1. Monthly archive
  2. March 2003

March 2003

Communications-Related Headlines for March 18, 2003

DIGITAL DIVIDE
NTIA Announces 2003 TOP Grant Round
United Way to Bring Wireless Internet to Poor Philly Neighborhoods
New 'Digital Village' Aims to Close Computer Gap in Baltimore Latino
Community

BROADBAND
Broadband Net Begins to Fulfill Its Promise

CONTENT
Internet Censorship Explorer: Does the End Justify the Means?

DIGITAL DIVIDE

NTIA ANNOUNCES 2003 TOP GRANT ROUND
The Technology Opportunities Program (TOP) awards grants through an annual
competition. On March 17, 2003, the US Commerce Department's National
Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced the
Fiscal Year 2003 grant round for TOP. For FY 2003, approximately $12.4
million is available for matching grants. The deadline for submission is
Wednesday, April 23, 2003. The Application Kit for FY 2003 provides
information on the program, rules for applying, suggestions for preparing an
application, and the standard forms you need to prepare a TOP application.
For more information, please contact the program by email at
top( at )ntia.doc.gov.
[SOURCE: National Telecommunications and Information Administration]
(http://www.ntia.doc.gov/top/grants/grants.htm)
(http://www.ntia.doc.gov/top/grants/application.htm)

UNITED WAY TO BRING WIRELESS INTERNET TO POOR PHILLY NEIGHBORHOODS
The United Way and Wi-Fi technology are coming to two Philadelphia
neighborhoods in which many residents cannot even afford phone service. The
organization plans to install high-speed wireless antennas in the West
Powelton and Haddington sections of the city. For $5-$10 a month residents
with the right equipment will be able to access information about jobs,
daycare, education and government services. Since many of the residents
likely do not own computers with wireless receivers, the United Way plans to
begin donating such equipment, starting with 100 families this summer.
[SOURCE: USA Today, AUTHOR: Associated Press]
(http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2003-03-18-wifi-poor_x.htm)

NEW 'DIGITAL VILLAGE' AIMS TO CLOSE COMPUTER GAP IN BALTIMORE LATINO
COMMUNITY
Where once stood a library now stands a community technology center; this
building in Baltimore's Fells Point has always stood for opportunities for
the city's Latino population. Education-Based Latino Outreach, a non-profit
group, last week opened a "digital village" in the former Enoch Pratt Free
Library, which beginning in 1922 provided a chance for Latino immigrants to
learn English and prepare for citizenship exams. The center is designed to
help Spanish-speaking residents become part of the city's commerce and
culture.
[SOURCE: The Baltimore Sun, AUTHOR: Jamie Stiehm]
(http://www.sunspot.net/bal-md.eblo18mar18.story)

BROADBAND

BROADBAND NET BEGINS TO FULFILL ITS PROMISE
With broadband Internet access filtering into the consumer mainstream (23
million US homes by year's end, some predict), several content providers are
trying to meet the growing demand for broadband programming. In the past
week, news outlets, major league sports and communications services have
announced new applications aimed at consumers who have high-speed access in
the home or office. "We now have a confluence of broadband providers, PCs
equipped for same, content ... and people who have this capability," says
Paul Wiefels, of Chasm Group.
[SOURCE: USA Today, AUTHOR: Kevin Maney]
(http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2003-03-16-broadband_x.htm)

CONTENT

INTERNET CENSORSHIP EXPLORER: DOES THE END JUSTIFY THE MEANS?
The University of Toronto's Internet Censorship Explorer
(http://opennetinitiative.net/oni/ice), which helps users identify state
censorship of particular websites, has stirred controversy. While the
project has provided useful information about the kinds of sites blocked by
foreign governments, critics argue that the methods used to collect its data
amount to little more than malicious hacking. "They're obviously using
resources that would not normally be available. Using someone else's
resources without their knowledge is abhorrent to us," said Jon Asdourian, a
computer forensics examiner with Stroz-Friedberg. Project director Ronald
Diebert maintains that the technology is not used to steal data or to expose
network vulnerabilities but simply to gather empirical research on content
filtering.
[SOURCE: Wired News, AUTHOR: Patrick Di Justo]
(http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,58082,00.html)

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Communications-Related Headlines for March 17, 2003

