June 2011

GOVERNMENT & COMMUNICATIONS

US UNDERWRITES CENSOR DETOUR
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: James Glanz, John Markoff]
The Obama Administration is leading a global effort to deploy “shadow” Internet and mobile phone systems that dissidents can use to undermine repressive governments that seek to silence them by censoring or shutting down telecommunications networks. The effort includes secretive projects to create independent cellphone networks inside foreign countries, as well as one operation out of a spy novel in a fifth-floor shop on L Street in Washington, where a group of young entrepreneurs who look as if they could be in a garage band are fitting deceptively innocent-looking hardware into a prototype “Internet in a suitcase.” Financed with a $2 million State Department grant, the suitcase could be secreted across a border and quickly set up to allow wireless communication over a wide area with a link to the global Internet. The American effort, revealed in dozens of interviews, planning documents and classified diplomatic cables, ranges in scale, cost and sophistication.
benton.org/node/77499 | New York Times | Fast Company
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TOO MANY GOVERNMENT WEBSITES
[SOURCE: The White House, AUTHOR: Macon Phillips]
As President Obama has said, we can't win the future with a government of the past. How our government uses the Internet to communicate and deliver services is an obvious and critical part of this modernization effort. Today, there are nearly 2,000 top-level federal .gov domains (this means a top-level url, [WEBSITENAME].gov, that links to a distinct website). This includes WhiteHouse.gov, as well as others like USDA.gov, USASpending.gov, NOAA.gov and USA.gov. Under many of these domains are smaller sub-sites and microsites resulting in an estimated 24,000 websites of varying purpose, design, navigation, usability, and accessibility. While many government websites each deliver value to the taxpayer through easy-to-use services and information, an overall online landscape of literally thousands of websites – each focusing on a specific topic or organization – can create confusion and inefficiency. In addition to confusing the public, duplicate and unnecessary websites also waste money. And while the costs for some of these websites may be relatively small, as President Obama also said in the video, "No amount of waste is acceptable. Not when it's your money, not at a time when so many families are already cutting back." So the federal government will do more with less, improving how it delivers information and services to the public by reducing the number of websites it maintains. To help drive this change we've set a specific goal that over the next year, we'll get rid of at least half of them. As one of the first steps of the Campaign to Cut Waste and as part of an OMB memorandum to improve customer service, we've taken three concrete steps:
Stop the bleeding. Starting right now, there is a freeze on all .gov URL’s. This means no one can get a new one without a written waiver from the federal CIO, Vivek Kundra. Facing this constraint, agencies will focus on their current infrastructure, adding content and functionality to existing websites.
Map out the current landscape. To understand what’s working, and what isn't, agencies will need to report on every URL they maintain. In addition, we’re enlisting the oversight of a powerful stakeholder: you. In the next 30 days, a list of all registered .gov domains will be published so that you can pore over them yourself and offer feedback.
Develop a government-wide policy for websites. While it’s pretty obvious that we don't need thousands of websites, what we do need is a little trickier. Should there only be one federal website? Is a more practical solution a common set of templates and standards so that sites are better connected to one another and more consistent to the public? A task force will consult with experts from the public and private sector to develop a policy for government websites moving forward.
benton.org/node/77532 | White House, The
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USF AND ICC REFORM LETTERS
[SOURCE: Federal Communications Commission, AUTHOR: FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski]
In March 2011, 35 House Republicans wrote a letter to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski with concerns about the FCC's efforts to reform the universal service (USF) program and intercarrier compensation system (ICC). They had a number of questions: "could you describe how the FCC will specifically account for the impact any changes to USF and ICC may have on service providers who are also [Rural Utilities Service] borrowers? Will the FCC conduct a thorough analysis of USF and ICC changes and the potential impact of those changes on RUS borrowers' ability to repay loans? And, will you conduct such an analysis before making any changes to USF and ICC rules?"
On May 31, Chairman Genachowski replied saying that the FCC is "mindful of the fact that changes to the Universal Service Fund and intercarrier compensation system may affect providers serving rural areas that receive public funding from other governmental agencies such as the Rural Utilities Service (RUS). A reformed, broadband-focused Universal Service Fund and intercarrier compensation system should complement RUS's efforts to spur broadband build-out in rural America through public-private partnerships. To that end, the Commission has requested data from firms currently receiving RUS support to examine the potential impact of changes to the system and has been working closely with RUS to address related issues. The Commission will analyze the data we receive to detern1ine the appropriate size of future recovery mechanisms and any necessary transitions to those mechanisms."
benton.org/node/77417 | Federal Communications Commission | Members of Congress
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HUAWEI AND ZTE LETTERS
[SOURCE: Federal Communications Commission, AUTHOR: FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski]
On November 2, 2010, Rep Anna Eshoo (D-CA) wrote a letter to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski with concerns about the implications of foreign-controlled telecommunications infrastructure companies providing equipment to the US market. She noted specific concerns about Chinese telecommunications infrastructure manufacturers Huawei and ZTE were looking to increase their presence in the US.
On June 3, 2011, Chairman Genachowski replied saying that in response to Rep Eshoo's letter, he mobilized an intra-agency team of subject matter experts to examine in detail each of the questions in her letter. In addition, as appropriate, Commission officials consulted with their federal inter-agency peers and industry officials to gather additional information. Given the sensitive nature of the subject matter and the staff 's findings, Chairman Genachowski suggested an in-person, oral briefing instead of letter response.
benton.org/node/77415 | Federal Communications Commission | Rep Eshoo
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JOURNALISM

