August 1999

MEDIA & SOCIETY
Pale, By Comparison (ChiTrib)

INTERNET
Icann Approves Set of Procedures For Dealing With Domain Disputes
(WSJ)
France's Jospin Proposes Legislation To Apply Traditional Laws to
Internet
(WSJ)

E-COMMERCE
Who's Reading What? (WP)
Women click Web ads more often (USA)

ACCESS TO GOVERNMENT INFORMATION
Documents In Transition (WP)

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
Ford Confronts Perils of Internet As BlueOvalNews.com Makes News (WSJ)

WIRELESS
Video Cellular Phones Closer To Reality (SJM)

MEDIA & SOCIETY

PALE, BY COMPARISON
Issue: Media & Society
A long look at the demographics of the Fall TV line-up from the Trib's TV
critic. Johnson points out the difference between local newscasts -- which
always seem to be delivered by a multiracial mix of men and women -- and
prime time entertainment which is filled by predominately white actors and
actresses. If the broadcast networks are narrowcasting, they seem to be
targeting just the majority white audience -- if we are to accept that
people tend to watch programs that feature their own race. The NAACP and a
coalition of Latino organizations started protesting the "whitewashing" of
prime time TV this summer. Of the nearly three dozen new series starting
this fall on the six broadcast networks, only six have minorities in leading
roles. Yvette Lee Bowser, an established TV writer, said, "There's a very
unfortunate reality that we have to deal with this particular season," she
said. "But it existed last year, too, and the year before....And I think
that people...are considering the kind of impact, the social impact, that
homogenized television will have on our culture." Johnson asks, Why does it
take the NAACP and media critics to awaken a TV network to something so
obvious as the fact that television, as a primary social force, will come
under scrutiny with regards to hot-button issues such as race? TV has
"increasingly become only white," says UPN President Dean Valentine, and is
"becoming increasingly divorced from the American way of life. I've always
felt that it was good business and it was responsible business for us to
try, over time, to reflect the way the country looked," Valentine says.
"There's a huge African-American middle class....We're one big capitalist
country and I think it's a silly and shortsighted business decision to
alienate an entire segment of the population." [There's more -- a lot more
-- at the URL below.]
[SOURCE: Chicago Tribune (Sec 5, p.1), AUTHOR: Steve Johnson]
(http://chicagotribune.com/leisure/tempo/printedition/article/0,2669,SAV-990
8270130,FF.html)

INTERNET

ICANN APPROVES SET OF PROCEDURES FOR DEALING WITH DOMAIN DISPUTES
Issue: Domain Names/Trademark
In Santiago, Chile, the interim board of the Internet Corporation for
Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) approved a set of procedures yesterday
for dealing with disputes over rights to Internet domain names. In a
unanimous decision, ICANN will allow 57 recently created "registrar"
companies to begin registering Internet addresses without fear of being
drawn into costly legal battles over domain-name rights. Five other
registrars already are operating on a test-case basis. Two of those
companies -- AOL and Registrar.com -- spearheaded the creation of a formal
dispute-resolution mechanism. The board also agreed to study several
modifications within 45 days regarding the procedures proposed by a group
representing noncommercial users, small businesses and individuals. One
particularly difficult issue at the meeting was cybersquatting, which ICANN
has defined as the bad-faith registration of domain names to make a profit
on reselling them.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Dow Jones Newswires]
(http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB935693421619850720.htm)
See Also:
INTERNET OVERSIGHT BOARD ADOPTS NEW RULES ON DOMAIN NAMES
[SOURCE: New York Times (C2), AUTHOR: Jeri Clausing]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/99/08/biztech/articles/27icann.html)
WHOSE WEB SITE IS THIS?
[Op-ed] China.com, an Internet portal partially owned by China's state-run
Xinhua news agency, has registered the domain name Taiwan.com. Several
hundred Taiwanese professors and lawmakers are leading an effort to take
China.com to court in the U.S. for misrepsentation. "One country, two Web
sites. Not good, writes Friedman. The case illustrates how the all-consuming
identity crisis between the China and Taiwan is making both sides crazy.
[SOURCE: New York Times (A25), AUTHOR: Thomas Friedman]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/opinion/friedman/082799frie.html)

FRANCE'S JOSPIN PROPOSES LEGISLATION TO APPLY TRADITIONAL LAWS TO INTERNET
Issue: Regulation
French Prime Minister Lionel Jospin announced plans for Internet-related
legislation that his administration will present to Parliament in early
2000. The proposals for regulation will attempt to formalize mechanisms for
applying laws to cyberspace in areas such as encryption and confidentiality,
consumer protection, copyright and piracy. Prime Minister Jospin said ithe
plans will address the challenge of creating a legal framework for
electronic transactions that ensures security and it will seek to reinforce
authorship rights for material distributed through the Web. Prime Minister
Jospin also proposed creating an independent body that would bring together
public and private players to consult and set standards on Internet issues.
Prime Minister Jospin also announced his intention to pursue an increase in
the defense budget to fund efforts to protect France's information
infrastructure. Some of the proposed legislation would likely bring the
French government's policies in line with directives from the European
Commission with respect to privacy.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Staff Reporter]
(http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB935705447708054699.htm)

ACCESS TO GOVERNMENT INFORMATION

DOCUMENTS IN TRANSITION
Issue: Access to Government Information
[Editorial] The Commerce Department has plans to close the National
Technical Information Service, the information service that offers citizens
a place to buy government reports on scientific and technical topics. Many
academics and librarians wonder what will replace the information
clearinghouse as a central reference point and as a connection to the
"depository libraries" in all 50 states that store core government
documents. A new distribution system could be a considerable improvement
over the current matrix, in which the Library of Congress, the National
Archives, the Government Printing Office and others perform overlapping
tasks. "In one glaring irony," note the Post writers, "the recent Commerce
Department report warning of a 'digital divide' -- a growing inequality
between the better-off who have Internet access and those outside the
system -- was available online for free, while those presumably
less-wealthy souls who couldn't read it on the Net would have had to pay
$27 for a paper copy."
[SOURCE: Washington Post (A28), AUTHOR: Washington Post Editorial Staff]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/1999-08/27/005l-082799-idx.html)

