April 28, 2009 (Science and Technology Day)

BENTON'S COMMUNICATIONS-RELATED HEADLINES for TUESDAY APRIL 28, 2009

Today's events: 1) Hearing on "Meaningful Use" of Health Information Technology, 2) Cyber Security: Developing a National Strategy, and 3) Government 2.0: Advancing America into the 21st Century and a Digital Future. See http://www.benton.org/calendar/2009-04-28

AGENDA/POLICYMAKERS
   Obama's tech agenda put on hold
   Science funding may rise
   President Obama Announces Members of Science and Technology Advisory Council
   Obama Urged To Name FTC Commissioner
   Fox Skipping Obama Press Conference
   The next frontier of Internet legal battles

CYBERSECURITY
US Plans Attack and Defense in Cyberspace Warfare

GOVERNMENT & COMMUNICATIONS
   NSA did not order wiretap on Rep Jane Harman
   White House Gets Low Marks Online
   UK rules out government database of emails, phones

JOURNALISM
   More Steep Newspaper Circulation Losses
   What Should Congress Do to Shape the Future of News?
   Publishers Seize on iPhone as Great White Digital Hope for Print
   Making newspapers accountable to their communities, not distant investors
   For the Media, 100-Days Story Represents the Perfect Swarm
   A Fierce Outbreak of Swine Flu Coverage
   Has the 'Journal' Lost Its Soul?

THE STIMULUS
   Some Lobbyists Try to Skirt Stimulus Ban
   Telecoms May Balk At Strings Attached To Stimulus Funds
   What is broadband?
   Wisconsin Public Service Commission Polling Residents on Broadband Access
   Georgia citizens take broadband into their own hands

TELEVISION
DVRs were supposed to undermine television. They have done the opposite
Internet television moves from the computer to the living room

PRIVACY
FTC says Internet firms near "last chance"
AT&T Responds To Behavioral Advertising Allegations

COMPANIES
Verizon: no iPhone, no problem
Verizon, Other Fiber Builders Cautiously Optimistic About Broadband Recovery

MORE ON THE WEB
   GAO: Long-Term Strategic Vision Would Help Ensure Targeting of E-rate Funds to Highest Priority Uses
   Home Media Phones May Become The "Fourth Screen"
   US Media Companies Hurt By Fewer Ads, Internet
   Because "Classified Ad Killer" Doesn't Have the Same Ring
   How '07 ABC Interview Tilted a Torture Debate
   EU considers turning Internet access into a fundamental human right
   In China, Knockoff Cellphones Are a Hit
   When is normal use a DOS attack?
   Twitter Users are Information Junkies
   All Friends Are Not Created Equal