FCC'S MEDIA REPORT
[SOURCE: TVNewsCheck, AUTHOR: Patrick Maines]
[Commentary] Seventeen months ago the Federal Communications Commission teed up what until June 9 was known as the “Future of Media” project. For all practical purposes the project’s report, now called “The Information Needs of Communities,” is likely to be forgotten in half that time. On the face of it this sounds like a criticism. Far from it. For its thoroughness and level-headed analysis, and especially for its acknowledgment of the constitutional limits on governmental involvement in the media, this report, and its principal personnel — most notably the man brought in to oversee the effort, Steven Waldman — are owed a debt of gratitude. The report effectively dismisses the worst aspects of the media reformers’ governmental agenda. Missing or explicitly rejected, for instance, are increased funding of public broadcasting, a “Geek Corps” for local democracy (patterned after AmeriCorps), federal tax credits for investigative journalism, or calls for a halt to media consolidation. In fact, one of the few “action elements” in the report was a call for less government regulation.
benton.org/node/77506 | TVNewsCheck
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HAMSTERIZATION OF JOURNALISM
[SOURCE: ars technica, AUTHOR: Matthew Lasar]
[Commentary] Hey there newspaper reporter—has your broadband-powered job got you filing not only conventional stories, but blogging, video blogging, Facebooking, podcasting, picture posting, and Tweeting? If so, you'll be happy to know that the Federal Communications Commission earned its keep this week by coming up with a term for this ever growing set of digital duties: the "hamsterization" of American journalism. "As newsrooms have shrunk, the job of the remaining reporters has changed. They typically face rolling deadlines as they post to their newspaper's website before, and after, writing print stories," the FCC notes in its just released report. The good news about this online convergence, the survey observes, is that it allows print journalists to produce short and longer versions of stories, the web versions of which can be continuously updated as the situation develops. But, "these additional responsibilities -- and having to learn the new technologies to execute them -- are time-consuming, and come at a cost. In many newsrooms, old-fashioned, shoe-leather reporting -- the kind where a reporter goes into the streets and talks to people or probes a government official -- has been sometimes replaced by Internet searches." Thus, those "rolling deadlines" in many newsrooms are increasingly resembling the rapid iteration of the proverbial exercise device invented for the aforementioned cute domestic rodent.
benton.org/node/77505 | Ars Technica
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FCC MEDIA REPORT AND REACTION
[SOURCE: Benton Foundation, AUTHOR: Kevin Taglang]
On June 9, 2011 the Federal Communications Commission's Working Group on the Information Needs of Communities delivered an analysis of the current state of the media landscape. It was back in January 2010, that the FCC issued a Public Notice seeking information on the future of media and the information needs of communities in the digital age. The FCC promised the effort would result in an examination of the changes underway in the media marketplace, analyze the full range of future technologies and services that will provide communities with news and information in the digital age, and, as appropriate, make policy recommendations to the FCC, other government entities, and other parties. The topics examined include: the state of TV, radio, newspaper, and Internet news and information services; the effectiveness and nature of public interest obligations in a digital era; and the role of public media and private sector foundations.
http://benton.org/node/77121
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THE FCC'S GOOD DEED
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Editorial staff]
[Commentary] Well, knock us over with a feather, the Federal Communications Commission wants the government to keep its distance from the media business. The FCC sketched gloomy prospects for local media outlets but stopped short of pitching the federal bailout many had expected. The report also rejects the idea floated in a Federal Trade Commission staff report that the government subsidize print journalism through a tax on consumer electronics. This is remarkable restraint from this Administration, but all the more so because it fails to join what has become a liberal campaign to create more government-supported media. Common wisdom among academic types has been that the blogosphere can't replace what's being lost at hometown papers, so government should provide seed money for local reporting. As a staff report, the FCC's tome isn't legally binding, though its recommendations may slow down the effort that was building in the previous Congress for media aid and comfort. Liberals understand that government funding for PBS and NPR has created sinecures that largely serve their political ends, and they'd love to do it again on the Web. So good marks to the FCC for resisting the temptation.
benton.org/node/77569 | Wall Street Journal
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AT&T/T-MOBILE

