November 2, 2011 (AT&T defends job-creation claims)
BENTON'S COMMUNICATIONS-RELATED HEADLINES for WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2011
Cloud Computing, FCC Reform and the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology on today’s agenda http://benton.org/calendar/2011-11-02/
AT&T/T-MOBILE
AT&T defends job-creation claims, says ‘spillover’ from merger will help economy
Critics of AT&T, T-Mobile merger see hope in court blocking of tax merger
MORE SPECTRUM/WIRELESS
House Passes Measure To Bar New Wireless Taxes
The Social Cost of Wireless Taxation: Wireless Taxation and its Consequences for Minorities and the Poor - research
The Smartphone Wars Are Over - analysis
Google-Motorola bears its first fruit - analysis
TELEVISION
New coalition seeks to protect broadcast TV
Sinclair Calls for National Spectrum Audit
Networks' Reverse Compensation Take to Hit $1B in 2014
Is ESPN the main force behind realignment in college sports? [links to web]
INTERNET/BROADBAND
$16M promised for broadband in Chicago suburbs
CYBERSECURITY
UK, U.S. talk tough on web freedom at cyber talks
VP Biden calls for protecting individual rights in the 'town square or on a Twitter stream'
PRIVACY
EPIC Challenges Verizon Wireless's New Privacy Policy Verizon
CBO Scores Data Breach Notification Act
CONTENT
Stop Online Piracy Act would stop online innovation - editorial
Homeland Security reviews social media guidelines [links to web]
Our relationship with e-books: It’s too complicated - analysis
Economy Reemerges as Top Story - research [links to web]
Big Brands Like Facebook, But They Don't Like to Pay [links to web]
OWNERSHIP
Tribune hopes bankruptcy exit plan can be altered to win approval
HEALTH
ONC seeks opinions on mobile devices as health info tools [links to web]
Social Media Has Role in Delivery of Healthcare but Patients Should Proceed With Caution - press release [links to web]
Survey: 10% of Hospitals Ready for Stage 1 of Meaningful Use [links to web]
Doctors, Like Their Patients, Use Google for Health Information [links to web]
Announcing the Winners of the Apps Against Abuse Technology Challenge - press release [links to web]
Got a knack for making apps? $100,000 prize offered by Robert Wood Johnson Foundation [links to web]
EDUCATION
The race for education tech heats up [links to web]
BioBook, A Gates-Funded iPad Textbook, Plans A Free Database For Customized Learning [links to web]
GOVERNMENT & COMMUNICATIONS
Request for Comments on Government Cloud Computing Technology Roadmap
The Case of the Missing We The People Petitions - op-ed [links to web]
Why government should not touch the internet - editorial
POLICYMAKERS
FCC picks likely to sail through
CPUC’s Sandoval Added to Federal-State Joint Conference on Advanced Telecommunications Services
Steve Jobs bio sheds light on Obama relationship [links to web]
Apple in His Own Image [links to web]
STORIES FROM ABROAD
These headlines presented in partnership with:
European Commission plans ambitious €100bn fiber project
Finland to Require Mobile Broadband Speeds to Be Included in Customer Contracts
China denies it is behind hacking of U.S. satellites [links to web]
China's Groupon clone files for $100 million U.S. IPO [links to web]
UK rural areas asked to aid mobile Internet trial
Ofcom says big areas still lack all 3G signals
Why 1 in 2 smartphones in the U.K. run Android [links to web]
Free Wi-Fi in central London promotion launched [links to web]
How Turkcell built one of the world's fastest networks [links to web]
AT&T/T-MOBILE
AT&T JOBS CLAIMS
[SOURCE: The Hill, AUTHOR: Brendan Sasso]
AT&T defended its claim that its proposed merger with T-Mobile will create "thousands" of jobs in a filing with the Federal Communications Commission. AT&T committed to not cut any U.S. call center jobs if the merger is approved and pledged to bring 5,000 call center jobs back to the U.S. from other countries. AT&T promised to extend a job offer to all "non-management" T-Mobile employees. "T-Mobile non-management employees whose job functions are no longer required because of the merger will be offered another position in the combined company," AT&T wrote. The most significant job creation will come from the economic "spillover effects" that will result from AT&T's investment in its high-speed wireless network, the company said. The company also argued that T-Mobile is a struggling company that might need to purge jobs soon if it is not allowed to merge with AT&T. Public Knowledge, a consumer advocacy group that opposes the deal, slammed AT&T for not providing enough details about the merger's impact on jobs. "The company is spending millions of dollars on TV ads claiming that its takeover of T-Mobile will create 96,000 jobs, but it can’t be bothered to tell the public how those jobs will be created," Gigi Sohn, president of Public Knowledge, said. “Instead, it continues to file more information under confidentiality restrictions that do nothing to answer the question how AT&T will reverse its trend of cutting 10,000 jobs per year if the takeover goes through.” AT&T says it only redacted confidential company data.
