October 2009

Schools make their case for broadband grants

Colleges and universities have applied for tens of millions of dollars in federal stimulus grants designed to expand broadband Internet access, arguing that university IT infrastructure makes campuses worthy recipients. A review of colleges and universities that applied for federal broadband grant money showed many campuses vying to provide more computers with broadband web access to local residents, and other schools hoping to establish wide-ranging cloud-computing networks. The Research Foundation of the State University of New York (SUNY) requested the largest higher-ed related grant, asking for $30 million to implement an educational and workforce training program run through a cloud-computing network. Cloud computing lets users access data, applications, and computer programs over a network via large server centers. The $30 million would be used to purchases hardware and software for an expansive cloud-computing network, curriculum to educate students and workers, and delivery of "community-based educational training programs" to schools and libraries. The application said the program would focus on underrepresented populations.

CenturyLink wants a public/private broadband policy

Speaking at SuperCOMM, Tom Gerke, executive vice chairman of CenturyLink (formally CenturyTel and EMBARQ), said the company's major focus is broadband access. He said the industry will not be able to achieve the goals of a National Broadband Plan unless there's a public/private partnership in place. A proper public/private partnership should include three common elements: cooperative public private effort; modernization of Universal Service Fund; and reform of intercarrier compensation. This public/private investment strategy should be able to support not only immediate needs, but the ability to use optical-based networks that can scale to meet future needs. "A key component of this is private investments that should take care of those areas where there's economically viable standalone opportunities, but when you get beyond that there has to be partnership that's predictable and sustainable," Gerke said. Whether the USF funding arrangement is realigned through a legislative process, the key will be in making sure that funding gets extended to the outlying areas that today just can't be served economically. "The donut holes are going to be taken care of, but what's important is making sure you get the support to those lower density areas," Gerke said. No less important is intercarrier compensation. The system has been set up to compensate carriers from others that use their network to terminate calls, for example. In calling for a reformed USF system, Gerke believes that there should be a balanced transitional approach and that the pain of reform be balanced with affordable benchmark rates.

Chopra seeks public-private partnerships

The Obama administration is eager to form public-private partnerships with telecom service providers to address critical societal issues such as improving health care IT and medical care, distance learning and better education, and more open government, Aneesh Chopra, U.S. chief technology officer, said Thursday in a SuperCOMM keynote. Chopra also asked for the telecom industry's help in bringing the U.S. back up to speed with the rest the world in embracing technology and innovation. Chopra opened his speech by citing one such partnership, orchestrated "with one phone call" during his tenure as secretary of technology with the state of Virginia. "It was Cox and Comcast cable that offered to carry GED classes for free on their on-demand platform, making those available to thousands upon thousands of Virginians," Chopra said. "That's the kind of public-private partnerships we envision." Many of the administration's initiatives assume a robust and healthy telecom infrastructure, Chopra added, and telecom service providers are playing "a critical role in developing the much more modernized infrastructure" that will help drive the U.S. economy forward.

Consumers fear targeted ads slippery slope

Triple-play providers know much more about their consumers than just their billing addresses. They know their commute to work based on the cell sites they pass, they know what Web sites they go to, what TV shows they watch and what that implies about their interests. But that's only the start. This vast consumer knowledge can help brands provide more effective marketing campaigns and increase revenue for carriers, but it can also evoke privacy red flags and the "creep factor" among consumers.

Unprotected Six?