E-COMMERCE

WHO'S READING WHAT?
Issue: Privacy
Through a new feature on the Amazon.com Web site you can find out "101
Nights of Grrreat Sex" is one of the top reads at the National
Semiconductor company, or that Microsoft workers are flocking to read "The
Microsoft File: The Secret Case Against Bill Gates." Online bookseller
Amazon.com has begun offering thousands of individual bestseller lists
calculated by Zip code, workplace or university. "We're taking chances,
we're innovating here," said Amazon spokesman Paul Capelli. "This program
is building community and adding a unique feature that never could have
existed before the Internet." Some customers, however, have complained that
Amazon's list amount to an invasion of privacy. As a result, the bookseller
has created an option that allows buys to choose not to have their data
collected. David Sobel, general counsel of the Electronic Privacy
Information Center commented that privacy is one of the biggest concerns
surrounding electronic commerce. "It doesn't seem like a good business
decision to do something that highlights your collection of customer
profiles," he added. "It throws fuel on the fire."
[SOURCE: Washington Post (A1), AUTHOR: David Streitfeld]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/1999-08/27/099l-082799-idx.html)
WOMEN CLICK WEB ADS MORE OFTEN
Issue: E-commerce
PC Data Online recently released a study conducted at the beginning of the
month that says more women than men are clicking on Internet banner
advertisements. Over three days, 1,479 males and 1,333 females from the
online environment were recruited and evaluated. Just over half of women
asked said they "occasionally" click on a Web ad banner, while 43% of men
said they did the same. Almost 40% of men and 29% of women said they
"seldom" click on ads. Sean Wargo, Internet research analyst at PC Data
Online, noted, "in the typical household, the women are the main shoppers."
PC Data also said women are more motivated than men by curiosity. "So they
might be more inclined to click on an ad." Ads in motion were far preferred
to ads at rest, according to the study. Animated ads were the most preferred
by both men and women at 70%, followed by non-animated ads at 23% and pop-up
ads at 7%. Pop-up ads on the Internet are the least favored by both sexes --
only six percent of men and eight percent of women like the particular ad
format. Why do people click? PC Data said 61% of its respondents cited
curiosity about the ad's subject as their primary motivator, as opposed to
discounts or familiarity with the product. About half of both men and women
rely on Internet ads as a source of information about new Web sites, the
study also showed. PC Data's Web site is at http://www.pcdata.com .
[SOURCE: USA Today, AUTHOR: Bob Woods - Newsbytes News Network]
(http://www.usatoday.com/life/cyber/nb/nb3.htm)

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

FORD CONFRONTS PERILS OF INTERNET AS BLUEOVALNEWS.COM MAKES NEWS
Issue: Intellectual Property
Ford Motor Company filed a complaint in U.S. District Court in Detroit,
arguing that Robert Lane, a 32-year-old nursing student of Dearborn,
Michigan, violated copyright and trademark law because he copied and
disseminated internal documents and used the trademarked blue Ford oval on
his Web site, blueovalnews.com. Ford also contends Lane solicited its
employees for information. Lane, who owns four Ford Mustangs and two F-150
trucks, argues that he has done nothing wrong and is covered by the First
Amendment. "There is not one piece of e-mail or fax or letter that they can
produce that will testify that I've solicited anything," he says. "And I
never sold a single document." On Wednesday, Ford won a temporary
restraining order against Lane. This case poses critical questions about the
media in the Information Age. For example,what's the difference, if any,
between Lane's Web site and a trade journal or newspaper that might publish
the same documents? Floyd Abrams, a First Amendment lawyer, said, "There are
extraordinary legal issues to be dealt with about the Net. One is: Are
individuals on the Web given the full range of the First Amendment
protections as journalists? If Mr. Lane was simply handed the documents, he
would get the same protections." Ford spokesman Jim Cain says the company
met with Lane last October to discuss its concerns about the site -- but
Lane refused to stop posting the internal documents. Cain wouldn't speculate
on why employees would have given away this information. "We can't assume
their motivations," he says. "But it's still wrong."
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Fara Warner and Jeffery Ball]
(http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB935680625618499174.htm)

WIRELESS

VIDEO CELLULAR PHONES CLOSER TO REALITY
Issue: Video Technology/Wireless
Soon people will be able to tune in video from the Internet on their
wireless phones or hand-held computers. Software being developed by San
Diego-based PacketVideo could help speed the arrival of "anytime,
anywhere" Internet access. Industry analysts say that innovations such as
this are indicative of how wireless networks are evolving, gradually taking
on all the functions of their wired counterparts. "In the near future,"
said, PacketVideo chief executive James Carol "we'll see a variety of
video-enabled mobile Internet access devices that road warriors can use to
keep in touch with their families and offices." Originally, PacketVideo
planned to wait until the so-called third-generation of wireless networks,
which aren't expected to appear before 2003. But after being asked by
several companies, it decided to attempt adapting its approach to current
low-speed wireless connections. Resent demonstrations reveal that
PacketVideo's software actually produces a less jerky picture that what one
might see with an ordinary low-speed wire-line connection.
[SOURCE: San Jose Mercury News, AUTHOR: Joh Healey ]
(http://www.mercurycenter.com/svtech/news/indepth/docs/celvid082799.htm)

--------------------------------------------------------------

DIGITAL DIVIDE
Closing the Digital Divide Conference (NTIA)
Children Of Migrant Workers Keep Up Studies On The Internet (NYT)
Intel Takes Kids Inside To See What Makes Computers Tick (SJM)
Tech Grants To Assist Rookie Teachers (SJM)

INTERNET
Internet Board Opens Chile Meeting Amid Protests (CyberTimes)
AT&T Enters Brazil Telecom, Internet Market (SJM)
AOL Launches Free Net Access in Britain (WSJ)
Something In The Air On Net Access (SJM)

TELEPHONY
Phone Deal Fears Focus on Delay (ChiTrib)
Wireless Nation: Finland Pushes Cell Phone to
the High Tech Limit (WSJ)

OWNERSHIP
Newspaper Association Asks FCC to Ease Rule on
Broadcast Holding (WSJ)

