September 20, 2010 (House lawmakers close to network neutrality bill?)
BENTON'S COMMUNICATIONS-RELATED HEADLINES for MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2010
Does the Internet Need Saving? http://bit.ly/atkg9y
INTERNET/BROADBAND
House lawmakers close to network neutrality bill?
RCN P2P settlement: ISP can throttle away starting November 1
100 Recovery Act Projects Changing America
Maryland Receives $115 Million For Broadband
GOVERNMENT & COMMUNICATIONS
The Deep Dish on the FCC's Secret Pizza Party with Reporters
AGENDA
FCC Releases Meeting Agenda
Tech industry pushes on cybersecurity reforms
CONTENT
National Hispanic Media Coalition Seeks Support For FCC Hate Speech Inquiry
Entertainment industry opposes California video-game law
Betting on US Online Gambling
Giving immigrant laborers an online voice
TELEVISION
FCC Consider Rules for the Digital Transition of Low Power Television Stations
TV Networks Bet Big on Fall Lineup
Cisco Video Chief: TV Must Get the 'Net
Implementation of the Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act of 2010
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
FCC Initiates Rulemaking to Improve iTRS Numbering
WIRELESS
T-Mobile Won't Tax Twitter Texts But Will Hike Prices
Public Knowledge Sees Lawsuit Over Unlawful Text Message Blocking as Another Reason for FCC Action
Despite the data, teens missing message on risks of texting and driving
Texts From the Lifeguard Chair Are Raising Concerns Over Safety
Preparing for the APPocalypse
British Chip Designer Prepares for Wider Demand
ADVERTISING
'Cookies' Cause Bitter Backlash
EU urges online ad groups to self-regulate
Shaping Ads for Web-Connected TV
STORIES FROM ABROAD
These headlines presented in partnership with:
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Ofcom plans to make switching broadband provider easier
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Now the News Finds You
INTERNET/BROADBAND
NETWORK NEUTRALITY COMPROMISE?
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Cecilia Kang]
The House Commerce committee is getting close to crafting net neutrality legislation that would give the Federal Communications Commission authority for two years to enforce existing guidelines but leave out some key provisions pushed by public interest groups and some Internet companies. Democratic and Republican staff members have been in talks for weeks on a bill that outlines how Internet service providers can treat Web content and applications. Their talks, which include telecom, cable, Internet firms and public interest groups, have taken place as the FCC'S own efforts were hobbled by a court decision that questioned the agency's authority. "We are working hard on legislation to protect the open Internet," said Karen Lightfoot, a spokeswoman for the House Commerce Committee. "At this point in the legislative calendar, developing a bipartisan consensus is critical, which is what we are actively working to do." According to Hill sources who were not authorized to speak publicly, the committee staffers have gained momentum in recent days on a narrow proposal that would give the FCC authority for two years to enforce its four open Internet principles. But discussions have moved away from rules against paid "managed services" where a company can pay for prioritization on a network and a rule against discrimination. A provision that would include wireless services is still being hotly debated, according to one source. Some lawmakers, including Rep. Ed Markey (D-MA) have vocally opposed legislation that doesn't pertain to mobile technology networks. One House staff member said the bill will reflect the "least worst" of options for parties on both sides of the issue. Telecommunications and cable firms would get a bill that doesn't give the FCC authority over broadband and only temporary authority to enforce net neutrality rules. Public interest groups and companies such as Skype, Facebook and other Internet firms would get a bill that at least gives them assurance that guidelines at the FCC are enforceable by law.
benton.org/node/42312 | Washington Post
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RCN CAN THROTTLE
[SOURCE: ars technica, AUTHOR: Nate Anderson]
Starting November 1, Internet service provider RCN can resume its discriminatory traffic management policies against peer-to-peer protocols -- so long as it offers advance notice to customers. Many of those involved in the debate over network neutrality appear to believe that ISPs simply don't engage in widespread traffic discrimination, and that the only possible example net neutrality supporters can dredge up involve Comcast and Madison River. Judging by their filings to the FCC, many DC lobbyists subscribe to this view. In fact, numerous class action lawsuits over traffic management have been filed against American ISPs over the last several years.
