Chicago

Congress voted to keep a portion of unused TV airwaves for unlicensed, which could help providers connect rural areas with high-speed broadband -- but the bill also has a downside. A Chicago city alderman proposed an ordinance that would forbid the Chicago Police Department from shutting down mobile towers, blocking mobile and Web access or jamming signals. Meanwhile, the FCC has halted LightSquared’s wireless plans and a senator from Iowa is holding up two nominees for FCC commissioner.

The cell phone industry not only engages in price-gouging, but its anti-competitive practices have left the United States wireless industry lagging behind the rest of the world. And university scholars, city and state government, and private enterprise are working to bridge the digital divide in Chicago.