DIGITAL DIVIDE

CLOSING THE DIGITAL DIVIDE CONFERENCE
Issue: Digital Divide
From Press Release: Commerce Secretary William Daley announced that he will
convene a national meeting this fall to address the information technology
gap that exists across the country as highlighted in a recent Department
report. Daley called for a serious dialogue among major technology
companies, civil rights organizations, civic leaders, and community groups about
how to bridge the digital divide in underserved communities. "The best way
to bring inner cities back to life is for government and business, educators
and community leaders to work together," Daley said. "We must close the
digital divide, and bring along all who have not shared in the boom of the
late 1990s," he said at the Greater Washington Urban League Technology
Center in northeast Washington, where he appeared with Washington Mayor
Anthony Williams and representatives of the AT&T Foundation and Microsoft.
Secretary Daley highlighted the Urban League center as a model for other
communities and applauded the commitment of Microsoft and AT&T to dedicate
their resources to addressing the digital divide in D.C. (See Sec Daley's
remarks at
http://204.193.246.62/public.nsf/docs/1C11DBA2E64D9A06852567D70060F5AC)
[SOURCE: NTIA]
(http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/press/dcdividerls82499.htm)

CHILDREN OF MIGRANT WORKERS KEEP UP STUDIES ON THE INTERNET
Issue: EdTech/Digital Divide
Keeping up in school can be very difficult for students whose migrant
worker parents move the family great distances each year. Because shuttling
between states with different school calendars and curriculums can take
such a toll, a two-year old project funded by the Department of Education
is providing some migrant high school students with lap-top computers that
enable them to take classes online. "If I can get the class over with online,
I can do something else in school instead of feeling like I have to
catch up," said Mario, who's family travels from Texas to New York each
year. The courses are offered through NovaNET, an online education company
that sells its services to school districts. Some critics, however, feel
that the program just offers a bandaid for these students, while ignoring
the larger social problems at its root. "It promises to solve a problem
without addressing the real nature of the problem involved -- an
exploitative labor system," said Douglass M. Sloan, a professor at Columbia
University's Teachers College.
[SOURCE: New York Times (A24), AUTHOR: Pamela Mendels]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/99/08/cyber/education/25education.html)

INTEL TAKES KIDS INSIDE TO SEE WHAT MAKES COMPUTERS TICK
Issue: EdTech/Digital Divide
A program developed by a partnership between the Santa Clara County
Alliance of Black Educators, Intel, and the Healing Institute will attempt
to combat the low levels of interest in math, science and technology among
African-American youths in the Bay Area. The over one hundred participants
in the Intel Carver Scholars Program will receive old laptops no longer
used by Intel employees. Some of the students even get the chance to go to
Intel, where will they help bring the outdated computers back to life.
"What better place to resolve the digital divide than in the heart of
Silicon Valley?" said Rasheed Salaam, operations director for the Healing
Institute. "It is one of the places where we see the biggest gap." The
Silicon Valley Network reported in May that one-third of the valley's
high-tech positions are filled by recruits from outside the region, because
of the lack of interest and training in high-tech careers among area high
school students.
[SOURCE: San Jose Mercury News, AUTHOR: Deborah Claymon]
(http://www.mercurycenter.com/svtech/news/indepth/docs/laptop082599.htm)

TECH GRANTS TO ASSIST ROOKIE TEACHERS
Issue: Ed Tech
U.S. Education Secretary Richard Riley announced the disbursement of $135
million in technology education grants on Tuesday. The grants are
considered unique because they will be used to train 400,000 new teachers
nationwide on how to integrate computer use into a classroom curriculum.
Most of the grants were distributed to teacher-education programs at
colleges throughout the country.
[SOURCE: San Jose Mercury News, AUTHOR: Dana Hull]
(http://www.mercurycenter.com/svtech/news/indepth/docs/riley082599.htm)

INTERNET

INTERNET BOARD OPENS CHILE MEETING AMID PROTESTS
Issue: Internet
A major meeting of the Internet's new international governing body, the
Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), opened in
Santiago, Chile this week. Controversy over how to guarantee that individual
Internet users and non-commercial interests have a voice in upcoming policy
decisions enveloped the event. Many are concerned that big business and
major trademark holders have dominated the process for drafting the rules
for resolving cybersquatting and other disputes. A newly formed group of
non-commercial domain-name holders have circulated a petition asking that
the board delay its Thursday vote when it considers a proposal for cracking
down on cybersquatters -- people who buy Internet domains with popular names
or trademarks in hopes of reselling them at a hefty profit. The group fears
the current proposal defines cybersquatting too broadly, enabling companies
to use the rules to take domain names away from individuals that might have
legitimate claims to those names. ICANN has not yet officially recognized
the non-commercial group , and has voted against a proposal to create a
separate body to represent individual domain name owners.
[SOURCE: CyberTimes, AUTHOR: Jeri Clausing]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/99/08/cyber/articles/25domain.html)

AT&T ENTERS BRAZIL TELECOM, INTERNET MARKET
Issue: International/Broadband
AT&T, the number one U.S. long-distance carrier, said Tuesday it agreed to
buy Brazil's Netstream, an emerging carrier with a broadband network base.
"AT&T's intention is to grow with Brazil, one of the most dynamic and
exciting telecommunications markets and one of the fastest growing in the
world," said George Foyo, president of AT&T's operations in Latin America
and the Caribbean. The acquisition marks another step in AT&T's recent
international expansion, which includes investments in Canada, Japan and
Mexico. Netstream, an upstart that began less than a year ago, has one of
the biggest fiber optic cable networks in the country. The company focuses
on data and Internet services for businesses, but it could also offer more
basic residential service when the sector opens up to competition after 2002.
[SOURCE: San Jose Mercury News, AUTHOR: Shasta Darlington (Reuters)]
(http://www.mercurycenter.com/svtech/news/breaking/reuters/docs/784400l.htm)
See Also:
AT&T WILL PAY $300 MILLION TO ACQUIRE BRAZILIAN BROADBAND CARRIER NETSTREAM
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Dow Jones Newswires]
(http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB935520592807175039.htm)

AOL LAUNCHES FREE NET ACCESS IN BRITAIN
Issue: Internet Access
AOL's European company has decided to compete with Freeserve, launching
a free Internet-access service in Britain. Freeserve, which makes
money from subscribers' phone charges, has become the biggest
Internet-access provider in Britain with 1.3 million registered users.
That's more than twice as many as AOL's subscription-based service, which
was launched
in January 1996. AOL's new service, Netscape Online, also will get revenue
from phone tolls, as well as advertising and electronic-commerce
commissions. Through an agreement with Kingfisher, AOL will distribute
CD-ROMs containing Netscape Online software through 789 Woolworths stores,
beginning September 1st.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, A13, AUTHOR: Stephanie Gruner]
(http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB935498141481570498.htm)