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AGENDA/POLICYMAKERS

OBAMA'S TECH AGENDA PUT ON HOLD
[SOURCE: C-Net|News.com, AUTHOR: Stephanie Condon]
Thanks in large part to the economic crisis, President Obama has yet to put forward his new cybersecurity strategy, or even fill some important technology-related vacancies. At the same time, the downward-spiraling economy has let him to push forward in other ways that were unexpected as recently as last fall. In orchestrating the development of a $787 billion stimulus package, the president won congressional approval for significant spending on broadband infrastructure, electric smart-grid technology, and electronic health care records. Still unclear, though, are the ultimate results of that spending, or whether it will translate into more investment by the private sector. [more at the URL below]
http://benton.org/node/24839
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SCIENCE FUNDING MAY RISE
[SOURCE: USAToday, AUTHOR: Dan Vergano]
President Obama on Monday called for a renewed national commitment to science and education, promising to back his vision with a bully pulpit and increased funding. "Science is more essential for our prosperity, our security, our health, our environment, and our quality of life than it has ever been before," President Obama said, speaking at the National Academy of Sciences. He said the nation should spend more than 3% of its total economic output, or gross domestic product, on research and development, an increase of about $50 billion that would make the financial commitment "exceed the level achieved at the height of the space race." To applause from the audience of scientists, President Obama also called for: 1) A federal effort to inspire students to pursue science and engineering careers, particularly "clean energy" ones, through education and scholarships. 2) The creation of an organization within the Energy Department, called the Advanced Research Projects Agency, devoted to developing "breakthrough energy technologies." 3) A decade-long $42.6 billion budget-doubling for the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Standards and Technology and Energy Department's science office.
http://benton.org/node/24847
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PRESIDENT OBAMA ANNOUNCES MEMBERS OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COUNCIL
[SOURCE: The White House]
During during remarks at the National Academy of Sciences on Monday, President Barack Obama announced the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST). The full membership of PCAST is below. PCAST is an advisory group of the nation's leading scientists and engineers who will advise the President and Vice President and formulate policy in the many areas where understanding of science, technology, and innovation is key to strengthening our economy and forming policy that works for the American people. President Barack Obama said, "This council represents leaders from many scientific disciplines who will bring a diversity of experience and views. I will charge PCAST with advising me about national strategies to nurture and sustain a culture of scientific innovation." PCAST will be co-chaired by John Holdren, Assistant to the President for Science and Technology and Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy; Eric Lander, Director of the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard and one of the principal leaders of the Human Genome Project; and Harold Varmus, President and CEO of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, former head of the National Institutes of Health and a Nobel laureate.
http://benton.org/node/24818
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OBAMA URGED TO NAME FTC COMMISSIONER
[SOURCE: CongressDaily, AUTHOR: Andrew Noyes]
Representatives from consumer, privacy and other public interest organizations urged President Obama on Monday to fill a vacant commissioner post at the Federal Trade Commission with someone who will uphold the agency's mandate of protecting American consumers. The Center for Digital Democracy, Electronic Frontier Foundation, Electronic Privacy Information Center, the World Privacy Forum and others signed a letter arguing that charge has "too often been ignored in the recent past." "The new commissioner should have a distinguished record of achievement in consumer affairs, with a demonstrated commitment to protecting the public from all manner of unfair, deceptive, fraudulent, and non-competitive monopolistic/oligopolistic business practices," the letter stated.
http://benton.org/node/24817
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FOX SKIPPING OBAMA PRESS CONFERENCE
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: Alex Weprin]
For the first time in his presidency, a broadcast network is declining to give President Obama an hour in primetime for a news conference. Fox says it will run a new episode of drama Lie To Me instead. ABC, CBS and NBC all say they will air the press conference, set for Wednesday at 8 pm. Fox has two cable outlets that will be covering the presser live. As a result, Fox will present an on-screen graphic at the start of the hour directing viewers to Fox News Channel or Fox Business Network to watch the press conference. While pressers are the bread and butter of cable news, broadcast networks stand to lose millions in advertising revenue by shifting or rescheduling their normal programming. Fox has twice this year shifted its top show American Idol to make room for the White House requests.
http://benton.org/node/24840
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THE NEXT FRONTIER OF INTERNET LEGAL BATTLES
[SOURCE: C-Net|News.com, AUTHOR: Michael Songer]
[Commentary] Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, we have seen a number of well-known legal disputes: legality of peer-to-peer services such as Napster and Grokster, cybersquatting, laws (trying) to regulate porn, even "veejay" Adam Curry trying to use the MTV domain name. As we head into 2010 and beyond, here are some legal issues that are likely to careen through cyberspace in the next few years: 1) Lawsuits related to stupid/silly conduct shown on the Internet; 2) Lawsuits related to social media; 3) The next battle in the copyright wars; 4) Blogger liability for the comment section; 5) The taxman cometh.
http://benton.org/node/24813
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CYBERSECURITY

