Communications-Related Headlines for March 18, 2003

DIGITAL DIVIDE
NTIA Announces 2003 TOP Grant Round
United Way to Bring Wireless Internet to Poor Philly Neighborhoods
New 'Digital Village' Aims to Close Computer Gap in Baltimore Latino
Community

BROADBAND
Broadband Net Begins to Fulfill Its Promise

CONTENT
Internet Censorship Explorer: Does the End Justify the Means?

DIGITAL DIVIDE

NTIA ANNOUNCES 2003 TOP GRANT ROUND
The Technology Opportunities Program (TOP) awards grants through an annual
competition. On March 17, 2003, the US Commerce Department's National
Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced the
Fiscal Year 2003 grant round for TOP. For FY 2003, approximately $12.4
million is available for matching grants. The deadline for submission is
Wednesday, April 23, 2003. The Application Kit for FY 2003 provides
information on the program, rules for applying, suggestions for preparing an
application, and the standard forms you need to prepare a TOP application.
For more information, please contact the program by email at
top( at )ntia.doc.gov.
[SOURCE: National Telecommunications and Information Administration]
(http://www.ntia.doc.gov/top/grants/grants.htm)
(http://www.ntia.doc.gov/top/grants/application.htm)

UNITED WAY TO BRING WIRELESS INTERNET TO POOR PHILLY NEIGHBORHOODS
The United Way and Wi-Fi technology are coming to two Philadelphia
neighborhoods in which many residents cannot even afford phone service. The
organization plans to install high-speed wireless antennas in the West
Powelton and Haddington sections of the city. For $5-$10 a month residents
with the right equipment will be able to access information about jobs,
daycare, education and government services. Since many of the residents
likely do not own computers with wireless receivers, the United Way plans to
begin donating such equipment, starting with 100 families this summer.
[SOURCE: USA Today, AUTHOR: Associated Press]
(http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2003-03-18-wifi-poor_x.htm)

NEW 'DIGITAL VILLAGE' AIMS TO CLOSE COMPUTER GAP IN BALTIMORE LATINO
COMMUNITY
Where once stood a library now stands a community technology center; this
building in Baltimore's Fells Point has always stood for opportunities for
the city's Latino population. Education-Based Latino Outreach, a non-profit
group, last week opened a "digital village" in the former Enoch Pratt Free
Library, which beginning in 1922 provided a chance for Latino immigrants to
learn English and prepare for citizenship exams. The center is designed to
help Spanish-speaking residents become part of the city's commerce and
culture.
[SOURCE: The Baltimore Sun, AUTHOR: Jamie Stiehm]
(http://www.sunspot.net/bal-md.eblo18mar18.story)

BROADBAND

BROADBAND NET BEGINS TO FULFILL ITS PROMISE
With broadband Internet access filtering into the consumer mainstream (23
million US homes by year's end, some predict), several content providers are
trying to meet the growing demand for broadband programming. In the past
week, news outlets, major league sports and communications services have
announced new applications aimed at consumers who have high-speed access in
the home or office. "We now have a confluence of broadband providers, PCs
equipped for same, content ... and people who have this capability," says
Paul Wiefels, of Chasm Group.
[SOURCE: USA Today, AUTHOR: Kevin Maney]
(http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2003-03-16-broadband_x.htm)

CONTENT

INTERNET CENSORSHIP EXPLORER: DOES THE END JUSTIFY THE MEANS?
The University of Toronto's Internet Censorship Explorer
(http://opennetinitiative.net/oni/ice), which helps users identify state
censorship of particular websites, has stirred controversy. While the
project has provided useful information about the kinds of sites blocked by
foreign governments, critics argue that the methods used to collect its data
amount to little more than malicious hacking. "They're obviously using
resources that would not normally be available. Using someone else's
resources without their knowledge is abhorrent to us," said Jon Asdourian, a
computer forensics examiner with Stroz-Friedberg. Project director Ronald
Diebert maintains that the technology is not used to steal data or to expose
network vulnerabilities but simply to gather empirical research on content
filtering.
[SOURCE: Wired News, AUTHOR: Patrick Di Justo]
(http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,58082,00.html)

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