STOP THE MERGER
[SOURCE: Seattle Times, AUTHOR: Ryan Blethen]
[Commentary] Sprint, and a number of the other groups opposing AT&T's acquisition of T-Mobile, do not buy AT&T's argument that the merger must happen if broadband is going to be deployed to rural areas and underserved communities. If reaching these areas is something AT&T wants to do, it should take the $39 billion it will use to ingest T-Mobile and build out its system. The only reason rural areas might not have good service is because AT&T has decided not to go there. Buying the smaller T-Mobile is not going to result in flawless blanket coverage in Montana's Flathead Valley. I buy Sprint's objections. This merger would hurt consumers and technological advances. An aspect of this merger I find worrisome deals with net neutrality. The Federal Communications Commission passed some very weak network neutrality rules late last year. One of the reasons the rules were so soft is that it did not apply to wireless broadband. If AT&T and T-Mobile join to create the largest wireless network in the country, it does not bode well for a free-flowing Internet. Consumers can expect AT&T, a tireless opponent of net neutrality, to use its lack of competition to muck up the Internet with tiered pricing and the throttling of content. The choice is simple for the FCC and the U.S. Department of Justice: Stop this merger now. If it is allowed to happen it will be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to recreate a competitive wireless market.
benton.org/node/77524 | Seattle Times
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GOVERNOR BACKS AT&T/T-MOBILE
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
Gov Jack Markell (D-Delaware) supports AT&T's purchase of T-Mobile. Saying it was about getting private sector investment in jobs and helping connect schools and hospitals, among others, to broadband, Gov Markell said in a letter to the Federal Communications Commission that approving the deal "is one way you can help us build a strong climate for investment, education, and employment here in Delaware." That makes a total of 18 governors, to date, according to AT&T, that back the deal.
benton.org/node/77510 | Broadcasting&Cable
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ANOTHER MERGER
[SOURCE: Susan Crawford blog, AUTHOR: Susan Crawford]
[Commentary] In a filing at the Federal Communications Commission on AT&T's acquisition of T-Mobile, the Competitive Enterprise Institute said:
AT&T will be able to use T-Mobile cell sites and spectrum in order to address increases in traffic. This increased spectrum will also allow AT&T to expand its LTE coverage to underserved rural areas.
Operating system (OS) vendors and device manufacturers will constrain the power of network operators. Network operators are consolidating in order to have enough scale and power in order to fight back. (The battle is vertical, not horizontal.)
The special access/backhaul market is highly competitive. Don't worry about incumbents’ market power there.
Don't impose conditions. You'll just stifle investment. Uncertainty and delay will harm the public.
A post on cracked.com says that the rich are underserved by monopolistic carriers; poor/rural are often unserved. Internet access is more essential than phone services ever were, because quality of life/livelihoods/access to services depend on it. Offline equivalents are disappearing.
Think of all the jobs we could create with a combination of regulatory reforms and a major open-fiber infrastructure project nationwide for areas that aren't served. Not just the jobs that have to do with digging up the streets (although we'd have a lot of those). We'd be building a basic building block for the country’s future. Instead, because we think there is little we can do, we do little. Other than merge.
benton.org/node/77554 | Susan Crawford blog
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WIRELESS/SPECTRUM

