1. Monthly archive
  2. July 2001

July 2001

Communications-related Headlines for 7/31/01

INTERNET
Return of Computer `Worm' Feared Today (NYT)
P2P Networking: Future Of The Internet? (Newsbytes)
Artists, Scientists Protest U.S. Copyright Arrest
(SiliconValley.com)

BROADBAND
House Lawmaker Intros Rural Broadband Bill (Newsbytes)

INTERNET

RETURN OF COMPUTER `WORM' FEARED TODAY
Issue: Security
Computer security experts and federal officials warned yesterday that the
computer virus program known as Code Red is likely to strike again. The
program, which infected an estimated 350,000 computers on July 19 and then
went dormant, has a digital version of a life cycle: when activated, it
scans the Internet for vulnerable systems and installs itself. Only users of
Microsoft's Windows 2000 and Windows NT operating systems are vulnerable to
attack. Scott D. Culp, security program manager for Microsoft's security
response center, said: "We recognize at Microsoft that we do have a special
responsibility because of the number of customers we're fortunate enough to
have," and so "we're doing our best to live up to that responsibility" by
designing systems that will make security updates more automatic.
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: John Schwartz]
(http://www.nytimes.com/2001/07/30/technology/ebusiness/30ECOMMERCE.html)
(requires registration)

P2P NETWORKING: FUTURE OF THE INTERNET?
Issue: Internet
According to a new report by marketing consultant Frost & Sullivan,
enterprise peer-to-peer (P2P) networking will grow 100% in the next 6 years.
P2P networking was the technology used by Napster to allow sharing of music
files for free until the music site was brought to court in a series of
copyright infringement lawsuits. Frost & Sullivan predict that the number of
enterprise users with access to a P2P network will rise from 61,500 now to
6.2 million by 2007, and that revenues this year will top $42.8 million and
climb to $4.53 billion by 2007. Frost & Sullivan analyst Jarad Carleton said
a roadblock to enterprise use of P2P technology, which allows the swapping
of files without a centralized source, is fear that networks will be more
vulnerable to theft of digital assets. "This will require significant
resources from market participants to devote to education on P2P security
features as well as potential benefits that can be obtained by implementing
an enterprise P2P network," said Carleton in a news release.
[SOURCE: Newsbytes, AUTHOR: Dick Kelsey]
(http://www.newsbytes.com/news/01/168496.html)

ARTISTS, SCIENTISTS PROTEST U.S. COPYRIGHT ARREST
Issue: Copyright
Following the arrest of the Russian Dmitry Skylarov on charges of violating
a controversial new copyright law, about 100 artists, computer scientists
and programmers and free speech advocates gathered to protest his arrest
under enforcement of the U.S. Digital Millennium Copyright Act. The law
prohibits creating or distributing technology that can get around copyright
protections, and critics say the law is being used by the government to give
copyright holders and publishers more privileges at the expense of free
speech rights. Skylarov, who is the first to be arrested under enforcement
of the regulation, was charged with violating the law by writing a program
that allows people to circumvent copyright controls in Adobe Systems Inc.'s
eBook Reader, and copy and read digital books on computers other than the
one used to buy the e-books. A lawyer with the Electronic Frontier
Foundation Robin Gross said that the law violates the "fair use" provision
of existing copyright law, which allows people to copy and re-use limited
amounts of copyrighted material for artistic and educational purposes. The
Digital Millennium Copyright Act is ``poisoning the atmosphere for the
exchange of free ideas,'' said novelist Philippe Tapon. ``I'm interested in
freedom of speech and trying to redress the balance between copyright
holders to control information and the lack of the individual's right to
challenge that.''
[SOURCE: San Joes Mercury, AUTHOR: Elinor Mills Abreu (Reuters)]
(http://www.siliconvalley.com/docs/news/reuters_wire/1375304l.htm)

BROADBAND

HOUSE LAWMAKER INTROS RURAL BROADBAND BILL
Issue: Broadband
The Telecommunications Enhancement Act (HR 2669) was introduced in the House
last week by the Chairman of the Congressional Rural Caucus
Telecommunications Taskforce, Representative Jerry Moran (R-KS), to hurry
the deployment of high-speed Internet access to remote areas. The
legislation will distribute $500 million in loans and $2 million in grants
for 10 years through the Agriculture Department's Rural Development offices.
Similar funding provisions are included in the House and Senate versions of
the Agriculture Appropriations bill. The Senate version recommends an
increase of $12.5 million in loans and $12.5 million in grants toward
broadband and dial-up Internet access for rural Americans added to the
Distance Learning and Telemedicine Program, totaling $51.9 million. The
House version calls for a separate $100 million in loans to broadband
telecom providers.
[SOURCE: Newsbytes, AUTHOR: Robert MacMillan]
(http://www.newsbytes.com/news/01/168484.html)

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

Communications-related Headlines for 7/30/01

DIGITAL DIVIDE
Casting a Wider Net in Brazil (Wired)

INTERNET
X-Rated Files Finding Child Audience (WP)
US Closes Bidding on '.us' Domain Bids (ITWeb)
Staying Online but Not Tuning Out (IHT)

JOURNALISM
Newspaper Editors: We Need More Interactivity (Newsbytes)

DIGITAL DIVIDE

CASTING A WIDER NET IN BRAZIL
Issue: Digital Divide
Brazil will invest $400 million this year to provide Internet access to poor
and rural areas, and with the help of non-governmental organizations,
increase the use of the Internet, according to Brazilian Planning Minister
Martus Tavares. Studies show that of the 160 million Brazilians, about 1.1
million now have Internet access. Brazil is planning to provide
Internet-connected computers primarily in post offices throughout cities
with populations over 600,000, and is also strategizing ways to close the
digital divide through its Digital Inclusion Project. One idea to make
Internet more affordable to Brazilians, who are charged 3 cents (US) for
every 4 minutes online, is to create a free Internet service provider that
covers all of Brazil including the rain forests and the countryside. "The
idea is to reduce the exclusion of 160 million Brazilians who are outside of
the fastest growing sector in the world," Tavares said.
[SOURCE: Wired, AUTHOR: Paulo Reb

Communications-related Headlines for 7/27/01

ECONOMY
No End in Sight for Tech Downturn (SJM)

EDTECH
Esselenpark Centre of Excellence partners with ADvTECH Skills in e-
learning portal (ITWeb)
SchoolNet South Africa: Accessing a World of Learning (IDRC)

COMPETITION
AOL Might Join 'Identity Service' Battle (WP)

ECONOMY

NO END IN SIGHT TECH DOWNTURN
Issue: Economy
As more Silicon Valley companies report second-quarter financial results and
other news, the long-awaited end to the high-tech downturn falls further
away. As stock prices continue to slide, sales are falling and layoffs
continue to mount. The prevailing view on Wall Street is that recovery won't
come until mid-2002, and that means that cuts made
earlier this year won't be enough to get many companies through the
slowdown. ``The `bottom' is an awkward word for all of us. We keep thinking
we've seen it and then we don't,'' said Ellen Hancock, chief executive
officer of Exodus Communications, which annouced Thursday that it will lay
off 500 more workers
[SOURCE: San Jose Mercury, AUTHOR: Jennifer Files]
(http://www.siliconvalley.com/docs/news/svtop/tech072701.htm)

