March 2008

EU sets 30 percent broadband target for 2010

EU SETS 30 PERCENT BROADBAND TARGET FOR 2010
[SOURCE: Reuters, AUTHOR: Huw Jones]
The European Commission wants to raise broadband Internet penetration in the European Union to 30 percent in 2010 from 20 percent today in an effort to drive economic growth, its top telecoms regulator said on Wednesday. Information Society Commissioner Viviane Reding said only eight of the bloc's 27 member states were ahead of the United States in broadband use, with Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands and Sweden world leaders with nearly a third of homes hooked up. Reding said she wants broadband penetration to hit 30 percent by 2010 and that her proposed reforms of the telecoms market would help the bloc reach this target. Reding sees increasing the use of broadband as key to boosting competition in the retail sector, offering consumers more choice and driving down prices. Broadband is also seen as key to helping set up new businesses, particularly in more remote regions.
http://www.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUSL1992113920080319

* FCC overhauls its broadband data as EU points and laughs
[SOURCE: ars technica, AUTHOR: Nate Anderson]
[Commentary] That chortling you hear is the sound of Brussels bureaucrats. The EU today released new data on broadband availability across the region and concluded that eight European countries (including Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, and Sweden) have better broadband penetration than the US.
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080319-fcc-overhauls-its-broadban...

A Framework for a National Broadband Policy

A FRAMEWORK FOR A NATIONAL BROADBAND POLICY
[SOURCE: Aspen Institute, AUTHOR: Philip J. Weiser et al]
While the importance of broadband access to functioning modern society is now clear, millions of Americans remain unconnected, and Washington has not yet presented any clear plan for fixing the problem. Condensing discussions from the 2008 Conference on Communications Policy and Aspen Institute Roundtable on Spectrum Policy (AIRS) into a single report, Professor Philip Weiser of the University of Colorado at Boulder offers a series of specific and concrete policy recommendations for expanding access, affordability, and adoption of broadband in the United States.
http://www.aspeninstitute.org/atf/cf/%7Bdeb6f227-659b-4ec8-8f84-8df23ca7...

Universal Broadband Grants for New York Announced

UNIVERSAL BROADBAND GRANTS FOR NEW YORK ANNOUNCED
[SOURCE: Government Technology]
New York Governor David A. Paterson announced that nine public/private sector partnerships will receive funds to help promote the research, design and implementation of innovative solutions to create affordable broadband Internet access for underserved urban and rural communities throughout the state. The New York State Council for Universal Broadband, which is charged with developing strategies to ensure every New Yorker has access to affordable, high-speed Internet service, met for the second time this week and the competitive grants were announced at that meeting. The funds will help build high-speed broadband access networks, foster equal and universal access in underserved areas, and develop digital literacy programs. "In an age when our competitiveness depends on fast and easy access to information, too many communities in New York State still lack sufficient broadband access," said Governor Paterson. "Improved broadband technologies can spur economic development, increase learning opportunities and connect more New Yorkers to the wide array of resources available online, including government services. The Council will provide strategic oversight as we work with these partnerships to ensure all New Yorkers have access to high-speed Internet and the skills necessary to get the most out of online tools."
http://www.govtech.com/gt/articles/276287?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=link

Older Internet Users Feel Web Advertising and Content Not Relevant

OLDER INTERNET USERS FEEL WEB ADVERTISING AND CONTENT NOT RELEVANT
[SOURCE: Center for Media Research, AUTHOR: Jack Loechner]
A recent BurstMedia survey of more than 13,000 web users 18 years and older found that online content providers are not meeting the needs of all age segments. A majority of Internet users 45 years and older believe online content is focused on younger age segments. Overall, 52.0% of respondents believe Internet content is primarily focused toward people their own age. Not surprisingly, says the study, younger respondents are most likely to say online content is focused on people their age. This is particularly true for the 18-24 year and 25-34 year segments. Additionally, 55.7% of respondents 35-44 years perceive online content as focused toward their age segment. Few respondents 55 years and older say Internet content is primarily focused on people their age.
http://blogs.mediapost.com/research_brief/?p=1663

* Online Ageism –Content and Advertising Miss an Important Target
http://www.burstmedia.com/research/current.asp

