Page 24 - aruba-today-20170404

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BUSINESSTuesday 4 April 2017
Shares in UK chipmaker dive 60 pct after Apple ends contract
DANICA KIRKA
Associated Press
LONDON (AP) — Shares
in chipmaker Imagination
Technologies plunged over
60 percent on Monday af-
ter the British company an-
nounced that Apple plans
to stop using its products.
The development high-
lights how, through its sheer
size, Apple’s decisions can
make or break the fortune
Charter won’t have to compete with other cable companies now
TALI ARBEL
AP Technology Writer
NEW YORK (AP) — Federal
regulators are letting Char-
ter out of a requirement
that would have forced
it to compete with other
broadband providers and
possibly cut prices.
The decision relaxes one of
the conditions imposed on
Charter when it absorbed
Time Warner Cable and
represents another sign
that the country’s telecom
cop is tilting in favor of the
industry it monitors.
Charter Communications
had agreed to extend its
network to areas where
there is already a broad-
band provider. This require-
ment was enacted be-
cause most U.S. households
don’t have a choice for
high-speed home internet.
Greater competition could
lower prices.
But smaller cable compa-
nies worried about that
competition and asked the
Federal Communications
Commission to revisit the
requirement.
Under a new regime, the
FCC said Monday that
Charter can instead build
in areas where there isn’t
high-speed internet al-
ready.
US construction spending rose to nearly 11-year high
CHRIS S. RUGABER
AP Economics Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S.
developers ramped up
construction spending
in February to the larg-
est amount in nearly 11
years, led by more building
of homes, highways and
schools.
Construction spending rose
0.8 percent in February to
the highest level since April

of entire companies that Imagination says Apple has Imagination’s intellectual to Imagination’s assertion
work with it. for years used the com- property rights. that Apple has not provid-
Imagination, a multimedia, pany’s technology in the “Accordingly Imagination ed any evidence to back
processor and communi- graphics processor units does not accept Apple’s its assertion that it can do
cations technology com- of its phones, tablets and assertions,” the company without Imagination’s tech-
pany, said Apple Inc. “will watches but has asserted said. There are longer-term nology without violating its
no longer use the group’s that it is working on a “sep- issues than the loss of royal- intellectual property rights,
intellectual property in its arate, independent” de- ties and license fees, which patents and confidential
new products” within two sign to control its products. amounted to 60.7 million information. To defend its
years. That would mean the Imagination said “it would pounds last year. rights, Imagination may ul-
company wouldn’t be eli- be extremely challenging” Nick Kounoupias, a Lon- timately have to sue the
gible for royalty payments for Apple to design a new don-based intellectual world’s biggest publicly
under existing agreements. product without infringing property expert, pointed traded company.q

This photo shows a Charter Communications van in St. Louis. Now cable giant Charter won’t have only broadband provider
to compete with other cable companies in new areas. Federal telecom regulators have tweaked in those areas in the long
a condition of its deal to buy Time Warner Cable. They had said Charter would have to compete term.
with another fast-internet provider for 1 million customers. Now they can build in areas that don’t Charter bought Time War-
have fast internet. ner Cable and Bright House
in May 2016 for $67 billion.
(AP Photo/Jeff Roberson) The buildout was one of
the conditions Charter ac-
The agency’s new chair- ready service. Americans.” cepted in order to win FCC
approval for the deal.
man, Ajit Pai, says getting The reversal is the latest in The sole remaining Demo- Gigi Sohn, who had been
more Americans online — a slew of measures at the cratic commissioner at an adviser to the FCC
what’s called “closing the FCC that benefit the tele- the FCC, Mignon Clyburn, chairman at the time, Tom
Wheeler, blasted the rever-
digital divide” — is impor- com industry. agreed with the decision. sal and said it would not be
effective in getting many
tant to him. He wants to cut Pai said in a statement She said that “it has be- more people online.
regulations to encourage Monday that the previous come clear” that Charter “They can build out their
broadband companies buildout requirement had will choose to build in mar- networks but people won’t
be able to buy their service.
to expand their networks not been in the public in- kets where it has the weak- You can’t close the digital
divide without dealing with
and doesn’t see the point terest and was “against the est competitors. She said the price issue,” she said.
“This FCC is bound and
of mandating a network goal of promoting great- she worried that Charter determined to make sure
buildout where there is al- er Internet access for all would wind up being the incumbents don’t have to
compete.”
Americans without access
to home broadband skew
poor and rural, where it’s
more expensive for internet
service providers to con-
nect houses.
Charter said in a statement
that the FCC’s change will
let it “more fully devote our
resources and attention to
building out high-speed
broadband to areas with-
out it today.”q

2006, after two months of this year. has pledged to reverse with February 2016. Infra-
declines, the Commerce State and local govern- that trend by boosting in- structure concerns have
Department said. ments spent 0.9 percent frastructure spending by resurfaced after a large fire
Builders are rapidly putting more on construction, driv- $1 trillion over the next de- last week caused the col-
up more homes in response en by roads, schools and cade. Yet it’s unclear when lapse of a highway bridge
to strong demand that has recreational buildings. legislation to bring about outside Atlanta, snarling
pushed up prices for exist- The federal government, such an increase will be in- rush-hour traffic.
ing homes. meanwhile, cut construc- troduced. The construction of com-
Yet it hasn’t yet been tion spending for the sec- State and local govern- mercial buildings such as
enough to relieve a short- ond straight month and has ments have also spent less hotels, office towers, and
age of homes for sale. cut back 9 percent from a on construction in the past hospitals fell 0.3 percent
The accelerated building year ago. year. They are spending in February, the second
could boost the economy President Donald Trump 8 percent less compared straight decline. q