benton.org/node/42306 | Ars Technica
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100 RECOVERY ACT PROJECTS
[SOURCE: The White House]
Vice President Joe Biden today released a new report, "100 Recovery Act Projects that are Changing America." The report highlights some of the most innovative and effective Recovery Act projects across the country that are not only putting people back to work now, but helping transform our economy for years to come. Two Recovery Act-supported broadband projects are included:
Broadband Expansion to Rural Communities Kansas $49.5 million: With the $51.6 million loan and a $49.5 million grant provided by the Recovery Act, the Rural Telephone Service Co., Inc. will provide broadband service in an area of western Kansas that is 99.5 percent unserved or underserved, and covers 26 communities and rural areas spanning over 4,600 square miles. Such service will provide the infrastructure required for economic stability, education and healthcare. The company has hired eight of the projected 17 new employees and the three engineering firms and five contractors associated with the project have created a number of jobs.
Bringing Broadband Access to More Americans . New York . $39.7 million: ION HoldCo, LLC was awarded $39.7 million in Recovery Act Funds to implement a rural broadband infrastructure project. ION will build 10 new segments of fiber optic middle mile broadband infrastructure serving more than 70 rural communities in upstate New York and parts of Pennsylvania and Vermont. The project will enable wired and wireless last mile service providers to make broadband more readily available to 250,000 households and 38,000 businesses, and extend middle mile infrastructure to low-income rural areas with higher than average unemployment. This project will go a long way toward making American businesses more competitive, and connecting Americans to the opportunities and resources available with broadband.
benton.org/node/42274 | White House, The | read the report
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MARYLAND BTOP GRANT
[SOURCE: CongressDaily, AUTHOR: Juliana Gruenwald]
On Sept 17, Sen Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) announced that Maryland will receive upwards of $115 million stimulus dollars to extend broadband into rural and underserved communities. Maryland won the funding through the Commerce Department's Broadband Technology Opportunities Program. The grants are expected to generate a total of 1600 jobs that will help provide Maryland high-speed access to areas that of the state that currently have little or no Internet connectivity. One firm will use the funds to create a new network that connects the state from Western Maryland to the Eastern Shore, reaching 2 million homes and 443,000 businesses.
benton.org/node/42273 | CongressDaily | Dept of Commerce
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GOVERNMENT & COMMUNICATIONS
SECRET PIZZA PARTY
[SOURCE: CongressDaily, AUTHOR: Juliana Gruenwald]
On Sept 14, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski and key aides -- Chief of Staff Eddie Lazarus, Senior Counselor Josh Gottheimer, Chief Counsel and Senior Legal Advisor Rick Kaplan and agency spokeswoman Jen Howard -- had a pizza dinner with a select group of journalists. Howard said the event was "the first in a series of informal chats with those who are on the FCC reporting beat." Officials declined to answer other questions about the event. A few journalists who attended said they didn't find the gathering particularly useful and that in typical form, the notoriously scripted Genachowski did not reveal anything substantive. While there were attempts to pepper the regulators with questions, one source panned the dinner as more akin to a "schmooze" than a news briefing.
benton.org/node/42266 | CongressDaily
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AGENDA
FCC MEETING AGENDA
[SOURCE: Federal Communications Commission, AUTHOR: ]
The Federal Communications Commission will hold an Open Meeting on Thursday, September 23, 2010. Here's the agenda. The FCC will consider:
1) a Second Memorandum Opinion and Order addressing 17 petitions for reconsideration of the rules adopted in this proceeding to make unused spectrum in the TV bands available for unlicensed broadband wireless devices while protecting incumbent services;
2) a Report and Order that improves connectivity for students and library patrons, and accelerates the National Broadband Plan's goal of affordable access to 1 gigabit per second broadband at community anchor institutions across the country, by upgrading, modernizing, and streamlining the E-Rate program;
3) a Second Report and Order that enables a more effective emergency response system by establishing a timeline and benchmarks for wireless carriers to provide more granular E911 location information at either a county-based or PSAP-based geographic level; and
4) a Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and Notice of Inquiry that seeks to improve E911 location accuracy and reliability for existing and new voice communication technologies, including Voice over Internet Protocol and, consistent with the National Broadband Plan, to understand the ways in which voice communications enabled by broadband and next generation 911 technologies could support enhanced first response.