benton.org/node/103203 | Hill, The | Public Knowledge
Recommend this Headline
back to top
H&R BLOCK AND AT&T/T-MOBILE
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Cecilia Kang]
Opponents of AT&T’s $39 billion bid for T-Mobile are finding hope in a court decision blocking another merger — between H&R Block and a tax software company. Some antitrust watchers point to similarities in the cases. The market concentration created by the combination of identical businesses wouldn’t uphold competition laws, the judge decided. Judge Beryl A. Howell of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia sided with the Justice Department, which sued to block the tax companies’ merger. Beryl’s findings haven’t been publicly released but some antitrust experts and public interest groups say the decision bodes poorly for the wireless megamerger.
“This case proves that antitrust law is alive, well and relevant to AT&T’s proposed takeover of T-Mobile,” said Harold Feld, legal director for public interest group Public Knowledge. The judge in the H&R Block case ruled that one of the largest companies in a competitive industry could not buy out a competitor, particularly when that competitor is seen as a maverick within that industry. The judge agreed with the Justice Department that a market dominated by the two biggest companies is not sufficiently competitive. We agree. Whether the market is tax-filing software or the wireless industry, the principles are the same. The fact that the opinion has not been released because of the large amount of confidential data presented in court filings means that those who on the surface think the Justice Department has a weak case in the AT&T matter would do well to remember we don’t know all that has been filed.”
benton.org/node/103201 | Washington Post | Public Knowledge
Recommend this Headline
back to top
MORE SPECTRUM/WIRELESS
WIRELESS BILL PASSED BY HOUSE
[SOURCE: National Journal, AUTHOR: Juliana Gruenwald]
The House passed legislation that would temporarily bar states and localities from imposing some new taxes on wireless services like smart phones. The legislation, authored by Reps. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) and Trent Franks (R-AZ) would impose a five-year moratorium on new state or local taxes on wireless services, unless they are already imposed on other goods and services. The bill's supporters say states and localities are taxing wireless services, which includes service for mobile phones, iPads and other wireless devices, at rates as high as three times the average state sales tax of 7 percent. "This bill would not affect any existing revenues. In fact, it wouldn't affect the ability [of states] to raise taxes on all goods," Rep Lofgren said during the House debate on the bill. "What it would do is keep [states and localities] from singling out wireless services for disproportionate taxation." State and local officials worry the bill would limit their ability to raise revenues, so in July the House Judiciary Committee amended the bill to allow a state or city to impose a new wireless tax if it is approved by the affected voters. Despite this, many groups remain opposed, including the National League of Cities and the National Governors Association
benton.org/node/103192 | National Journal
Recommend this Headline
back to top
WIRELESS TAXATION
[SOURCE: Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, AUTHOR: Nicol Turner-Lee, Joseph Miller]
This paper presents an argument for why state and local governments should opt for comprehensive reform of taxes against wireless services, digital goods, and digital services and shares recent data on minority mobile broadband use. While African-Americans and Latinos are leading the nation in wireless and smartphone usage, they disproportionately comprise the nation’s low-income population. When states raise the tax burden on the most vulnerable Americans, the ability of these citizens to break the trajectory of poverty by connecting to vital services and opportunities is more difficult, and the incentive to use broadband for these purposes is diminished. In the end, the need to clearly understand the unintended consequences of a regressive tax regime on minorities and the poor is essential for developing a more equitable tax structure on wireless services and digital goods.