APPLE AND NOKIA
[SOURCE: Financial Times, AUTHOR: Andrew Ward]
Apple has agreed to pay Nokia for intellectual property used in its iPhone, settling a long-running legal battle between the rival handset makers. The US company will pay a one-off sum to Nokia followed by ongoing royalty payments for patents owned by the Finnish mobile phone maker. The deal marked a rare piece of good news for Nokia after a torrid period of declining market share and strategic upheaval. Nokia said the agreement would result in the settlement of all patent litigation between the two companies and the withdrawal of their respective complaints to the US International Trade Commission. No further details of the deal were given, but Richard Windsor, a technology specialist at Nomura, estimated that royalty payments to Nokia could amount to 1-2 per cent of the $600 average price of the iPhone. With 18m of the devices selling each quarter, this could result in quarterly payments of $162 million to Nokia.
benton.org/node/77564 | Financial Times | Nokia | Bloomberg
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DIGITS AND WIRELESS
[SOURCE: paidContent.org, AUTHOR: Tom Krazit]
Wireless carriers are the punching bags of the mobile industry, notorious for holding back innovative services they don't control to preserve existing profits. Oftentimes they've earned that enmity, but making the leap from a voice-oriented world organized around a ten-digit number to a data-oriented world organized around bits and identity is not something that would happen overnight if they suddenly changed their tune. Several compelling developments emerged this past week about the future of mobile communications. Apple previewed its iMessage product, designed (like Research in Motion’s BlackBerry Messenger) to give iPhone users a way of communicating with each other without texting or e-mailing. Evidence emerged that good-old-fashioned SMS text messages may have peaked, putting a huge source of wireless industry profits into question. And Nilay Patel uncorked a solid rant at This Is My Next pointing out that a mobile-identity system based around a numerical convention from the late 1940s designed to make it easier to use rotary phones doesn't make a bit of sense in the 21st century of Internet services accessible across multiple devices. There’s no doubt that it’s silly: even with number portability, phone numbers are meaningless for modern mobile devices that have no fixed location except for one key detail. Phone numbers are an international standard recognized by nearly everyone (even North Korea), allowing calls and text messages to be placed between San Francisco and China or Argentina and Norway through simple codes. The various Internet-based communications services that are emerging lack that universal touch. It’s obviously not because of the Internet itself, perhaps the most universal communications technology we've yet invented. It’s because of the same profit motive that drives people crazy when they think about their backward wireless carrier gouging them for another ten bucks.
benton.org/node/77494 | paidContent.org
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TELEVISION

