1. Monthly archive
  2. December 2001

December 2001

Communications-related Headlines for 12/21/01

INTERNET
Freenets Getting a New Lease on Life (LA)
The Chinese Connection Wiring the People's Republic (SF)
Using E-Mail to Count Connections (NYT)
Commerce Dept. Hears Broadband Arguments (WP)

MERGER
AT&T and Comcast Merger: New Mega-Gatekeeper A Threat to the
Internet (CDD)

SPECTRUM
Wireless Deal Falls Apart in Congress (WP)

INTERNET

FREENETS GETTING A NEW LEASE ON LIFE
Issue: Digital Divide
For many Americans, an Internet connection has become a critical tool, but
many cannot easily afford it. With standard access rates averaging more than
$200 a year, it's easier for people of limited means to get a computer than
it is to maintain an Internet connection. As most free commercial Internet
providers have bit the dust, the freenet movement is being resurrected in
America, after years of decline. Freenets, which offer cheap or free
Internet service and are usually staffed by volunteers, began in Cleveland
in 1986. Over the next decade, thousands of community-based network
providers sprang up all over the country. But when companies such as Juno
and NetZero started giving away Internet, most of the freenets withered
away. A few survived, however, and with the need for low-cost Internet
access still acute today, these organizations are answering the call.
[SOURCE: La Times, AUTHOR: Dave Wilson]
(http://www.latimes.com/technology/la-000100643dec20.story?coll=la%2Dheadlin
es%2Dtechnology)

THE CHINESE CONNECTION WIRING THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC
Issue: Internet
In less than 10 years, the Internet will go Chinese. In July, the World
Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) predicted that Chinese would
become the most used language on the Web as early as 2007. China has long
had a love-hate relationship with personal computing and the Internet -
seeing the Web and e-commerce as tools for economic growth, but also as
threat to the ridged government control of information. China has attempted
to keep close reins on citizens access to the Internet. Western news sites
including CNN, the BBC and Reuters are routinely blocked, as are those of
dissident groups like the outlawed spiritual movement Falun Gong. So while
Chinese might become the most-used language on the Internet within the next
few years, the majority of those Chinese speakers might be surfing a
significantly different Web than the rest of us.
[SOURCE: San Francisco Gate, AUTHOR: Neil McAllister]
(http://www.sfgate.com/technology/expound/)

USING E-MAIL TO COUNT CONNECTIONS
Issue: Internet
A team of sociologists at Columbia University led by Duncan Watts, an
assistant professor of sociology and author of "Small Worlds: The Dynamics
of Networks Between Order and Randomness," is trying to assess the
six-degrees hypothesis on a large scale, using e- mail as the medium for
building the chains. The researchers hope to learn how social networks are
structured, and also to investigate whether useful parallels can be drawn
between human social webs and engineered systems like distributed computer
networks. The original theory of "six-degrees of separation" was developed
in the 1960's by Stanley Milgram, a social psychologist who suggested that
every person in the United States is connected through a chain of, at most,
six people. His study, done in 1967, was conducted through chain letters.
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Sarah Milstein]
(http://www.nytimes.com/2001/12/20/technology/circuits/20STUD.html)
(requires registration)

COMMERCE DEPT. HEARS BROADBAND ARGUMENTS
Issue: Broadband
The Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and Information
Administration (NTIA) Thursday closed its window for taking comments on how
it should shape its broadband policy. The request for comments, originally
made on Nov. 16, comes at a time when the House of Representatives is
preparing for an early spring vote on the Tauzin-Dingell bill, which would
increase the ability of incumbent local service providers - namely the Baby
Bells - to offer countrywide DSL high-speed Internet access in competition
with cable, wireless and other companies. Many competitive local
telecommunications companies and long-distance companies, are opposed to
this, however, saying that the Baby Bells must abide by the market-opening
requirements of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 before receiving
long-distance approval for DSL services. "Studies show demand for broadband
is still low," said John Windhausen, president of the Association of Local
Telecommunications Services (ALTS), an opponent of the Tauzin-Dingell bill.
"There is no benefit to artificially stimulating the availability of
broadband to consumers that have little or no interest in subscribing, but
there is great risk in adopting policies that limit competition or
competitive access to necessary facilities."
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Robert MacMillan,
(Newsbytes.com)]
(http://www.washtech.com/news/regulation/14286-1.html)

MERGER

AT&T AND COMCAST MERGER: NEW MEGA-GATEKEEPER A THREAT TO THE INTERNET
Issue: Merger
The Center for Digital Democracy, a public interest group based in
Washington, D.C., warned that the merger between the Comcast and AT&T Cable
"will create a media behemoth which threatens to undermine competition and
diversity in both the cable TV programming field and the emerging
interactive broadband marketplace." More information at URL below.
[SOURCE: Center for Digital Democracy]
(http://www.democraticmedia.org/news/attcomcastmerger.html)

SPECTRUM

WIRELESS DEAL FALLS APART IN CONGRESS
Issue: Spectrum
A $16 billion settlement that would put valuable airwaves in the hands of
giant mobile phone companies is now effectively dead because Congress failed
to approve it. The deal was supposed to resolve a long-running dispute
between NextWave Telecom Inc. and the federal government, but members of
Congress said they needed more time to examine the complex arrangement,
which involves Verizon Wireless and companies backed by Cingular Wireless
and AT&T Wireless. Stipulations of the deal said that Congress had to
approve it by Dec. 31. NextWave acquired the rights to the airwaves by
bidding $4.7 billion at an auction in 1996. But after making a $500 million
down payment, NextWave defaulted on the rest of the money it owed the
government and eventually filed for bankruptcy. The Federal Communications
Commission and NextWave have been battling for control of the airwaves ever
since.
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Christopher Stern]
(http://www.nytimes.com/2001/12/21/technology/21SPEC.html)
(requires registration)