[Commentary] In a bold move guaranteed to generate heated debate, National Public Radio (NPR) has asked the Commission to dump the Channel 6 protection obligations (set out in Section 73.525 for those of you scoring at home) which have been imposed on noncommercial FM stations for the last quarter century. While the proposal no doubt appeals strongly to NPR's NCE-FM constituency, the television side of the universe - and particularly current Channel 6 licensees and viewers - can't be happy. The protection requirements were imposed in the first place because the portion of the FM band reserved for NCE operations butts up against Channel 6, spectrum-wise. As a result, the potential for interference to Channel 6 operations from stations in the NCE-FM band was thought to be considerable, leading the Commission back in 1985 to impose extra hurdles in the path of new and improved NCE-FM service in order to shelter Channel 6. For all you spectrum historians, NPR's petition for rulemaking provides interesting background about the development of the protection requirements. According to NPR, the increased sensitivity of today's television receivers - particularly in the wake of the DTV transition - warrants reconsideration of the standards. NPR even has two studies, conducted by its own labs and by the highly-respected techno-gurus at Hammett & Edison, which it cites in support of the proposition that the interference rule no longer serves any real purpose.

Physicians have doubled their time online since 2004

The head of a New York-based healthcare market research firm says physicians who might have spent four hours a week online in 2004 are now spending at least eight hours in front of a computer. Physicians were barely aware of the Internet as late as 2003 and most certainly didn't see it as essential to their practice. Now, he said, they view the Internet as a much more valuable - and time-consuming - tool. Nine in 10 U.S. physicians surveyed now agree that the Internet is essential to their practice, according to Bard's research. Seventy-five percent now go online daily for work, he said. As for consumers, 90 million U.S. adults went on online for health information in 2004. Today, the number is 160 million, Bard said, and the majority of e-health consumers are now using the Internet after seeing a doctor.

House Panel Discusses NIST Role in Cybersecurity

The House Committee on Science and Technology's Subcommittee on Technology and Innovation held a hearing to discuss the recommendations made in the Administration's 60-day review of federal cybersecurity, Cyberspace Policy Review, that could be appropriate for the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to take action on. In addition, the hearing also discussed the postponed reorganization of NIST's Information Technology Laboratory (ITL). Subcommittee Members believe that NIST may be the appropriate agency to fulfill the following: The need for a single locus for federal government involvement in international cybersecurity technical standards; The need for an increased public awareness and education campaign; and The need for a larger focus on identity management.

Twitter and Status Updating

Some 19% of Internet users now say they use Twitter or another service to share updates about themselves, or to see updates about others. This represents a significant increase over previous surveys in December 2008 and April 2009, when 11% of Internet users said they use a status-update service. Three groups of Internet users are mainly responsible for driving the growth of this activity: social network website users, those who connect to the Internet via mobile devices, and younger Internet users - those under age 44. In addition, the more devices someone owns, the more likely they are to use Twitter or another service to update their status. Fully 39% of Internet users with four or more Internet-connected devices (such as a laptop, cell phone, game console, or Kindle) use Twitter, compared to 28% of Internet users with three devices, 19% of Internet users with two devices, and 10% of Internet users with one device.

The Internet Freedom Act

On the same day the Federal Communications Commission launched a proceeding to write open Internet rules, Sen John McCain (R-AZ) introduced legislation that would prohibit the FCC from enacting rules that would regulate the Internet. would "allow for continued innovation that will in turn create more high-paying jobs for the millions of Americans who are out of work or seeking new employment."

FCC Workshop to focus on improving disclosure of ex parte contacts

The Federal Communications Commission will hold a staff workshop on October 28, 2009 to explore possible revisions to the Commission's ex parte rules and processes to enhance the transparency of the Commission's actions while at the same time maximizing the exchange of information between the public and the Commission. This workshop follows an internal study of the current ex parte rules by Commission staff which identified a number of areas in which the current rules might be improved or updated. The workshop will also explore new issues posed by the increasing use of Internet-based media of communication and expression, such as blogs. The workshop participants consist of practicing attorneys as well as representatives of companies, trade associations, and public interest groups, all of whom have substantial experience with the ex parte rules. The panelists will provide their perspectives on the successes and shortcomings of the current rules and suggest alternatives to better balance the goals of fairness, openness, and efficiency. A moderating panel of senior FCC staff will direct the panel discussions and pose questions.

Benton

Search