US PLANS ATTACK AND DEFENSE IN CYBERSPACE WARFARE
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: David Sanger, John Markoff, Thom Shanker]
Just as the invention of the atomic bomb changed warfare and deterrence 64 years ago, a new international race has begun to develop cyberweapons and systems to protect against them. President Obama is expected to propose a far larger defensive effort in coming days, including an expansion of the $17 billion, five-year program that Congress approved last year, the appointment of a White House official to coordinate the effort, and an end to a running bureaucratic battle over who is responsible for defending against cyberattacks. But President Obama is expected to say little or nothing about the nation's offensive capabilities, on which the military and the nation's intelligence agencies have been spending billions. In interviews over the past several months, a range of military and intelligence officials, as well as outside experts, have described a huge increase in the sophistication of American cyberwarfare capabilities. Because so many aspects of the American effort to develop cyberweapons and define their proper use remain classified, many of those officials declined to speak on the record. The White House declined several requests for interviews or to say whether President Obama as a matter of policy supports or opposes the use of American cyberweapons.
http://benton.org/node/24849
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GOVERNMENT & COMMUNICATIONS

NSA DID NOT ORDER WIRETAP ON REP JANE HARMAN
[SOURCE: Associated Press, AUTHOR:]
The National Security Agency did not place a wiretap that reportedly intercepted phone conversations made by Rep Jane Harman (D-CA). Dennis C. Blair, the national intelligence director, declined to say which agency requested the reported wiretap and oversaw the information gleaned from Harman's conversations. Blair was speaking at the dedication of a new intelligence research facility. The only other agency that has authority to place wiretaps on calls inside the United States is the Justice Department. It requires court approval.
http://benton.org/node/24844
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WHITE HOUSE GETS LOW MARKS ONLINE
[SOURCE: National Journal, AUTHOR: David Herbert]
In a recent poll by NationalJournal.com, new media experts from across the political spectrum gave WhiteHouse.gov an average grade of C+. Although they mostly saw the site as an improvement from the previous administration's, many noted that it remained a one-way forum and suggested it be opened to allow comments and make greater use of the "Open for Questions" feature. [more at the URL below]
http://benton.org/node/24838
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UK RULES OUT GOVERNMENT DATABASE OF EMAILS, PHONES
[SOURCE: Reuters, AUTHOR: Frank Prenesti]
Britain has ruled out a controversial proposal to set up a government database to store Internet and telephone traffic, saying it prefers to have such information held by private companies. Home Secretary Jacqui Smith says the data is needed to combat terrorism and other crimes. Critics have called the idea excessive and an infringement of civil liberties. Home Office research has estimated the proposal would cost up to 2 billion pounds to implement.
http://benton.org/node/24819
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JOURNALISM