benton.org/node/42269 | Federal Communications Commission
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CONTENT
HATE SPEECH INQUIRY
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
Representatives of the National Hispanic Media Coalition (NHMC) met with Commissioner Mignon Clyburn and her chief of staff, Angela Kronenberg Sept 16, seeking her support for opening an official inquiry into "the extent and effects of hate speech in media." The NHMC delegation, led by President Alex Nogales, was not pushing for rules; the group is seeking "non-regulatory ways" to counter such speech. Nogales argued that hate speech against Latinos has increased since NHMC first filed its petition for inquiry last year. In that petition, NHMC said that hate speech was prevalent on cable new nets as well as talk radio. NHMC defined hate speech as speech whose cumulative effect is to create an atmosphere of hate and prejudice that "legitimizes" violence against its targets.
benton.org/node/42309 | Broadcasting&Cable
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VIDEO GAME LAW
[SOURCE: The Hill, AUTHOR: Gautham Nagesh]
A coalition of entertainment industry trade groups urged the Supreme Court on Friday to uphold a court ruling that declared California's ban on sales of violent video games to minors unconstitutional in 2006, claiming the law could have a "dramatic chilling effect on the motion picture industry." California passed a law in 2005 banning the sale of any game to minors deemed "excessively violent" by the attorney general. The Entertainment Merchants Association fought back in court and won when the U.S. District Court struck down the law a year later. A subsequent state appeal to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals that compared the law to restrictions on the sale of pornography was unsuccessful, prompting Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to take his challenge to the nation's highest court. With oral arguments set for Nov. 2, members of the entertainment industry are concerned that if the law were allowed to stand it could eventually lead to similar restrictions on art and motion pictures. Groups including the Directors Guild of America, the Motion Picture Association of America and the American Federal of Television and Radio Artists have joined together to file an amicus brief opposing the law.
benton.org/node/42310 | Hill, The
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ONLINE GAMBLING
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR:Ishaq Siddiqi]
Online gambling has grown rapidly in the past 10 years, and a planned merger between the UK's PartyGaming PLC and Austria's Bwin Interactive Entertainment AG would create a gambling company with an estimated $885 million in revenue. But the "whale" for online gambling has always been the US. Unlike in the UK, where bookmakers line the high street, gambling is highly proscribed in the US. And online gambling has been illegal ever since the October 2006 passage of the Unlawful Internet Gambling and Enforcement Act. With the US government facing fiscal challenges, moves to legalize aspects of online gambling have started to gather pace. On July 28, the Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection, and Enforcement Act passed the House Financial Services Committee, meaning it could be voted on in the full House. Congress's Joint Committee on Taxation estimates that legalized online gambling could raise more than $40 billion in new tax revenue over a decade. It is this tax-revenue opportunity that can no longer be ignored, said Bill Lerner, an analyst at Union Gaming in Las Vegas. "It's a matter of when it will happen, not if it will happen. It would be regulated, first at state level," he said, where it could develop traction to become legal on a national level.
benton.org/node/42316 | Wall Street Journal
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ONLINE VOICE FOR IMMIGRANTS
[SOURCE: Los Angeles Times, AUTHOR: Esmeralda Bermudez]
vormob is a new site launched by the University of Southern California and the Institute of Popular Education of Southern California, which works to organize and educate immigrant communities. The idea is to give immigrants, mainly day laborers, an online space to speak their minds and share their stories. They are also encouraged to document their work as a form of self-protection. Organizers rolled out the program last month with a mix of grants from various foundations, including $40,000 worth of cellphones to train laborers. They fanned out to local job centers to teach workers how to upload text, photos and videos. So far about half a dozen laborers have launched their own blogs. Others are experimenting, transferring bits of broken audio and blurry images onto the Web.