benton.org/node/103190 | Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies
Recommend this Headline
back to top
THE WAR IS OVER
[SOURCE: Fast Company, AUTHOR: Kit Eaton]
Statistics, arguments, sales figures, and passionate explanations claiming one or another smartphone platform has sold or will sell more than another in a specific market might litter the web for a while to come. But, really, it's all over but the shoutin'. "Android outselling iPhone by two to one in the UK," states one headline. "Android was the only OS whose sales grew in all markets it surveys," goes another. And remember this one from last year: "Android sales overtake iPhone in the US." You could be forgiven for thinking that like a tide sweeping the world, Google's smartphone/erstwhile tablet OS has decisively won the smartphone wars and has been busy digging itself in, reinforcing its positions, and mopping up the entrails of survivors it's slain. After all, RIM's sales are in trouble, Nokia's future is in serious doubt, Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 plans haven't borne fruit yet, and HP/Palm's great webOS experiment is dead in the water. The only competitor to Android is Apple's iPhone, which started it all off, but Android fans love to point out Apple's outsold by Android handsets pretty much everywhere.
So now we have a Cold War situation, with both brands locked in tense legal and commercial battles, and a cluster of competing smartphone brands jockeying for third place. Oddly enough, just as the real Cold War drove a massive amount of innovation, this new battle may actually see even more interesting developments being pursued by Apple, Google, and Google's partners as they compete to win the hearts and minds of the smartphone-buying public.
benton.org/node/103181 | Fast Company
Recommend this Headline
back to top
GOOGLE-MOTOROLA AND THE NEW RAZR
[SOURCE: Fortune, AUTHOR: Kevin Kelleher]
It's been nearly three months since Google caught the tech world off guard by offering to buy Motorola Mobility Holdings for $12.5 billion. That's 11 weeks of head scratching, followed by second guessing, followed by some daring analysis, followed by more head scratching. Just what is Google getting out of this deal? Aside from patents, that is. A hint may lie in the release of Motorola's Droid Razr. The latest in Motorola's popular Droid line of Android-powered phones, the Droid Razr will reportedly launch on Verizon's wireless network on Nov. 10. While it's unlikely to lure any iPhone lovers away from Apple, it could help Motorola gain back some market share from Samsung, which saw revenue from mobile handset sales rise 40% last quarter, compared with a 20% rise in Motorola's mobile devices.
Motorola's Droid Razr won't be the first smartphone to run Ice Cream Sandwich early. That honor goes to Samsung's Galaxy Nexus. But unlike that phone, the Droid Razr will soon become a Google-owned phone. Google has acted like it wanted to manufacture its own phones ever since the first Nexus, which saw disappointing sales but at least came close to Google's own vision of what an Android phone should look like. The Droid Razr will combine Motorola's hardware design with Google's software design. Once it owns Motorola, Google can design smartphones exactly as it wants them to be, only with the brand and expertise of one of the world's top mobile firms. Which gets at the real reason I suspect motivated Google's purchase of Motorola, beyond its patent portfolio: Google has no idea what will happen if it manufactures its own smartphones. Nobody does, really. But the only way for it to find out for sure is to try it. The mobile industry is young and competitive and rapidly evolving. It is by nature unpredictable. So it's just as easy to say Google will regret buying Motorola as it is to say it will look back on the deal as a shrewd move. This is a risky transaction that my not pan out, but where there is risk, there can also be reward. And if it doesn't pan out? There is a downside, but it's not so terrible. Google can shut down its phone manufacturing operations, or sell it off. Or, most likely, spin it off into a subsidiary and let Motorola return to the public markets. Minus the patents, of course.
benton.org/node/103160 | Fortune
Recommend this Headline
back to top
TELEVISION
FUTURE OF TV
[SOURCE: The Hill, AUTHOR: Gautham Nagesh]
A coalition of industry, broadcasters and diversity organizations announced the formation of a coalition designed to protect the future of broadcast television. The Future of TV Coalition was facilitated by the National Association of Broadcasters and will engage in lobbying and direct advocacy in hopes of ensuring the future of free television at a time when consumers are increasingly embracing the Internet and pay-TV as sources of video content. "The Coalition supports the evolution of broadcast television and its integration with other technologies and across many platforms," reads the mission statement of the coalition, which includes Bounce TV, The Center for Asian American Media, Open Mobile Video Coalition, and Vme Media. "Our members work together to advance public policy initiatives that allow broadcasters to continue to rigorously innovate and invest to better serve consumers." The group argues the future of broadcast TV is bright thanks to innovations enabled by the switch from analog to digital television including high-definition, digital multicast channels and mobile DTV. A system to allow smartphone users to watch local TV from their devices is expected to launch in the near future as well.