MORE STEEP NEWSPAPER CIRCULATION LOSSES
[SOURCE: Editor&Publisher, AUTHOR: Jennifer Saba]
The Audit Bureau of Circulations released this morning the spring figures for the six months ending March 31, 2009, showing that the largest metros continue to shed daily and Sunday circulation -- now at a record rate. According to ABC, for 395 newspapers reporting this spring, daily circulation fell 7% to 34,439,713 copies, compared with the same March period in 2008. On Sunday, for 557 newspapers, circulation was down 5.3% to 42,082,707. These averages do not include 84 newspapers with circulations below 50,000 due to a change in publishing frequency. [more at the URL below]
http://benton.org/node/24812
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WHAT SHOULD CONGRESS DO TO SHAPE THE FUTURE ON NEWS?
[SOURCE: Poynter Institute, AUTHOR: Bill Mitchell]
What should Congress do to help journalism? Nothing. Every other answer puts at risk an essential trait of journalism: Independence. But these are risky times ill-served by easy or simple answers. And the problem with the "Do nothing -- let it burn" approach, as media reform advocate Josh Stearns says, is that it could leave us "for some unknown amount of time without really robust journalism... in America." It's too soon to lay odds on what Congress will do, if anything. But here's the first draft of a checklist Mitchell is using to filter his preferences for possible government action: 1) Minimized risk to independence, 2) Encouragement of news consumption, 3) Promotion of innovation, 4) Incentives for diversity of ownership, creation and use, 5) Support for critical infrastructure, e.g. broadband, 6) Short-term help in sustaining journalism during a chaotic transition, and 7) Long-term potential to grow journalism in the public interest. None of these would necessarily save particular newspapers. The idea is to preserve news consumption as opposed to news companies.
http://benton.org/node/24822
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PUBLISHERS SEIZE ON IPHONE AS GREAT WHITE DIGITAL HOPE FOR PRINT
[SOURCE: AdAge, AUTHOR: Nat Ives]
Is the iPhone the iPod for print? So far magazines and newspapers have built applications chiefly for the iPhone -- and the surprisingly popular iPod Touch -- that riff on their core editorial missions. Some publishers also want to facilitate commerce -- in exchange for a cut of the revenue. But many publishers would also like to turn iTunes into a virtual newsstand and subscription hub. It's immensely popular, and people like buying things there. What better place to try to give paid circulation a foothold in digital? Selling magazines through iTunes might have promise, depending on execution, audience and other factors, publishers said. "ITunes is a great marketplace for entertainment, movies, music, TV, even books. Magazines are actually conspicuous in their absence," said Ryan McConville, publisher of the Bauer Teen Group, whose titles include J-14 and Twist. "If teens are already there buying Miley Cyrus records and episodes of 'The Hills,' it's not a stretch to think they could just as easily be buying copies of J-14."
http://benton.org/node/24811
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MAKING NEWSPAPERS ACCOUNTABLE TO THEIR COMMUNITIES, NOT DISTANT INVESTORS
[SOURCE: Seattle Times, AUTHOR: Ryan Blethen]
[Commentary] The congressional hearing on newspapers was destined to be a disjointed affair. How could it have been otherwise when a mostly press-hostile subcommittee is asked to consider a misguided plea from two media giants to relax antitrust rules. The disdain the congressmen sitting on the subcommittee of the Committee on the Judiciary felt for newspapers was on full display at the hearing, which is too bad. The elected officials had a chance to set the tone for a national discussion about the future of professional journalism. Instead, the hearing devolved into another unproductive newspaper bashing. The