EDTECH

SCHOOLNET SOUTH AFRICA: ACCESSING A WORLD OF LEARNING
Issue: Digital Divide
SchoolNet South Africa is making technology available in a country where
nearly 70 percent of schools are still without computers and has already
entered 3000 schools. "The environment that SchoolNet finds itself in
is one where racial relationships are fractured as a result of South
Africa's history," says SchoolNet SA's Executive Director Denis Brandjes.
"As part of our mission, SchoolNet SA has chosen to focus on the use of ICTs
to redress some of these injustices of the past, in order to bring about
equitable distribution of resources and knowledge." SchoolNet SA, which is
funded by IDRC's Acacia Initiative with support from the Open Society
Foundation for South Africa (OSF) and the World Bank, is accepting
volunteers and is expecting to be a magnet to them. "The primary objective
of the volunteer programme is to develop a 'cadre' of youth - both Canadian
and African - who have a solid knowledge of information and communication
technologies in
Africa," notes Kantha Singh, General Manager of SchoolNet SA. "After
observing the first group of volunteers and interns, this objective is being
met with immense benefits, in the sense that both teachers and pupils have
acquired useful ICT skills that will assist them in their professional and
academic pursuits."
[SOURCE: IDRC, AUTHOR: Sheila Riordon]
(http://www.idrc.ca/reports/read_article_english.cfm?article_num=853)

ESSELENPARK CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE PARTNERS WITH ADVTECH SKILLS IN E-LEARNING
PORTAL
Issue: EdTech
Chipane Kgaphola, Esselenpark manager of tertiary education and technology,
says: "The courses fit in with a wide range of formal qualifications
including IT, management and soft skills content. They provide students with
a consistent standard and exposure to international best practices. We are
now planning centres within individual Transnet business units, with access
to the courses through our learning portal. As a profit centre we have
extended our customer base to provide just-in-time e-learning to government
and business clients through the Internet...The economic interdependency
between southern African countries and the need to increase computer
literacy in SA are driving plans to extend the availability of e-learning
material. The success
of the transport industry depends on quality of service and we plan to go
beyond South Africa's borders to offer training to our business partners. We
will also develop a programme to provide the families of our staff
with a chance to develop their own skills."
[SOURCE: ITWeb, AUTHOR: ITWeb]
(http://www.itweb.co.za/sections/business/2001/0107270752.asp)

COMPETITION

AOL MIGHT JOIN 'IDENTITY SERVICE' BATTLE
Issue: Internet
AOL Time Warner Inc. is considering entering a race against Microsoft Corp.
and other technology companies to establish a single Web identity for
consumers, attempting to become one of the dominant Internet gatekeepers for
a vast array of personal information. AOL's project, which it calls Magic
Carpet, would allow people to store personal
information online to simplify transactions on the Internet. Microsoft
officials, meanwhile, called AOL's Magic Carpet a case of hypocrisy because
AOL had recently conducted a Capitol Hill campaign against Microsoft
services, including Passport. In a March presentation to members of
Congress, AOL said the integration of Microsoft's identity
service into its operating system was "intended to create [a] chokepoint for
e-commerce."
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Alec Klein and Ariana Eunjung Cha]
(http://www.washtech.com/news/media/11460-1.html)

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

Communications-related Headlines for 7/26/01

INTERNET
Professor Who Once Found Isolation Online Has a Change of Heart

(NYT)
Report: U.S. Lagging in Fight Against Cybercrime (USA)
Dot-Info: The Race Is On (Wired)

TECHNOLOGY
AOL to Offer Bounty for Space on New PCs (WP)
Does Bush Care about Technology? (ZDNet)

INTERNET

PROFESSOR WHO ONCE FOUND ISOLATION ONLINE HAS A CHANGE OF HEART
Issue: Internet
Three years ago, Robert Kraut, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University,
gained media attention when he released a report finding that heavy Internet
users reported increases in loneliness and depression. Now Dr. Kraut has
been thrown into the limelight again with a more recent study that in many
respects contradicts his original research. The latest study finds that
Internet usage can actually foster social connectedness in some cases. Dr.
Kraut, said he thinks the shift in data may come from his finding that "the
Internet is a better place to be and live than it was in 1995," when many of
his respondents had no friends or family online. But until even more data is
available on the Net's social impact, he is going to refrain from making any
more generalizations. "I don't think the answer is in yet," he said.
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Lisa Guernsey]
(http://www.nytimes.com/2001/07/26/technology/circuits/26SADD.html)

REPORT: U.S. LAGGING IN FIGHT AGAINST CYBERCRIME
Issue: Internet Security
A congressional report prepared by the GAO and released Wednesday found that
the federal government lacks the qualified staff and information from
private companies affected by computer attacks to effectively put the breaks
on cybercrime. The FBI's National Infrastructure Protection Center, which
was founded in 1998 to network government and corporate businesses, has not
come close to reaching its potential, according to the report. The
Department of Defense, National Security Agency and private companies have
not been forthcoming about security breaches by cybercriminals for fear that
the information would be made public, the report found. Ronald Dick,
director of the National Infrastructure Protection Center, told the Senate
technology, terrorism and government information subcommittee on Wednesday
that he agreed with many of the findings of the report. "We're stretching
our resources as thin as we can, and we're going to have to do something
about it," he said.
[SOURCE: USAToday, AUTHOR: Reuters]
(http://www.usatoday.com/life/cyber/tech/2001-07-26-us-lagging-cybercrime.ht
m)

DOT-INFO: THE RACE IS ON
Issue: Internet
On Wednesday, the starting trigger was pulled in the race to snatch up the
dot-info domain name suffix, but until August 27 only companies with a
registered trademark can purchase a dot-info domain name, a process designed
to prevent cybersquatting. The dot-info overseer Afilias is expecting to get
nearly half a million registrations from trademark owners. The process
Afilias is employing to register dot-info domains is drawing criticism.
"Many trademarks were common dictionary words long before they were given
new meaning in commerce," said Ellen Rony, co-author of The Domain Name
Handbook, who refutes giving exclusive registration privileges to trademark
owners, particularly of real words.
[SOURCE: Wired, AUTHOR: Joanna Glasner]
(http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,45514,00.html)

