Verizon Communications

FAA Reviews Verizon Contract Amid Starlink Competition

| Importance: 8/10

The Department of Transportation placed the $24 billion Verizon FAA contract under review, with Elon Musk positioning Starlink as a potential alternative vendor. This review comes amid claims about the existing communication system’s reliability and potential performance issues in air traffic …

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Net Neutrality Repeal Officially Takes Effect, Permitting ISPs to Throttle, Block, and Prioritize Content for Payment

| Importance: 9/10

The FCC’s “Restoring Internet Freedom” order officially takes effect, eliminating the Title II net neutrality protections that had prohibited internet service providers from blocking, throttling, or creating paid “fast lanes” for content delivery. Nearly six months …

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FCC Under Ajit Pai Repeals Net Neutrality in 3-2 Party-Line Vote

| Importance: 9/10

The FCC, led by Chairman Ajit Pai, votes 3-2 along party lines to repeal Obama-era net neutrality rules, marking a major victory for telecommunications industry interests over consumer protections. Pai, a former Verizon attorney appointed by Trump, argued the regulations represented government …

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FCC Under Ajit Pai Repeals Net Neutrality in 3-2 Party-Line Vote

| Importance: 9/10

The FCC, led by Chairman Ajit Pai, votes 3-2 along party lines to repeal Obama-era net neutrality rules, marking a major victory for telecommunications industry interests over consumer protections. Pai, a former Verizon attorney appointed by Trump, argued the regulations represented government …

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Trump Appoints Ajit Pai as FCC Chairman, Installing Former Verizon Lawyer to Regulate His Former Employer

| Importance: 9/10

President Donald Trump designates Ajit Pai as Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, elevating the sitting Republican commissioner and former Verizon Communications associate general counsel to lead the agency responsible for regulating his former employer and the broader …

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FCC Approves Paid Prioritization "Fast Lanes" Proposal Despite Massive Public Backlash

| Importance: 8/10

The Federal Communications Commission votes 3-2 to advance Chairman Tom Wheeler’s controversial proposal that would permit internet service providers to charge content companies for priority “fast lane” access to consumers, fundamentally threatening net neutrality principles. The …

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Verizon Lawsuit Successfully Overturns FCC Net Neutrality Rules, Court Demands Title II Reclassification

| Importance: 9/10

The DC Circuit Court of Appeals delivers a landmark ruling in Verizon v. FCC, striking down the Federal Communications Commission’s anti-blocking and anti-discrimination net neutrality rules while paradoxically outlining the path to stronger protections through Title II reclassification. The …

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FCC Passes First Net Neutrality Rules with Major Wireless Exemption in 3-2 Party-Line Vote

| Importance: 8/10

The Federal Communications Commission approves the Open Internet Order by a 3-2 party-line vote, establishing the first formal net neutrality regulations but with significant weaknesses that would prove legally vulnerable. FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski’s order established three core rules: …

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Verizon's Deep Involvement in NSA Surveillance Programs

| Importance: 8/10

In 2007, Verizon was deeply involved in NSA surveillance programs, participating in classified intelligence collection efforts during the Bush Administration, demonstrating the close relationship between telecommunications companies and national security agencies.

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