A new Texas Instruments “Internet-on-a-chip” family of devices will allow manufacturers to “easily add embedded Wi-Fi and Internet to a wide range” of consumer electronics and industrial products, the company said Monday. Its SimpleLink CC3100 and CC3200 platforms for Internet of Things (IoT) applications feature the industry’s lowest power consumption for battery-operated devices with a low-power radio and advanced low-power modes, TI said in a news release (http://bit.ly/1p9aUjZ). The CC3100 can be flexibly meshed with any available microcontroller, while the CC3200 has an integrated, programmable microcontroller, allowing manufacturers to add their own code, it said. The chipsets offer “easy development for the IoT with quick connection, cloud support and on-chip Wi-Fi, Internet and robust security protocols, requiring no prior Wi-Fi experience to get a product connected,” it said.

Unlicensed spectrum and the devices that use it generate $62 billion a year for the U.S. economy, CEA said in a report Monday (http://bit.ly/1sigLXQ). “Unlicensed spectrum is the fuel that powers innovation in our increasingly digitized, interconnected and untethered world,” CEA President Gary Shapiro said. The report estimated that the devices that rely most heavily on unlicensed spectrum will grow cumulatively by 30 percent per year through 2016. Consumer demand for products like these in turn is driving the need for even more unlicensed spectrum, CEA said. Ownership of “spectrum-enabled devices” such as smartphones and tablets “is at an all-time high,” it said. It estimated that two-thirds of U.S. homes own a smartphone while tablet penetration is 45 percent. Both categories increased their penetration rates by six percentage points in just the past year, it said. “We're seeing an explosion of connected devices that rely almost exclusively on unlicensed spectrum -- the Internet of Things -- proof of the skyrocketing value of unlicensed spectrum,” said Shapiro. “As we continue to use more smart, connected devices, we need enough unlicensed spectrum for them to communicate with their surroundings and one other. With this tool, innovators can harness the power of the network to give devices more utility than they could ever have in isolation.” Typifying its strong advocacy for more commercial spectrum, CEA last week came out in support of the Wireless Innovation Act introduced by Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla. (CD June 16 p14).

FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler will open Thursday’s workshop on the “Prevention of Mobile Device Theft,” the agency said in a public notice in Friday’s Daily Digest (http://fcc.us/1xUfRRE). Three panels are scheduled and the FCC will hear from carriers, equipment makers, local and federal law enforcement and other speakers. The session starts at 9 a.m, at FCC headquarters and is slated to wrap up after remarks at 2:15 p.m. by Dennis Roberson of the Illinois Institute of Technology and FCC Technological Advisory Council chairman. Among the goals of the session is to “explore ways that members of the mobile device community ... can improve collaboration with the law enforcement community in a collective effort to thwart mobile device theft,” the FCC said. It said the workshop will examine “ways in which more timely and accurate data about mobile device theft can be made available for both law enforcement entities and others, such as secondary market resellers.” The TAC is looking closely at the phone theft issue (CD June 11 p2).

Credit Suisse believes the long-term prospects of American Tower are the best among the top three U.S. wireless tower companies “due to its lower wireless M&A risk, exposure to high growth international markets and a balanced history of accretive acquisitions and returning cash to shareholders,” said analyst Joseph Mastrogiovanni in a note to investors. American Tower, Crown Castle International and SBA Communications are all “attractive long-term investments” due to the tower sector’s overall strength, he said. Industry participants and observers have told us they believe the U.S. tower sector is likely to do very well over the next 12 months due to increasing network expansions and network quality improvements (CD June 2 p4).