TECHNOLOGY

DOES BUSH CARE ABOUT TECHNOLOGY?
Issue: Internet Policy
President Bush has spent the first 200 days in office focused on drilling
for oil in Alaska, tax refunds and "faith-based" social engineering while
barely addressing the dying dot-com economy. The Bush administration has
attracted criticism from technology policy experts for waiting almost six
months to nominate an advisor in science and technology meanwhile neglecting
technology policy and the suffering economy. Defenders of the president
refute these claims by pointing to the early appointments of venture
capitalist Floyd Kvamme and Silicon Valley Republican leader Lezlee Westine
to powerful White House positions, and to the staffers that work hard daily
to formulate positions for the White House on technology. The White House
has not taken the leadership to drive controversial issues such as a
campaign against taxation of e-commerce and endorsements of privacy
legislation, nor has it taken a position on broadband legislation. "As for
broadband," Kvamme defended, "we're just getting our act together, you might
say, and gathering information. I've sat in numerous meetings trying to
figure out what role government could or should have there. It's not totally
clear right now. We're hoping to have a better idea in a few months."
Scholar David Hart of Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government
argued, "This is not a president with a strong interest in technology. His
philosophy leads him to think the government should stay out of it. So, in a
sense, the questions will be what kind of crises come up that will drag him
into it."
[SOURCE: ZDNet, AUTHOR: Doug Brown]
(http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/news/0,4586,2792724,00.html)

AOL TO OFFER BOUNTY FOR SPACE ON NEW PCS
Issue: Competition
AOL Time Warner is looking to take advantage of Microsoft's legal troubles
by initiating deals with PC manufacturers to maximize AOL's exposure on new
PCs -- at the expense of Microsoft's competing services. Internal documents
show AOL laying out a strategy that goes beyond the ubiquitous desktop icons
for AOL's online service. In return for the computer makers' cooperation,
AOL would pay them a bounty of about $35 for each customer they nab for
AOL's massive Internet access service. AOL developed an "XP Promotion Wish
List" -- XP refers to the new version of Windows OS -- that includes a
pop-up AOL registration module when a new computer is first powered up
offering AOL's free, three-month trial when they first boot up their new
computers, and a request that manufacturers "remove MSN as the default ISP,"
or Internet service provider. The wish list also requests an AOL icon on the
desktop: "If no one clicks on the icon, it will remain present for seven
days," the AOL document states. "If a user clicks on the icon at least once
within the first seven days, the icon will remain indefinitely."
[SOURCE: Washington Post (A01), AUTHOR: Alec Klein]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A51103-2001Jul25.html)

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

Communications-related Headlines for 7/25/01

MERGERS
AT&T Holds Talks With AOL To Merge Cable-TV Businesses (WSJ)
AOL Is Allowed to Propose Takeover Of Amazon Under Terms of SEC Deal
(WSJ)

DIGITAL DIVIDE
High Tech in Africa: Geeks Needed (BG)
McDonald's: Burgers, fries and mice (ZDNet)

KIDS & MEDIA
Survey Shows Few Parents Use TV V-Chip to Limit Children's Viewing
Lawmakers Spur ICANN On '.Kids' (WP)

RADIO
XM Satellite Radio Lays Out Plans for Launch (WP)

MERGERS

AT&T HOLDS TALKS WITH AOL TO MERGE CABLE-TV BUSINESSES
Issue: Merger
According to sources, AT&T Corp. and AOL Time Warner began talks about a
deal to merge their cable businesses in the wake of AT&T's rejection of
Comcast's $40-billion bid last week. Sources warn that the negotiations may
never materialize into a deal, and that AT&T has entertained discussions
with other media and cable-TV companies in its search for a worthy suitor,
and AOL has not yet become the favorite. Apparently, AT&T and AOL have
considered a deal where AT&T Broadband would spin off from AT&T and merge
with AOL's Time Warner Cable. To avoid taxes on the transaction, AT&T
shareholders would own over 50% of the newly combined company, and AOL would
own about 45% and possibly maintain operating control of the firm. A
transaction merging the number 1 and number 2 largest cable companies, AOL
and AT&T respectively, would attract close observation from antitrust
regulators and may be prevented by the U.S. government to prevent AOL from
growing any larger, some observers think.
[SOURCE: The Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Deborah Solomon, Nikhil Deogun And
Martin Peers]
(http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB996016662195273790.htm)

AOL IS ALLOWED TO PROPOSE TAKEOVER OF AMAZON UNDER TERMS OF SEC DEAL
Issue: Merger
On Monday, Amazon said it sold $100 million of its shares to America Online
as part of a broad strategic alliance. Under the five-year agreement, Amazon
will provide technology such as product comparisons and search capabilities
to America Online users. In turn, Amazon will promote America Online
exclusively as an Internet-services provider. The investment agreement,
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, allows America Online to
propose purchasing the Internet retailer.
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Staff Reporter]
(http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB996020523500254887.htm)
See Also:
AOL, UNIVERSAL EXPAND MARKETING ALLIANCE
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Reuters Wire]
(http://www.washtech.com/news/media/11374-1.html)

DIGITAL DIVIDE

HIGH TECH IN AFRICA: GEEKS NEEDED
Issue: Digital Divide International
In Kenyatta University in Nairobi, Kenya, African students are doing what
they can with the computers they have, applying an old African tradition to
piecing together computer parts from sluggish computers over five years old.
Notwithstanding severely limited and slow Internet access, a million
Africans have made their way online, and computer networks are growing
increasingly advanced. Within five years, Africa will have a high-speed
Internet backbone plugging into the global information infrastructure. To
take advantage of the future rise in bandwidth capability of the continent,
Africa is slowly regaining the brain power of high-technology engineers,
computer scientists and technicians born in Africa and educated in America.
''The enthusiasm is there. The brains are there. It's just that they lack
people to guide them,'' said MIT student and Kenyan Paul Njoroge, who
returned to his native country last year to teach computer programming where
he first went to college. Njoroge may work for a few years in America to
improve his skills after he finishes his PhD in electrical engineering at
MIT, where he is now, but is planning to return to Kenya. ''I think that
people like me who have... seen how successful societies are run can bring
that back home,'' Njoroge said.
[SOURCE: The Boston Globe, AUTHOR: Hiawatha Bray]
(http://boston.com/dailyglobe2/205/nation/Dearth_of_talent_frustrates_fledgl
ing_Internet_efforts%2b.shtml)

MCDONALD'S: BURGERS, FRIES AND MICE
Issue: International
The newest branch of McDonald's in Israel opened on Sunday as the fast food
chain's first cyber-outlet in the world. The Tel Aviv branch is stocked
with over 20 personal computers that customers can use to access the
Internet at $2.00 for 20 minutes online - while enjoying their kosher
burgers and milkshakes. The cyber-restaurant also has oversized computer
screens that advertise events and Web sites, and sells Microsoft software at
the counter. Young children can play computer games for free at special
stations. The cyber-site was developed in conjunction with MSN Israel.
According to a Nielsen/Net Ratings study released last month, Israelis use
the Internet almost as much as Americans and more than Europeans in 14
countries, spending an average of nearly 8-1/2 hours a month online. Omri
Padan, CEO of McDonald's Israel, said that the cyber-restaurant "reflects
the lifestyle of youngsters in Israel and in the world -- to eat fast food
and use the Internet at the same time."
[SOURCE: ZDNet, AUTHOR: Reuters]
(http://www.zdnet.com/ecommerce/stories/main/0,10475,2795470,00.html)