media conglomerates that dominate the newspaper industry do not need antitrust relief for their papers to thrive. A major component to the ills battering the newspaper industry is the fact that a handful of big companies own most of the nation's newspapers. Newspapers should be accountable to the communities they serve and not to Wall Street or distant corporations thousands of miles away. The public-ownership model is disintegrating. That is what Congress must understand. We have a chance to put newspapers and professional journalism back in stewardship of smaller entities that care about community. A national discussion was not started or helped by this hearing. A great opportunity and a mostly wise panel was wasted on congressmen who either do not care about the importance of the press or, worse, do not know. Hopefully, the adults show up for a Senate Commerce Committee hearing about the future of newspapers on May 6.
http://benton.org/node/24823
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FOR THE MEDIA, 100-DAYS STORY REPRESENTS THE PERFECT SWARM
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Howard Kurtz]
It is, says Joe Klein, a "flimsy journalistic conceit." But that didn't stop him from writing Time's cover story on President Obama's first 100 days, part of a vast wave of calendar-driven coverage washing over the media landscape. "One of the things I've been thinking about is the impatience of the press," says Klein, who noted the conceit in his story. "People cast judgment too quickly on Obama. I'm remembering back to how impatient I was with Bill Clinton, in an unfair way." The wave crests tomorrow -- the actual Day 100 -- with a full day of cable chatter and, among other observances, a special section in The Washington Post. The notion that a presidential term can be reasonably assessed in just more than three months seems a stretch, especially in light of recent history. But the strong public interest in all things Obama has combined with a journalistic love of anniversaries to forge a prime media marketing opportunity. The sheer magnitude of the appraisals seems far greater than for past presidents, amplified by the blogging and tweeting of modern media life.
http://benton.org/node/24845
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A FIERCE OUTBREAK OF SWINE FLU COVERAGE
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Howard Kurtz]
The story spread rapidly in the news vacuum of Sunday afternoon, when federal officials declared a health emergency, and by yesterday the coverage of a swine flu outbreak had reached fever pitch. With front-page headlines, constant cable-news updates and top-story status on the evening newscasts, the outbreak -- with at least 40 confirmed cases in the United States -- was inescapable. But the sheer volume of media attention suggested a full-blown crisis. "This is one of the hazards of 24-hour Internet-media-television," said MSNBC President Phil Griffin. "It's obviously a big story and you want to give it attention. I do think we have to be careful not to overstate it and not make people scared to death."
http://benton.org/node/24841
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HAS THE 'JOURNAL' LOST ITS SOUL?
[SOURCE: The Nation, AUTHOR: Scott Sherman]
Many people predicted that Rupert Murdoch's purchase of the Wall Street Journal would have regrettable, if not catastrophic, consequences for the newspaper. But the wrecking ball has not come to the Journal; sleaze has not invaded its pages; the most dire fears have not been realized. Murdoch has not extinguished quality writing at the paper; he has not transformed the China coverage to benefit his business interests in China; he has not terminated the paper's superb coverage of art, photography, music, dance and theater. But the Journal has changed in very significant ways. [more at the URL below]
http://benton.org/node/24824
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THE STIMULUS

