broadband

Akamai: A third of cyberattacks come from China

A third of all cyberattacks in the third quarter of 2012 came from China, a new report from Akamai said, double the percentage in the second period.

Akamai, one of the world's largest globally distributed networks, released its State of the Internet report today that found a steep increase in the percentage of attacks originating in China. In the second quarter of 2012, only 16 percent of attacks came from the country, but that rose to 33 percent in the period ended in September. The U.S. came in at No. 2 with 13 percent, up sequentially from 12 … Read more

FCC pushes for gigabit broadband in all 50 states by 2015

The Federal Communications Commission's chairman, Julius Genachowski, wants to see gigabit speed broadband services in all 50 states by 2015.

At a meeting of U.S. mayors in Washington, D.C., today, Genachowski called on municipal leaders and service providers to deploy gigabit speed broadband in at least one community in each of the 50 states in the next two to three years. Genachowski said that by participating in the "Gigabit City Challenge" communities would turn themselves into innovation hubs that would create valuable jobs for its citizens.

Genachowski has been a big proponent of faster broadband … Read more

Dish counters Sprint, makes $5B offer for Clearwire

Dish Network made an unsolicited bid to buy Clearwire for $5.15 billion, upping the ante for Sprint Nextel, which entered into an agreement last month to purchase the 50 percent of the wireless broadband provider it does not already own.

Dish is offering $3.30 per share for all outstanding shares in Clearwire, about 11 percent more than Sprint's offer, and a 13 percent premium over today's closing stock price. The stock price was up 23 cents, or 7.8 percent, to $3.15 a share in after-hours trading.

Sprint announced in December that the two companies … Read more

U.K.'s 4G pushes forward, with 17 new locales on tap

Residents in an additional 17 towns and cities in the U.K. will have the option of signing up for EE's 4G LTE network by March 2013.

Everything Everywhere -- a collaboration between mobile operators Orange and T-Mobile -- launched the United Kingdom's first 4G network in October this year. Although these two carriers still exist, for next-generation data speeds EE is one of the only options currently available.

In addition to extending 4G coverage, the company said it plans to upgrade its 3G network to DC-HSPA, which will result in faster speeds for non-4G customers, including those … Read more

FreedomPop launches free home broadband

Expensive in-home Internet service may soon be a thing of the past, at least if FreedomPop has anything to say about it.

The startup, backed by Skype co-founder Niklas Zennstrom, today said it's now taking preorders for its FreedomPop Hub Burst home modem that allows users to access the high-speed Internet for free.

The company noted that the device, available for an $89 deposit, will ship next month. If a user decides to turn off the service within the first year, he or she can return the modem to FreedomPop and receive the deposit back. There are no contracts … Read more

FCC approves Dish's plans for high-speed wireless

Dish has been given the official green light to fire up its wireless spectrum. The satellite TV provider announced today that the Federal Communications Commission has approved its request for wireless spectrum use.

"The FCC has removed outdated regulations and granted terrestrial flexibility for most of the AWS-4 band," Dish senior vice president and deputy general counsel Jeff Blum said in a statement today. "The Commission has taken an important step toward facilitating wireless competition and innovation, and fulfilling the goals of the National Broadband Plan."

Dish started talks with the FCC earlier this year. Initially, … Read more

Which states have the best broadband? Check out this report

Washington, Massachusetts and Delaware top the list of states that have made broadband a priority, according to a new study by the trade group TechNet.

These states lead the TechNet State Broadband Index, a study which ranks states on broadband adoption, network quality and segments of the state's economy supporting broadband.

Here's a list of the top 10 states:

WashingtonMassachusettsDelawareMarylandCaliforniaNew JerseyVermontVirginiaUtahNew York

Rey Ramsey, the head of TechNet, a trade group made up of CEOs from major U.S.-based technology companies, has called broadband the "foundation" of U.S. economic and technological success.

"Broadband … Read more

Sprint in talks to take control of Clearwire without an acquisition

Sprint Nextel may soon gain control of wireless broadband provider Clearwire without an acquisition, clearing up a stumbling block to Softbank's $20 billion acquisition of Sprint.

Sprint is Clearwire's largest customer and its largest shareholder with an 84 percent stake, but the No. 3 U.S. wireless carrier doesn't have control of Clearwire's board. To take control of the company, the No. 3 U.S. wireless carrier is negotiating agreements with other investors that will allow it to appoint a majority of directors to Clearwire's board without a making a formal acquisition, people familiar with … Read more

NetZero subscribers can share free data with Facebook friends

Facebook friends can now share data with one other courtesy of a new promotion from NetZero.

The new 4G Data Share plan lets NetZero subscribers dole out 1GB of data each month to fellow subscribers on Facebook, with up to five friends getting 200MB a piece.

To partake in the promotion, you need to subscribe to any one of NetZero's five 4G mobile broadband plans, starting at 200MB for free and going up to 4GB for $49.95 a month.

You'll also need to buy NetZero's 4G USB stick or its 4G hotspot device. Both items are … Read more