EDTECH
PBS Opens the Doors to its Newest Educational Offering, PBS Campus
Inquiry of School Net Funding Deepens

OWNERSHIP
The High Cost of Corporate Radio

DIGITAL DIVIDE
Dr. Onno Purbo: Pushing VoIP & Wi-Fi to Bridge Indonesia's Digital
Divide

EDTECH

PBS OPENS THE DOORS TO ITS NEWEST EDUCATIONAL OFFERING, PBS CAMPUS
Today PBS announced a new Web resource, PBS Campus (www.pbs.org/campus),
which provides information about distance learning at the college level. The
site includes a searchable database of distance learning courses as well as
enrollment information. The program is a partnership between PBS, local
public TV stations and colleges nationwide: PBS offers course materials
while the institutions provide professors and award degrees.
[SOURCE: Distance-Educator.com]
(http://www.distance-educator.com/dnews/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&fil
e=article&sid=8673&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0)
(URL may need to be pasted together if broken)

INQUIRY OF SCHOOL NET FUNDING DEEPENS
The US House Committee on Energy and Commerce is investigating reports of
fraud and abuse of funds for the E-Rate program, which subsidizes Internet
access for public schools and libraries. "Targeted audits of funding
beneficiaries over the first two years identified more than $10 million in
inappropriate funding disbursements," wrote Rep. Billy Tauzin (R-LA),
chairman of the investigation subcommittee, in a letter to FCC Chairman
Michael Powell. An October report by the FCC suggested that oversight for
the program was "weak," and the commission said it is currently preparing a
response to the Tauzin letter.
[SOURCE: CNET News, AUTHOR: Declan McCullagh]
(http://news.com.com/2100-1028-992522.html)

OWNERSHIP

THE HIGH COST OF CORPORATE RADIO
(Commentary) "Since the 1930s, American law has held the broadcast airwaves
... to be the property of the American people as a whole, held in trust by
our elected national government," writes Danny Duncan Collum. Thanks to the
brief GOP revolution in the mid-1990s, the author contends, this concept has
given way to the radio market consolidation that has homogenized the very
experience of broadcast music in America, stripping local outlets of
individuality and, in effect, localism itself. The FCC's consideration of
radio ownership deregulation, among other cross-ownership rules, would
worsen the situation, he argues.
[SOURCE: Sojourners Magazine, AUTHOR: Danny Duncan Collum]
(http://www.sojo.net/index.cfm?action=magazine.article&issue=soj0303&article
=030331)

DIGITAL DIVIDE

DR. ONNO PURBO: PUSHING VoIP & WI-FI TO BRIDGE INDONESIA'S DIGITAL DIVIDE
Voice-Over-IP (VoIP) technology, which allows people to transmit voice
signals over the Internet at low costs, is helping the people of Indonesia
overcome some of the fallout from the country's recent political and
economic challenges. When the government raised rates on telephone utilities
in January, Indonesian technology activist Dr. Onno Purbo launched VoIP
Merdeka ("Liberated VoIP"), a community-based initiative to encourage
Indonesians to use VoIP. The initiative is non-commercial and run by
volunteers, relying on donated bandwidth and foregoing monetary assistance
from the government, the IMF or the World Bank. Dr. Purbo is also exploring
the use of public Wi-Fi networks to further bridge the country's digital
divide.
[SOURCE: Australia.internet.com, AUTHOR: Craig Liddell]
(http://australia.internet.com/r/article/jsp/sid/12883)

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

Communications-Related Headlines for March 14, 2003

MEDIA & SOCIETY
MTV Refuses Antiwar Commercial

DIGITAL DIVIDE
Needy Communities Empowered By World Summit Equipment

WIRELESS
Wireless Internet Industry Maps Out Wireless Access Locations

MEDIA & SOCIETY

MTV REFUSES ANTIWAR COMMERCIAL
Citing its anti-advocacy policy for advertisements, MTV refused to sell ad
time to Not in Our Name for that group's anti-war commercial. Nevertheless,
the group circumvented the network by buying time from local cable
companies, ensuring that the spot would be played during popular MTV shows
"TRL" and "Direct Effect." MTV's policy is not uncommon amongst major
networks, who avoid selling any ad space to advocates for fear that they
will have to sell time for every issue, no matter how onerous. Critics argue
that such policies stifle civic discourse, especially during this era of
media consolidation.
[SOURCE: The New York Times, AUTHOR: Nat Ives]
(http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/13/business/media/13ADCO.html?e)

