In an appearance this morning at a Seattle breakfast event, former FCC Chairman Kevin Martin, now a partner at Patton Boggs, was careful not to offer any jabs at the current administration. Instead, he focused on the current administration’s plans for rolling out a new national broadband plan, scheduled to…

Google’s announcement last month that it would build “ultra” high-speed broadband networks in the U.S. has generated interest from cities who want the tech jobs (and prestige) that would likely come if Google (NSDQ: GOOG) were to select them as a trial location. To be considered, cities must fill out…

Google (NSDQ: GOOG) has loudly suggested that Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT) is behind the European Commission’s preliminary antitrust inquiry into Google’s practices. Microsoft’s response: So what? “Complaints in competition law cases usually come from competitors,” writes Microsoft Deputy General Counsel Dave Heiner in a blog post. “This is the way that…

It certainly has not been the best week for Google (NSDQ: GOOG) in Europe: The EC opened a preliminary antitrust inquiry against the company, three of the company’s executives were sentenced to jail terms in Italy—and now the Article 29 Working Party—which represents data protection officials from EU members countries—has…

Google (NSDQ: GOOG), which has faced three antitrust inquiries in the U.S. over the last year, is now facing its first in Europe. The WSJ says that the European Commission has opened a “preliminary probe” into Google at the behest of three European competitors, including Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT) subsidiary Ciao,…

Windows 95’s big OS-browser integration is now but a memory - from March 1, and likely through gritted teeth, Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT) will start offering European Windows users a choice of web browsers. This is in compliance with a December European Commission antitrust agreement that stops it from pushing its…

Two main (and related) reasons, according to a statement the Justice Department put out this afternoon: 1) The search deal is “not likely to substantially lessen competition in the United States.” Specifically, the Justice Department says that both Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT) and Yahoo (NSDQ: YHOO) have been more focused on…

The long and rough road is still a long way to go, but they’ve at least started on it: Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT) and Yahoo have received clearance for their search agreement, “without restrictions,” from both the U.S. Department of Justice and the European Commission, and will now focus on starting…

Despite making significant changes to its Buzz social networking service (and apologizing), Google (NSDQ: GOOG) still can’t shake the ire of privacy critics. The Electronic Privacy Information Center Electronic Frontier Foundation has now filed a complaint with the FTC over Buzz, asking the FTC to step in and require Google…

Is Google (NSDQ: GOOG) planning pricey Potemkin broadband villages? As part of an expensive lobbying move, the search giant last week unveiled plans to fund fiber-to-the-home broadband networks in the U.S. that would deliver unprecedented speeds of 1 Gigabit per second. The search giant said it initially plans to deliver…

Google (NSDQ: GOOG) has lowered its “equipment recovery fee” to $150 from $350 when customers drop its Nexus One phone before their contract with T-Mobile USA officially expires. The change occurs just after the FCC formally sent letters to various operators and Google about wireless early termination fees. In this…

Congressional hearings have two parts: written testimony and the Q&A that all too often sounds like it is scripted. While the companies aren’t publicizing the remarks in advance of Thursday’s command performance in Washington, the written testimony has already been submitted to the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s subcommittee on…

In Thursday’s (Feb. 4) hearing, the House Energy & Commerce Committee’s Communications & Internet Subcommittee will be looking at a merged Comcast/NBCU’s “unique and commanding” position in the media marketplace, including what could be its power to “fundamentally shape the way Web video evolves,” according to language in the memo.…

With a lengthy pitch on the public interest value of creating a new content-focused joint venture that will boost quantity, quality, diversity and “local focus,” Comcast (NSDQ: CMCSA), NBC Universal (NYSE: GE) and General Electric jointly filed a merger application/public interest statement with the Federal Communications Commission Thursday (Jan 28),…

Veteran Disney (NYSE: DIS) lobbyist Preston Padden isn’t retiring until 2011 but he’s already handing off to a new government relations chief. Richard Bates takes over as SVP-U.S. Government Relations effective immediately, while Padden, who will assist with the transition, switches to the strategic planning group until he leaves next…

It’s taken nearly a year, but the U.S. Department of Justice has given the merger between Ticketmaster and Live Nation (NYSE: LYV). The new entity will be called Live Nation Entertainment. In addition to securing the go-ahead from the DOJ, the two ticket sales and events promoters have gotten the…

Four of Germany’s largest media groups are set to form a shared web advertising network, after winning clearance from the European Commission’s competition department. The commision said there was no anticompetitive effect from a “proposed joint venture would develop and sell a new product to allow advertisers to reach better…

Sports fans with satellite subscriptions may finally get access to some regional sports networks that cable programmers—particularly those owned by cable operators—have been able to keep exclusive through the so-called “terrestrial loophole.” The Federal Communications Commission voted 4-1 today that multichannel video providers delivering programming by cable—primarily Comcast (NSDQ: CMCSA),…

Under pressure from European regulators, Microsoft’s Bing is finally cutting the amount of time it stores some user search data. The company says it will now store user IP addresses for six months, instead of 18. Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT) had initially said more than a year ago that it would…