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

Communications-related Headlines for 12/20/01

MERGER
Comcast Wins Bid For AT&T's Cable Unit (NYT)

INTERNET
Diverse Consumer Coalition Launches Privacy Education Site (WP)
Communal Broadbrand (SF)
Women Catch Up On Net Use (BBC)

SECURITY
Electronic Communications Networks in the Wake of September 11th
(HOUSE)

MERGER

COMCAST WINS BID FOR AT&T'S CABLE UNIT
Issue: Merger
AT&T agreed yesterday to sell its cable television business, the nation's
largest, to the Comcast Corporation for about $47 billion in stock. The deal
would create a cable giant with more than 22 million subscribers, almost
twice the size of the next-biggest cable operator, AOL Time Warner, which
was a losing bidder in the deal. The combined company, to be called the AT&T
Comcast Corporation, would have lines into one-fifth of the nation's homes -
links capable of providing not only cable television programs but high-speed
Internet access and, in some cases, telephone service. Despite combining the
No. 1 and No. 3 cable companies, the merger is not expected to encounter
serious obstacles among regulators. Policy analysts noted that recent court
decisions favorable to the cable industry and the leanings of the Bush
administration have created a new era of deregulation in the communications
industry.
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Seth Schiesel and Andrew Ross Sorkin]
(Http://Www.Nytimes.Com/2001/12/20/Business/Media/20CABL.Html)
(Requires Registration)

INTERNET

DIVERSE CONSUMER COALITION LAUNCHES PRIVACY EDUCATION SITE
Issue: Privacy
As the holiday shopping season shifts into high gear, a diverse coalition of
consumer rights groups is launching a Web site designed to educate Net users
about ways to control their personal information online. The new Web site,
www.consumerprivacyguide.org, offers tips for understanding the fundamentals
of online privacy - such as how to read a privacy policy - as well as advice
on using more sophisticated privacy tools, including anonymous remailers and
encryption. The site was launched by the Center for Democracy & Technology
with the support of more than a half-dozen other privacy and consumer rights
organizations, many of whom endorse fairly divergent views on Congress' role
in protecting consumer privacy online. "Online privacy is clearly one of the
emerging civil rights issues with implications for business, for our
politics, and government, and there needs to be a voice for empowering
citizens in this debate," said Scott Harshbarger, president of Common Cause,
one of the site's sponsors. "While legislation may be needed, we know that
at a minimum we can help by making this information available."
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Brian Krebs (Newsbytes.com)]
(Http://Www.Washtech.Com/News/Regulation/14248-1.Html)

COMMUNAL BROADBRAND
Issue: Broadband
With the dropping cost of rigging local-area, high-speed wireless networks,
some tech-savvy Bay Area neighbors are finding economies in sharing
broadband Internet service. The technology that enables this sharing is
802.11, also known as Wi-Fi, and has range of little more than 100 feet. The
gear is designed to help users wirelessly connect their broadband-linked
desktop computer to laptops, PDAs or other peripherals, but some are using
the technology to share his broadband Internet connection with their
neighbors. While cable modem carriers such as AT&T may have stringent rules
about sharing bandwidth outside the customer's home, some DSL providers are
lax about the issue.
[SOURCE: SFGate, AUTHOR: Matthew Yi]
(Http://Www.Sfgate.Com/Cgi-Bin/Article.Cgi?F=/C/A/2001/12/19/BU44717.DTL)

WOMEN CATCH UP ON NET USE
Issue: Internet
Women in Britain are catching up with men when it comes to logging on to the
Internet, according to research. Figures from the Office of National
Statistics show a steady increase in the number of people using the Internet
in Britain. But the number of women using the Web leapt 12% on last year
compared with a minimal change in figures for men. Statistician June Bowman,
who compiled the figures, said that while "Income is still a strong
determinant of internet access in the home," she believes the divisions are
getting smaller.
[SOURCE: BBC]
(Http://News.Bbc.Co.Uk/Hi/English/Uk/Newsid_1717000/1717424.Stm)

SECURITY

ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS NETWORKS IN THE WAKE OF SEPTEMBER 11TH
Issue: Security
On December 19, the House Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Consumer
Protection heard testimony on electronic communications networks in the wake
of September 11th. An audio archive of the hearing is available at the URL
below.
[SOURCE: House of Representatives]
(http://energycommerce.house.gov/107/hearings/12192001Hearing458/hearing.htm
)

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

Communications-related Headlines for 12/19/01

DIGITAL DIVIDE
Internet In Iraq: Limited, Appreciated (CNN)

BROADBAND
AT&T Broadband's Fate In Execs' Hands (CNET)
Deployment of Broadband Networks and Advanced Telecommunications
(NTIA)

OWNERSHIP
Powell Rushes Through Deregulation, Skirts Appropriate Procedures
(MAP)

DIGITAL DIVIDE

INTERNET IN IRAQ: LIMITED, APPRECIATED
Issue: Digital Divide
In Iraq, the only way citizens can access the Internet is from so
government-run Internet cafes. Private links to the Web have yet to be
introduced. Satellite dishes and modems are also banned and special
permission is needed to install a fax. Local media are either state-run or
sponsored by the ruling party and present the official version of the news.
The Internet provides a window to other worlds, albeit a small one and for
few people. Whatever the limitations, the Internet is prized by those Iraqis
with access. Engineering student Talib Dagher Kathim sees the Internet as
the only gate to a better future. "Sanctions have isolated the country ...
but the Internet opened a new door for knowledge and my ambition has no
limits," said Kathim, who wants to study abroad because of "the scientific
development there."
[SOURCE: CNN]
(http://www.cnn.com/2001/TECH/internet/12/15/iraq.internet.ap/index.html)