KIDS & MEDIA

SURVEY SHOWS FEW PARENTS USE TV V-CHIP TO LIMIT CHILDREN'S VIEWING
Issue: Television
In February 1996, Congress passed a law requiring that new television sets
include a device that would allow parents to block programs they considered
inappropriate for their children. About 40 percent of American families are
estimated to have at least one television with the device, known as a
V-chip. The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, a public health group that
monitors the news media, released a report showing that V-chip usage was
fairly low, concluding that only about 7 percent of all parents were using
the V-chip nationally. The Kaiser Family Foundation and advocates for the
chip said the low usage could be attributed to a lack of public education.
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Jim Rutenberg]
(http://www.nytimes.com/2001/07/25/arts/television/25CHIP.html)

LAWMAKERS SPUT ICANN ON '.KIDS'
Issue: Internet
Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass) told reporters yesterday that had ICANN been
more sensitive to the public's wishes there would have been no need for the
"Dot Kids Domain Name Act of 2001" - a bill that would impel ICANN to create
a .kids top-level domain. "They (ICANN) had their opportunity. They failed
and I'm not willing to wait on them any longer," added Rep. John Shimkus,
R-Ill., who is co-sponsoring the bill with Markey. While ICANN manages the
global domain name system (DNS), it does so as a contractor to the U.S.
Government, which retains the ability to approve major ICANN decisions.
ICANN had considered a .kids domain but found the idea problematic. Shimkus
and Markey believe ICANN was cavalier in killing the idea and believe that
.kids can become an Internet "playground" where parents could allow their
kids to surf without having to worry about them coming into contact with
inappropriate content. While the legislation would additionally create an
independent oversight board for the domain, advocates say that the creation
of .kids avoids the free speech concerns accompanying a ".sex" domain.
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: David McGuire, Newsbytes]
(http://www.washtech.com/news/regulation/11383-1.html)

RADIO

XM SATELLITE RADIO LAYS OUT PLANS FOR LAUNCH
Issue: Radio
XM Satellite Radio yesterday laid out the most detailed plans to date of its
September commercial launch. XM is one of two companies - the other Sirius
Radio - that will offer personalized digital radio at about $10 month by
satellite. Both of these companies face a major hurdle however - convincing
customers to pay for what they can get for free. XM's strategy is to create
radio stations that are very different from commercial radio - and very
different from each other. Each of XM's stations will have a distinct sound.
Lee Abrams, vice-president of programming at XM, said channels aimed at
young people will be "as relaxed as the food court at your local shopping
mall on Saturday afternoon. This is [attention deficit disorder] radio." On
stations aimed at more sophisticated older listeners the tone will be more
restrained. "No games or contests here. This is intelligent, cerebral
radio," Abrams said.
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Neil Irwin]
(http://www.washtech.com/news/software/11390-1.html)

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

Communications-related Headlines for 7/24/01

TECHNOLOGY & SOCIETY
Girls Who Are Guerrillas (NYT)
Kid Porn Bill Slogs to Court (Wired)
India's Homosexual Divide (Wired)
An Alternative Voice: How the Tech-Poor Can Still Be Software-Rich
(IHT)

INTERNET
Government Plans Expanded Use of .US (WP)
AOL Begins to Explore IM Sharing (WP)

TECHNOLOGY & SOCIETY

GIRLS WHO ARE GUERRILLA
Issue: Arts
A veteran group of arts activists has a new digital arts wing. The Guerrilla
Girls, founded in 1985 to increase the visibility of women and minorities in
the art world, have recently launched Guerrilla Girls BroadBand, a new
politically oriented Web site. The site's goal is bring the group's feminist
mission from the art world into the workplace via the Internet. The
Guerrilla Girls' focus on audience participation is accomplished through an
e-mail feature that allows visitors to anonymously send messages to bad
employers. Peggy Phelan, a professor of performance studies, expects to see
more examples of this kind of online theater. "What these electronic
performances realize is a successful fusion of performance and politics,"
she said, "one that will transform both in ways that we are just beginning
to imagine."
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Matthew Mirapaul]
(http://www.nytimes.com/2001/07/23/technology/23ARTS.html)
(requires registration)

KID PORN BILL SLOGS TO COURT
Issue: Filtering
The Children's Internet Protection Act of 2000 to withhold federal funds
from libraries and schools that refuse to install porn filters on computers
is being challenged by free speech advocates in a lawsuit. According to a
U.S. appellate judge overseeing the case, the case may be brought to trial
next February because the lawsuit raises many complex, constitutional
questions, despite calls for dismissal of the case as meritless from the
Justice Department, representing the Federal Communications Commission and
the Institute of Museum and Library Services. "This case is unquestionably
destined for the United States Supreme Court, is it not? ... Wouldn't this
court and the Supreme Court be much better equipped to deal with this after
discovery and after trial?" asked Chief Judge Edward Becker of the 3rd U.S.
Circuit Court of Appeals during a hearing on Monday. The 36 plaintiffs, led
by the American Library Association and the American Civil Liberties Union,
allege that the Children's Internet Protection Act constrains the ability of
adults to access lawful information and violates their Constitutional right
to free speech. They also warn that the law would require librarians to
police what adults are allowed to access online. "We say the traditional
role of libraries is to provide material that the patrons want, not material
that libraries and librarians believe are correct," asserted ACLU senior
staff counsel Chris Hansen.
[SOURCE: Wired, AUTHOR: Reuters]
(http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,45483,00.html)

INDIA'S HOMOSEXUAL DIVIDE
Issue: Digital Divide
Gay Indian men, traditionally ostracized and closeted in their own society,
are finding an accepting community in last five years - over the Internet.
However, the Internet in India is primarily accessible to the urban and
well-off - those who are within proximity of a connection, can afford to use
it, and are familiar with the English language. "The Net does isolate groups
as far as connectivity goes," Chandra Shekhar Balachandran, founder of the
Dharani Trust in Bangalore, said. For gay men who have access, they are
using what they learn from communicating with organizations around the world
to help manage nonprofits in India. Swabhaya, a nonprofit providing online,
phone, and personal therapy to sexual minorities, was founded by Vinay
Chandran in 1999. Chandran is raising support and building networks with
similar nonprofits in India to revoke the criminalization of sodomy. "But
the Net has helped us bring about some sort of change," said Chandran. "Like
when I go to a debate about gay rights, there is so much more information
available now that it gives us an idea of the bigger picture -- about what
groups in the West are lobbying for, and on what they are basing their
arguments."
[SOURCE: Wired, AUTHOR: Swaroopa Iyengar]
(http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,45206,00.html)

