Sept 1, 2009 (Big telcos may still influence broadband stimulus)
BENTON'S COMMUNICATIONS-RELATED HEADLINES for TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 1, 2009
National Broadband Plan Workshop on State and Local Governments: Toolkits and Best Practices http://www.benton.org/node/27327
THE STIMULUS
Broadband May Help Cities Compete in Economic Recovery
Big telcos may still influence broadband stimulus bonanza
Connected Nation Gets Lift in Minnesota
What If You Threw a Broadband Party and Everybody Came?
Calix raises $100M, eyeing stimulus
Making money on the smart grid
BROADBAND/INTERNET
We can't be neutral on network neutrality
Why We Need Fiber For All
Local/State Governments, Benchmarks and "Big Ideas" in the National Broadband Plan
Verizon network will challenge Comcast, AT&T
KIDS & MEDIA
FCC Releases Examination of Parental Control Technologies
FCC: Content-Management Survey Fails To Answer Some Key Questions
TELEVISION
Free Press Calls on FCC to Open Inquiry Into Cable Market Competition
More Bad News For TV Stations: Low NFL Attendance
Television executives reach for reset button
MEDIA OWNERSHIP
Disney to buy Marvel for $4 billion
POLICYMAKERS
FCC Requests Additional Nominations for Technological Advisory Council
JOURNALISM
Shrinking Newsrooms Wage Fewer Battles for Public Access to Courtrooms
Kennedy's Death Drives News Narrative
PRIVACY
A Casualty of the Technology Revolution: 'Locational Privacy'
MORE ONLINE
Telecom giants focus on health care business opportunity
Canadian TV rebuked again for Obama assassination joke
TV show hires ex-president Bush's daughter
Doubts About Scare Tactics on Drivers Who Text
Hotels' charges for Internet irk some
Recent Comments on:
Broadband stimulus spending too fast, group warns
THE STIMULUS
BROADBAND MAY HELP CITIES COMPETE IN ECONOMIC RECOVERY
[SOURCE: Government Technology, AUTHOR: Blake Harris]
President Barack Obama has repeatedly spoken about the need to fix education and deploy world-class broadband more widely to make America more globally competitive. That's the bottom line that ultimately will determine the fiscal and social health of the nation's communities as they move forward -- effectively competing on the world stage to the extent that most Americans can share in an abundance of generated wealth. So while most cities vie for a share of stimulus package money and in the meantime hope that recovery won't be too prolonged, even economists are uncertain -- if not skeptical -- about how effective the stimulus will prove to be.
http://benton.org/node/27510
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BIG TELCOS MAY STILL INFLUENCE BROADBAND STIMULUS BONANZA
[SOURCE: Fierce, AUTHOR: Lynnette Luna]
While a number of major telecom operators supposedly sat out this round of broadband stimulus funding, presumably upset over the Network Neutrality strings attached, they still may have a hand in the outcome. They have negotiated an agreement with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration and the Department of Agriculture that will allow them to challenge projects by declaring they already serve those areas under consideration. Of course, they have to prove their claims, but without accurate mapping, their assertions might be difficult to disprove.
http://benton.org/node/27509
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CONNECTED NATION GETS LIFT IN MINNESOTA
[SOURCE: Urban Broadband Users, AUTHOR: Mike O'Connor]
[Commentary] The Minnesota Departments of Employment and Economic Development, and Commerce have written Gov Tim Pawlenty recommending that Connected Nation be the entity to develop a state broadband map under the federal State Broadband Data and Development Grant Program. Apparently, Gov Pawlenty has approved the choice. Unfortunately, the state's Broadband task Force did not get to weigh in -- nor did the public. "Looks like there was lots of opportunity for providers to provide input about their confidentiality needs, not too much input about what consumers need. Look forward to more sub-par optimistic maps, and impossible to use/verify data."
http://benton.org/node/27518
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WHAT IF YOU THREW A BROADBAND PARTY AND EVERYONE CAME?
[SOURCE: 4G Wireless Evolution, AUTHOR: Craig Settles]
[Commentary] Incumbent broadband service providers were at the helm influencing lots of legislation and what little regulation there is, which has collectively contributed to the United States' woeful broadband standing in the world. They refused to deliver broadband in many parts of the country while making it extremely difficult for competitors everywhere. Yes, 2,200 applicants bear witness to the fact that we don't need the large incumbents to bring broadband to those communities that incumbents have ignored or poorly served. So go ahead and invite them to play a role in the future of broadband, but don't bend over backwards to meet their demands that do not align with the public's best interest. There are obviously many others who can step into the breach.