BROADBAND

AT&T BROADBAND'S FATE IN EXECS' HANDS
Issue: Broadband
The fate of AT&T's cable television unit remained in limbo Tuesday evening
as three suitors scrambled to make last-minute changes to their takeover
proposals, hoping to win favor with two executives who wield tremendous
influence over the decision, sources familiar with the situation said.
AT&T's board is expected to decide whether to sell or spin off AT&T
Broadband at a daylong board meeting on Wednesday. But the ultimate vote
appears to hinge largely on a recommendation from AT&T Chairman C. Michael
Armstrong, and Chief Financial Officer Chuck Noski, who were still mulling
their decision Tuesday evening, sources said.
[SOURCE: CNet , AUTHOR: Reuters]
(http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1004-200-8228382.html?tag=mn_hd)

DEPLOYMENT OF BROADBAND NETWORKS AND ADVANCED TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Issue: Broadband
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has
invited interested parties to comment on broadband deployment in the United
States. All comments, which are due December 19, 2001, will be posted on the
NTIA website.
[SOURCE: NTIA]
(http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/broadband/index.html)

OWNERSHIP

POWELL RUSHES THROUGH DEREGULATION, SKIRTS APPROPRIATE PROCEDURES
Issue: Ownership
On Monday December 17, 2001, the Federal Communications Commission released
an order reinstating the single majority shareholder exemption for broadcast
stations and cable/multipoint distribution service (MDS), thus loosening
rules it had recently strengthened. The repeal of this important ownership
rule before receiving comments from the public represents an abrupt
departure from standard administrative procedure, under which federal
agencies change rules after receiving comment and weighing the record.
[SOURCE: Media Access Project]
(http://www.mediaaccess.org/press/singlemajsharepressrelease.doc)

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

Communications-related Headlines for 12/18/01

DIGITAL DIVIDE
FCC: Rural Alaskan Residents Can Hook Into Internet Through Schools
(Eschool)

COPYRIGHT
A Call to End Copyright Confusion (WIRED)

OWNERSHIP
Group Urges Public to Protest Further Cable Industry Concentration
(CDD)

ANTITRUST
States Line Up Witnesses Against Microsoft (WP)

DIGITAL DIVIDE

FCC: RURAL ALASKAN RESIDENTS CAN HOOK INTO INTERNET THROUGH SCHOOLS
Issue: Digital Divide
A new ruling by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) opens the
possibility for residents in remote rural areas to connect to the Internet
after hours from their local school or library. In a unanimous ruling
released Dec. 3, the FCC approved a petition from the state of Alaska to let
its residents use excess capacity from a school's or library's eRate-funded
internet connection-but only when the school or library is not in session,
and only if this extra use doesn't result in an extra fee. "Allowing
Alaskans in remote communities without toll-free dial-up service to
piggy-back on the Internet access that is already available in schools is a
win-win situation for all of us in terms of distance learning, economic
development, and communication between Alaska's many regions," said Lt. Gov.
Fran Ulmer. Norris Dickard, a senior associate at the Benton Foundation,
said he agrees wholeheartedly with the FCC's decision. "As is common in many
rural areas, the school is the center of the community," Dickard said.
"Residents of Alaska will be able to take advantage of the unused
telecommunications capacity that the eRate has made possible, without the
restriction that it be used solely for education."
[SOURCE: Center for Digital Democracy]
(http:/www.eschoolnews.com/news/showStory.cfm?ArticleID=3379)

COPYRIGHT

A CALL TO END COPYRIGHT CONFUSION
Issue: Copyright
Jack Valenti predicts that Congress will require copy-protection controls in
nearly all consumer electronic devices and PCs. The President of the Motion
Picture Association of America warned technology firms to move quickly to
choose standards for wrapping digital content in uncopyable layers of
encryption or the federal government will do it for them. Valenti's remarks
came during a one-day workshop titled "Understanding Broadband Demand:
Digital Content and Rights Management," organized by the U.S. Commerce
Department. Congress is currently considering legislation to embed digital
rights management in any "interactive digital device," from personal
computers to wristwatches. Sen. Fritz Hollings (D-South Carolina) has
circulated drafts of his bill, the Security Systems Standards and
Certification Act (SSSCA), which is on hold until Congress is done with
spending measures and work related to Sept. 11. Academics and free-speech
groups such as the Electronic Frontier Foundation are very critical of the
SSSCA.
[SOURCE: Wired, AUTHOR: Declan McCullagh and Ben Polen]
(http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,49201,00.html)

OWNERSHIP

GROUP URGES PUBLIC TO PROTEST FURTHER CABLE INDUSTRY CONCENTRATION
Issue: Ownership
The Center for Digital Democracy urged the American public to oppose
proposals by the FCC and the cable industry that would eventually allow two
companies to own all of the nation's cable TV systems. With a January 4,
2002 FCC deadline looming, citizens still have time to file Comments in this
critical proceeding, said Jeff Chester, executive director of CDD.
[SOURCE: Center for Digital Democracy]
(http://www.democraticmedia.org/getinvolved/index.html)

ANTITRUST

STATES LINE UP WITNESSES AGAINST MICROSOFT
Issue: Antitrust
Local Baby Bell giant SBC Communications will be among companies joining
tech heavyweights Sun Microsystems, Red Hat and Novell and others in
testifying on behalf of nine states and the District of Columbia, all of
which have opted out of the proposed Microsoft settlement. The states, which
have declined to participate in a proposed settlement of antitrust charges
against Microsoft, want Microsoft to disclose the source code for its
Internet Explorer Web browser, and sell stripped-down versions of its
Windows operating system that would allow computer manufacturers to
substitute rival browsers, media players and other software applications.
The Justice Department and several other states reached a settlement that
the states and many observers feel is inadequate.
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Brian Krebs and Robert MacMillan
(Newsbytes.com)]
(http://www.washtech.com/news/regulation/14226-1.html)