SOMETHING IN THE AIR ON NET ACCESS
Issue: Internet Access
Nine companies in California's South Bay area are offering wireless service
to Internet businesses in need of network access with a promise of fast
access and a more affordable price than traditional high-capacity
connections. One of the companies is testing a wireless service that will
run nearly 2,000 times as fast as a dial-up Internet connection. The
wireless carriers, which offer Internet access as well as voice and data
services, are facing significant competition from other new
phone-line technologies providing high speed access at relatively low
prices. These wireless companies are competing by offering even more speed,
cheaper prices, faster delivery, and service to businesses in areas not
reached by traditional phone-line carriers. One issue faced by the wireless
companies is the need for a clear line of sight between transmitters.
Additionally all the users who connect to the new network have to share its
capacity, which can slow the network down as the number of users increases.
[SOURCE: San Jose Mercury News, AUTHOR: Jon Healey]
(http://www.mercurycenter.com/svtech/news/indepth/docs/broad082599.htm)

TELEPHONY

PHONE DEAL FEARS FOCUS ON DELAY
Issue: Mergers
Illinois Commerce Commission appears close to approving the SBC-Ameritech
merger, but one ICC commissioner is raising fears that the conditions placed
on the merger will be too stringent. Commissioner Richard Kolhauser worries
about a proposed requirement that before the merger closes, Ameritech must
open its Illinois network to sharing transport of communications traffic
with competitors such as AT&T Corp., Sprint Corp. and MCI WorldCom Inc.
Kolhauser said that condition means competitors could argue Ameritech hasn't
complied with the requirement -- even if it has done so -- and drag out the
issue while opposing parties wrangled before the ICC. "I'm concerned that
this could prove a back-door approach to delaying this merger for months,"
said Commissioner Kolhauser. "Shared transport is a very contentious issue.
All parties will game this process as much as possible." The commissioner is
suggesting that SBC be required to open Ameritech's system to competitors
within 30 days after the merger closes. Com Kolhauser also is questioning
the consensus to estimate the savings from the merger and pass it on to
customers. He thinks it would be more appropriate to review local phone
charges at another time. The ICC is expected to complete its merger review
by Labor Day.
[SOURCE: Chicago Tribune (Sec3 p1), AUTHOR:Jon Van]
(http://chicagotribune.com/business/printedition/article/0,2669,SAV-99082500
67,FF.html)

WIRELESS NATION: FINLAND PUSHES CELL PHONE TO THE HIGH TECH LIMIT
Issue: Wireless
Despite its small size and relative isolation in the Arctic Circle, Finland
is leading the pack in mobile phone technology. Many new homeowners never
bother ordering fixed-line service. There are two reasons for the high
wireless penetration in Finland. First, the country hosts many eager users
as 60% of Finns own mobile phones (compared with about 25% of Americans).
Second, Nokia, which recently passed the USA's Motorola as the leading
supplier of mobile handsets with 37.4 million sold in 1998. Today in Finland
you can use your wireless phone to send text messages to other users instead
of calling them -- SMS (Short Message Service) is exploding, particularly
among teens, who like its low cost and classroom-friendly silence. You can
also purchase items such as a car wash by phoning a number that charges the
goods/services to your phone bill. "Finland will hit 100% penetration by
late 2000," predicts Christian Kern,
London-based wireless analyst for Salomon Smith Barney. Timo Saari, a Ph.D.
candidate in psychological reactions to communication technology at Stanford
University, said, "Your phone will know where you are at all times. It will
provide you information based on your profile. News. Sports scores.
Whatever. As you walk a block, ads will flash onto the phone's screen,
perhaps a beep alerting you to a sale going on inside a store you've passed.
Or as you turn a corner, an alert telling you not to go that way because
there's a gas leak." The goal of the Finnish mobile providers is to make
the portable phone as indispensable as oxygen. No one is betting against
them.
[SOURCE: USA Today, 1A, AUTHOR: Marco R. della Cava]
(http://www.usatoday.com/news/acovwed.htm)

OWNERSHIP

NEWSPAPER ASSOCIATION ASKS FCC TO EASE RULE ON BROADCAST HOLDING
Issue: Ownership
The Newspaper Association of America has asked the Federal Communications
Commission to suspend the rule that prohibits ownership of a broadcast
station and a daily newspaper in the same locale. In its petition, the
association asked the FCC to cease enforcing that regulation or implement a
waiver policy until the rule can be repealed -- as the association contends
recent relaxation of broadcast rules have put newspaper owners at a
disadvantage. Earlier this month the FCC relaxed ownership rules on
broadcasters owning two TV stations in the same market as well as the
cross-ownership rules between television and radio.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, B2, AUTHOR: Associated Press]
(http://wsj.com)

--------------------------------------------------------------

INTERNET PRACTICE
Corporations Battling to Bar Use of E-Mail For Unions (NYT)
NetDestinations: Classes, Books, Teachers' Dirty Looks (SJM)

INTERNET
Multimedia Transmissions Are Driving Internet Toward Gridlock (NYT)
Internet Address Firm Receives 2 Loans But Says It Still Needs
$1 Million More (WSJ)
First Out of the Starting Gate (NYT)

INFRASTRUCTURE
Patents: Marrying Cellular Technology to Power Lines (NYT)
Digital Subscriber Lines Are the Latest Internet Wave, But Baby Bells
Aren't Making the Connection Quickly (WP)

MERGERS
PSINet to Acquire transaction Network (WSJ)

LIFESTYLES!
Internet Study Finds 6 Percent Of Users Are Addicts (SJM)

INTERNET PRACTICE

CORPORATIONS BATTLING TO BAR USE OF E-MAIL FOR UNIONS
Issue: Online Activism
A look at labor organizing and use of corporate email systems. Employees
using these systems have been suspended from their jobs as companies claim
mass mailings like this are personal business. The suspensions have made
other union officials wary of using corporate email systems. Cohen reports:
E-mail has become common in many workplaces that unions are eager to
organize, including those at software companies and in other high-technology
industries. And unions have found it an unusually effective organizing tool,
one that combines the intimacy of a conversation, the efficiency of
mass-produced leaflets and the precision of delivery by mail to work forces
that are often widely dispersed. "It saves time, it saves money," said
Michael Blain of the Washington Alliance of Technical Workers, or WASHTECH,
an affiliate of the Communication Workers of America that is trying to
organize software workers in the state of Washington. "We can reach 1,300
people by just hitting 'send.'" The corporate view of mass email from
outside the organization should be considered trespassing. And any
organizing email is likely to be read on company time, a practice they
believe labor law should prohibit. "E-mail from unions does interfere with
employers' expectation that work time is for work," said Frank Morris, a
lawyer who represents management in labor disputes. "The unions are trying
to make extraordinary use of a tool that didn't exist until recently for
their benefit."
[SOURCE: New York Times (C1), AUTHOR: Noam Cohen]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/99/08/biztech/articles/23unio.html)