benton.org/node/42315 | Los Angeles Times | vozmob
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TELEVISION
LOW POWER DTV
[SOURCE: Federal Communications Commission, AUTHOR: ]
On Sept 17, the Federal Communications Commission issued a Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to consider issues that need to be resolved to complete the low power television station digital transition. Those issues include:
1) whether to adopt a hard deadline during 2012 for the termination of analog low power television facilities;
2) whether to require existing analog and digital low power television stations in the 700 MHz band (channels 52-69) to cease operations by a date certain and to submit displacement applications or discontinue operations altogether;
3) whether to delegate to the Media Bureau the authority to establish timeframes and procedures for stations "flash cutting" to digital on their existing analog channels and for those operating digital companion channels to return one of their channels;
4) whether to widen the class of low power television broadcasters subject to the Commission's ancillary and supplementary fee rules;
5) whether to modify the Commission's minor change rule so that it covers a proposed change in a low power television station's transmitter site of up to 30 miles (48 kilometers) from the reference coordinates of the station's transmitting antenna;
6) whether to revise the vertical antenna patterns used in the prediction methodology for the low power television services; and
7) whether to allow low power television stations to use the emission mask used by full power television stations.
FCC Commissioner Michael Copps warned that this will be a complex undertaking. "Its success will depend upon close partnering between the private and public sectors; it will require effective consumer outreach and providing assistance to consumers who need help to transition their televisions to accommodate digital technology. And it also will call for good technical knowledge, adequate signal testing, and taking into consideration the myriad factors that can influence TV reception in diverse geographical settings," he said. "By launching this proceeding we are not only attempting to complete the digital television transition, but we are also beginning the next phase of low power television. In many communities these low power stations provide unique local content, sometimes in diverse languages, and they furnish much-needed independent programming in many corners of the country. Low-power television serves the public interest-and that should be all the motivation we need to ensure a smooth digital transition and, going forward, an environment that contributes to the growing vibrancy of low-power television." Commissioner Copps urged all interested parties to respond to this Further Notice in order to get the best information and analysis possible to guide our ongoing and future decision-making in this endeavor.
benton.org/node/42308 | Federal Communications Commission | Commissioner Copps
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NETWORK TV'S BIG WEEK
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Sam Schechner, Jeff Fick]
The biggest US television networks plan to launch more new TV shows in one week than they have in years, an expensive bet that comes as the future of broadcast television remains clouded. About 58 television shows -- 17 of them brand new -- are scheduled to have their season premieres on the four biggest U.S. networks over the next seven nights as broadcasters look to build on recent success in sitcoms, and reclaim lost ground on Friday evenings. Four-and-a-half hours of new prime-time shows will premiere on Monday night alone. The big cache of new shows comes as media companies confront an uncertain and fast-changing digital landscape. New devices from Apple Inc. and Google Inc. this fall are set to pipe more Web content onto home television sets. Meanwhile, the overall number of TV subscribers in the U.S. fell for the first time in the second calendar quarter, stoking fears that online video could be starting to eat into the traditional TV business. At the same time, broadcast networks have shown some renewed strength in the past season. The average size of their overall prime-time audience grew, after years of decline, according to Nielsen.
benton.org/node/42317 | Wall Street Journal | NYTimes
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TELECOMMUNICATIONS
TRS NUMBERING
[SOURCE: Federal Communications Commission, AUTHOR: ]
On Sept 17, the Federal Communications Commission launched a proceeding aimed at improving the assignment of telephone numbers associated with Internet-based Telecommunications Relay Service (iTRS), specifically, Video Relay Service (VRS) and IP Relay. VRS allows individuals with hearing and speech disabilities to communicate using sign language through video equipment, and IP Relay allows these individuals to communicate in text using a computer. The FCC seeks to encourage use of geographically appropriate local numbers, and ensure that the deaf and hard-of-hearing community has access to toll free telephone numbers that is equivalent to access enjoyed by the hearing community.