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

Communications-related Headlines for 12/17/01

COPYRIGHT
Why College Radio Fears The DMCA (Salon)

E-GOVERNMENT
An E-Government Pill For The Tech Sector (CNET)

MERGER
Vivendi Unveils $10.3 Billion Deal With USA Networks (NYT)

COPYRIGHT

WHY COLLEGE RADIO FEARS THE DMCA
Issue: Copyright
Internet radio broadcasts once represented the promise of free flow of
information over the Web. But if a 1998 federal law is fully enforced,
webcasting could be just a fond memory for college radio. Under the terms of
the 1998 Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), radio stations must pay
thousands of dollars in annual fees to broadcast streaming audio over the
Web. Under long-standing U.S. copyright law, broadcasters pay a coalition of
songwriters' groups, but not record companies or performers, to air music
over the Internet and the airwaves. Under the DMCA, Congress allowed
performers and record companies to start collecting fees on songs sent over
the Web. The fees, if implemented, would mean the end of webcasting at KALX,
the University of California at Berkeley's radio station, says KALX general
manager Sandra Wasson. KALX pays a total of $623 per year to songwriters (as
opposed to performers) to play music over the Web. But if the recording
industry's fee proposal goes through, KALX would have to dish out $10,000 to
$20,000 a year in webcasting fees, Wasson said.
[SOURCE: CNet, AUTHOR: Mark L. Shahinian]
(http://www.salon.com/tech/feature/2001/12/13/college_webcast/print.html)

E-GOVERNMENT

AN E-GOVERNMENT PILL FOR THE TECH SECTOR
Issue: E-Government
The federal government has unsuccessfully promoted the idea of e-government
for years, but a confluence of events may give the idea--and the tech
industry--a significant boost next year. President Bush has already made
e-government one of his top priorities, asking for $100 million over three
years to start e-government projects. A decline in corporate spending has
lead tech executives see the government as the best way to build their
businesses, and it's starting to pay off for their companies. Accenture
announced two contracts with the Department of Education on Wednesday, with
a maximum value of $234 million.
[SOURCE: CNet, AUTHOR: Larry Dignan]
(http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1007-200-8182655.html?tag=tp_pr)

MERGER

VIVENDI UNVEILS $10.3 BILLION DEAL WITH USA NETWORKS
Issue: Merger
Vivendi Universal of France, Europe's biggest media company, announced in
Paris today that it had agreed to acquire the television and film units of
USA Networks Inc. in a deal worth about $10.3 billion. Among the operations
that Vivendi has acquired from USA Networks are the USA and Sci-Fi Channel
cable networks, the film studio that produced the movie "Traffic" and the
television studio that produces "Law and Order" and the "Jerry Springer"
talk show. The company intends to combine these properties and place them in
a venture under the day-to-day control of Barry Diller, the chairman and
chief executive of USA Networks, making Mr. Diller one of the industry's
most powerful executives. The deal is an important step in Vivendi's
continuing transformation from a French water-treatment utility into one of
the world's premier media companies, able to compete against giants like AOL
Time Warner, Disney, Viacom and the News Corporation.
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Seth Schiesel]
(http://www.nytimes.com/2001/12/17/business/17CND-USA.html)
(requires registration)

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

Communications-related Headlines for 12/14/01

COPYRIGHT
Experts Say Decision Could Undermine Online Journalists (NYT)
Gov't Will Free Sklyarov In Exchange For Testimony (WP)

SPECTRUM
FCC Reallocates And Adopts Service Rules For Television Channels
52-59 (FCC)

COPYRIGHT

EXPERTS SAY DECISION COULD UNDERMINE ONLINE JOURNALISTS
Issue: Copyright
A recent federal appeals decision has free speech advocates worried that
online journalists may be prevented from using hyperlinks to direct readers
to relevant, newsworthy sites that contain illegal material. Even more
troubling, the critics say, may be an emerging double standard in the way
courts treat traditional print publishers and their online offshoots,
especially when it concerns printing a controversial address in a newspaper
vs. linking to it from a Web page. In a recent decision, a US court of
appeals ruled in favor of the Motion Picture Association of America in its
lawsuit against Eric Corley, upholding an earlier injunction barring him
from posting a software code designed to crack DVD-movie copy protection and
from knowingly linking to any other site on which the software, called
DeCSS, is posted. The decision about Corley's links to the DeCSS code
represents the first time that the federal appeals court has placed Internet
hyperlinks under a legal microscope. The court said that the functional
nature of the hyperlink distinguishes it from its non-electronic print
cousin, because a hyperlink to digital material can result in
"instantaneous worldwide distribution [of prohibited material] before any
preventative measures can be taken." Yochai Benkler, a law professor at
N.Y.U. who also submitted a friend-of-the-court brief in the DeCSS case,
arguing that the D.M.C.A. is unconstitutional, said that he believed the
Second Circuit's decision on the linking issue is "vague" and does not
contain concrete guidance for reporters. "The problem is that nobody knows
what the rules are, and in the context of the First Amendment that kind of
vagueness is a real problem," he said. "It results in a tremendous chilling
effect."
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Carl S. Kaplan]
(http://www.nytimes.com/2001/12/14/technology/circuits/14CYBERLAW.html)
(requires registration)