THE CREEPING OF TV BLEEPING
[SOURCE: Los Angeles Times, AUTHOR: Melissa Maerz]
Getting bleeped: It's not just for awards-show speeches anymore. Once largely relegated to slips of the tongue during live events, censored cursing has evolved into a pre-planned, or at least largely expected, punch line that's network-approved and no longer lowbrow. Over the past few years, even smart network comedies such as "The Office" and "Parks and Recreation" have used bleeps to elicit laughs. And since last summer, when the FCC lost much of its power to fine networks, some writers are bleeping a blue streak. Whether you blame it on Bono's "[bleep]-ing brilliant" outburst at the 2003 Golden Globes or chalk it up to TV scribes' freedom of speech, the use of bleeped curse words on television has risen steadily, particularly over the past few years, according to a recent study by the Parents Television Council, an L.A.-based media watchdog group. Across all networks and prime-time hours in 2010, a bleeped or muted S-word aired 95 times (up from 11 times in 2005) while a bleeped or muted F-word aired 276 times (up from 11 times in 2005). Last year, the U.S. 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals struck down the Federal Communications Commission's efforts to limit "fleeting expletives" to late-night television, a ruling that has severely hampered the government agency's ability to punish what it deems indecent language. As a result, some contend that networks are taking full advantage of the FCC's diminished capacity and are making a concerted effort to popularize profanity on television.
benton.org/node/77516 | Los Angeles Times
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BLOOMBERG COMPLAINT
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
As promised, Bloomberg has officially asked the Federal Communications Commission to require Comcast to move Bloomberg Television into "existing news neighborhoods" on its systems, saying that not to do so violates a condition in the FCC's order approving the NBCU deal. In a complaint filed at the FCC, Bloomberg said that Comcast's assertion that it does not have such neighborhoods and that any "neighborhooding" requirement applies to any future such possible news is off base. "[T]he evidence clearly indicates that Comcast right now extensivley groups news channels [like Fox News channel, MSNBC, and CNN] into new neighborhoods. Moreover, the FCC order expressly states that the news neighborhooding condition applies to news neighborhoods that Comcast carries "NOW or in the future,"thus meaning that it applies to any news neighborhood that Comcast carried as of the date of the FCC order (Jan. 18). Bloomberg wants the FCC to make Comcast move Bloomberg TV into "exisiting news neighborhoods" as defined by Bloomberg, within 60 days in the top 35 DMA's in the country.
benton.org/node/77511 | Broadcasting&Cable
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CONTENT

COMCAST BETTING ON ONLINE
[SOURCE: Associated Press, AUTHOR: Ryan Nakashima]
NBC lost more than $200 million the last time it showed the Winter Olympics, and it's bracing for similar losses in London next year. So, plenty of people scoffed when the network bid $4.4 billion — nearly a billion more than runner-up Fox — for the U.S. rights to carry the four games through 2020. Yet the price may prove right. The growth of Internet video and opportunities under NBC's new owner, Comcast, should help cut losses significantly and perhaps make the Olympics profitable after the London Games. There's also an intangible promotional benefit to NBC. Consider this: Even at a loss, the Olympics generate huge audiences. About 185 million people saw some of the Olympics in Vancouver last year. The struggling broadcaster can promote new shows to those viewers as it tries to dig out of fourth place. NBC didn't pay all that much for the Olympics, considering that TV rights fees for other major sports such as Pac-12 college basketball have been doubling or tripling. For the 2014 and 2016 games, it's paying about the same as it has been. For the final two games in the deal, NBC is paying just 19 percent more.
Morgan Stanley analyst Benjamin Swinburne called NBC's deal an "Olympic win at the right price."
benton.org/node/77513 | Associated Press
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INTERNET/BROADBAND

WISCONSIN BROADBAND FIGHT
[SOURCE: ars technica, AUTHOR: Matthew Lasar]
The University of Wisconsin's Internet technology division and a crucial provider of Internet access for Wisconsin's educational system are under attack from that state's legislature and from a local telecommunications association. At issue is the WiscNet educational cooperative. The non-profit provides affordable network access to the state's schools and libraries, although its useful days may be numbered unless the picture changes soon. Under a proposed new law, the University of Wisconsin system could be forced to return millions of dollars in federal broadband grants that it has already won, spend far more money on network services, and perhaps even withdraw from the Internet2 project. WiscNet is negotiating with the leadership of Wisconsin's state legislature. Here's how the situation stands now: at the urging of Wisconsin's state telecommunications association, Republican legislators have introduced an omnibus bill that would sever WiscNet from the University of Wisconsin at Madison's Division of Informational Technology, and bar it from taking any money from UW. The proposed law even goes so far as to prohibit UW from taking National Telecommunications Information Agency (NTIA) broadband stimulus grants, or joining any entity that offers broadband to the general public. These measures would force UW to return an estimated $39 million in such funds to Washington, DC, warned Tony Evers, the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, last week. And they would force schools to turn to Badgernet, Wisconsin's state wide-area-network, which depends heavily on AT&T as its primary vendor.
benton.org/node/77501 | Ars Technica
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PRIVACY