NET DESTINATIONS: CLASSES, BOOKS, TEACHERS' DIRTY LOOKS
Issue: EdTech
As a American school children return to the classroom this fall, the U.S.
Department of Education is mounting an "America Goes Back to School"
campaign that includes a Web site (http://www.ed.gov/Family/agbts)
providing ideas for parents and communities to get more involved in
education. "It's a sort of a wake-up and get-involved message to business,
community groups, parents, religious organizations and arts groups,"
department spokeswoman Sarah Staley. "We all have a role to play in
education." Some companies, like Hewlett-Packard, have also developed
education focused Web sites that are aimed at parents, teachers and
students. In cooperation with Scholastic Inc. and American Education
Publishing, Hewlett-Packard's HP Digital Book Club site
(http://www.hpdbc.com), was designed to help boost literacy among
elementary school pupils. "What we're trying to do with this site is help
teachers and parents, and even kids understand how to integrate technology
with educational curriculum," said Jill Kramer, who oversees the site for H-P.
[SOURCE: San Jose Mercury News, AUTHOR: Jonathan Oatis (Reuters)]
(http://www.mercurycenter.com/svtech/news/breaking/internet/docs/778132l.htm)

INTERNET

MULTIMEDIA TRANSMISSIONS ARE DRIVING INTERNET TOWARD GRIDLOCK
Issue: Internet Infrastructure
Streaming media is causing data traffic jams on the Internet. "People
writing software for that traffic -- they don't care," said Van Jacobson,
chief scientist for Cisco Systems of streaming media. "In the long term,
it's a problem." When computers sending conventional data encounter
congestion, they significantly slow their transmission rate. But computers
sending streaming data will only reduce their data flow slightly, assume
right of way and cause other data traffic to pile up. There's no incentive,
Jacobson says, for streaming media providers to comply with polite traffic
rules, "if Real Networks is polite and Microsoft isn't, then Real looks
crummy." Streaming media services today don't look so great anyway, mostly
because of slow modem speeds at the users' end. But as cable modems and DSL
services become more widely available and used, demand for streaming media
could cause Internet gridlock, called "congestion collapse."
[SOURCE: New York Times (C1), AUTHOR: Sara Robinson]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/99/08/biztech/articles/23tcp.html)

INTERNET ADDRESS FIRM RECEIVES 2 LOANS BUT SAYS IT STILL NEEDS $1 MILLION MORE
Issue: Internet
Internet Corporation for Assigned Names & Numbers (ICANN) has more than
$800,000 in debt. ICANN is the nonprofit organization set up by the U.S.
government to introduce competition into the business of registering
Internet addresses and to help new companies compete against Network
Solutions, to which the government once gave control over the business of
registering all Internet addresses ending in ".com," ".net" and ".org.".
But ICANN receives no government funding. The Clinton administration left
it up to ICANN's board to determine how it would derive revenue to support
its $5.9 million annual budget. The board at ICANN decided to charge a $1
fee for each new domain name registered, but people complained it was an
Internet tax and Congress forced ICANN to scrap the plan. The organization
said it received unsecured loans of $500,000 from MCI Worldcom and $150,000
from Cisco Systems. ICANN also said it needs $1 million more to pay debts
and to operate through November. The organization's chief executive, Mike
Roberts, said the group is in discussions with at least four other major
high-tech companies for more funding to keep them running. [Mike Roberts?
The guy from NYPD Blue?]
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, B5, AUTHOR: John Simons]
(http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB935361493313346182.htm)

FIRST OUT OF THE STARTING GATE
Issue: Internet Domain Names
Register.com is the first and most aggressive competitor for Network
Solutions (and the companies 6-year old monopoly on Internet address
registrations). Some 250 companies are expected to eventually to enter the
field, making it a risky venture even by the Internet's standards.
Register.com is already calling itself the 2nd largest Internet registrar in
the world and, because of delays caused by ICANN and Dept of
Commerce/Network Solutions negotiations, has a time advantage before many
more companies are allowed to compete. The company has partnerships with 20
companies, including Staples and Mastercard, giving Register.com links on
their Web sites and offering services related to building a Web site.
[SOURCE: New York Times (C3), AUTHOR: Jeri Clausing]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/99/08/biztech/articles/23net.html)

INFRASTRUCTURE

PATENTS: MARRYING CELLULAR TECHNOLOGY TO POWER LINES
Issue: Wireless/Infrastructure
In many nations in Africa, Asia and the Middle East, phone service remains a
luxury. Governments in such nation's have given priority first to providing
electrical power to their citizens. This could, however, prove to be a
telecommunications solution. Maryland inventor Paul Kline has come up with a
system that takes advantage of the electrical power infrastructure. His
invention marries conventional power lines with cellular technology and
standard telephone equipment to bring phones, fax machines and computer
modems into homes and businesses that have no telecommunications wiring.
Kline calls it a wireless local loop distribution system. Kline has received
patent 5,937,342; patents can be viewed on the Web at (www.uspto.gov).
[SOURCE: New York Times (C2), AUTHOR: Sabra Chartrand]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/99/08/biztech/articles/23pate.html)

DIGITAL SUBSCRIBER LINES ARE THE LATEST INTERNET WAVE, BUT BABY BELLS
AREN'T MAKING THE CONNECTION QUICKLY
Issue: Infrastructure/Competition/Broadband
TeleChoice, a telecommunications consulting firm, released a study that
found that 81% of Covad Communications and NorthPoint Communications digital
subscriber line (DSL) subscribers are businesses. On the other hand, only
16% of the Baby Bells' DSL customers are businesses. The study shows that
Baby Bells must get on the DSL bandwagon or have that business lost to
DSL-specific companies that are already penetrating the market. For example,
Bell Atlantic offers DSL service in only six metropolitan areas on the East
Coast. UUNet's DSL service is available in more than 20 markets nationwide.
Another player in the broadband game is cable operators. While DSL service
is expanding five times faster than the cable modem option, TeleChoice
found, cable modem operators have more than 800,000 cable lines readied for
high-speed Internet delivery. DSL providers also must deal with signal fade
as transmission distances increase -- so customers must be located roughly
within three miles of a phone company's neighborhood central office, where
all the copper phone lines come together. Residential DSL charges range from
$40 to $60/month and business DSL subscription can range from as low as $130
a month to $600 monthly.
[SOURCE: Washington Post (F05), AUTHOR: Shu Shin Luh]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/1999-08/23/027l-082399-idx.html)