GOV'T WILL FREE SKLYAROV IN EXCHANGE FOR TESTIMONY
Issue: Copyright
Federal government attorneys today announced that they would drop a criminal
copyright infringement case against Russian software programmer Dmitry
Sklyarov in exchange for Sklyarov's testimony in the case against his
employer - Russian software firm Elcomsoft. Sklyarov had faced the threat of
a 25-year prison term had he been found guilty of violating the copyright
protection language of the controversial Digital Millennium Copyright Act
(DMCA). Government attorneys alleged that Elcomsoft's "Advanced eBook
Processor," which Sklyarov developed, violated U.S. copyright law by
allowing users to circumvent security features protecting Adobe eBooks.
Under the DMCA, people who provide information about how to violate
copyrights and those who design tools to crack copyrights can be held just
as liable as those who actually misappropriate copyrighted material. Shari
Steele, the executive director of San Francisco-based civil liberties group
the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), praised the exoneration of
Sklyarov, who wrote the program in Russia - which has no equivalent to the
DMCA, but blasted the government for clinging to its prosecution of
Elcomsoft.
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: David McGuire (Newsbytes.com)]
(http://www.washtech.com/news/regulation/14183-1.html)

SPECTRUM

FCC REALLOCATES AND ADOPTS SERVICE RULES FOR TELEVISION CHANNELS 52-59
Issue: Spectrum
The Federal Communication Commission (FCC) has adopted allocation and
service rules for 48 megahertz (MHz) of spectrum in the 698-746 MHz band
(Lower 700 MHz band) currently occupied by television channels 52-59 in many
markets. This spectrum is being reclaimed for new commercial services as
part of the transition of television broadcasting from analog to digital
transmission systems.
[SOURCE: FCC]
(http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Miscellaneous/News_Releases/2001/nrmc0128.html)

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

Communications-related Headlines for 12/13/01

INTERNET
E-Mail Gets The Cold Shoulder In Congress (NYT)
Independence Day For Indie Bands (WIRED)
Asian-Americans Put Lots Of Time Into Web (USA)

ANTITRUST
Microsoft, Hill Weigh In On Settlement (WP)

DIVERSITY
FCC Proposes New EEO Rules For Broadcast And Cable (FCC)

INTERNET

E-MAIL GETS THE COLD SHOULDER IN CONGRESS
Issue: Internet
Although many members of Congress asked constituents to switch to e-mail
after mail delivery to their offices was halted in October, the trend on
Capitol Hill seems to be a backlash against the medium. Ill equipped to cope
with the deluge of correspondence, many Congressional offices no longer
disclose e-mail addresses to the public. And both staff members and
lobbyists say that e-mail is far less successful than faxes, phone calls or
letters in reaching and influencing legislators. In March, a study by the
Congress Online Project found that e-mail, instead of promoting democracy,
may be having the opposite effect. In fact, because of the daunting task of
keeping up with e-mail, nearly one-third of the 100 Senate offices no longer
accept e- mail through public addresses, whereas 83 had public e-mail
addresses in 1996.
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Rebecca Fairley Raney]
(http://www.nytimes.com/2001/12/13/technology/circuits/13CONG.html)
(requires registration)

INDEPENDENCE DAY FOR INDIE BANDS
Issue: Internet
More and more unsigned musicians are beginning to tap the potential of the
Internet. Many bands have found that the Internet is a viable way to sell
music and promote themselves. The new promotional models independent
musicians and bands are using are unlikely to threaten the larger
subscription services being offered by the major music labels. But that's
not the point for many of these bands, who are eager to seize this new
opportunity to get their music out without giving up control has been a long
time in the making.
[SOURCE: Wired, AUTHOR: Brad King]
(http://www.wired.com/news/mp3/0,1285,49103,00.html)

ASIAN-AMERICANS PUT LOTS OF TIME INTO WEB
Issue: Internet
Not just are there higher percentages of English-speaking Asian-Americans
online than whites, blacks or English-speaking Hispanics, they also spend
more time online than any of those groups. That's according to a report by
the Pew Internet & American Life Project, out today. There may be cultural
reasons for Asians' prominence on the Net, such as the high value placed on
education and technology, but the main reason is probably wealth and
education level, according to report author Tom Spooner. Asian-Americans
also tend to be a younger population than the other ethnic groups studied;
most studies agree that younger people who come from wealthier,
well-educated backgrounds tend to be online more, Spooner says.
[SOURCE: USAToday, AUTHOR: Janet Kornblum]
(http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20011213/3696771s.htm)

ANTITRUST

MICROSOFT, HILL WEIGH IN ON SETTLEMENT
Issue: Antitrust
As Microsoft urged a federal judge yesterday to accept its antitrust
settlement with federal prosecutors, on Capitol Hill members of the Senate
Judiciary Committee raised questions about weather the agreement would
restore competition to the software market. "I find many of the terms of the
settlement to be either confusingly vague, subject to manipulation or both,"
said the committee chairman, Sen. Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.). "I want an end
to this thing, but an end to it where we know what the rules are going to
be." Nine states and the District of Columbia rejected the agreement that
the company struck last month with the Justice Department and several other
states, deeming it inadequate and filled with loopholes. Congress has no
influence over whether the agreement is accepted by the court; the judge
must determine whether it is in the public interest.
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Jonathan Krim]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A34482-2001Dec12.html)

DIVERSITY

FCC PROPOSES NEW EEO RULES FOR BROADCAST AND CABLE
Issue:
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) today adopted a Second Notice of
Proposed Rule Making seeking comments on new equal employment opportunity
(EEO) rules for broadcast and cable, including multichannel video program
distributors. The Commission reaffirmed the Commission's long-standing anti-
discrimination rule and proposed to require broad outreach to all qualified
job candidates for positions at radio, television and cable companies.
[SOURCE: FCC]
(http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Mass_Media/News_Releases/2001/nrmm0117.html)

