http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/n...r-industry.ars

I love watching the new director of the FCC show off the huge balls he has. Maybe this will finally get the cellular industry to snap to. Probably not, but we can all hope.

Does the FCC have teeth? (That's a serious question, I'm not American so I don't know how tough it has been in the past.)

As far as I know its a paper tiger.

Not really. The FCC has tons of power. It's whether or not the bought out and paid off politicians will allow them to exercise that power. And so far they've let the current FCC chief get by pretty much without saying much. Well, I shouldn't say "without" saying much, but rather that he doesn't back down to pressure very easily. Especially from self interested politicians.

Only by recent practice, not by design.

Yes... by design.

All those little approvals we wait for with every new device sold in the US or the licenses that broadcasters need to operate are controlled by the FCC. True it is just a regulatory agency however regulatory agencies exercise autonomous authority over our day to day lives and can on a whim instantly revoke a license to operate, practice, or even exist.
Reinstatement could take a Supreme Court ruling, an act of congress or other legislative act which could take months or even years to accomplish.

A "paper tiger" implies no teeth. The FCC has teeth-- they have just in recent years chosen not to deploy them for consumers.

(I think you may have misunderstood what I was saying, YoDude)

Well, consumers are not paying politicians money, so why deploy anything on behalf of these pests? =)

You are correct sir

I sometimes get confused by one line replies to edited one line quotes. It is hard to see what side of the net the ball is on.