MERGERS

PSINET TO ACQUIRE TRANSACTION NETWORK
Issue: Merger
PSINet, an Internet-service provider, agreed to
acquire Transactions Network Services for $705 million. This move could
give PSINet an important standing in the electronic-commerce arena. The
majority of Transaction Network's revenue comes from providing network
services at the point of sale, such as credit card and calling card
transactions. But the company is also becoming a significant player in
providing authorization services for Internet transactions, handling eight
million electronic-commerce purchases just in July. "Our intent is to
provide businesses everything they need for electronic-commerce
infrastructure for the 21st century," William L. Schrader, chairman and
chief executive officer. "This gives us a solution customers have been
crying out for." PSINet has focused on providing Internet access to
business customers and has expanded aggressively into overseas markets,
purchasing a number of smaller Internet-service providers in Latin America
and Europe.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, B5, AUTHOR: Nikhil Deogun and Thomas E. Weber]
(http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB93537380940503806.htm)

LIFESTYLES

INTERNET STUDY FINDS 6 PERCENT OF USERS ARE ADDICTS
Issue: Internet Demographics
"Marriages are being disrupted, kids are getting into trouble, people are
committing illegal acts, people are spending too much money," said
therapist David Greenfield. What vice is he speaking of? It is nothing
other than the Internet that can cause such destruction. Almost 6% of
Internet uses are addicted to it, according to a study released at the
annual meeting of the American Psychological Association. The study,
carried out jointly with ABC News, involved the collection of 17,251
responses to an Internet use questionnaire distributed and returned through
the Web site ABCNEWS.com. The study "adds a layer of legitimacy to the
concern that Internet addiction is real," commented Kimberly Young, a
pioneer in this new field of research.
[SOURCE: San Jose Mercury News, AUTHOR: Associated Press]
(http://www.mercurycenter.com/svtech/news/breaking/merc/docs/002199.htm)

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INTERNET
Farmer's Internet Use Jumps (SJM)
Some Light Through The Portal (WP)
Keeping Up With All the News Back in Anytown, U.S.A. (NYT)

PRIVACY
Intel To Make Web Sites Add Warnings (SJM)

TELEPHONY
Merger's Reckoning Nears (ChiTrib)
Bell Atlantic's Long-Distance Bid May Spur Local-Phone Rivalry (WSJ)
AT&T Files Complaints with States Accusing U S West of Service
Lapses (WSJ)

ED TECH
Wired on Campus E-Life (USA)

BROADCASTING
Eclectic Little Radio Stations Deserve Spots on the Airwaves (USA)
Media Talk: Channel 2 Sued Over Ad Campaign (ChiTrib)

E-COMMERCE
Ireland Positioning Itself To Be An E-Commerce Hub (SJM)
Fed Approves Plan to Allow Banks To E-Mail Customers' Statements (WSJ)

WIRELESS
Too Many Phones, Too Little Service (NYT)

EMPLOYMENT
McCin Joins In Visa 'Frenzy' (SJM)

INTERNET

FARMER'S INTERNET USE JUMPS
Issue: Internet
Twice as many farmers are on the Internet today than just three years ago.
According to a June survey by the Agriculture Department's Agricultural
Statistics Service, the number of farmers online has jumped from just 13%
in 1997 to 29% in 1999. "Getting information this way is so much easier,"
said farmer Lyle Samuelson. "It's something you can sit and do early in the
morning, and it only takes a few minutes." For many, it is becoming an
important means for sharing and gathering information. "A lot of farmers
out there have e-mail now, and it certainly makes it a very easy and useful
way of exchanging information," said Tim Bryan, a fourth-generation farmer
near the small town of Bowbells. Increasingly, farmers are also using the
Internet for purchasing products ranging from chemicals and fertilizers to
tractors and combines.
[SOURCE: San Jose Mercury News, AUTHOR: John MacDonald (Associate Press)]
(http://www.mercurycenter.com/svtech/news/breaking/ap/docs/767501l.htm)

SOME LIGHT THROUGH THE PORTAL
Issue: Internet
With all the talk about Web portals, some people are left wondering "What
exactly is a 'portal'?" Generally a portal is considered an entrance or
gateway to Web -- sites likeYahoo.com that helps people get to where they
are going online. In addition to the general portal sites such as Yahoo,
Lycos and Go, there are now an increasing number of specialty portals that
are focused on a specific topic, audience or geographic location. As the
Internet has grown in size and complexity, so have portals. They started as
Web indexes pointing outward, but have since devoted much of their focus to
trying to get users to stay. Over the past few years, portals have
established countless features - such as free e-mail, chat and stock
portfolios -that are intended to keep viewers longer to generate more
advertising revenue. Some analysts are convinced that the large general
portals' services are becoming indistinguishable from each other and will
soon be ghost towns as people flock to specialty sites that cater to
individual interests. It is possible, however, that like giant department
stores, people will always have a need for the one-stop-shopping offered by
all-purpose portals.
[SOURCE: Washington Post (E1), AUTHOR: Leslie Walker]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/business/feed/a16860-1999aug19.htm)

KEEPING UP WITH ALL THE NEWS BACK IN ANYTOWN, U.S.A.
Issue: Online Newspapers
"We had to stop viewing ourselves as a newspaper company and view ourselves
as an information company," said Mark Hamilton, who publishes the The Iowa
Falls Times-Citizen (www.iafalls.com), a twice-weekly publication with a
circulation of 4,000. The Iowa Falls Times-Citizen went online three years
ago.
"This is important for small towns," said Hamilton. Small community
dailies and weeklies around the country are going online. But with small
staffs and tight budgets, they are doing so cautiously. "Some are making
money, some are losing their shirts, some aren't doing it because they are
afraid they will lose their shirts,"
said an industry consultant. See the URL below for opinions from executives
at small newspapers around the country.
[SOURCE: New York Times (D9), AUTHOR: Debra Nussbaum]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/99/08/circuits/articles/19pape.html)