http://benton.org/node/27508
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CALIX RAISES $100M, EYEING STIMULUS
[SOURCE: TelephonyOnline, AUTHOR: ]
Calix has raised $100 million in new funding in part to help the privately held access equipment vendor take advantage of the federal government's broadband stimulus program. The new capital consists of $50 million in new equity and $50 million in debt from Silicon Valley Bank. Calix has been involved to some degree with over 100 projects submitted for the first round of funding and suspects the second and third rounds could draw far more participation.
http://benton.org/node/27507
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MAKING MONEY ON THE SMART GRID
[SOURCE: TelephonyOnline, AUTHOR: Sarah Reedy]
Smart grids are both an expensive and potentially extremely lucrative undertaking. That is the reason the market has a bevy of players looking to get involved, but also carefully weighing the best path to do so. From a telecom service provider's perspective, fatter pipes are their biggest bargaining chip, but the ability to do more with them is what makes the market so appealing. As the market stands today, advanced meter infrastructure (AMI), or the new automated meters themselves, are what is driving investment in grid overhaul. This is largely because most states are putting in mandates that utilities have to update their meters, but it also because they are the easiest to implement, according to BroadbandTrends analyst Teresa Mastrangelo. Most importantly, they are a logical step towards demand response, which is the ultimate goal.
http://benton.org/node/27506
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BROADBAND/INTERNET
WE CAN'T BE NEUTRAL ON NET NEUTRALITY
[SOURCE: Los Angeles Times, AUTHOR: David Lazarus]
[Commentary] Network Neutrality is "what every Internet user takes for granted when they go online," said Ben Scott, policy director for Free Press, a nonprofit advocacy group that focuses on communications issues. "It simply means there are no gatekeepers. Any consumer can access any content without discrimination by the network owner." What he's referring to is a pay-for-play system that would allow network operators -- phone companies, cable companies -- to decide for themselves which online content gets preferential treatment. That's not how things are now. But if the telecom heavyweights have their way, it could be. In effect, the debate over net neutrality -- short for "network neutrality" -- is a debate over whether the companies that own the pipes through which data flow can dictate terms to the websites that originate the data. (Aug 30)
http://benton.org/node/27517
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WHY WE NEED FIBER FOR ALL
[SOURCE: App-Rising.com, AUTHOR: Geoff Daily]
A full fiber future represents the ultimate realization of the Internet's full power and potential. When it comes to bandwidth, fiber's unbeatable as it's already delivering 100Mbps and even 1Gbps to homes today, and we still don't know how much data we can fit through a fiber pipe as in the labs today a single hair-thin strand of fiber can support all the world's Internet traffic. But fiber's advantages aren't just limited to bandwidth, fiber also features the lowest possible latency, which is important for real-time applications to not suffer from lags and delays, as well as unmatched reliability since there are fewer electronic components in the field that could break, plus fiber can handle more simultaneous usage than anything else.
http://benton.org/node/27505
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LOCAL/STATE GOVERNMENTS, BENCHMARKS AND "BIG IDEAS" IN NATIONAL BROADBAND PLAN
[SOURCE: Federal Communications Commission]
On Monday, the Federal Communications Commission released the list of participants for three National Broadband Plan workshops coming this week: State and local governments that have proactively addressed broadband deployment and adoption (Tuesday at 2:00 p.m.); Benchmarks for evaluating the dimensions of broadband across geographic areas and across time (Wednesday at 1:30 p.m.); and Big ideas with the potential to change the Internet (Thursday at 9:30 a.m.)
http://benton.org/node/27504
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VERIZON NETWORK WILL CHALLENGE COMCAST, AT&T
[SOURCE: Crain's Chicago Business, AUTHOR: John Pletz]
Verizon Wireless plans to roll out a lightning-fast data network next year in Chicago, part of a continued push to grab more money from customers who want the Internet anywhere, anytime. The company will test its long-term evolution, or LTE, service in Boston and Seattle later this year, and Chicago will be among the first 25 markets to get the service in 2010. The new network ultimately will put Verizon in competition with Internet providers such as Comcast and AT&T, in the same way wireless carriers have competed with traditional phone companies as more customers have dropped land lines in favor of their cell phones. Demand for data services is growing dramatically: Verizon's data revenue grew 33% in the second quarter, pushing revenue per user up 28%. Initially, Verizon's upgrade will allow customers to receive data at about 7 megabits per second, compared with about 1.5 megabits on its current third-generation network. The biggest benefit promises to be in reduced wait times, or latency, between clicks while surfing the Web, particularly for video. It will be available first for computers via a plug-in device called an air card. Wireless phones that can use the service won't hit stores until 2011.
