"During his four years as chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, Michael Powell championed the idea that new communications technologies should not be subject to federal and state regulations. But as Powell prepares to step down in March, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) -- the technology that allows telephone calls to travel over the Internet -- faces a push by several states to regulate it as a traditional telephone service, a move that many fear would stifle its potential."
The global smartphone market closed 2025 with a story less about recovery and more about transformation. Premium product, ecosystem lock-in, and manufacturing scale are now the forces shaping competition. For business and technology leaders, the latest IDC market study data confirms that smartphones remain a critical indicator of consumer demand, supply chain health, and AI commercialization at the edge. Smartphone Market Development Global smartphone shipments grew 2.3 percent year-over-year in Q4 2025, reaching 336.3 million units and bringing full-year volumes to 1.26 billion units — a modest 1.9 percent annual increase, according to IDC. This smartphone growth emerged despite a memory shortage crisis, tariff volatility, supply chain disruption, and macroeconomic headwinds. What stabilized demand? Two factors: sustained growth in premium devices and strong foldable momentum, combined with accelerated purchases as consumers bought ahead of anticipated price increases. Buyers weren...