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

Communications-related Headlines for 12/12/01

DIGITAL DIVIDE=20
Study: Minorities Get Better Auto Deals Online (CNET)
Brazil's Dulcet Tones of Tech (WIRED)=20
New British Payphones to Offer Internet Access (SJM)

PRIVACY
Consumers Concerned About Internet Security - Poll (WP)
MS TV: It'll Be Watching You (WIRED)

DIGITAL DIVIDE=20

STUDY: MINORITIES GET BETTER AUTO DEALS ONLINE=20
Issue: Digital Divide=20
Women and minority generally pay more than white men when buying the =
same
cars, but according to a study released Tuesday, they can erase that
difference by buying over the Internet rather than through car =
dealerships.
The study, conducted by researchers at the University of California's =
Haas
School of Business, the Yale School of Management and J.D. Powers and
Associates, concluded the Internet serves as an "equalizer" for car =
buyers
whose demographic characteristics can end up costing them at regular
dealerships. The new data indicate that minority car buyers pay about 2
percent more than white consumers, or about $500 for the average car, =
at
dealerships. The researchers attributed the difference in purchase =
price to
differing income, education and search costs on the part of the =
minority
buyers. Using data from Autobytel.com, a large online car-buying =
service,
the study found that women and minority online shoppers paid the same =
prices
as non-minorities, regardless of their education, income and search =
costs.
Florian Zettelmeyer, a Berkeley marketing professor who helped conduct =
the
research, said the Internet could be expected to have the same =
"equalizing"
effect in other purchases--such as insurance--where negotiation and
information on different rates help to determine the final price. "The
'digital divide' indicates that disadvantaged minorities are less =
likely to
use the Internet. But this shows that if they do, they tend to benefit =
more
than whites," Zettelmeyer said. "Hopefully, policy makers will realize =
that
there is a real benefit here from making sure that the digital divide =
gets
eliminated."=20
[SOURCE: CNet, AUTHOR: Reuters]
(http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1007-200-8146850.html?tag=3Dmn_hd)

BRAZIL'S DULCET TONES OF TECH
Issue: Digital Divide=20
In a poor neighborhood in the city of Olinda, Brazil artists, dancers =
and
musicians are embracing technology as a way to help youth imagine a way =
out
of poverty. A group called Le=E3o Coroado, which has sung and danced
"maracatu" since 1863, is trying to fight poverty and violence by using =
its
music, and now technology, to educate the community. Le=E3o Coroado is
implementing a technology infrastructure in which volunteers teach =
local
residents the basics of how to work with computers and the Internet. =
These
students then become the volunteer teachers, which begins a cycle that
continues until the group can start to charge a small fee for its work =
that
includes creating websites and editing digital music. The initiative =
has
received some funding from Brazilian institutions, such as CDI =
(Committee
for the Technology Democratization). "We don't want to only teach them =
how
to handle computers. We also want to create social entrepreneurs, =
people
that can organize, manage and assume social investments and initiatives =
in
the area," said Paulo Henrique Araripe, executive-coordinator for the =
CDI in
Pernambuco. "We're giving them tools that might let them leave the =
actual
situation of exclusion they're in."=20
[SOURCE: Wired, AUTHOR: Paulo Reb=EAlo]
(http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,48362,00.html)

NEW BRITISH PAYPHONES TO OFFER INTERNET ACCESS
Issue: Digital Divide=20
British telecom equipment maker Marconi Plc and telecom giant unveiled =
today
plans to install a network of 28,000 Internet-ready payphones across
Britain. The companies said they were to introduce the new phones, =
which
would offer full online access and traditional voice services, from =
next
April and roll them out over five years. Wednesday's news came exactly =
100
years to the day after Guglielmo Marconi, founder of Marconi's =
predecessor
company, invented radio with three faint clicks heard across the =
Atlantic.
[SOURCE: San Jose Mercury, AUTHOR: Dan Lalor (Reuters)]
(http://www.siliconvalley.com/docs/news/reuters_wire/1702303l.htm)

PRIVACY=20

CONSUMERS CONCERNED ABOUT INTERNET SECURITY - POLL
Issue: Security=20
More than 70 percent of Americans are at least "somewhat concerned" =
about
Internet and computer security in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks,
according to the poll, which was sponsored by the Information =
Technology
Association of America and security firm Tumbleweed Communications. =
Roughly
74 percent of Americans are worried that the information they give out
online could be stolen or misused, the poll found. The poll also =
highlighted
a potential public relations headache for the federal government, as it
indicated that 78 percent of Americans were concerned that their
government-held personal data could be misused in the future.=20
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: David McGuire (Newsbytes.com)]
(http://www.washtech.com/news/regulation/14134-1.html)

MS TV: IT'LL BE WATCHING YOU
Issue: Privacy
Microsoft announced on Tuesday it will be using Predictive Networks'
technology to track the viewing habits of people who use Microsoft TV
interactive television products. Scott Oddo, director of research at
Predictive Networks, said the collected information does not connect
viewers' interests to their names or other personally identifiable
information. While the technology doesn't track "what Joe Smith was =
watching
last Tuesday," he said, it could tell that "Joe watches a lot of =
baseball,
likes Situation Comedies, and responds favorably to commercials that =
use
humor."
[SOURCE: Wired, AUTHOR: Michelle Delio]
(http://www.wired.com/news/privacy/0,1848,49028,00.html)

--------------------------------------------------------------=20

Communications-related Headlines for 12/11/01

INTERNET
The Broadband Economy (NYT)
Study: Teens Turn to Web For Health-Related Issues (SJM)
First U.S. Web Page Went Up 10 Years Ago (USA)

OWNERSHIP
Public Interest Urge FCC to Keep Newspaper Broadcast Ownership Rules
(MAP)

PRIVACY
Online Privacy Policies Apply To Offline Data Practices - FTC (WP)

