioned by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) has found nearly nine in 10 (88 per cent) people agree there is a potential child protection risk if anime content is not age-rated appropriately and consistently, with parents who are unfamiliar with anime frequently assuming it is inherently “child-friendly”. The mixed-methods study combined ten […]
The race to bring satellite calls and texts to ordinary smartphones has begun, after UK comms regulator Ofcom announced its final decisions about how the technology can be rolled out. Mobile operators are now joining with satellite companies to deliver ‘direct-to-device services’ to everyday smartphones up and down the UK. This involves satellites hundreds of […]
Europe’s mobile operators could unlock billions in potential infrastructure investment, accelerating 5G standalone (5G SA) rollouts and boosting the continent’s economic output, if policymakers take a smarter approach to spectrum policy, according to a study from the GSMA. The report, Spectrum pricing and renewals in Europe, written by GSMA Intelligence, sets out how Europe’s long-standing […]
Ofcom has imposed a financial penalty of £375,000 on religious channel, The Word Network, for breaching broadcasting rules on multiple occasions. Having received viewer complaints – and in one case following routine monitoring – the media regulator launched investigations into the following programmes: Stem Cell Activators, broadcast on July 24th 2023; Various episodes of Peter […]
Public service media organisations from across Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) have sent a joint open letter to the Lithuanian Seimas, expressing serious concern about recent legislative initiatives that they believe could undermine the independence and stable financing of Lithuania’s public broadcaster, LRT (Lithuanian National Radio and Television). The letter — addressed to the Speaker […]
Italy’s Reti Televisive Italiane (RTI) and Medusa Film, both part of the Mediaset Group, have launched legal action against US-based generative AI company Perplexity AI. This lawsuit, filed with the Civil Court of Rome, marks the first legal challenge in Italy specifically targeting copyright infringement related to the unauthorised use of content for training AI […]
Italian media associations have issued an urgent appeal to the government and parliament, warning that the unchecked power of global tech giants is jeopardising their crucial role as guarantors of information and pluralism. In a joint statement, the associations – bringing together print media and broadcasters (AIE, FIEG and CRTV) – collectively decried the “profoundly […]