SOME LOBBYISTS TRY TO SKIRT STIMULUS BAN
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Elizabeth Williamson]
Lobbyists are working around a White House order banning them from seeking details about the $787 billion economic-stimulus plan by instead sending company executives, lawyers or consultants to meet with federal officials in the hope of securing a share of the money. The March 20 order bans federally registered lobbyists from requesting details about stimulus funds from government officials in person or by phone. Contacts must be in writing and posted online. But a month after the ban took effect, only a handful of contact reports appear on government Web sites -- even though reports filed to Congress last week suggest that 2,500 entities lobbied on the bill last quarter. Frustration has boiled over in recent days as a number of lobbyists and open-government groups have begun speaking out against the ban. Some said they are considering filing legal challenges to it.
http://benton.org/node/24846
See also:
Update on Lobbyist Contacts Regarding the Recovery Act
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NTIA Details Contacts With Legislators, States, Mapping Companies and Others
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration held 36 meetings meeting over the past two months -- 17 with federal legislators, 11 with private companies and non-profit groups, and eight with state and city officials -- to discuss details of a program that will distribute billions to deploy broadband networks around the country. The focus of the meetings appears to have been three-fold: explaining and discussing the program with legislators; NTIA-solicited input from companies; and obtaining advice from states with programs for broadband incentives.
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TELECOMS MAY BALK AT STRINGS ATTACHED TO STIMULUS FUNDS
[SOURCE: CongressDaily, AUTHOR: David Hatch]
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (a part of the Department of Commerce ) will dole out $4.7 billion in broadband grants and loans, and the Rural Utilities Service (part of the Department of Agriculture will distribute $2.5 billion in grants, loans and loan guarantees. The agencies are hashing out the details now, with an announcement to come in the next month or two. Some there's a real possibility key media corporations could sit the program out, or not participate as heavily as expected. But Larry Irving, who ran NTIA during the Clinton administration, noted that the agency's previous grants have usually gone to municipalities, nonprofits and states that often partnered with companies. "There's no real reason for me to believe that this would be markedly different," said Irving, adding that the RUS historically has favored the private sector with its federal assistance. Given the short time frame for crafting parameters, the litigation risks and the possibility that some companies might balk at applying, "there will be an attempt by everyone to come up with something that makes some sense," said Irving, who advised the Obama campaign and transition team. "There are existing regulatory models that can be bootstrapped for purposes of these grants," he said, adding that an exhaustive new rulemaking -- which would probably be required to strengthen existing regulations -- is unlikely. A source close to the process agreed, saying, "It's really hard to make major policy pronouncements in this context where you're trying to get money out the door fast." Irving also expects demand for funding to exceed availability, blunting the impact of any companies that take a pass.
http://benton.org/node/24816
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WHAT IS BROADBAND
[SOURCE: TelephonyOnline, AUTHOR: Ed Gubbins]
[Commentary] Among the many tasks before the federal agencies administering $7.2 billion in broadband stimulus funds is defining broadband for the purposes of distributing those funds. Defining broadband has long been a thorn in the side of universal broadband advocates: Set the bar too low and you end up with a bandwidth divide; set the bar too high and it's considered unrealistic or prohibitively expensive for rural areas. The perfect becomes the enemy of the good. Blair Levin, a Stifel Nicolaus analyst and advisor to the Obama administration on broadband matters, said long before there was a stimulus package that when broadband is defined for the purpose of making it ubiquitous, each provider will argue for a speed that disqualifies their competitors. But the growing volume of public comments on this question is starting to reveal that defining broadband may not be a simple matter of picking a speed. Some commenters argue for different speed minimums for different technologies. Some argue for symmetrical speeds while others don't. Some say other metrics such as latency are as important as speed. Some argue that the speed minimum must continually increase over time. Defining broadband for the purpose of awarding stimulus funds should be much easier than defining it in the longer term for the purpose of achieving ubiquitous broadband. Stimulus grants are awarded on a competitive basis, so it's best to set the bar low for what constitutes broadband because awards will still be chosen based on which projects deliver the fastest speeds to the greatest number of people. But as the FCC consults with the NTIA and the RUS — the two groups administering broadband stimulus funds — on some of these matters, will the FCC, when it crafts its own universal broadband policy, feel bound by the definition of broadband created for stimulus efforts?
http://benton.org/node/24815
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WISCONSIN PSC POLLING RESIDENTS ON BROADBAND ACCESS
[SOURCE: Wisconsin State Journal, AUTHOR: Matthew Defour]
Large parts of Wisconsin may lose out on the federal broadband stimulus funds because few citizens have responded to a statewide survey aimed at identifying which areas don't have broadband service. As of April 16, the Public Service Commission, which is conducting the survey, had heard from about 3,900 citizens and businesses representing 85,000 employees. Two-thirds of respondents reported not having access to high-speed Internet service. The PSC plans to use the survey results to advise the federal government on which local governments and service providers should get stimulus funds, said PSC telecommunications administrator Gary Evenson. "We'd like to get responses from everyone," Evenson said. "The more responses we get the better." State Sen. Dale Schultz, R-Richland Center, said he has fielded hundreds of complaints from constituents who still can't get connected. "I've got kids who can't access the Internet to do their homework," Schultz said. "That's intolerable." Schultz urged residents to respond to the PSC survey, which will be available at least until summer. "Our future depends on us being able to access the global marketplace," Schultz said. "We don't want to be on the wrong side of the digital divide."
http://benton.org/node/24835
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GEORGIA CITIZENS TAKE BROADBAND INTO THEIR OWN HANDS
[SOURCE: FierceBroadbandWireless, AUTHOR: Lynnette Luna]
A little more than three years ago, a group of citizens in the rural town of Arlington (GA) -- population 1,800 -- were fed up with the lack of broadband connectivity in their community. So they decided to do something about it. Lee Conner and the other three people who were part of the Downtown Business Authority in Arlington began polling local area businesses in nearby counties about their lack of broadband access. The consensus: Businesses, most of which rely heavily on agriculture, were dying on the vine because they couldn't expand online. Luckily, the state of Georgia had recently developed the OneGeorgia BRIDGE Broadband Rural Initiative to foster broadband services in rural areas. The group--which had grown to include a host of people representing interests ranging from local government to schools and businesses--applied for a grant that would see broadband come to at least two counties. It received $2.7 million, and the number of counties quickly increased to five--Baker, Calhoun, Early, Miller and Mitchell Counties, with a sixth county coming online in July. The group of citizens became the Southern Georgia Regional Information Technology Authority, otherwise known as SGRITA.
http://benton.org/node/24834
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TELEVISION