DIGITAL DIVIDE

NEEDY COMMUNITIES EMPOWERED BY WORLD SUMMIT EQUIPMENT
Computer equipment used in last year's World Summit on Sustainable
Development in Johannesburg is now being used to aid impoverished citizens
across South Africa. According to a statement by environmental affairs and
tourism minister Valli Moosa yesterday, 200 computers from the summit have
been employed in various empowerment projects designed to enable sustainable
social and economic development. "[The project] aims to address individual
community needs including technology access, learning opportunities, job
skills, community building, and economic development," he said.
[SOURCE: AllAfrica.com, AUTHOR: Candace Freeman, BuaNews (Pretoria)]
(http://allafrica.com/stories/200303130694.html)

WIRELESS

WIRELESS INTERNET INDUSTRY MAPS OUT WIRELESS ACCESS LOCATIONS
Wi-Fi hotspots are sprouting up everywhere - coffee shops, airports, hotels
and even fast food restaurants. However, consumers need some assurance that
their wireless device will work on a given network, and the computer
industry is working to make this a reality. The Wi-Fi Alliance, a trade
group of tech industry executives, has developed a standard for
compatibility and consumers can look for a Wi-Fi logo indicating that a
particular hotspot meets that standard.
[SOURCE: USA Today, AUTHOR: Associated Press]
(http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2003-03-13-wifi-hotspots_x.htm)

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

Communications-Related Headlines for March 13, 2003

DIGITAL DIVIDE
Making Strides in Digital Divide
Technology Eroding the Wall Between Disabled, Non-Disabled

MEDIA OWNERSHIP
Family Values Local Ownership

DIGITAL DIVIDE

MAKING STRIDES IN DIGITAL DIVIDE
According to a recent study by Arbitron and Edison Media Research, 74
percent of blacks and 65 percent of Hispanics have access to the Internet
from at least one location. The report hails the efforts of public schools
and libraries for helping to bridge this gap. However, the study also notes
that the gap between those who have access in the home versus having access
in other locations is still far wider for blacks and Hispanics than it is
for their white counterparts.
[SOURCE: eMarketer]
(http://www.emarketer.com/news/article.php?1002101)

TECHNOLOGY ERODING THE WALL BETWEEN DISABLED, NON-DISABLED
As the aged population grows, tech companies face dual incentives to create
assistive technologies. Though much of the impetus is regulatory, profit is
also a motive -- 42 percent of people 65 and older have a disability, and
that population will grow from 35 million to 59 million over the next 20
years. Technologies such as video relay to facilitate telephone use for the
deaf are becoming more prevalent as a result.
[SOURCE: USA Today, AUTHOR: Associated Press]
(http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/techinnovations/2003-03-12-tech-help_x.ht
m)

MEDIA OWNERSHIP

FAMILY VALUES LOCAL OWNERSHIP
The Tanger family in Massachusetts has radio in its blood. Todd Tanger, the
third generation of radio owners in his family, recently acquired a
classical station from his father. Since radio ownership deregulation began
in earnest in 1997, the Tangers have become a dying breed. "It's very tough
for the small owners to compete with the large companies that have
programming that they can throw out to all their stations," says Tanger, who
added that there are fewer owners who are involved in both the station and
the community.
[SOURCE: The Boston Globe, AUTHOR: Clea Simon]
(http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/072/living/Family_values_local_ownership+
.shtml)

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

Communications-Related Headlines for March 12, 2003

INTERNET & SOCIETY
Antiwar Song, With Whimsy
Civic Hacking: A New Agenda for E-Democracy

WIRELESS
Want Fries or Wireless With That?