Company-created info sites deliver blow to print media

COMPANY-CREATED INFO SITES DELIVER BLOW TO PRINT MEDIA
[SOURCE: San Jose Mercury News, AUTHOR: Mike Feibus]
If you haven't seen PC.com, you should check it out. It is a well-designed, easy-to-navigate new Web site that cuts through all the techno-speak that can make purchasing a PC so intimidating. Neophytes and casual computer users will find the slick video tutorials and other powerful, easy-to-use decision-making tools helpful. But PC.com is more than just a well-presented Internet information service. It is a harbinger that will send a chill through the publishing world. Here's the rub: PC.com is designed, built, funded, sourced and hosted by Intel Corp., the world's largest and most powerful chipmaker. Put another way, Intel is taking a portion of its nine-figure marketing budget - dollars that otherwise would be spent on ads in this and other media - and delivering editorial content directly to the public. That stings the media on two fronts: lost income and lost readers.
http://www.siliconvalley.com/opinion/ci_8635236?nclick_check=1

700MHz auction: FCC decision coming on public safety block

700MHZ AUCTION: FCC DECISION COMING ON PUBLIC SAFETY BLOCK
[SOURCE: InfoWorld, AUTHOR: Grant Gross]
The Federal Communications Commission closed its auction of 700MHz spectrum late Tuesday, but it faces a major decision on what to do with a block of spectrum designated for use by public safety agencies that did not meet the minimum bidding requirements. high bid for the so-called D block, a 10MHz band of spectrum that would have been paired with another 10MHz assigned to public safety agencies, was only $472 million, far short of the $1.33 billion reserve price set by the FCC. Until the FCC decides what next to do with the D block, it won't announce the winners of the rest of the spectrum, a source at the FCC said. FCC Chairman Kevin Martin has proposed that commissioners "de-link" the D block from the rest of the spectrum, allowing the FCC to make new rules for the sale of the public safety block, the source said. The FCC does not yet have a timeframe for the decision on whether to de-link the D block. The FCC required that the winning D block bidder build a nationwide voice and data network to be shared among commercial users and public safety agencies such as police and fire departments. But several of the rules attached to the D block raised objections, including a requirement that the winning bidder would have to give up millions of dollars in a deposit if it couldn't come to an agreement on network design with the Public Safety Spectrum Trust, which controls the public safety spectrum. The winner of the D block would also have had to spend billions of dollars to build a nationwide wireless network that could handle both voice and data traffic.
http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/03/19/700MHz-auction-FCC-decision-co...

* Questions about Block D linger in aftermath of auction
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080319-questions-about-block-d-li...

* Airwaves Bidders Await Word From FCC
[SOURCE: Associated Press, AUTHOR: John Dunbar]
A majority of the Federal Communications Commission is in favor of a measure that will allow for the quick release of the names of the winners of a record airwaves auction. The identity of the anonymous bidders in the $19.6 billion auction could be released early next week or perhaps as soon as Friday.
http://news.lp.findlaw.com/ap/a/w/1155//03-19-2008/20080319165006_04.html

* Quick 700 MHz Updates (Harold Feld)
http://www.wetmachine.com//item/1114

FCC Asked to Probe Auction

FCC ASKED TO PROBE AUCTION
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Spencer S. Hsu and Cecilia Kang]
The failure of a Federal Communications Commission auction to draw sufficient bids to build a wireless network for emergency responders provoked sharp criticism by members of Congress, consumer groups and leaders of the 9/11 Commission yesterday. It also prompted a call to investigate whether auction rules were broken. Nine organizations, including the Consumer Federation of America and Consumers Union, wrote to FCC Chairman Kevin J. Martin, saying the FCC should "investigate carefully the allegations" that representatives of the nation's police, fire and emergency officials undermined the auction. They cited reports that public-safety representatives demanded that any winner of the auction make additional payments to them. Chairman Martin yesterday said that the FCC could vote within days to re-bid the public safety airwaves. Martin also said he asked the FCC inspector general to investigate complaints. House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman John D. Dingell (D-MI) and telecommunications subcommittee chairman Edward J. Markey (D-MA) prepared to hold hearings early next month and will consider whether the public-private partnership model for building the wireless network for emergency responders should be changed.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/19/AR200803...
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Verizon opens up -- reluctantly