http://benton.org/node/27501
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KIDS & MEDIA
FCC RELEASES EXAMINATION OF PARENTAL CONTROL TECHNOLOGIES
[SOURCE: Federal Communications Commission]
The Federal Communications Commission has released its an assessment of the current state of the marketplace with respect to: the existence and availability of advanced blocking technologies; methods of encouraging the development, deployment and use of such technologies that do not affect the packaging or pricing of programming; and the existence, availability and use of parental empowerment tools and initiatives already in the market. The FCC concludes that no single parental control technology available today works across all media platforms. Moreover, even within each media platform, these technologies vary greatly with respect to the following criteria: (i) cost to consumers; (ii) level of consumer awareness/promotional and educational efforts; (iii) adoption rate; (iv) customer support; (v) ease of use; (vi) means to prevent children from overriding parental controls; (vii) blocking content/black listing; (viii) selecting content/white listing; (ix) access to multiple ratings systems; (x) parental understanding of ratings systems; (xi) reliance on non-ratings-based system; (xii) ability to monitor usage and view usage history; (xiii) ability to restrict access and usage; (xiv) access to parental controls outside of the home; and (xv) tracking. Interested parties told the FCC that there is the need for greater education and media literacy for parents and more effective diffusion of information about the tools available to them. They also urge the government to play a more substantial role in meeting this need.
http://benton.org/node/27503
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FCC: CONTENT-MANAGEMENT SURVEY FAILS TO ANSWER SOME KEY QUESTIONS
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
The Federal Communications Commission's report to Congress on video content-management technologies identifies a number of questions the Commission believes need more study: To what extent are parents aware of the control technologies that exist today? Does parental awareness differ among media? Are there reasons besides lack of awareness that keep parents from using these technologies? If so, what are they, and do they differ among media? It appears that adoption of control technologies may be greater for the Internet than for broadcasting and other traditional media sources: Why is this so? Are there data to determine the pace of innovation in parental control technologies, whether innovation is proceeding at a pace consistent with other consumer technologies, and whether evolving needs of parents, caregivers, and children are being satisfied in a timely manner? Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller welcomed the report, but added, "I believe more must be done by the industry, by the FCC, and by the Congress to provide simple ways for families to control and monitor their children's screen time. We must offer the tools and policies that make it easy for people to be good parents and oversee the viewing that goes on in their homes. We must do more than simply gather information and hope this alone protects our children. For this reason, I look forward to the FCC's next action in this area." Apparently, the FCC is planning an event in September to help parents and kids navigate the state of the art in content-management technologies and help parents better understand where there kids are going online.
http://benton.org/node/27516
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TELEVISION
FREE PRESS CALLS ON FCC ON OPEN INQUIRY INTO CABLE MARKET COMPETITION
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
Free Press is calling for the Federal Communications Commission to open a broad inquiry into competition in the cable marketplace, similar to the FCC's just-announced inquiry into wireless phone/broadband competition, citing a D.C. federal appeal's court's scrapping of the 30% ownership cap as making that inquiry more necessary. By contrast, cable operators counter, the court's decision argues for just the opposite. In reply comments in the FCC's annual report on video competition, Free Press said that adding extra urgency was the D.C. federal appeals court's decision Friday throwing out the FCC's 30% ownership cap--again--as arbitrary and capricious. Free Press said the issues that need spotlighting include horizontal consolidation, program carriage agreements, wholesale bundling, leased access, the terrestrial "loophole," and PEG channel issue. The group argues that the MVPD marketplace is characterized by "increasingly high prices, dwindling network investment, and a lack of consumer choice amongst key aspects of the MVPD market." The National Cable & Telecommunications Association, in its comments to the FCC Friday, countered that the court had effectively buttressed cable's argument that the MVPD space is incredibly competitive given the "virtual disappearance of vertical integration between cable operators and cable program networks" and the increasing competition from the Internet and others.
http://benton.org/node/27502
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MORE BAN NEWS FOR TV STATIONS: LOW NFL ATTENDANCE
[SOURCE: MediaPost, AUTHOR: Wayne Friedman]
NFL teams in Minnesota, San Diego, Jacksonville, Oakland, San Francisco, Detroit, St. Louis and Cincinnati may not sell out their home stadium tickets, all due to the suffering economy. That could mean blackouts of local TV coverage and the loss of advertising during those games. The double whammy for TV stations comes from massive hits to their automotive and financial advertising, which also happen to be two of the biggest sports and NFL TV advertising categories. While automotive has been cutting back, many domestic and import brands continue to buy TV sports, still hoping to target their core male consumers. Now a bunch of TV stations won't even get a handful of valuable NFL home games to sell to those advertisers -- usually at very high advertising rates.