AN ALTERNATIVE VOICE: HOW THE TECH-POOR CAN STILL BE SOFTWARE-RICH
Issue: Digital Divide
Open source software is a sensible alternative for developing countries to
make computer technologies available to its citizens and businesses where
proprietary software is often unaffordable and copyright-protected. The
Chinese government lauds open-source software, as well, for demonstrating
nationalist pride. In India, where the average annual per-capita income is
$450, is known worldwide for its skilled software programmers. There, teams
of people work on modifying the free Linux, Oracle and other software and
market their services around the globe. "India is a very service-oriented
country. Most of the software development that India does is actually
delivering services to companies abroad. We have a lot of manpower which can
be channelized to do that," said Prakash Advani, chief executive of
FreeOS.com, which is in the process of "setting up a Linux support
infrastructure to address the world market." Shuvam Misra, founder of
Starcom Software, an Internet technology services firm remarked that
"Open-source software empowers communities with low purchasing power and
inexpensive technical manpower tremendously. Open-source software sometimes
needs a bit more work to get working, for which poorer countries like India
have plentiful smart, inexpensive manpower."
[SOURCE: International Herald Tribune, AUTHOR: Andrew Leonard]
(http://www.iht.com/cgi-
bin/generic.cgi?template=articleprint.tmplh&ArticleId=24330)

INTERNET

GOVERNMENT PLANS EXPANDED USE OF .US
Issue:
The government is investigating the commercial uses of .us top-level domain
name (TLD). The vision the government has set forth is being squarely
opposed by a broad coalition of nonprofit and consumer groups. Under the
government vision, .us would refer still to Arlington schools
(www.arlington.k12.va.us) and also to for profit businesses -
www.xyzcompany.us. Opponents to the plan argue that the .us TLD is a public
resource and should be used as such. Harold Feld, associate director of the
Media Access Project, in a letter to Commerce Secretary Donald L. Evans last
week wrote that the .us domain "is a unique public resource, created with
American tax dollars... If this were [airwave] spectrum, we'd auction it off
for hundreds of millions, if not billions of dollars. Or we'd set some
aside, like public television, for public use. The Commerce Department plan
does neither." In a separate letter, Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), said
that he endorses "management of the .us domain in the public interest,
serving all Americans in a non-commercial context."
[SOURCE: Washington Post (D01), AUTHOR: Jonathan Krim]
(http://www.washtech.com/news/regulation/11366-1.html)

AOL BEGINS TO EXPLORE IM SHARING
Issue: Internet
AOL Time Warner said Monday that it is testing means to open its Instant
Messenger Network to rivals. It intends to launch a trial with another firm
later this summer. Currently AOL's Instant Messaging Network is closed to
rivals. With the largest amount of subscribers (100 million), an open AOL
system would have a tremendous impact on the shape of the Instant Messaging
landscape. A condition of the FCC's approval of AOL's merger with Time
Warner, required the company to submit a progress report on
instant-messaging interoperability 180 days after the federal agency issued
an order approving the acquisition. The 11-page report, however, was short
on details of the trial and did not say when AOL would actually open its
system to rivals; instead, the company devoted much of the report to why
interoperability is technically difficult to achieve and fraught with risk
to users' privacy and security.
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Alec Klein]
(http://www.washtech.com/news/media/11362-1.html)

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

Communications-related Headlines for 7/23/01

DIGITAL DIVIDE
Isolated Tribe Struggles Without Phones, Power (LA)
G8 Sets Plan to Bridge Digital Divide with Poor (Yahoo)

FREE SPEECH
Net Reporting at Stake (Wired)
Report: China shuts down 2,000 Net cafes (CNN)

INTERNET & SOCIETY
Group Proposes Public Trust For Net-Content Development (WSJ)

DIGITAL DIVIDE

ISOLATED TRIBE STRUGGLES WITHOUT PHONES, POWER
Issue: Digital Divide
Just hours away from the Silicon Valley, the Yurok people of Northern
California live without either electricity or telephones." Nearly half of
the reservation's 500 homes exist without the simplest phone or electric
service and there are no phone lines to connect classroom computers to the
Internet. In response to the tribe's lobbying, the state Public Utilities
Commission this month required a local phone company to broaden its service
to the reservation. But the commission's ruling affects only 35 homes and
provides for a few pay phones. "In this technological era, our kids are
falling behind--they can't compete without phones and electricity," says
Yurok tribal Chairwoman Sue Masten. "The so-called Digital Divide is wider
here than any other place in California."
[SOURCE: Los Angeles Times, AUTHOR: John M. Glionna ]
(http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/front/la-07212001-tribe.story)

G8 SETS PLAN TO BRIDGE DIGITAL DIVIDE WITH POOR
Issue: Digital Divide
In Genoa, Italy the world's big eight powers endorsed an action plan on
Saturday to bridge the ``digital divide'' with the poorest countries. The
Digital Opportunity Task Force was set up at last year's G8 summit in
Okinawa, Japan. ``Even a year ago, demonstrators were burning computers on
the streets of Okinawa saying that poor people need water and you can't
drink a computer,'' Vernon Ellis, a business executive who served on the
task force, told a news conference. ``In fact...there isn't a trade-off
between information and communication technologies and other development
needs. These technologies can make a real difference to health, to
education, to empowerment and to enterprise.''
[SOURCE: Yahoo, AUTHOR: Reuters]
(http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20010721/tc/group_technology_dc_1.html)

FREE SPEECH

NET REPORTING AT STAKE
Issue: Journalism
Free speech advocates warn that if a current New York state court accepts
jurisdiction over a libel case brought by the National Bank of Mexico
(Banamex) against two investigative reporters and their Web site criticizing
the drug war, then it would set a precedent allowing harassment of Internet
journalists by libel suits all over the world. The plaintiff Banamex is
arguing that Al Giordano of The NarcoNews Bulletin and Mario Menendez of the
Mexican daily Por Esto! knowingly printed lies in a series of investigative
stories that labeled the general director and majority owner of Banamex as a
cocaine trafficker. The case was previously thrown out three times by
Mexican courts, so Banamex is arguing that the case should be heard in New
York because the defendants have made public statements about the
investigative stories in New York, and that NarcoNews has a New York
Internet service provider and it has ties to New York organizations. The
defendants are arguing that the case should be dismissed because all
pertinent facts and events in the case are based in Mexico, and not New
York; and even if libel is found, the major site of harm would be in Mexico,
as well. Earlier in the week, Electronic Frontier Foundation filed a
friend-of-the-court brief defending Giordano and Menendez and urging the
court to refuse to hear the case, to prevent enabling "foreign plaintiffs to
forum shop abusively, subjecting online, independent journalists to foreign
laws and distant forums that will chill the Internet's free press."
[SOURCE: Wired, AUTHOR: Mark K. Anderson]
(http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,45231,00.html)

