January 2011

With the backdrop of political unrest in Egypt, Tunisia, and Yemen, Roger Cohen mocks Evgeny Morozov's The Net Delusion as an ill-timed book in the same category as Dow 36,000, which was published just before the dot-com crash. Cohen epitomizes technology utopians when he writes, "The freedom to connect is a tool of liberation." Morozov's point is subtler, however.

His goal is to highlight the negative uses of the Internet, often by powerful governments to achieve their own nefarious ends. He doesn't deny the positive impacts of technology, but he does offer a counterweight. Morozov's real target is the simplistic, one-sided view that dissemination of communication technologies necessarily supports democracy. Technology can communicate and spread frustration, but it also amplifies government propaganda and misinformation. Technology can accelerate a revolution once it begins, but it can't feed or educate an enfeebled population to the point of rebellion (PCs for schools notwithstanding). What does this mean for policy? Technology policy should be more selectively applied. It helps most when the social balance is already in favor of a desired outcome. Otherwise, there are other conditions we might push for first -- good nutrition, viable healthcare, and universal education -- most of which are less controversial, even for dictators. And, in any case, technology-for-all policies require extreme care, as Hillary Clinton found with WikiLeaks and "Internet freedom," technology's blade is always double-edged.

Hearst has offered to pay about $890 million for Lagardère’s international publications -- far more than the $1 that had become the going price for iconic, yet faltering, magazine brands. The price represents about 13 times earnings before interest, taxes (EBIT) close to the high point of multiples paid for magazines just before the recession, estimated Reed Phillips, managing partner of media investment bank DeSilva & Phillips. The price offered reflects Hearst’s belief that it can improve the properties through cost-cutting, however. In the US, the deal would include Lagardère’s unit Hachette Filipacchi Media, publisher of Elle, Woman’s Day and Car & Driver. Hearst -- parent of Cosmopolitan, Esquire and other titles -- would add over 100 international magazines for a total of more than 300 overseas editions. The deal would make Hearst the No. 2 publisher in the US in terms of ad pages and, it’s believed, the biggest international publisher by number of editions. The sale is expected to close in the third quarter of 2011.

Retained by plaintiff Patrick Hendricks, a representative from an independent consulting firm visited an AT&T store, purchased a brand new iPhone, and then disabled all location services and push notifications. All of the applications on the new iPhone were closed, no email account was configured with the device, and it sat untouched -- the plaintiff claims -- for ten days. "During this 10-day period, AT&T billed the test account for 35 data transactions totaling 2,292 KB of usage," Courthouse News Service reported. "This is like the rigged gas pump charging you when you never even pulled your car into the station." The so-called phantom data traffic charges are just one component of a new federal class action lawsuit that AT&T Mobility is faced with concerning the company's iPhone and iPad services. The other: systematically overbilling for data usage.

The Federal Communications Commission is seeking comment on how to best update and evaluate the 2009 Rural Broadband Report.

The report recommended new policies to deliver broadband to rural areas and restore economic growth and opportunity for Americans residing and working in those areas. The 2009 Rural Broadband Report identified a number of challenges typically affecting rural broadband, including technological issues, high costs, and lack of data. The report made a number of recommendations, including enhancing coordination among and between federal, Tribal, state, and community agencies, governments, and organizations; reviewing existing federal programs to identify barriers to rural broadband deployment; coordinating broadband data collection and mapping efforts; and supporting consumer education and training initiatives aimed at stimulating and sustaining broadband demand. The report also identified a number of policy areas and proceedings where Commission action could support broadband deployment and adoption.

Interested parties may file comments on or before March 2, 2011. When filing comments, please reference GN Docket No. 11-16.