E-COMMERCE
N.Y. Senate Passes Bill Authorizing Tax on Internet Sale

INTERNET & SOCIETY

ANTIWAR SONG, WITH WHIMSY
The Beastie Boys have taken to the Web to release a new song critical of the
potential US war with Iraq. The band, which has been working on a new studio
album, chose to release the song on their website well ahead of the
completed album. "We were working on our record, and we realized that by the
time we finished a record that it might be a bit late to get out some of the
things we wanted to comment on," said Beastie Boy Adam Yauch. "So we figured
we'd finish the song and post it [on the Web]." Radio stations received no
advance notice of the single, which also serves as the Beasties' message to
the rest of the world that "the messages [Bush is] sending out aren't
necessarily the view of all Americans," the group said.
[SOURCE: The New York Times, AUTHOR: Neil Strauss]
(http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/12/arts/music/12POPL.html)

CIVIC HACKING: A NEW AGENDA FOR E-DEMOCRACY
[Commentary] The focus of e-governance in the UK has been on attracting
disaffected youth into participation. However, as James Crabtree points out,
ease of access alone will not entice those who do not see the value taking
part in politics. There is still use for e-government, however, helping
people to help themselves, their communities and other like-minded
individuals. Crabtree promotes a concept of "civic hacking" that would allow
for collaboration amongst citizens to solve problems rather than fostering a
reliance on the state and the bureaucratic process.
[SOURCE: openDemocracy, AUTHOR: James Crabtree]
(http://www.opendemocracy.net/debates/article-8-85-1025.jsp)

WIRELESS

WANT FRIES OR WIRELESS WITH THAT?
McDonald's will offer wireless Internet access in some of its restaurants
beginning today. Patrons will receive an hour of free Wi-Fi access with the
purchase of a combination meal in three Manhattan-area locations, and the
company plans to offer the service in 300 restaurants in New York, Chicago
and an undetermined California city by year's end. The move coincides with
the release of Intel's Centrino processor, a chip that contains a built-in
Wi-Fi transceiver capable of speeds up to 11 Mbps.
[SOURCE: Wired News, AUTHOR: Associated Press]
(http://www.wired.com/news/wireless/0,1382,58000,00.html)

E-COMMERCE

N.Y. SENATE PASSES BILL AUTHORIZING TAX ON INTERNET SALE
The New York state Senate unanimously passed a measure Tuesday allowing for
the collection of sales tax on goods and services purchased over the
Internet. The bill would allow New York to participate in the multi-state
effort toward adopting a uniform Internet sales tax while also providing a
much-needed revenue boost to help plug an $11.5 billion budget hole.
Governor George Pataki has opposed Internet taxation but will review the
senate action.
[SOURCE: The Washington Post, AUTHOR: Alicia Chang]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A11766-2003Mar11.html)

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

Communications-Related Headlines for March 11, 2003

ANTITRUST
Supreme Court Takes Antitrust Appeal From Baby Bells

DIGITAL DIVIDE
Building Digital Bridges

OWNERSHIP
Media Ownership: How Much Does the Public Know?

INTERNET
How the Net Will Play a Key Role in this War

ANTITRUST

SUPREME COURT TAKES ANTITRUST APPEAL FROM BABY BELLS
The Supreme Court said it would consider blocking lawsuits alleging that the
Baby Bells engage in anti-competitive business practices. A claim filed in
federal court alleges that Verizon intentionally provides poor service on
the lines it leases to AT&T in New York in order to drive the company out of
business, thus violating federal antitrust law. Solicitor General Theodore
Olson contends that such cases would pose "substantial disruption of the
telecommunications industry."
[SOURCE: The Washington Post, AUTHOR: Gina Holland]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A5256-2003Mar10.html)

DIGITAL DIVIDE

BUILDING DIGITAL BRIDGES
French telecom giant Alcatel hopes to help bridge the digital divide by
providing data services over traditional GSM networks. Its latest venture
seeks to capitalize on the burgeoning African market, selling services to
Senegalese fisherman seeking to negotiate prices remotely or obtain weather
information for safer sailing. Jean-Marie Blanchard, Alcatel business
development director, says that the company's aim is to meet local content
needs, not just provide points of access. "We will not simply duplicate
existing Internet services in countries where it is obvious something else
is needed for it to take off. We investigate, as a matter of course, how the
Internet can support economic development."
[SOURCE: itWeb, AUTHOR: Carel Alberts]
(http://196.30.226.221/sections/telecoms/2003/0303111300.asp?O=FPT)