INTERNET

THE BROADBAND ECONOMY
Issue: Broadband
According to author Karen Kornbluh, broadband "is integral to the
improvement of the American economy." Kornbluth urges government to
implement a "bold broadband strategy." She suggests that the government
needs to play a more active role in broadband deployment, just as it has
done with the development other essential infrastructure, like railroads and
phone service. "And if the cost of deploying broadband connections in some
areas is more than consumers can pay," Kornbluth writes, "the answer is for
the government to provide a subsidy - targeted at sparsely populated regions
of the country, at low-income users, or both." She concludes: "The broadband
network - the infrastructure of the 21st century - lies beneath our feet. A
good economic stimulus plan would start the process of bringing this
resource to the surface."
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Karen Kornbluh (Fellow at the New America
Foundation and former deputy chief of staff in the Treasury Department)]
(http://www.nytimes.com/2001/12/10/opinion/10KORN.html)
(requires registration)

STUDY: TEENS TURN TO WEB FOR HEALTH-RELATED ISSUES
Issue: Internet/Health
According to a national survey from the Kaiser Family Foundation released on
Tuesday, teens and young adults are flocking to the Web for health-related
information as much as they are downloading music and playing games online
and more often than shopping online. The survey found that one in four
people 15 to 24 years old say that they get ``a lot'' of health information
online and nearly 40 percent of them say they have changed their own
behavior because of information they found on the Web. ``Confidentiality is
so important and at this point most young people have faith that the
Internet offers them that confidentiality,'' said Victoria Rideout, vice
president and director of the program for the Study of Entertainment Media
and Health at the foundation. Among 15 to 17 year-olds who were looking for
health information online, nearly half said they have experienced being
blocked from sites that they said were non-pornographic due to filtering,
the survey found.
[SOURCE: San Jose Mercury, AUTHOR: RESHMA KAPADIA (Reuters)]
(http://www.siliconvalley.com/docs/news/reuters_wire/1701110l.htm)

FIRST U.S. WEB PAGE WENT UP 10 YEARS AGO
Issue: Internet
Wednesday marks the 10th anniversary of the first U.S. Web page, created by
Paul Kunz, a physicist at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC).
Kunz went home and created what was to become the first Web page on a U.S.
computer; it gave scientists easy access to SLAC's database of physics
papers. World Wide Web creator Tim Berners-Lee demonstrated Kunz's Web page
in front of scientists at a conference in France. ''It was a very dramatic
moment,'' Kunz says. ''I realized without that last piece in the demo people
would have forgotten about the Web before they got home.'' Instead, they
went home and told all their colleagues. Then they started creating their
own pages, and the rest, as they say, is history.
[SOURCE: USAToday, AUTHOR: Janet Kornblum]
(http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20011211/3688938s.htm)

OWNERSHIP

PUBLIC INTEREST URGE FCC TO KEEP NEWSPAPER BROADCAST OWNERSHIP RULES
Issue: Ownership
Several public interest groups, including the Consumers Union, the Consumer
Federation of America and the Media Access Project filed comments with the
FCC urging it not to abandon rules that restrict cross-ownership between
newspapers andbroadcasters
within the same market. Full comments can be found at URL below.
[SOURCE: Media Access Project
(http://www.mediaaccess.org/filings/consumers_union_et_al_nbco_comments.pdf)

PRIVACY

ONLINE PRIVACY POLICIES APPLY TO OFFLINE DATA PRACTICES - FTC
Issue: Privacy
Speaking at a Q&A session following his speech at the Promotion Marketing
Association's annual meeting in Washington, D.C., Howard Beales, the Federal
Trade Commission's consumer protection chief, said the commission would
consider privacy policies posted on a company's Web site to represent its
offline data collection, use and disclosure practices, without clear
disclosure to the contrary. That statement was taken by people at the
meeting as significant because up until now industries have considered a
privacy policy to apply to online activities only, whereas offline privacy
has been considered almost entirely unregulated, said Reed Freeman, a
partner at the Washington, D.C. law firm of Collier Shannon Scott LLC. FTC
Chairman Timothy Muris in early reverses his predecessor's call for federal
privacy legislation, saying he believed on- and off-line privacy violations
could be adequately addressed by stepping up enforcement of existing
consumer protection laws. In order to make those laws work, Muris promised
to increase the amount the agency spends on privacy enforcement by 50
percent.
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Brian Krebs (Newsbytes.com)]
(http://www.washtech.com/news/regulation/14125-1.html)

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

Communications-related Headlines for 12/10/01

BROADBAND
Tight Bandwidth Snarls Web Traffic in Middle East (NYT)=20
"Removing Roadblocks To Broadband Deployment" (NTIA)=20
AT&T Finds Cable TV Bids Unacceptable (NYT)

DIGITAL DIVIDE
Reflections of a Peru Web Pioneer (WIRED)=20
Microsoft to Amend Schools Settlement Plan (CNET)

JOURNALISM=20
Pentagon Says It Will Remove Some Obstacles to Covering War (NYT)

BROADBAND

TIGHT BANDWIDTH SNARLS WEB TRAFFIC IN MIDDLE EAST
Issue: Broadband=20
In addition government censorship, access to electronic information in =
the
Arab Middle East is also restricted by severe network bottlenecks. The
Middle East, in fact, may be the only region in the world with a =
bandwidth
shortage. The rapid expansion of fiber optic systems in the late 1990's
resulted in a bandwidth glut in the United States and Europe, forcing =
some
carriers into bankruptcy. But the Arab countries of the Middle East,
including those in North Africa, with a few exceptions, are facing a
different problem, according to a report expected to be released today =
by
Pyramid Research. Part of the problem stems from the reluctance of most
countries in the Middle East to award multiple licenses to companies =
seeking
to operate international Internet gateways, since most prefer to =
maintain
domestic monopolies.
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Simon Romero]
(http://www.nytimes.com/2001/12/10/technology/10GLUT.html)
(requires registration)