REPORT: CHINA SHUTS DOWN 2,000 NET CAFES
Issue: Freedom of Speech
Almost 2,000 Internet cafes have been closed and 6,000 have been ordered to
suspend operation until changes are made, reports Chinese media on Friday.
China clamps down a second time in about a year on cybercafes, said Shanghai
Daily, to regulate the Internet service market in line with government laws.
Over 56,800 Internet cafes and bars have been the target of investigative
probe since April, the newspaper said.
[SOURCE: CNN.com, AUTHOR: Reuters]
(http://www.cnn.com/2001/TECH/internet/07/20/china.internet.reut/index.html)

INTERNET & SOCIETY

GROUP PROPOSES PUBLIC TRUST FOR NET-CONTENT DEVELOPMENT
Issue: Internet & Society
Former president of the Public Broadcasting System Lawrence K. Grossman and
former Federal Communications Commission chairman Newton N. Minow are
partnering to invest in preserving public space online at the price of $18
billion. Grossman and Minow are pursuing their idea through the Digital
Promise Project, an organization recommending the creation of the Digital
Opportunity Investment Trust. The trust is envisioned as an agency chartered
by the federal government along the lines of the National Science Foundation
or the National Institutes of Health that would provide venture-capital
funding for educational and civic applications of digital technology. "The
potential exists to use these technologies in ways we can't imagine now.
It's worth investing in this," says Grossman. The Digital Promise Project is
proposing the federal dollars could come from telecommunications industry
bids on wireless spectrum licenses, and would go toward buying public online
space for library and museum collections and technology training for
teachers. "You could have a virtual solar system, a 3-D model of a human
body or a re-creation of Mark Twain's America." (You can learn more at
www.digitalpromise.org.)
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: AUTHOR: Tom Weber]
(http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB995840737736919399.htm)

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

Communications-related Headlines for 7/20/01

DIGITAL DIVIDE
Philippine Economic Plan Tackles Digital Divide (WP)
FCC's Powell Wants African Digital Development, Not
'Divide'(Newsbytes)
Create the 'Digital Dividend'(CSM)
Schools Online Launches India Operations (WP)

INTERNET & SOCIETY
Report: Internet Not a Threat to Repressive States (SJM)
Online 'Teenangels' Protect Peers (CNN)

DIGITAL DIVIDE

PHILIPPINE ECONOMIC PLAN TACKLES DIGITAL DIVIDE
Issue: Digital Divide
Proving her administration is serious about using information and
communications technology to eliminate poverty, Philippine President
Macapagal-Arroyo has allotted an entire chapter of her economic agenda to
bridging the so-called digital divide. According to Socioeconomic Planning
Secretary Dante Canlas, the whole chapter 10 of the Medium Term Philippine
Development Plan (MTPDP) 2001-2004 has information and communications
technology as the main instrument to combat poverty. "In the medium term,
the government is committed to address the digitally disenfranchised, those
who do not have access to computers. It will also address continuing
disparities in access to high-quality technologies," Canlas stated. To
ensure efficient and affordable electronic communications and access, Canlas
said an inter- and intra-government broadband network should be established
within the next 6-18 months. The network, he explained, will also link up
the various ISPs in the country, thereby establishing a single electronic
network for the entire country involving the government, industry, and the
public.
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Melvin G Calimag]
(http://www.newsbytes.com/news/01/168109.html)

FCC'S POWELL WANTS AFRICAN DIGITAL DEVELOPMENT, NOT 'DIVIDE'
Issue: Digital Divide
Speaking at the Tenth African Telecommunications and Information Technology
Conference (AFCOM 2001), Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman
Michael Powell said that Africa is experiencing growth in information and
communications technology but needs more international and U.S. aid to its
more impoverished nations. Powell encouraged those working to close the
technology gap between Africa and much of the rest of the world to think of
it as "digital development" and not a "digital divide." The term "digital
divide," he said, provides us with awareness of "a complex reality. However,
it is less useful in helping us to find answers, and may not fully capture
the breadth of our challenge." Five million Africans use the Internet so
far, cited Powell, 100 percent more than in 2000, and apart from South
Africa, the growth rate on the African continent is 126 percent with all
countries now online. By focusing on implementing effective strategies
instead of technologies, Powell said, Africa can develop through
infrastructure building and improvement, promoting competition, lowering
risks for investment, and defending intellectual capital.
[SOURCE: Newsbytes, AUTHOR: Robert MacMillan]
(http://www.newsbytes.com/news/01/168088.html)

CREATE THE 'DIGITAL DIVIDEND'
Issue: Digital Divide
[Editorial] In an editorial published by Christian Science Monitor, Stuart
N. Brotman calls on the Bush administration to take advantage of the world
leaders' economic summit in Genoa Italy this weekend to widen the scope of
the discourse on the "digital divide." Brotman writes: "What's needed is a
consensus on the private sector's vital role in ensuring that digital
technologies spread as much as possible throughout the world....President
Bush should focus attention on how joint public-private initiatives can
create a 'digital dividend' - the profound gains that both business and the
broader community will realize when digital networks reach their fullest
potential."
[SOURCE: Christian Science Monitor, AUTHOR: Stuart N. Brotman]
(http://www.csmonitor.com/durable/2001/07/20/fp11s2-csm.shtml)

SCHOOLS ONLINE LAUNCHES INDIA OPERATIONS
Issue: EdTech
Schools Online (SOL), a U.S.-based philanthropic organization, has launched
its Indian operation with support from Nortel Networks.
SOL aims to ensure that marginalized and under-served schools worldwide have
access to learning tools that use information and communication
technologies. The organization plans to set up Internet learning centers
(ILCs) in 60 schools in India. Schools Online is a non-profit corporation
that works to build sustainable programs to effectively schools to the
Internet.
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: CT Mahabharat]
(http://www.newsbytes.com/news/01/168090.html)

INTERNET & SOCIETY

REPORT: INTERNET NOT A THREAT TO REPRESSIVE STATES
Issue: Freedom of Speech
Contrary to popular belief that the more people have access to information
then the more they are free to communicate, models adopted by China and Cuba
demonstrate to other authoritarian governments that it's possible to cripple
freedom of speech within national borders even over the World Wide Web. This
was the conclusion in the report "The Internet and State Control in
Authoritarian Regimes: China, Cuba, and the Counterrevolution" released
Tuesday by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. ``Far from
hastening its own demise by allowing the Internet to penetrate its borders,
an authoritarian state can actually utilize the Internet to its own benefit
and increase its stability by engaging with the technology," said report
authors Shanthi Kalathil and Taylor C. Boas. The report found that China has
adopted a strategy of encouraging its citizens to use the Internet, where
between 17 and 22.5 million Chinese citizens are online, while blocking
subversive Web sites and chat room comments and heavily monitoring what
people say and do online. Cuba, on the other hand, has restricted access to
the Internet by universities and other institutions, where only 60,000 Cuban
citizens have e-mail addresses and only a few thousand computers are on the
Internet. ``Taken together, the cases of China and Cuba should illustrate
that the diffusion of the Internet does not necessarily spell the demise of
authoritarian rule,'' the report found.
[SOURCE: San Jose Mercury News, AUTHOR: Reuters]
(http://www.siliconvalley.com/docs/news/tech/016005.htm)