DVRS WERE SUPPOSED TO UNDERMINE TELEVISION. THEY HAVE DONE THE OPPOSITE
[SOURCE: The Economist, AUTHOR: ]
Ten years ago, TiVo was introduced to the television industry. Experts forecast a severe, perhaps fatal, blow to advertising-supported television. But far from being revolutionary, in some ways DVR has made television more stable. [more at the URL below]
http://benton.org/node/24825
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INTERNET TELEVISION MOVES FROM COMPUTER TO THE LIVING ROOM
[SOURCE: The Economist, AUTHOR: ]
US cable operators charge more than twice as much per month for one-third the bandwidth offered by cable operators in Japan. Why? They are afraid of the consequences. [more at the URL below]
http://benton.org/node/24821
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PRIVACY

FTC SAYS INTERNET FIRMS NEAR "LAST CHANCE"
[SOURCE: Reuters, AUTHOR: Kim Dixon]
Don't make me count to four. Federal Trade Commission Chairman Jon Leibowitz told the Reuters Global Financial Regulation Summit that companies that track consumer behavior on the Web for targeted advertising without proper consent are near their "last chance" to self-regulate. Privacy advocates say regulations on big phone and Internet companies are too lax, giving the firms excessive control over consumers' personal information. If companies fail to do a better job of making their privacy policies understandable to the average person, momentum will keep building for greater regulation, Chairman Leibowitz said. "It's really up to industry."
http://benton.org/node/24833
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AT&T RESPONDS TO BEHAVIORAL ADVERTISING ALLEGATIONS
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
AT&T reiterated Monday that it does not engage in behavioral advertising as an Internet service provider, and will look into ways to let customers know how data is being used when AT&T is an advertiser. "As an ISP, we do not track our customer's data across unrelated websites to create a profile for behavioral advertising, or hire other firms to do so on our behalf," the company said in a statement. "Our relationship with this firm (AudienceScience.com] is as an advertiser of AT&T products and services. News reports suggesting that we are engaging in behavioral advertising by selling information of our customers is flat wrong." AT&T went on to say that it was looking for "the best way we can meaningfully communicate to our customers about data use even when we are acting as an advertiser." AT&T also pointed out that it had told Congress last summer that it did business with online advertisers and search engines as a publisher and advertiser.
http://benton.org/node/24814
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COMPANIES

VERIZON: NO IPHONE, NO PROBLEM
[SOURCE: TelephonyOnline, AUTHOR: Kevin Fitchard]
AT&T may have been able to claim 1.6 million iPhone activations in the first quarter, but Verizon still emerged the winner in the mobile data race, bolstering its data revenues through a diverse blend of devices and data plans despite recessionary pressure and the diluting effects of its Alltel acquisition. [more at the URL below]
http://benton.org/node/24831
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VERIZON, OTHER FIBER BUILDERS CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC ABOUT BROADBAND RECOVERY
[SOURCE: BroadbandCensus.com, AUTHOR: Drew Clark]
Fiber-optic technology is beginning to hit its stride in the marketplace, with nearly 13 percent of homes in North America now able to access the super high-speed broadband connectivity, aided by a big push by Verizon Communications. At the opening of the Broadband Properties Conference in Dallas, traditional small-scale fiber-builders and Verizon now the 800-pound gorilla of fiber-optics were both cautiously optimistic that fiber-based broadband can help drive the US economy out of the recession.
http://benton.org/node/24830
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