benton.org/node/103196 | Hill, The | National Journal | Broadcasting&Cable
Recommend this Headline
back to top
NATIONAL SPECTRUM AUDIT
[SOURCE: TVNewsCheck, AUTHOR: ]
The proposal in Congress to auction a 120 MHz portion of the broadcast television spectrum would disenfranchise millions of Americans, seriously damage local TV and raise meager revenues for the U.S. budget deficit, according to officials at Sinclair Broadcast Group. Mark Aitken, VP of advanced technology for Sinclair said: “Spectrum auctions would cause big pain for very little gain. “Forty-six million Americans rely exclusively on over-the-air broadcasting. It is the only reliable medium everyone uses during catastrophes when the cable goes out and the satellite dishes have blown off roofs.”
Sinclair offered a review of what it called the issue’s key facts:
All nine of Detroit’s local TV stations would likely go off the air under the proposal to auction 40% of broadcaster spectrum. It says 50%-100% of the TV stations in 22 cities would be left without a new channel assignment. Up to 131 stations nationwide would be forced off the air.
TV stations located 360 km (224 miles) south of the Canadian border cannot be reassigned channels without violating U.S.-Canada treaty.
The claim of a “looming spectrum crisis” is not supported by facts. Instead, the nation faces a spectrum management failure.
The entire block of 108 MHz of spectrum returned to the government by broadcasters during the 2009 DTV transition went unsold and now lies fallow.
Officials at Verizon, Sprint and elsewhere acknowledge there is no spectrum shortage, as claimed by auction proponents.
An independent analysis conducted by Citigroup found that wireless companies are using only 192 MHz of the 838 MHz available to the industry.
Nearly 1,500 MHz of spectrum has been identified by the U.S. Commerce Department that may be available for reassignment, including 115 MHz that could be used for wireless broadband on a swift timetable.
The federal government is the single-biggest squatter of the so-called “prime spectrum” (225 MHz-3.7 GHz). Federal entities control 70% of this spectrum and the Government Accountability Office has found federal entities are using it inefficiently.
Countless jobs at hundreds of local TV stations forced off the air and related businesses would be at serious risk in what is already a down economy with high unemployment.
According to the Congressional Budget Office, a spectrum auction would raise a meager $6.5 billion for the U.S. Treasury to offset a $1.5 trillion budget deficit (representing 0.4% of the deficit).
Legislation to audit the spectrum (H.R. 3125) passed overwhelmingly (394-18) in the U.S. House last year but died in the Senate.
benton.org/node/103195 | TVNewsCheck
Recommend this Headline
back to top
REVERSE COMPENSATION
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: Jon Lafayette]
Reverse compensation from affiliated stations could become a billion dollar revenue stream for the major broadcast networks by 2014, according to a new analysis by SNL Kagan. "For major networks, sharing in affiliates' retrans [retransmission] revenue stream is now a given, and although slightly different models are emerging, network partners appear to be planning to receive at least half of the income flowing to affiliates," according to the Kagan report. "Reverse retrans, added to the retrans revenues going to the nets' owned-and-operated stations, produces a major new revenue stream for broadcast networks." For 2011, Disney, which owns ABC, will be getting the most in reverse compensation at $53 million, followed by Fox and MyNetwork TV owner News Corp. at $39 million, CBS at $28 million (also including the CW). Comcast gets $5 million for NBC and Telemundo. News Corp. generates the most retrans revenue from cable and satellite operators at $257 million in 2011, according to Kagan. CBS gets $181, Disney gets $104 million and Comcast gets $16 million. Kagan says ABC gets the most in reverse comp because it's completed agreements with 60% of its non-owned footprint, more than the other networks. Those figures should grow significantly in the next few years. In 2014, News Corp. will rake in $296 million from affiliates, CBS $284 million, Disney $231 million, and Comcast $202 million, for a total of $1.037 billion. At the same time, the broadcasters trans payments from operators will be $1.562 billion.