http://benton.org/node/27514
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TELEVISION EXECUTIVES REACH FOR RESET BUTTON
[SOURCE: Financial Times, AUTHOR: Kenneth Li]
Broadcasters have marked 2009, their worst year in recent memory, by seeking a term other than "television" to describe the business of captivating couch potatoes. An existential crisis is gripping TV executives, who now prefer to call their output "video". They face what newspaper executives witnessed a decade ago - big cash cow businesses in inexorable decline. The consumption of broadcast media has fragmented across hundreds of cable channels, countless mobile phones, the YouTube broadcasting website, as well as TV's own digital ventures, such as Hulu and the BBC iPlayer. This all leaves the broadcast business at a critical moment. As advertising - the industry's lifeblood - congeals, the threatened incumbents at the top of broadcast TV must redefine their businesses if they are to find growth once more.
http://benton.org/node/27520
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MEDIA OWNERSHIP
DISNEY TO BUY MARVEL FOR $4 BILLION
[SOURCE: Variety, AUTHOR: Leo Barraclough]
The Walt Disney Co. has agreed to acquire Marvel in a stock and cash transaction worth $4 billion. Under the terms of the deal, Marvel shareholders would receive $30 per share in cash plus approximately 0.745 Disney shares for each Marvel share they own. Based on the closing price of Disney stock on Friday, the transaction value is $50 per Marvel share or approximately $4 billion. Disney will acquire ownership of more than 5,000 Marvel characters, including Iron Man, Spider-Man, X-Men, Captain America, Fantastic Four and Thor. The boards of both companies have approved the pact, which is subject to antitrust review and the approval of Marvel shareholders.
http://benton.org/node/27500
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POLICYMAKERS
FCC REQUESTS ADDITIONAL NOMINATIONS FOR TECHNOLOGICAL ADVISORY COUNCIL
[SOURCE: Federal Communications Commission]
On April 8, 2009, the Commission issued a public notice soliciting nominations for the Technical Advisory Council (TAC) and nominations were received in response to this notice. Concurrent with the establishment of the TAC, the Commission was charged by Congress to develop a National Broadband Plan. In support of this and related efforts, the Commission is now seeking additional nominations to the TAC to ensure that its membership best serves the needs of the Commission. The Commission will accept nominations for the Council through September 30, 2009. Nominations previously submitted remain in consideration. The Commission, at its discretion, may consider nominations received after this date, but consideration of late submissions is not guaranteed. Individuals may apply for, or nominate another individual for, membership on the Council.
http://benton.org/node/27515
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JOURNALISM
SHRINKING NEWSROOMS WAGE FEWER BATTLES FOR PUBLIC ACCESS TO COURTROOMS
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Adam Liptak]
You don't see newspapers fighting to open court proceedings the way they used to, and people are starting to notice. It is notable, for instance, that the American Civil Liberties Union and other civil rights groups have taken the leading role in trying to shake loose information about the Bush administration's policies and actions, while news organizations have largely sat on the sidelines.
http://benton.org/node/27524
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KENNEDY'S DEATH DRIVES NEWS NARRATIVE
[SOURCE: Project for Excellence in Journalism, AUTHOR: Mark Jurkowitz]
The death of Senator Edward Kennedy both dominated and rearranged the news agenda last week, eclipsing two stories—health care and Afghanistan—that had emerged as big summer news. Kennedy's death on August 25—the passing of a Senator of nearly five decades, perhaps the nation's most booming liberal voice and the last surviving brother in the Camelot political dynasty—accounted for 27% of the newshole from August 24-30, according to the Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism. Kennedy's death indeed generated more coverage than that of any other political or celebrity figure since PEJ began the News Coverage Index in January 2007. The next closest was pop star Michael Jackson, whose June 25 death accounted for 18% of that week's coverage.
http://benton.org/node/27519
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PRIVACY
A CAUSALITY OF THE TECHNOLOGY REVOLUTION: 'LOCATIONAL PRIVACY'
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Adam Cohen]
[Commentary] A little-appreciated downside of the technology revolution is that, mainly without thinking about it, we have given up "locational privacy." Even in low-tech days, our movements were not entirely private. Now the information is collected automatically and often stored indefinitely. Privacy advocates are rightly concerned. Corporations and the government can keep track of what political meetings people attend, what bars and clubs they go to, whose homes they visit. It is the fact that people's locations are being recorded "pervasively, silently, and cheaply that we're worried about," the Electronic Frontier Foundation said in a recent report. People's cellphones and E-ZPasses are increasingly being used against them in court. If your phone is on, even if you are not on a call, you may be able to be found (and perhaps picked up) at any hour of the day or night. As disturbing as it is to have your private data breached, it is worse to think that your physical location might fall into the hands of people who mean you harm.
http://benton.org/node/27523
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