AT&T FINDS CABLE TV BIDS UNACCEPTABLE
Issue: Broadband=20
AT&T has reviewed the three competing bids for its cable television
business, the nation's largest, and found all of them inadequate. =
People
close to the deliberations said it is beginning to seem that AT&T is =
once
again leaning toward a spinoff of its cable business into an =
independent
company. Whatever happens next, there is a good chance that Microsoft =
may
end up with a bigger stake in AT&T's cable business. Microsoft is =
looking to
expand its presence in the cable business - it is already a minority
stakeholder in AT&T, Comcast and Cox - and has offered to contribute =
cash in
support of both the Comcast and Cox bids. And if AT&T decides instead =
to
proceed with a spinoff of the cable business, Microsoft has indicated =
that
it would be willing to pay AT&T billions of dollars directly to =
increase its
stake in the unit, according to people close to the negotiations.
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Seth Schiesel And Andrew Ross Sorkin]
(http://www.nytimes.com/2001/12/10/technology/ebusiness/10ATT.html)
(requires registration)

"REMOVING ROADBLOCKS TO BROADBAND DEPLOYMENT"=20
Issue: Broadband=20
Nancy J. Victory, Assistant Secretary for Communications and =
Information,
U. S. Department of Commerce spoken on "Removing Roadblocks to =
Broadband
Deployment" before the Competition Policy Institute's Conference =
"Keeping
Telecom Competition on Track," December 6. Full Text of speech can be =
found
at URL below.=20
[SOURCE: NTIA]
(http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/speeches/2001/cpi_120601.htm)

DIGITAL DIVIDE

REFLECTIONS OF A PERU WEB PIONEER
Issue: Digital Divide=20
Jos=E9 Soriano thinks anyone should be able to access the Internet, not =
only
those who can afford a computer. That is why he created the Peruvian
Scientific Net (RCP) in December 1991, just after the creation of the =
World
Wide Web, and gave Web access to half a million Peruvians. Soriano's =
idea
was to build public Internet booths (much like cybercafes), making Net
access cheap. Thousand of these booths, called cabinas p=FAblicas, were =
built
all over Per=FA. "We want to give people tools and knowledge about how =
to use
them, in a way it makes sense to them. That is the only way people will =
get
near technology, use it for their own good and be self-relying," said =
Jos=E9
Soriano recently in Buenos Aires, where he arrived for the opening of a
community center much like the ones he helped build. The model is also =
being
applied in El Salvador.
[SOURCE: Wired, AUTHOR: Ricardo Sametband]
(http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,48634,00.html)

MICROSOFT TO AMEND SCHOOLS SETTLEMENT PLAN
Issue: EdTech/ Digital Divide
Last month, attorneys for Microsoft and plaintiffs cut a deal agreeing =
to
set up a private foundation to aid needy schools and donate an =
estimated $1
billion in money, software, services and training over five years. Now,
lawyers for both sides plan to announce changes intended to respond to =
some
of the most sharply criticized aspects of the deal: How much choice is
afforded the schools and how funds are to be used for training. Under =
the
refined terms, U.S. District Judge J. Frederick Motz would determine =
who
would be the members of the foundation's five-member board based on
nominations made by plaintiff attorneys, Microsoft and five educational
associations. Another change would give the foundation complete control =
over
the training component of the settlement, rather than Microsoft. But
training, at $90 million, is paltry, critics charge. "Usually, you can
figure spending about $3 in training for every dollar on software," =
said
Gartner analyst Michael Silver. Using that guideline, training should =
be at
least $1.5 billion, given the $500 million worth of software Microsoft =
plans
to donate. The donations would go to public elementary and secondary =
schools
at which 70 percent of students are eligible for federal meal =
assistance, or
approximately 14 percent of the nation's schools, according to =
Microsoft.=20
[SOURCE: CNet, AUTHOR: Joe Wilcox]
(http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1003-200-8122504.html?tag=3Dmn_hd)
See Also:
MICROSOFT'S SETTLEMENT EFFORTS FACE BATTLES IN CONGRESS, BRUSSELS, =
BALTIMORE

[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal , AUTHOR: John R. Wilke]
(http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB1007754023511218760.htm)
(requires subscription)

JOURNALISM=20

PENTAGON SAYS IT WILL REMOVE SOME OBSTACLES TO COVERING WAR
Issue: Journalism
From the earliest days of the war, journalists have complained about a
severe information drought at the Pentagon. Defense officials would not =
let
reporters accompany troops in the initial overseas military deployment =
after
Sept. 11 and have since based pool reporters at a single United States
operating base in Afghanistan. Officials defended the stringent =
policies by
saying that the often covert nature of the war has made sharing too =
much
with news organizations a risky proposition for United States troops. =
But
news media complaints peaked on Wednesday when reporters stationed at a
front-line base of operations called Rhino were confined in a warehouse =
as
dead and wounded United States troops accidentally struck by an =
American
bomb were returned to the camp. Military officials later said that =
reporters
should have had some access, even if limited. The Pentagon has now said =
that
it would take several steps to assist the news media in Afghanistan,
including setting up public information offices in Bagram and =
Mazar-i-Sharif
and reiterating to commanders in Afghanistan that the stated press =
policy of
Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld was "maximum coverage, minimum =
hassle."
News executives said they appreciated the sentiment but did not know =
how
much things would change.=20
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Jim Rutenberg]
(http://www.nytimes.com/2001/12/10/national/10APOL.html )
(requires registration)

--------------------------------------------------------------=20

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