VERIZON OPENS UP -- RELUCTANTLY
[SOURCE: Fortune, AUTHOR: Scott Moritz]
In a world of exasperatingly imperfect cell phone calls, Verizon Wireless has nonetheless managed to paint itself as the "reliable" network. By controlling the phones and the applications that run on the network, Verizon has put a lock on some of the variables that can influence quality. But that increasingly controversial so-called walled garden approach to its network has run into a challenge. Last year, at Google's insistence, regulators stipulated that the winner of the latest air wave auction must allow open network access and an open application policy. In theory, the move would open the gate to a new generation of devices that can capitalize on the faster wireless networks that will be built on the newly licensed 700 megahertz radio spectrum. Verizon immediately filed a lawsuit to challenge the move, but withdrew it soon after. The company is now in the somewhat unusual position of having to comply with the rule that would loosen its grip on the network and yet keep the door open to new revenue opportunities. Verizon took a big step Wednesday to help determine what outside devices will be allowed inside its network. The No.2 wireless service provider hosted its Open Development Device Conference in New York Wednesday where it shared its Version 1.0 specs - a list of technical requirements for new devices that are targeted for its network.
http://money.cnn.com/2008/03/19/technology/moritz_verizon.fortune/index....

* Open Questions for Verizon's Open Access
Many of the attendees at the Open Development Device Conference said the event marked a good first step toward defining an open-access model. But they noted that many questions remain. Among the biggest concerns: Verizon did not divulge any details of the pricing plans customers would be offered to use such devices. Nor did it publish any specifications to help software developers create applications for the network. In fact, the company distributed materials to attendees online, stressing that the company "will not approve, test, or service third-party applications that customers load onto their Open Development Devices." And despite numerous claims by Verizon executives that testing and certification for new devices could take as little as four weeks, many attendees are skeptical the process will be that easy.
http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/mar2008/tc20080319_832420...

* Verizon Wireless opens its network
http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9898119-7.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2...
* Verizon Wireless Unveils Open-Network Policy
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120594200879448767.html?mod=todays_us_ma...
* Verizon Works to Let Other Devices on Network
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/19/AR200803...

Kids, Thugs, Dogs, Cats Drafted Into TV Battle

KIDS, THUGS, DOGS, CATS DRAFTED INTO TV BATTLE
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Dionne Searcey dionne.searcey@wsj.com]
In the fight between phone and cable companies for TV subscribers, things are getting a bit more personal. There's an important shift in strategy by major telecommunications companies, who have fought for years over everything from price to high-definition-channel offerings to picture quality. Verizon, which is planning to spend roughly $18 billion to roll out its fiber-optic network to deliver TV and fast Internet service to customers, is betting that its strategy of developing its own original, hyper-local, human-interest TV programming will help set it apart. The company, which offers FiOS TV in 13 states, started a 24-hour TV channel in the Washington, D.C., area called FiOS1 about a year ago. The idea is to feature "super-local" stories on people who probably wouldn't be seen on more-typical shows. After all, local content has long been used by cable companies to defend their turf from satellite-TV operators, whose ability to offer local programming is limited by their national reach and capacity on their satellites. For years, Cablevision Systems Corp. and the other big cable companies have operated channels that serve up local news, weather, sports and traffic reports. Cablevision's internal surveys show that many customers cite the company's News 12 channels on Long Island, N.Y., where Verizon is aggressively marketing its FiOS TV service, as the reason they refuse to switch to FiOS. Cablevision touts it in TV ads with the tagline, "News 12 traffic and weather, not on phone company TV." Now, cable operators are also beefing up their focus on hyper-local features. This past spring Cablevision began airing the features as part of its "Local on Demand," which offers an array of community parades, street fairs and high-school sports. One show, "Meet the Leaders," features 30-minute interviews with local elected officials. "Neighborhood Journal" is similar to Verizon's Push-Pause, with slice-of-life community features.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120598375751051107.html?mod=todays_us_ma...
(requires subscription)

The Quest to Protect Creative Policy Ideas

THE QUEST TO PROTECT CREATIVE POLICY IDEAS
[SOURCE: Chronicle of Philanthropy, AUTHOR: J.H. Snider]
[Commentary] Congress often lacks the political motivation to find and champion good public-policy ideas out of fear that they would offend powerful special interests. Another explanation for the lack of innovation by Congress is that think tanks and college scholars put too little money into developing such ideas because public-policy ideas can easily be stolen without legal or social sanction. It is time for foundations, which sponsor the bulk of this research, to change the rules of the game so that the incentives are to create rather than plagiarize socially valuable public-policy innovations.
http://s173754652.onlinehome.us/MyWritings/08-03-20--ChronicleOfPhilanth...

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