PRIVACY

INTEL TO MAKE WEB SITES ADD WARNINGS
Issue: Privacy
Intel, in a move to deter government regulation, has announced that it will
require Internet sites that it advertises on to warn consumers about the
personal details that are being collected about them online. By Jan. 1
2000, the company will require that all of the roughly 200 "Intel Inside"
sites comply with privacy guidelines developed by the Online Privacy
Alliance, a trade group of companies on the Web. The OPA guidelines require
Web sites to tell consumers what information is being collected, keep
private details secure, allow consumers to review their information for
accuracy and correct it, and allow people to ask not to have any
information gathered about them. "Web sites will know they won't get
advertising dollars unless they protect consumers' privacy," said Vicki
Streitfeld, a spokeswoman for the FTC. "It's the kind of thing we hope will
create strong incentives to create their own privacy policies." David
Banisar of the Washington-based Electronic Privacy Information Center,
however, said the OPA guidelines themselves are "virtually worthless"
because they "set up procedural barriers that consumers have to hop over to
have some kind of marginal control over their information."
[SOURCE: San Jose Mercury News, AUTHOR: Ted Bridis (Associated Press)]
(http://www.mercurycenter.com/svtech/news/breaking/ap/docs/767772l.htm)

TELEPHONY

MERGER'S RECKONING NEARS
Issue: Mergers
An evaluation of how the vote may pan out on the SBC-Ameritech merger in
Illinois: Two Illinois Commerce Commission commissioners seem ready to vote
to approve the merger, two seem ready to vote against it. Only Chairman
Richard Mathias' vote appears uncertain. The ICC will resume hearings on the
merger this week. Van thinks Chairman Mathias has shown the phone giants the
path to approval, but has not told them how far along they must walk down it
to gain his vote. Last week, ICC hearing examiners proposed an order
approving the merger while boosting the amount Illinois customers would see
in local phone bill reductions. SBC is not pleased: "We appreciate the hard
work by the hearing examiners, and their recommendation that the ICC approve
the merger," said James Ellis, SBC's executive vice president and general
counsel. But he said his company wants the full commission to strip rate
reductions as well as some conditions intended to promote competition from the
final order the. "They act as if you can barter away conditions attached
to the merger in a trade with savings," said Adam Bottner, supervisor of
regulatory affairs for the Cook County state's attorney's office. "State law
provides these protections to consumers, and they can't be bartered away. I
think SBC's stance on what ratepayers are entitled to amounts to gaming the
system." Chairman Mathias has warned that he would vote against the merger
if he finds that SBC has been "gaming the system."
[SOURCE: Chicago Tribune (Sec 3, p.1), AUTHOR: Jon Van]
(http://chicagotribune.com/tech/news/article/0,2669,ART-33210,FF.html)

BELL ATLANTIC'S LONG-DISTANCE BID MAY SPUR LOCAL-PHONE RIVALRY
Issue: Telephony
Even though local telephone competition hasn't begun to reach the levels
envisioned by lawmakers when they passed the Telecommunications Act of 1996
-- Bell Atlantic is expected to seek permission to offer long-distance
service in New York State next month. If approved, it could make the Bell
Atlantic the first Bell operating company to enter the long-distance
market. Bell Atlantic said it has completed a series of tests that prove
its networks are open to competitors. Some long-distance carriers have
already begun offering local service in New York. MCI Worldcom says it has
been offering local services to its NY residential customers since February
and that it is serving more than 154,000 residents. AT&T is testing local
service in NY and RCN has started service in some areas. But rivals say
Bell Atlantic still hasn't met the conditions for long-distance entry. "We
still don't have parity," an AT&T spokesman said. An MCI WorldCom
spokeswoman said the Bell still doesn't have a process for informing
competitors when it upgrades its systems, causing computer problems for
rivals that need access to its network. The Telecommunications Act of 1996
intended to force open local phone markets by requiring the Bells to make
it easier for rivals to get access to local telephone networks in exchange
for permission to offer long-distance services in their home territories.
Today, business customers in major markets typically have a choice of local
telephone carriers, but residential customers remain largely connected by
incumbent telephone carriers. New York State utilities regulators will hold
a meeting August 31st to hear final comments on the company's
market-opening initiatives.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, B6, AUTHOR: Stephanie N. Mehta]
(http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB935022118102679735.htm)

AT&T FILES COMPLAINTS WITH STATES ACCUSING U S WEST OF SERVICE LAPSES
Issue: Telephony
AT&T Wednesday called on state regulators in Arizona, Colorado, Minnesota,
New Mexico and Washington to require U S West to provide "adequate
service." In filings with the five state utilities commissions, AT&T
accused US West of letting its core telecommunications network go downhill
in favor of investing in high-speed Internet services. These filings come
just weeks after U S West agreed to merge with AT&T long-distance rival
Qwest Communications International. AT&T and U S West are competing in
several markets to deliver broadband services to consumers -- AT&T through
its newly acquired cable-television lines and U S West through digital
subscriber line, or DSL, technology, which uses traditional copper wires. U
S West acknowledged continuing service challenges on Wednesday, but said
service continues to improve -- not worsen. AT&T is "clearly desperate to
divert attention from the growing firestorm that is building over AT&T's
refusal to open its closed cable monopoly," said Mark Roellig, a U S West
executive vice president.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, B10, AUTHOR: Stephanie N. Mehta]
(http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB935021923209390708.htm)

ED TECH

WIRED ON CAMPUS E-LIFE
Issue: Ed Tech
Today's college student has one more thing to factor into their decision
about which school to attend: who is the most connected? Yahoo! now
publishes a list of the most connected schools. That's one of the reasons
Adam Grauer, a 21 year old communications major chose Case Western Reserve
University in Cleveland. The school was ranked number one on Yahoo!'s
Most-wired college list this year. College students use the Web for things
like furniture purchases, food, crib notes, research, books, software and
computer purchases. Myles Brand, president of Indiana University said, "In
the future, the leading universities will be those who are leaders in
information technology. The computer isn't just a study tool. It has become
totally integrated in the lives of our students."
[SOURCE: USA Today, 1B, AUTHOR: Bruce Horovitz]
(http://www.usatoday.com/hphoto.htm)

