Communications-Related Headlines for February 11, 2003

REGULATION
FCC Vote on Phone Competition Delayed

PRIVACY
Perspective: Ashcroft's Worrisome Spy Plans

COPYRIGHT
Tracking Tag for Net Music Unveiled

INTERNET
A Broadband Hookup in Every Home

ACCESSIBILITY
UCP Unveils Accessible Computers for People with Disabilities

REGULATION

FCC VOTE ON PHONE COMPETITION DELAYED
A vote to deregulate the local telephone industry has been delayed by FCC
Chairman Michael Powell in response to a compromise proposal introduced by
Commissioner Kevin Martin. Martin's proposal, which has gained the support
of Democrats Michael Copps and Jonathan Adelstein, differs from the Powell
proposal in that it would give state regulators more control over the lease
rates charged by the former Bell companies to competitors. The measure would
also require local providers to allow access to their lines so that new
entrants can provide high-speed Internet access. Martin's ability to obtain
a three-vote majority on this issue is indicative of his growing power in
the commission, according to observers.
[SOURCE: The Washington Post, AUTHOR: Christopher Stern with Jonathan Krim]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A54167-2003Feb10.html)

PRIVACY

PERSPECTIVE: ASHCROFT'S WORRISOME SPY PLANS
[Commentary] US Attorney General John Ashcroft is developing a piece of
legislation aimed at further increasing law enforcement agents' ability to
violate personal electronic privacy in the name of national security, writes
CNET's Declan McCullagh. The Domestic Security Enhancement Act would allow,
among other activities: (1) the FBI and state police to view Web surfing and
messaging activity for up to 48 hours without a warrant, (2) prosecutors to
serve secret subpoenas to those suspected of computer crimes and other
felonies and (3) police to obtain search warrants valid anywhere in the US
in the investigation of computer hacking. The bill would also further amend
the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, already enhanced by the USA
PATRIOT Act of 2001, to allow the installation of electronic surveillance
devices such as keystroke loggers. Mark Rotenberg, director of the
Electronic Privacy Information Center, calls the DSEA "more than an assault
on constitutional liberty -- it is an attack on the constitutional system of
checks and balances."
[SOURCE: CNET News, AUTHOR: Declan McCullagh]
(http://news.com.com/2010-1071-983921.html)

COPYRIGHT

TRACKING TAG FOR NET MUSIC UNVEILED
The International Federation of Phonographic Industry and the Recording
Industry Association of America have released a new method of tracking the
online sale of music on Monday in an effort to ensure that artists are
properly compensated for their work. The Global Release Identifier (GRid)
uses a tag attached to each track as it is converted to digital form. When a
service provider sells the track for streaming play or download, the tag
reports the transaction back to rights societies and collection agencies.
Resellers will cover the annual fee for the system. The technology will do
little to reduce widespread online file swapping, which most industry
insiders blame for the decline in record sales.
[SOURCE: CNN, AUTHOR: Reuters]
(http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/internet/02/10/music.tag.reut/index.html)

INTERNET

A BROADBAND HOOKUP IN EVERY HOME
The Kentucky Housing Corporation (KHC) has initiated a mandate that all new
public housing units funded with more than 50 percent of state government
funding must be wired for broadband Internet access. Kentucky is now the
first US state to mandate the practice, though other states such as
Nebraska, Wisconsin and Oregon have pushed local public housing developers
to wire for broadband. KHC is also working to provide its low-income
residents with computers, subsidized Internet services and a community
portal for information on local jobs, health care and other resources. KHC
says it got the idea from the advocacy group One Economy, which is working
on a two-year effort to push state and local housing authorities to adopt
broadband deployment policies.
[SOURCE: Wired News, AUTHOR: Dustin Goot]
(http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,57249,00.html)

ACCESSIBILITY

UCP UNVEILS ACCESSIBLE COMPUTERS FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
United Cerebral Palsy of Central Pennsylvania announced that it is
installing Internet workstations accessible to the disabled in dozens of
public libraries across the region. The PCs will be networked into a local
demonstration lab, allowing disabled to receive specially tailored IT
training. The initiative, officially known as the Accessible Internet
Workstation and Infrastructure Technology Project, is funded by the US
Department of Commerce's Technology Opportunities Program (TOP). UCP
received approximately $344,000 for the initiative.
(SOURCE: Yahoo! Finance, AUTHOR: UCP Central Pennsylvania]
(http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/030210/phm053_1.html)

A CORRECTION: Yesterday in the story TEXAS CAN'T AFFORD TO STOP FUNDING
KIDS' TECHNOLOGY, we included the following sentence: 'According to Texas
State Representatives Nick Noriega, Jessica Farrar and Joe E. Moreno,
Governor Rick Perry's decision to freeze over $221 in state technology
funding "will prevent our schools from providing students the necessary
tools to compete in a technological world."' As bad as the Texas state
fiscal crisis may be, the three representatives were not criticizing the
governor for freezing a mere 221 bucks; the number should have read $221
million. We regret the error. -eds

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