OWNERSHIP

MEDIA OWNERSHIP: HOW MUCH DOES THE PUBLIC KNOW?
The majority of Americans, 72%, have heard "nothing at all" about the
sweeping changes the Federal Communications Commission has proposed to the
rules governing how many media outlets corporations can own. According to
survey results released recently by the Project For Excellence in Journalism
in collaboration with the Pew Research Center for the People and The Press,
only 4% of Americans say they have heard "a lot." Critics have argued that
the public is largely unaware of the proposed changes because the FCC has
only held one formal public hearing on the matter and news organizations
have failed to sufficiently cover the debate.
[SOURCE: Journalism.org]
(http://www.journalism.org/resources/research/reports/fccsurvey/)

INTERNET

HOW THE NET WILL PLAY A KEY ROLE IN THIS WAR
[Commentary] The potential US-led conflict in Iraq will challenge
journalists and media outlets to provide the most comprehensive news
coverage possible. While TV newscasters are charged with delivering
eyewitness accounts not just from the scene but from other relevant
international markets, we learned from the Gulf War that they might not
always be able to provide the full picture. This is where alternative
grassroots Internet journalists can help. Independent journalists have a
proven track record of late when it comes to delivering powerful images and
stories to larger news outlets well before they can break the stories
themselves.
[SOURCE: MediaGuardian, AUTHOR: Chris Cramer, CNN International]
(http://media.guardian.co.uk/mediaguardian/story/0,7558,910785,00.html)

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

Communications-Related Headlines for March 10, 2003

MEDIA OWNERSHIP
Move to Ease Media Ownership Rules Given Cool Reception in Seattle

INTERNET
Afghanistan Internet Domain Launches
Australian Top Pick for Global Internet Body
Wireless Net Offered with a Pint

MEDIA OWNERSHIP

MOVE TO EASE MEDIA OWNERSHIP RULES GIVEN COOL RECEPTION IN SEATTLE
FCC Commissioners Michael Copps and Jonathan Adelstein participated Friday
in a University of Washington forum on media ownership rules. The majority
of speakers at the forum expressed concerns over an FCC proposal to relax
these rules, which currently place limits on the number of media outlets
that companies can own in US markets. Commissioner Copps, speaking to an
audience of approximately 200 people, stated that a recent survey showed
that three-quarters of Americans are unaware of the proposed rule changes,
and that forums such as the Seattle meeting -- even though it wasn't an
official FCC proceeding -- are an important source for public input. Seattle
Times publisher Frank Blethen testified that relaxing the rules would allow
companies to increase their bottom line at the expense of the public. "From
a business perspective [the proposal] makes sense, but not from a
public-service perspective," he said.
[SOURCE: Seattle Times, AUTHOR: Alwyn Scott]
(http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/134648766_fcc080.html)

INTERNET

AFGHANISTAN INTERNET DOMAIN LAUNCHES
"Officially planting its flag in cyberspace," the nation of Afghanistan
launched its own Internet top-level domain name today, announced the United
Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the Afghan Ministry of
Communications. The establishment of the .af domain is an important step for
Afghanistan as it attempts to rebuild its infrastructure after decades of
civil war and strife. "For Afghanistan, this is like reclaiming part of our
sovereignty," Communications Minister Mohammad Moassom Stanakzai said. But
Afghanistan has a long way to go before the Internet has much of an impact
on the average citizen. As of today's launch, there are only two websites
registered under the .af domain -- to no surprise, the local UNDP office and
the Ministry of Communications. Several cybercafes have sprung up in Kabul,
but few locals can afford to use them, with the average Afghan earning less
than a dollar a day.
[SOURCE: Wired News, AUTHOR: Associated Press]
(http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,57978,00.html)

AUSTRALIAN TOP PICK FOR GLOBAL INTERNET BODY
According to the Washington Post, the organization that manages the
Internet's domain name system may soon find itself led by a non-American for
the first time. According to sources, the Internet Corporation for Assigned
Names and Numbers (ICANN) is on the verge of selecting Paul Twomey of
Australia as its new president. Twomey is the former director of Australia's
National Office for the Information Economy and co-founder of the consulting
firm Argo Pacific. Colleagues praised Twomey's government experience,
stating that an ICANN president has to be "thick skinned" in order to deal
with the position's many political pressures. However, ICANN critic Michael
Froomkin pointed out that Twomey was also a member of the secretive
Government Advisory Committee, which has been criticized for attempting to
wield undue influence over ICANN.
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: David McGuire]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A58264-2003Mar7.html)