Multiple operators behind a “massive mobile cramming scheme” will surrender more than $10 million in assets to settle FTC allegations they were placing unauthorized charges on phone bills, said the agency in a Friday news release (http://1.usa.gov/1p1P6Vq). The settlement also includes a total monetary judgment upward of $150 million for Lin Miao and companies he helped operate, the FTC said. The judgment was partially suspended due to an inability to pay after forfeiting all possible assets, including multiple luxury cars, several houses and a variety of Tiffany jewelry (http://1.usa.gov/1nBiJgW). The FTC alleged the scheme involved offering consumers text message services to receive “love tips,” “fun facts” or celebrity gossip news, then charging the consumers $9.99 a month without permission. Commissioners voted unanimously to approve the proposed stipulated order. The agency acted to shut down the operation in December (http://1.usa.gov/Jz71Em). Miao and his attorneys could not be reached for comment.

Michael Calabrese of the New America Foundation indicated by email the group is taking a wait-and-see approach as the FCC moves forward on E-rate reform (CD June 12 p1 or WID June 12 p5). Support for internal connections, such as Wi-Fi, shouldn’t “come at the expense of needed investment in school-owned fiber and gigabit connectivity,” said Calabrese, a New America senior researcher. FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler “is correct that schools need resources for ubiquitous wireless connectivity, but schools also need resources and flexibility to make the upfront investments in gigabit capacity that makes Wi-Fi access meaningful,” he said. “Schools and libraries need to provision gigabit connectivity at least as much as they need the Wi-Fi routers to distribute it to users."

LG’s G3 smartphone will come pre-installed with a customized version of McAfee Mobile Security that includes a anti-theft feature designed to protect users from unauthorized factory resets, the companies said Thursday. They said the security program has a kill switch that lets users disable their phone remotely if it’s lost or stolen and for content to be wiped to prevent personal information from being compromised. Smartphones have become a target for criminals because of the hardware value and the personal data consumers store on them, said the two firms in a news release Thursday (http://bit.ly/1liLBKO). A Creighton University study found Americans spend roughly $580 million annually replacing stolen phones. As part of a multi-year global partnership, the LG G3 is equipped with a “distinct version” of McAfee’s Mobile Security, which was activated on the phones beginning May 28, the companies said. Software features including antivirus, data backup, remote lock and wipe, and remote tracking are available via the McAfee app for five years at no cost, the company said. McAfee’s Mobile Security lock screen blocks factory resets and rooting attempts, requires password authentication, and can be controlled by the user from the device or the a Web console, the company said. Other LG users can download the software for free at the Google Play Store, but the kill switch will only be available on the G3, a McAfee spokeswoman told us. The partnership is not exclusive and McAfee will “continue to seek new opportunities,” the spokeswoman said.

Advert Marketing agreed to settle FTC charges it scammed individuals through millions of unwanted text messages promising $1,000 gift cards to retailers like Best Buy, Target and Walmart, the FTC said in a Thursday release (http://1.usa.gov/1legJXd). The company and two individuals operating it -- Scott Dalrymple and Robert Wence -- are “permanently banned from sending unwanted or unsolicited commercial text messages or assisting others in doing so,” the FTC said. The settlement includes a $4.2 million judgment, which is being partially suspended because of insufficient funds. Both individuals will have to pay the FTC $15,000 and destroy any consumer data they've collected. The commissioners voted unanimously to approve the final judgment.

C Spire said it agreed to buy IP communications provider MegaGate Broadband in order to expand and diversify its services. MegaGate is a local exchange telco and ISP for southern Mississippi. C Spire began offering 1 Gbps fiber in nine Mississippi cities in September and has said it plans to open a $23 million Tier III+ data center in Starkville in November to power its enterprise cloud services. C Spire did not disclose the financial details of the deal but said Wednesday it expects final regulatory approval within 60 days (http://bit.ly/1hPrLb1).

The Competitive Carriers Association slammed the FCC Connect America Fund order, after it was released Tuesday night. (See related report above in this issue.) CCA President Steve Berry said in a written statement that the order is biased against wireless. “Many smaller carriers depend on USF support to provide mobile services in the most costly areas” of the U.S., he said. “Without it, they may not survive and consumers will not have wireless services in many areas. The Order does absolutely nothing to promote or even preserve competition."