ONLINE 'TEENANGELS' PROTECT PEERS
Issue: Internet & Society
A growing group of young volunteers, know as Teenangels, are working to
teach their online peers to be more Web savvy and avoid criminals. Several
years ago, Parry Aftab, a New York lawyer who specializes in security and
privacy law, started an organization called Cyberangels.org to train adult
volunteers to do everything from field questions about Web harassment to
monitor chat rooms for inappropriate online advances. For the past two
years, Aftab's organization has been training teens as well as adults. She
says that the Teenangels are "a great way to teach kids who don't listen to
adults as much as they listen to other kids." Besides, Aftab adds, young
people often know more about the Internet than adults.
[SOURCE: CNN, AUTHOR: Reuters]
(http://fyi.cnn.com/2001/fyi/teachers.ednews/07/19/online.angels.ap/index.ht
ml)

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

Communications-related Headlines for 7/19/01

DIGITAL DIVIDE
Few Minority Firms Use E-Commerce (LA)
Analysis: The Web's True Digital Divide (VNY)

DEMOCRACY
Caltech & MIT Urge Wait On Net Voting (WP)

WIRELESS
AT&T Wireless Gets Faster Fast (WIRED)

MERGERS
AT&T Board Rejects Comcast Bid (WP)

DIGITAL DIVIDE

FEW MINORITY FIRMS USE E-COMMERCE
Issue: E-Commerce
Only about 13% of the nation's largest minority-owned firms use the Internet
to sell products and services, a fact that has the author of a new study and
Commerce Department officials concerned that many business opportunities are
being missed. The report, to be released today by the Tomas Rivera Policy
Institute, a Latino studies think tank, also showed that 42% to 56% of the
nation's largest minority-owned firms had Web sites. Although 60% of
minority business owners said they recognized the general benefits of
e-commerce, only 10% to 13% of them conduct it, the report showed. The
study's author said he had expected to see more, considering these are among
the top minority-owned firms. "In general . . . the businesses are moving in
the right direction," said Waldo Lopez-Aqueres, director of economic
research for the institute.
[SOURCE: LA Times, AUTHOR: Karen Robinson-Jacobs]
(http://www.latimes.com/business/la-000058879jul19.story?coll=la%2Dfeatures%
2Dbusiness )

ANALYSIS: THE WEB'S TRUE DIGITAL DIVIDE
Issue: Digital Divide
Detailed data collected monthly by comScore is shedding light on the
behavior of a broad sample of Internet users and is revealing that users'
online activity is falling along lines of education levels. By sorting the
5000 most-visited sites along demographic divisions, comScore found that the
top sites visited by the highly educated are relevant to their careers
(three legal sites WestLaw.com, Lexis.com, Martindale.com; the textbook
publisher Reed-Elsevier.com; and the Chronicle of Higher Education,
Chronicle.com), while the top sites visited by people without a college
education are for entertaining themselves and connecting with friends
(ZapSpot.com, FunFlat.com, HaHaSoFunny.com, TiggysRibTicklers.com, and
ReflectiveGreetings.com). The gap between the online content preferred by
the highly educated and the less educated implies that the Internet alone
will not be the bridge to close the economic divide, and may in fact
exacerbate it. The data suggests that the Internet will economically benefit
those who are already experienced in seeking, filtering and analyzing
information before they get online.
[SOURCE: Virtual New York, AUTHOR: Steve Sailer (UPI National
Correspondent)]
(http://www.vny.com/cf/news/upidetail.cfm?QID=203267)

DEMOCRACY

CALTECH & MIT URGE WAIT ON NET VOTING
Issue: Democracy Online
A joint study by the California Institute of Technology and the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology concludes that voting over the
Internet should be seriously delayed for further investigation. The teams
expressed serious reservation regarding Internet voting, which "has all the
problems of absentee voting and adds problems of security," said MIT
computer scientist Ron Rivest. "At least a decade of further research on the
security of home computers is needed before Internet voting can come in."
The Voting Technology Project study recommends improvements in technology
applied in voting, but upon finding that 4 to 6 million votes were lost in
the November 2000 elections due to equipment errors or other problems, it
recommends postponing Net voting for a long while. In addition, the report
calls on election boards to replace punch cards and lever machines, restrict
absentee voting, and reform registration methods. "The main conclusion is
that there has been precious little study of these issues and precious few
resources" applied to resolve them, said Cal-Tech President David Baltimore.
"The voting process has previously simply not been taken seriously."
[SOURCE: Washington Post AUTHOR: Guy Gugliotta]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A5117-2001Jul16)

WIRELESS

AT&T WIRELESS GETS FASTER FAST
Issue: Wireless
Surprising industry analysts by an early expansion of services, AT&T
Wireless will spread its high-speed mobile Internet service beyond
businesses in Seattle to consumers in Seattle, Las Vegas and Portland. The
service, called general packet radio service (GPRS), will allow users to
talk on the phone while using the Internet at speeds 10 times faster than
current cellular services. GPRS is already widespread in Europe under the
Global System for Mobile (GSM) communications technical standard, and allows
downloading to cell phones as fast as 115 kilobits per second. As the third
largest U.S. mobile phone service provider at 15.7 million subscribers, AT&T
is projecting it will provide Americans with GPRS coverage by the end of
next year. "I think it's impressive," said Seamus McAteer, a Jupiter Media
Metrix analyst. "They are getting out there before VoiceStream (Wireless) in
announcing GPRS services."
[SOURCE: Wired, AUTHOR: Elisa Batista]
(http://www.wired.com/news/wireless/0,1382,45344,00.html)

MERGERS

AT&T BOARD REJECTS COMCAST BID
Issue:
AT&T announced Wednesday that its board of directors has rejected the a $40
billion hostile takeover bid for its cable TV business from Comcast. A
statement issued by AT&T after a board meeting in Denver asserted that:
"Comcast's proposal did not reflect the full value of AT&T Broadband."
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Bruce Meyerson]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A15950-2001Jul18.html)

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

Communications-related Headlines for 7/18/01

INTERNET
World Leaders take Fresh Look at Digital Divide (ITWeb)
Hacker Group to Release Anti-Censorship Software (USA)
Tauzin-Dingell Debate Launches Telecom Hub Internet TV Channel (WP)

FCC
Broadcasters Ask Senate to Let F.C.C. Loosen Rules (NYT)
FCC Awards '3G' Licenses (WP)

MERGERS
Comcast's Bid for AT&T Unit May Call for Complex Plays (WSJ)

JOURNALISM
Katharine Graham Dies at 84 (WP)