benton.org/node/42307 | Federal Communications Commission
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WIRELESS
T-MOBILE TEXTING
[SOURCE: GigaOm, AUTHOR: Colin Gibbs]
T-Mobile USA finally divulged a little information on its impending pricing change for text messaging, saying the move affects only the messaging aggregators that serve as a kind of middleman between businesses and carriers. So while countless companies will be affected by the change, those with direct relationships with T-Mobile -- a group that includes Facebook and Twitter -- will not see any increase in pricing. The carrier also said that labeling the move "simply as a price increase" isn't entirely accurate, because the change is part of a restructured agreement with aggregators.
benton.org/node/42305 | GigaOm
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PK RESPONSE
[SOURCE: Public Knowledge, AUTHOR: Press release]
On Sept 17, EZ Texting, a mobile marketing company, filed suit in U.S. District Court in New York City against T-Mobile for unilaterally blocking its customers from exchanging text messages with EZ Texting's customers, which the company said could put it out of business. According to the suit, T-Mobile began its blocking on Sept. 10 because it "did not approve" of EZ Texting doing business with a web site that provides information on the location of legal medical marijuana dispensaries in California. Even though EZ Texting ended its business relationship with the site, T-Mobile continued to block its short code, which is used by hundreds of businesses and organizations. The company said it will be put out of business unless T-Mobile restores its service.
Gigi B. Sohn, president and co-founder of Public Knowledge, said: "This case is yet another example of a totally arbitrary decision by a carrier to block text message calls between consumers and organizations they want to communicate with. The FCC should put a fast end to this blocking by issuing the ruling we asked them for three years ago. EZ Texting and other companies should be able to focus on growing their business rather than filing lawsuits to prevent blocking."
benton.org/node/42304 | Public Knowledge
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TEENS TEXT AND DRIVE
[SOURCE: USAToday, AUTHOR: Larry Copeland]
Many teens view texting while driving as less risky than drunken driving despite a sustained campaign against texting behind the wheel and research indicating it's as dangerous as drinking and driving, a new survey for State Farm insurance company finds. A much higher percentage of teens ages 14 to 17 strongly agree that drunken driving could cause a fatal crash than texting could, the survey by Harris Interactive found. More teens also believe that drunken driving is likelier than texting to cause a crash and lead to a ticket and arrest. "We're doing everything possible to get the message out to teens that driving while talking or texting on a cellphone is not worth the risk," says Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, who convenes a second summit on distracted driving Sept 21 in Washington (DC). "Teen drivers are some of the must vulnerable drivers on the road due to inexperience, and adding cellphones to the mix only compounds the dangers," Sec LaHood says. The survey comes after more than two years of a national campaign against distracted driving, especially texting. LaHood has made it a signature issue of his tenure, talk show host Oprah Winfrey regularly benton.org/node/42324 | USAToday
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TEXTING FROM LIFEGUARD CHAIR
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Bob Tedeschi]
For Bernard J. Fisher II, the director of health and safety at the American Lifeguard Association, the summer of 2010 was the year he heard a sharp rise in complaints about lifeguards who were texting on the job. "This issue has really come out for us this year," Mr. Fisher said, adding that he had heard several dozen complaints about the practice this summer, compared with none in 2008. "Lives are being endangered, if not already lost, because of text messaging." The threat is not hypothetical. The explanations seem clear. Lifeguarding positions are commonly filled by college students who may not want to feel disconnected from their gadgets, even if their job is to devote full attention to watching for signs of trouble.