PRIVACY AND FACEBOOK
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Cecilia Kang]
Facebook already knows about your friend, random thoughts and likes. Now it wants to collect biometric data? That’s the subject of a complaint by privacy advocates filed at the Federal Trade Commission, asking the agency to stop Facebook’s facial recognition service. Rep. Ed Markey (D-MA) also urged the FTC to investigate the service for privacy and consumer violations. In its complaint, the Electronic Privacy Information Center said Facebook — with an estimated 60 billion photos of individuals in its collection — secretly collected facial images for automated online identification. Through its facial recognition software, Facebook recommended tags to help identify people in photos. It began rolling out the service last December, and the company said it should have done a better job of alerting consumers that it was being implemented more widely. That, according to EPIC’s Marc Rotenberg, violates consumer protection laws. The feature was implemented without user consent. And even though users can opt out of the service, Facebook subscribers weren't notified of the risks associated with the service, he said.
benton.org/node/77518 | Washington Post | MediaPost
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HEALTH

HEALTH IT RESEARCH GRANTS
[SOURCE: HealthcareITNews, AUTHOR: ]
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is offering career development research grants focused on healthcare IT. The grants will support the career development of clinical and research doctorates focusing on one of three health IT research areas. Career development grant applications will be funded for 3-5 years. Dissertation grant applications will be funded for 9 to 17 months.
The three health IT research areas are:
Health IT to improve the quality and safety of medication management; this includes the utilization of medication management systems and technologies; ambulatory health care providers and out-patient pharmacists’ use of electronic prescribing systems and/or medication management technologies; integration of evidence-based decision support for priority conditions within electronic prescribing systems; and, providing patients electronic tools to support medication self-management.
Health IT to support patient-centered care; this includes, but is not limited to, a focus on the coordination of care across transitions in care settings and the use of electronic exchange of health information to improve quality of care. Patient-centered care is responsive to the needs and preferences of individual patients, provides patients and/or their caregivers with access to their medical information, facilitates communication between patients, caregivers and providers, and empowers patients to be active participants in care decisions and in the daily management of their health and illnesses.
Health IT to improve healthcare decision making; this includes the development, implementation, and integration of health IT systems or applications through the use of integrated data and knowledge management. AHRQ encourages research projects and career development that will use health IT applications that apply principles to evidence-based medicine including the use of the best available evidence, health care providers’ ability to execute their best judgment, and consideration of patients’ expressed treatment preferences.
benton.org/node/77527 | HealthcareITNews
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SMART GRID

SMART GRID INVESTMENT
[SOURCE: Department of Agriculture, AUTHOR: Press release]
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack joined Administration officials to announce initiatives aimed at modernizing the nation's electric grid, including USDA's goal to invest $250 million in smart grid equipment deployment in rural America over the next 12 months. With funding from USDA Rural Development's Rural Utilities Service (RUS), rural electric cooperatives are leading the way in smart grid deployments. Last year, RUS approved $7.1 billion in loans for a broad range of rural electric grid modernization, including $152 million in loans for smart meters. Smart grid infrastructure includes metering, substation automation, computer applications to monitor and control systems and processes, two-way communications, geospatial information systems, and additional system improvements.
Smart grid technologies give consumers more control over their electric costs and help utilities better manage the electric grid to improve operational efficiency. Smart grid investments make it possible to increase the use of renewable energy by balancing intermittent sources of power – like wind and solar –with other fuels. A smart grid also enables greater use of demand side management tools to save energy.
benton.org/node/77508 | Department of Agriculture | Connected Planet | GigaOm
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STORIES FROM ABROAD
These headlines presented in partnership with:

MALAYSIA SEEKS TO BAN SITES FOR ILLEGAL DOWNLOADS
[SOURCE: Associated Press, AUTHOR:]
Thousands of Malaysians joined an online protest June 12 against a government effort to block access to 10 popular websites often used to illegally download movies, TV shows and music. It is the biggest move to curb Internet entertainment piracy in Malaysia, which has long been accused by industry officials of not cracking down hard enough on the rampant sale of bootleg DVDs and CDs. The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission, a government regulatory body, said Friday that it wanted Internet service providers to block 10 websites that violated copyright laws. More than 6,500 people have since joined a Facebook page slamming the decision, with some saying the government had reneged on its pledge not to censor the Internet.
benton.org/node/77413 | Associated Press
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IRISH GOVT CONVENES HIGH-SPEED BROADBAND TASKFORCE
[SOURCE: Telecompaper, AUTHOR:]
The Irish government will convene a high-level taskforce on the roll-out of high-speed broadband in Ireland on 13 June. This Next Generational Broadband Taskforce (NGBT) includes the CEO of all the major telecoms companies currently operating in Ireland and CEOs of some ISPs. Its aim is to discuss how best to deliver the optimal policy environment and to identify a roadmap for accelerated delivery of high-speed broadband. Issues to be considered include appropriate targets, investment plans, and the role of government policy and actions in driving and facilitating investment. The taskforce is expected to complete its work by March 2012.
benton.org/node/77410 | TelecomPaper
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BRAZIL BROADBAND LINES GROW 19.2 PERCENT IN 2010
[SOURCE: Telecompaper, AUTHOR:]
Brazil finished 2010 with 15.5 million broadband Internet connections, an increase of 19.2 percent over 2009, according to the annual report of the National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel). In 2010, speeds above 2 Mbps represented 19 percent of access lines in service. The number of companies providing broadband access services increased 38.6 percent year-on-year, reaching 2,500. Anatel also found that at the end of 2010, Brazil had 9.8 million pay-TV subscribers, up 30.7 percent over 2009, the highest growth recorded in the sector since 1998 when monitoring started.
benton.org/node/77408 | TelecomPaper
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CYBERSECURITY

DRAFT DATA BREACH BILL
[SOURCE: The Hill, AUTHOR: Gautham Nagesh]
Rep Mary Bono Mack (R-CA) released a draft of a bill that would establish national notification standards for firms that suffer data breaches that compromise customers' personal information. The chairman of the House Commerce Committee's Manufacturing Subcommittee called the recent string of high-profile hacker attacks "a threat to the future of electronic commerce." The Subcommittee is set to hold a hearing on the Secure and Fortify Data Act (SAFE DATA Act) June 15 at Rayburn House Office building. The bill would require companies to notify the Federal Trade Commission and consumers within 48 hours of when a data breach has been secured and the scope assessed. The FTC could levy fines if companies fail to do so in a timely manner. Nonprofits and charities would also be subject to the law.
benton.org/node/77562 | Hill, The | Politico
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CYBERATTACKS AND LIBYA
[SOURCE: Associated Press, AUTHOR: Raphael Satter]
Private computer experts advised US officials on how cyberattacks could damage Libya's oil and gas infrastructure and rob Moammar Gadhafi's regime of crucial oil revenue, according to a study obtained by hackers. It remains unclear who commissioned "Project Cyber Dawn" and how much of a role the US government played in it, but it shows the increasing amount of work being done by private companies in exposing foreign governments' vulnerabilities to cyberattack. "For the private sector to be making recommendations ... that's a level of ambition that you would not have seen until very recently," said Eli Jellenc, a cybersecurity expert with VeriSign who is not linked to the study or its authors. The study outlined ways to disable the coastal refinery at Ras Lanouf using a computer virus similar to the Stuxnet worm that led to a breakdown in Iran's enrichment program late last year. It catalogued several pieces of potentially exposed computer hardware used at the refinery. The study was discussed in some of nearly 1,000 e-mails stolen by hacking group Lulz Security from Delaware-based Internet surveillance firm Unveillance as part of an effort to show how vulnerable data can be. Most of the e-mails detail the day-to-day trivia of running a small technology startup, but others concern an effort to scout out vulnerabilities in Gadhafi's electronic infrastructure.
benton.org/node/77561 | Associated Press
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Analysis

June 2011

Combating Billions of Cyber-Threats Requires International Collaboration

June 14, 2011 (US Underwrites Internet Detour Around Censors)

President Obama Offers Training Plan Designed for High-Tech Jobs

The FCC's Good Deed

What we have is a failure to communicate

Entertainment, media spending hits $433B in 2010

Apple and Nokia settle iPhone dispute