Articles by Todd Shields

US Revives Net Neutrality to Establish Authority Over Internet

US regulators reinstated net neutrality rules that aim to ensure everything on the internet is equally accessible, reclaiming authority over broadband service and setting the stage for legal challenges. The Federal Communications Commission’s Democratic majority adopted rules that bar broadband …

Billion-Dollar Satellite Risks Upending Space Insurance

Viasat Inc. has more than $1 billion of orbiting satellites in trouble, and space insurers are girding for market-rattling claims. The company’s roughly $1 billion ViaSat-3 Americas satellite, central to expanding its fixed-broadband coverage and fending off rivals including Elon …

‘I’m Calling About Your Auto Warranty’: FCC Says No More, Orders Spam Block

The Federal Communications Commission has ordered phone companies to stop carrying traffic related to robocalls about scam auto warranties. US voice service providers must now “take all necessary steps to avoid carrying this robocall traffic,” or provide a report outlining …

Russia Missile Test Creates New Belt of Space Junk, Escalating Threat to Satellites

The Russian missile test that shattered a dead satellite this week highlights a growing threat of space debris just as companies such as SpaceX and Boeing Co. make plans to launch as many as 65,000 commercial spacecraft into orbit in …

Smaller Websites Nervous Over Giant Facebook’s Support for Liability Reform

Facebook Inc. says it’s time to rethink the legal immunity that protects it from lawsuits over what users post online, a position that’s leaving smaller websites concerned about the cost of accepting more responsibility for what appears on their platforms. …

FCC Seeks Comments on Trump Plan to Weaken Internet Firms’ Liability Protection

The Federal Communications Commission will take comments for 45 days on President Donald Trump’s proposal to weaken liability protection for social-media companies such as Twitter Inc., the agency’s chairman said. The step ensures the that administration’s request will get a …

FCC Seen Backing Away from Reserving More Airwaves for Automakers’ Talking Cars

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission has proposed taking back some of the spectrum long promised to automakers and re-allocating it to other wireless uses, according to people familiar with the matter. It’s a potentially significant development in a years-long debate …

Why 5G Networks Could Be Bad News for Storm Forecasting

Satellites tracking water vapor in 2012 helped scientists accurately predict Superstorm Sandy’s frightening turn toward New York and New Jersey where it killed dozens of people and inflicted billions of dollars in damage. But now scientists are warning that their …

Senators Urge Allies to Heed Trump’s Warning on China’s Huawei

U.S. senators warned allies that Chinese telecommunications companies such as Huawei Technologies Co. can’t meet security standards for advanced networks due in part to Chinese law that demands cooperation with security agencies. “There is no way in hell China can …

Supreme Court Nominee Kavanaugh Seen as Business Friend, Regulation Skeptic

Brett Kavanaugh could add a powerful new voice on the Supreme Court to restrain what government agencies can do, ushering in a new era of tougher scrutiny of federal regulations loathed by businesses. In a dozen years on the U.S. …