benton.org/node/42323 | New York Times
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ADVERTISING
COOKIE BACKLASH
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Jennifer Valentino-Devries, Emily Steel]
Tools that track users' whereabouts on the Web are facing increased regulatory and public scrutiny and prompting a flurry of legal challenges. Since July, at least six suits have been filed in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California against websites and companies that create advertising technology, accusing them of installing online-tracking tools that are so surreptitious that they essentially hack into users' machines without their knowledge. All of the suits seek class-action status and accuse companies of violating the federal Computer Fraud and Abuse Act and other laws against deceptive practices. In 2001 and 2003, courts ruled that websites could place small text files called "cookies" on machines. Cookies allow sites to remember users, so they don't have to log in user information on each visit. But they can also be used to track users across websites, compiling a profile of a user's browsing interests. The earlier decisions said tracking across websites was legal. Since then, online tracking has become the foundation of the $23 billion online advertising industry. The industry says tracking tools help subsidize content, allowing many websites to be free to users. The new lawsuits challenge the older rulings because modern tracking tools are more sophisticated than early cookies.
benton.org/node/42320 | Wall Street Journal
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ONLINE AD SELF-REGULATION
[SOURCE: Financial Times, AUTHOR: Tim Bradshaw, Nikki Tait]
Online advertisers and technology companies must act "quickly and responsibly" to install new mechanisms for protecting consumers' privacy if they are to avoid regulation, the European digital commissioner said on Sept 17. Members of the European Union are currently implementing the privacy and electronic communications directive, which sets out new rules for dealing with "cookies", software placed within web browsers to collect information about their surfing habits. Neelie Kroes, vice-president of the European Commission responsible for the Digital Agenda, told a Brussels gathering of marketers that the industry should adopt four key principles of self-regulation to "enhance users' trust" in the online economy. These would include giving consumers notice of personalized ads, an "appropriate form of affirmation" from people to be targeted using cookies, and a "user friendly way" for consumers to make clear their choice. The commission's goal is to improve consumer protection from invasive targeted advertising, including illegal cookies which "respawn" when deleted and "creepy" ads which are too personal.
benton.org/node/42319 | Financial Times
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ADS FOR WEB TV
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Jessica Vascellaro, Suzanne Vranica]
Technology companies racing to deliver video to the living room over the Web are exploring the idea of offering ads on their services, seeking to capture some of the billions of ad dollars that flow to television. A few companies, including TiVo Inc. and Microsoft Corp., have released ad products tied to broadband-video services designed to be accessed on television sets, not computers. They include ads that can take a viewer to a movie trailer on YouTube when the viewer pauses a TiVo-recorded TV program, as well as ads that can be accessed by clicking a tile on the navigation menu of Xbox Live, the online gaming and video service for Microsoft's Xbox game console. Other efforts are also afoot. Google has been meeting with some of Madison Avenue's biggest media-buying firms, exploring ways to sell ads through its Google TV software due out this fall. Sony and other hardware makers are launching TVs and set-top boxes equipped with the software, which allows users to search and watch Internet programming.
benton.org/node/42318 | Wall Street Journal
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STORIES FROM ABROAD
These headlines presented in partnership with:
UK UNBUNDLED LLU BROADBAND ISP LINES PASS THE 7 MILLION MILESTONE
[SOURCE: Ofcom, AUTHOR: Press release]
Competition in the UK's broadband market has reached a significant milestone. The number of unbundled lines -- where rival communications providers such as Sky or TalkTalk offer services over BT's copper telephone network -- has passed the 7 million mark. The spur for the surge in unbundling was a set of legally-binding Undertakings that Ofcom agreed with BT Group plc in September 2005. These required BT to set up a new division, called Openreach, to provide services to rivals. At the time there were just 123,000 unbundled lines in the UK and the majority of people could only get their broadband and landline telephone service from one provider -- BT. According to Ofcom's latest research, there are now over 19 million broadband lines in the UK. Of these more than 70% are provided by companies other than BT many on the basis of unbundled lines.