INTERNET

WORLD LEADERS TAKE FRESH LOOK AT DIGITAL DIVIDE
Issue: Digital Divide
World leaders attending the Group of Eight nations meeting this weekend off
the coast of Genoa, Italy are expected to adopt a new framework for
development aid that will address the electronic gap between rich and poor
nations. The groundwork for the plan was laid at last year's Group of Eight
meeting where the world's most industrialized nations called for affordable
technology and appropriate regulatory policies targeted to the needs of
developing nations. The challenge at this year's follow-up meeting is
whether the study and planning over the past year can induce an increase in
funding commitments sufficient to shrink the digital divide. The G8's
Digital Opportunities Task Force developed the nine-point action plan to
make communications services affordable and to reform regulations that
hinder the growth of information services that world leaders are positioned
to adopt at the G8 meeting. "No one is talking about putting satellites into
space or putting fast fibre optics across Africa." said Zoe Baird, president
of the Markle Foundation. "What we are talking about is incremental
developments."
[SOURCE: ITWeb, AUTHOR: Reuters]
(http://www.itweb.co.za/sections/internet/2001/0107181035.asp)

TAUZIN-DINGELL DEBATE LAUNCHES TELECOM HUB INTERNET TV CHANNEL
Issue: Broadband/Internet
TVWorldwide.com and the Telecom Hub, a Washington-based telecom industry
networking group, are partnering in this week's launch of a new Internet
"TV" channel for the telecom industry, TelecomHub.tv (http://telecomhub.tv).
The site will premiere today with a live, interactive Webcast of a panel
debate over the Tauzin-Dingell Bill. The debate's audience will be able to
submit questions via chat and e-mail - a live audience at the event will
also be able to question panel members. The bill, the Tauzin-Dingell
Internet Freedom and Broadband Deployment Act of 2001, is currently before
Congress. The legislation would reopen the 1996 Telecommunications Act and
give Bell companies the right to enter the long-distance data business. The
one-hour Tauzin-Dingell debate is set for July 18, 2:30PM EDT, at
http://www.telecomhub.tv.
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Kyle Balluck]
(http://www.washtech.com/news/telecom/11237-1.html)

HACKER GROUP TO RELEASE ANTI-CENSORSHIP SOFTWARE
Issue: Freedom of Speech
The group of hackers "Hactivismo" will release new software later this year
to allow people to access Web sites censored by their governments, raising
the bar in the race between free speech advocates and government censors
over control of Internet information. Lead developer Oxblood Ruffin told
Reuters, "We believe that access to information is a basic human right
guaranteed by law. It is going to be an arms race." The software, called
"Peekabooty," will use a distributed privacy network to get around filters
blocking access to material considered political or pornographic by
governments like United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Myanmar, China and
North Korea. Hactivismo is a group of about 30 volunteers ranging from
lawyers to human rights activists based in the United States, China, Canada,
Europe, Israel, Taiwan and South Korea. "Hacking is finding things out. It
is knowledge, especially when things are hidden, obscure and important,"
said Patrick Ball, deputy director of AAAS's Science and Human Rights Action
Network. Bell reported that his organization has used technology to save
lives and bring abuses to justice.
[SOURCE: USAToday, AUTHOR: Reuters]
(http://www.usatoday.com/life/cyber/tech/2001-07-17-hackers-anti-censorship.
htm)

FCC

BROADCASTERS ASK SENATE TO LET F.C.C. LOOSEN RULES
Issue: Broadcasting
Yesterday, executives from Viacom and the Tribune Company urged the Senate
to let regulators loosen or eliminate the rules that have restricted the
largest broadcasters from growing bigger and owning newspapers. But Senator
Ernest F. Hollings of South Carolina, the new Democratic chairman of the
Commerce Committee, said that the rules had already been relaxed too much
and that what remained of them was central to preserving local programming
and a diverse array of voices on the airwaves. Recently, a federal appeals
court struck down the rules limiting the growth of cable television
companies to 30 percent of the market and temporarily suspended the limit on
a broadcast company's reaching more than 35 percent of households. With its
purchase of CBS, Viacom now reaches 41 percent of the nation's households.
The company has lobbied Congress and the F.C.C. to eliminate the rules, and
is scheduled to make its case before the Federal appeals court later this
year.
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Stephen Labaton]
(http://www.nytimes.com/2001/07/18/business/media/18MEDI.html)
(requires registration)

FCC AWARDS '3G' LICENSES
Issue: Spectrum
The FCC has awarded licenses to Seattle billionaire Craig McCaw and seven
others to provide satellite phone access and other new communications
services. The firms that will receive licenses are Boeing, Celsat America,
Constellation Communications Holdings, Globalstar, Iridium, Mobile
Communications Holding, TMI Communications and McCaw's ICO Services.
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Staff Writer]
(http://www.washtech.com/news/telecom/11249-1.html)

MERGERS

COMCAST'S BID FOR AT&T UNIT MAY CALL FOR COMPLEX PLAYS
Issue: Mergers
In response to a bid from Comcast at $40 billion for AT&T Broadband, AT&T is
expected to reject the offer as not high enough but signal its willingness
to auction its cable business off to the highest bidder, according to
insiders. AT&T would benefit by giving the impression of a fierce
competition for the cable business, and already speculation on Wall Street
is rising about what rivals will try to top Comcast's bid and how the battle
for AT&T Broadband will play out. Comcast will need to strengthen its stance
and exact excellent timing to win the bid, say deal brokers and investors.
For Comcast to win it could play out a number of scenarios. Comcast could:
neutralize AOL's power to offer a counter-bid; raise its bid for AT&T to
bite, which some say is at least $70 billion; allow AT&T's board to have
some shareholder representation after the sale; appease rivals by, for
example, offering to trade resources; or wait and see what rivals step up to
the plate. If Comcast overpays, says Jeff van Harte of Trans-America Premier
Equity Fund, a major Comcast shareholder, the AT&T shareholders will lose
with lower Comcast shares. For Comcast, van Hart says, "the answer is do
nothing. I'm serious, dead serious."
[SOURCE: The Wall Street Journal, AUTHORS: Nikhil Deogun, Deborah Solomon
And Ken Brown]
(http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB99542284689970973.htm)

JOURNALISM

KATHERINE GRAHAM DIES AT 84
Issue: Newspapers
In a moment of personal loss for the Washington Post, the paper today
devotes much ink to the life and death of Mrs. Katherine Graham. Mrs.
Graham, 84, who led The Washington Post Co. to prominence in the worlds of
journalism and business, died yesterday morning in Boise, Idaho. Mrs. Graham
was chairman and chief executive officer of The Post Co. and publisher of
The Washington Post. Under her watch the Post achieved some of its greatest
journalistic moments, including the publishing of the Pentagon Papers and
later its coverage of the Watergate scandal which led to Richard Nixon's
resignation from the presidency. Celebrated for her commitment to her
journalists, Mrs. Graham also led the Post to new heights in business during
her three decades of leadership, the Post's revenue grew nearly twentyfold,
the company acquired numerous new businesses, and it became a public
corporation listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: J.Y. Smith and Noel Epstein]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A9198-2001Jul17.html)

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