WIRELESS NET OFFERED WITH A PINT
The number of wi-fi Internet hotspots in Britain will increase more than
tenfold in July when "The Cloud" descends upon thousands of pubs across the
country. A new broadband venture by Intel, Ericsson, and Inspired Broadband
Networks, The Cloud will deploy wireless Internet access points in 3,000
drinking establishments. "Pubs are already the business lunch venue of
choice in many parts of the country and this will allow us to offer services
that may well attract additional customers and keep customers in our venues
longer," said John Appleton, director of one of the pub chains involved in
the venture. In addition to attracting the lunchtime business crowd,
entrepreneurs hope The Cloud will attract evening users interested in
gaming, entertainment and informal networking with other users.
[SOURCE: BBC Online]
(http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/2829257.stm)

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

Communications-Related Headlines for March 7, 2003

INTERNET
Appeals Court Strikes Down Online Porn Law

MEDIA OWNERSHIP
University of Washington Hosts FCC Hearing Today

DIGITAL DIVIDE
Cities Deliver Broadband for Less

INTERNET

APPEALS COURT STRIKES DOWN ONLINE PORN LAW
The 3rd US Circuit Court of Appeals ruled yesterday that the Child Online
Protection Act, or COPA, was unconstitutional. The three-judge panel stated
that the law restricts free speech because it requires commercial website
operators that post content inappropriate to children to limit the content
to adults. The court said that in practice, the law would effectively limit
the ability of adults to view constitutionally protected content, including
many non-pornographic sites. The law, which has never been enforced because
of court injunction, will continue to remain under injunction following this
ruling. "It's clear that the law would make it a crime to communicate a
whole range of information to adults," said ACLU associate legal director
Ann Beeson, applauding the court's ruling.
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: David Caruso, AP]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A54660-2003Mar7.html)

MEDIA OWNERSHIP

UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON HOSTS FCC HEARING TODAY
Representatives from the FCC will participate in a hearing today at the
University of Washington to discuss the proposed deregulation of US media
ownership rules. The Seattle Alliance for Media Education (SAFME) will also
host a variety of open-mic activities and workshops for university students
to discuss the FCC proposals. "The FCC is expected to make a decision about
the ownership rules this spring," said SAFME member Michale Kernan. "No
matter what they decide, we need stronger laws to protect media diversity,
competition, local accountability and public access to communication
resources." This evening, FCC commissioner Jonathan Adelstein, Public Enemy
lead singer Chuck D and Congressman Jim McDermott will speak at a related
"media action" event. "It should be quite interesting to see how much
student involvement we get," said Paul Beard, project manager for the
Shidler Center for Law, Commerce and Technology. "A lot of people think
there will be a lot of talk and nothing will happen, but I don't think
that's going to be the case."
[SOURCE: The UW Daily, AUTHOR: Nathan Fowler]
(http://thedaily.washington.edu/news.lasso?-database=DailyWeb.fp5&-layout=Li
st&-response=newspage.lasso&-recordID=33957&-search&-Token.Count=4)
(URL may need to be pasted together if broken)

DIGITAL DIVIDE

CITIES DELIVER BROADBAND FOR LESS
Residents of Tacoma, Washington, today find themselves with more choices for
broadband Internet access than most communities: with four local broadband
providers, including the publicly owned Click Network service, Tacoma
households can purchase broadband for $30 a month. "The prices are lower
than they would be if you live in another adjacent city where there is no
competition," said Diane Lachel, community relations manager for the Click
Network, owned by the local public electrical utility. While other
communities have struggled to roll out affordable broadband, cities such as
Tacoma feel their decision to construct their own network has greatly
increased broadband adoption, as well as competition. According to the
American Public Power Association (APPA), 71 communities now offer cable
modem services, while 114 sell broadband through local independent ISPs.
APPA's broadband services director, Ron Lunt, expects these numbers to grow
quickly in coming years due to the FCC's recent decision to not require
telephone companies to give access to new broadband networks to their
competitors. Because of the ruling, he argues, more cities may decide to
deploy their own broadband networks as local DSL providers go out of
business.
[SOURCE: Wired News, AUTHOR: Joanna Glasner]
(http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,57927,00.html)

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