BROADCASTING

ECLECTIC LITTLE RADIO STATIONS DESERVE SPOTS ON THE AIRWAVES
Issue: Radio
Samantha Kors talks about the Federal Communications Commission's ban on
low-powered radio stations in communities that would like to offer local
programming. People in communities that would like to offer different
material over a low powered station cannot because the FCC is not taking up
the issues of the stations' rare interference with other stations and the
right of communities to free speech on the airwaves, according to Kors. She
stated, "In reality, the ban protects the politically powerful commercial
and public radio lobbies from competition from local stations. When the ban
was enacted, technological advances were making it increasingly cheaper to
run small stations. Numerous 'micro-radio' stations began to crop up in
defiance of the FCC ban. Because almost none of them interfered with other
signals, the FCC at first largely ignored them. Recently, however, the FCC
began to crack down on these broadcasters, shutting down their stations,
confiscating their equipment -- and stifling entrepreneurship and diversity
in the broadcasting industry. Eclectic, community-based radio stations are
being forced off the air in favor of more powerful and more homogeneous
stations. The low-power stations often give a voice to underrepresented
groups and, as a result, are beloved in their communities. Some stations
create jobs and wealth in struggling neighborhoods. Yet all of these
stations face significant penalties if discovered by the FCC." Kors sited
examples saying, "La Nueva Radio Musical is the only Spanish-language
station in the New Haven, Connecticut area broadcasting news, music,
religious services, community programming and commercials for Hispanic
businesses. More than 6,000 listeners, including the mayor and several
state legislators, signed a petition asking the FCC to allow it to continue
broadcasting, but the FCC said no. The station's cofounder, Hipolito
Cuevas, now is in court fighting an FCC lawsuit to take La Nueva Radio
Musical off the air."
[SOURCE: USA Today, 13A, AUTHOR: (Samantha Kors is a research associate at
the Institute for Justice which represents Roy Neset in the FCC case.)]
(http://www.usatoday.com)

MEDIA TALK: CHANNEL 2 SUED OVER AD CAMPAIGN
Issue: Journalism/Advertising
Chicago's CBS affiliate and one of the investigative reporters on the local
news team are being sued for defamation -- not for a story the station ran,
but for a promotional campaign. The central question appears to be: is
broadcasting the promotion news or is it done solely for the station's
commercial benefit. [Is there a difference in local TV news?] The original
story ran more than a year ago and the plaintiff did not sue at that time.
But the station started using clips of the story in January to tout the
effectiveness of its investigative reporting. After the plaintiff filed a
complaint, the promotions stopped, but earlier this month, the station began
running new promotions using story clips.
[SOURCE: Chicago Tribune (Sec 3, p.1), AUTHOR: Jim Kirk]
(http://chicagotribune.com/news/printedition/)

E-COMMERCE

IRELAND POSITIONING ITSELF TO BE AN E-COMMERCE HUB
Issue: E-Commerce
Ireland, the world's second largest software exporter, has hopes of
becoming an International e-commerce center as well. While the U.S.
currently controls almost 80% of the globe's e-commerce, the Irish
government is developing plans to lure some of that business across the
Atlantic. Strategies include liberalizing the country's telecommunications
market and laying high-speed cables. Prime Minister Bertie Ahern has
announced plans for an $80 million high-capacity connection to the republic
by mid-2000 and a 70 million punt domestic infrastructure plan. "We in
Ireland fully recognizes the critical importance of an e-commerce friendly
environment if we are to retain existing overseas investment," said Ahern.
[SOURCE: San Jose Mercury News, AUTHOR: Reuters]
(http://www.mercurycenter.com/svtech/news/breaking/merc/docs/080087.htm)

FED APPROVES PLAN TO ALLOW BANKS TO E-MAIL CUSTOMERS' STATEMENTS
Issue: E-Commerce
The Federal Reserve Board voted 5-0 on a plan that could put an end to the
monthly statements that banks mail to customers in favor of an electronic
substitute. The Fed's plan will allow banks to send periodic
customer-account statements electronically and for other customer
information to be similarly delivered. The switch to electronic statements
would be voluntary for customers. The interim rule, which takes effect
later this summer, broadens the authority of banks to electronically
deliver routine periodic account statements. Previously, electronic
delivery had been limited to electronic-fund transfers. Other, less routine
transactions, such as account-opening notices and change-in-terms notices,
will be addressed by the Feds Wednesday. Under the proposal, banks could
deliver information by sending it to an e-mail address specified by the
customer or by making it available on the bank's Web site. Consumers signed
up for electronic delivery would be able to respond quickly. For example,
customers could give notice of an error in their account via e-mail,
instead of sending a paper notice.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, A2, AUTHOR: Jonathan Nicholson]
(http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB935016675631263010.htm)

EMPOLYMENT

MCCAIN JOINS IN VISA `FRENZY'
Issue: Employment
Senator John McCain (R-AZ) has plans to introduce a bill to increase the
annual limit of high-tech visa to 175,000. Current law sets the limit at
115,000 H-1B visas for highly skilled foreign workers and will reduce the
number to 65,000 in 2002. McCain proposes that the U.S. secretary of labor
should be allowed to raise the cap if worker shortages still exist. "On an
annual basis you determine how many jobs you need so you're not caught
short like you are this year, or you don't realize the fears of labor and
others that you're now depriving American citizens of these jobs," he said
in an interview with the Mercury News. In a campaign tour in California,
McCain also called for a permanent ban on Internet taxation, citing a study
showing that sales taxes have increased during the first year of the
current three-year moratorium on Net taxes.
[SOURCE: San Jose Mercury News, AUTHOR: Mary Anne Ostrom]
(http://www.mercurycenter.com/svtech/news/indepth/docs/mccain081999.htm)

WIRELESS

TOO MANY PHONES, TOO LITTLE SERVICE
Issue: Wireless
As successful as wireless phone companies have been in attracting
subscribers, what are they doing to keep them happy? The Cellular
Telecommunications Industry Association estimates that there are 77 million
cell
phone users in the U.S. and more than 37,500 people sign up for wireless
service each day. In areas where cell phone use is highest -- New York, Los
Angeles, Seattle -- incomplete or disconnected calls often occur because
there are too many conversations on the limited amount of channels on a
carrier's network. The solution is to build more cell sites -- the antennas
and base station equipment that send and receive calls. CTIA estimates that
there were more than 65,000 cell sites in December 1998, a 28% increase over
the previous year. Tom Wheeler, president and chief executive of the
Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association says, "It took 75 years
before wire line phone service had the same kind of coverage that the
wireless carriers have achieved in a much shorter period. It's not where it
should be, but it's moving at lightning speed and improving every day."
[SOURCE: New York Times (D1), AUTHOR: Catherine Greenman]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/99/08/circuits/articles/19cell.html)

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