benton.org/node/42299 | Ofcom
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OFCOM PLANS TO MAKE SWITCHING BROADBAND EASIER
[SOURCE: Cable.co.uk, AUTHOR:]
Ofcom is planning to make switching broadband and home phone providers an easier experience for consumers. The telecoms industry regulator has carried out research which found that 45 per cent of people with a broadband or landline connection believe it is too much hassle for them to change to a different communications provider. Consequently, the body is looking at ways to make the switching process easier and quicker, revealing that it will initially be focusing on broadband and home phones. It proposed a system in which a customer's new communications provider takes the lead in switching their services, claiming this method is "most likely to deliver the best outcome for consumers". "This is also more likely to deliver lower prices, more choice and innovation for consumers," Ofcom argued.
benton.org/node/42300 | cable.co.uk
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NZ WANTS 2 FIBERS, NOT 1, TO THE HOME
[SOURCE: ZDNet.com.au, AUTHOR: Josh Taylor]
While debate rages on in Australia as to whether government building broadband fiber right to the home is the best option for Australia, the New Zealand Government's fiber company Crown Fibre Holdings is looking at putting two fibers into each home as part of its Ultra-Fast Broadband initiative. Crown Fiber Holdings CTO John Greenhough said that by putting two fibers into every home in the roll-out, the aim was to shift the competition for retailers to "competition in the home, not [competition] for the home" by allowing for extra capacity. "We're trying to change [the market], it's why we're selling multiple ports into the home." The company will offer four ports into each home through which companies would be able to offer services to consumers. Greenhough said that this presented citizens with a variety of options, including allowing companies to pay for their employees' home Internet connection, while separating that connection from services like IPTV which could be provided by another company through one of the other ports.
benton.org/node/42298 | ZDNet.com.au
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CZECHS CURTAIL GOOGLE STREET
[SOURCE: Associated Press, AUTHOR: ]
Authorities in the Czech Republic banned Google from expanding its Street View mapping feature in the country, an official said Sept 14. Google Czech Republic said it wasn't deterred by what it considered to be a temporary decision and added that the dispute was mostly about technical issues in collecting the photographs used in Street View, which provides Internet users with panoramic views and photographs of neighborhoods from streets across the globe. The technology giant said it would continue to cooperate with the Czech Office for Personal Data Protection, "and hope that the issues will be solved in the near future." In the meantime, the company said it wouldn't collect any new data in the country, but that photos taken previously in Prague and other cities were still available.
benton.org/node/42303 | Associated Press
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5 BILLION CELL PHONES
[SOURCE: GigaOm, AUTHOR: Kevin Tofel]
The number of worldwide mobile subscriptions is expected to cross the 5-billion-person threshold by the end of this month, equating to roughly 73.4 percent of the global population. iSuppli, a market research firm, reported the numbers this morning and expects a near-75-percent mobile subscriber penetration rate before 2011 arrives. Such numbers are in line with the data offered earlier this week by Sir Tim-Berners Lee, who said, "80 percent of the world has access to a cellular data signal," so most of those that can subscribe, appear to do so. As a global milestone, the ramp-up to 5 billion mobile subscribers is huge when seen in comparison to the adoption of communications methods such as the telegraph and landline telephone. Data traffic on wireless networks surpassed voice communication in December 2009, so the next frontier is global Internet connectivity, which helps explain where the future growth is for telecom spending. iSuppli predicts $80.2 billion in wireless communications semiconductor spending by 2014, but carriers will surpass that investment.
benton.org/node/42265 | GigaOm
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EC TO PUSH FOR MORE MOBILE SPECTRUM
[SOURCE: ZDNet UK, AUTHOR: Jack Clark]
On Sept 20, the European Commission (EC) will ask the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers to make a ruling that will force member states to allocate the 800MHz spectrum to wireless broadband services, for use with mobile devices. The deployment deadline would be 1 January, 2013. The plan is for all countries to reassign the 800MHz 'digital dividend' spectrum sub-band -- which comprises the 790-862MHz portion of the radio spectrum -- from television broadcasting to wireless broadband services, as member states make the switch from analog to digital broadcasting services. The pan-EU decision will aim to adopt more coherence in spectrum allocation in Europe, making sure that a fair share of the digital dividend for the switch from analog to digital broadcasting goes to wireless broadband.
benton.org/node/42301 | ZDNet UK
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