benton.org/node/103167 | Broadcasting&Cable
Recommend this Headline
back to top
INTERNET/BROADBAND
COOK COUNTY BROADBAND
[SOURCE: Associated Press, AUTHOR: ]
High speed Internet is getting a $16 million boost in suburban Cook County. Gov. Pat Quinn (D-IL) and Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle (D) announced a partnership at South Suburban Community College. The state will put in $6.1 million and the county promises $10 million. The project will mean more than 70 miles of new underground fiber optic cable to provide high-speed network connections between hospitals, libraries and schools. Chicago suburbs that will benefit include Calumet Park, Dixmoor, Harvey, Markham, Riverdale and Robbins. State officials say the project will create at least 150 permanent and temporary jobs. County Board President Preckwinkle says the project is critical to reverse joblessness, poverty and technology adoption in the southern Chicago suburbs. Gov Quinn says the infrastructure project is a step toward economic growth.
benton.org/node/103169 | Associated Press
Recommend this Headline
back to top
CYBERSECURITY
LONDON CYBER TALKS
[SOURCE: Reuters, AUTHOR: Adrian Croft, Georgina Prodhan]
Britain and the United States strongly rejected calls from China and Russia for greater Internet controls at a major conference on the future of cyberspace, although Western states too faced accusations of double standards. While Western states worry about intellectual property theft and hacking, authoritarian governments are alarmed at the role the Internet and social media played in the protests that swept the Arab world this year. In September, China, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan proposed to the United Nations a global code of conduct including the principle that "policy authority for Internet-related public issues is the sovereign right of states." Cyber security experts say western Nations hoped to fend off those calls for a "cyber treaty" and to prompt China, Russia and others to rein in hackers.
benton.org/node/103199 | Reuters
Recommend this Headline
back to top
BIDEN ON PROTECTING RIGHTS
[SOURCE: The Hill, AUTHOR: Brendan Sasso]
Vice President Joe Biden urged international cooperation to combat cybercrime at a global conference on Internet security in London, but he warned against harsh measure that would curb freedom online. "The rights of individuals to express their views and petition their leaders, practice their religion, assemble with their fellow citizens online we believe must be protected," he said. "These rights are universal whether they're exercised in the town square or on a Twitter stream." VP Biden said the Internet poses new challenges for international relations. It is more difficult to judge a county's cyberwarfare capabilities than it is to count its tanks, for example. But he said countries must work together to address cyberthreats. The U.S. is working to reach an agreement with Russia that would expand communications between computer security teams and nuclear response centers in the event of a nuclear incident, VP Biden said. He said the U.S. is investing more in cybersecurity and in fighting transnational crime by helping other countries build up their law enforcement capabilities. VP Biden warned against any radical changes to the management of the World Wide Web. But he added that he agreed with suggestions from UK Prime Minister David Cameron to bring more transparency and accountability to the public and private organizations that manage the Web.
benton.org/node/103197 | Hill, The
Recommend this Headline
back to top
PRIVACY
EPIC CHALLENGES VERIZON
[SOURCE: MediaPost, AUTHOR: Wendy Davis]
Wireless' recent decision to include a host of new data about consumers in marketing reports is an unfair and deceptive business practice, advocacy group Electronic Privacy Information Center says in a new Federal Trade Commission complaint. “After consumers entered into long-term contracts with Verizon Wireless, the company changed its data use and disclosure practices, making the personal information of its customers more widely available to others,” EPIC alleges. The complaint stems from a recent revision to Verizon's privacy policy, which now allows the company to incorporate a host of information -- including people's locations, sites visited and search queries -- in marketing reports. Verizon says that the data won't be personally identifiable and that users can opt out. But EPIC says that Verizon should obtain users' explicit consent before collecting or disclosing this type of data. EPIC also takes issue with Verizon's assertion that the information can't be tied to individuals, pointing out that others have been identified based on supposedly anonymized search queries. This famously happened in 2006, after AOL released search queries of 650,000 anonymized people. Within days, The New York Times identified and profiled one user based solely on her queries. “Users’ location data, Web browsing histories, Internet search terms, demographic information, and mobile device usage information are often personally identifiable,” EPIC states in its complaint. The group also says that Verizon “described the company’s changes so as to falsely assure consumers” that it wasn't disclosing any data that could be used to identify them. EPIC is requesting that the FTC probe Verizon's new policies and order the company to destroy any data collected under its new policy. EPIC also is asking the FTC to order Verizon to obtain users' opt-in consent to any future changes to its data collection practices.
benton.org/node/103188 | MediaPost
Recommend this Headline
back to top
DATA BREACH NOTIFICATION ACT
[SOURCE: Congressional Budget Office, AUTHOR: Mark Grabowicz, Matthew Pickford, Jason Wheelock, Susan Willie, Elizabeth Cove Delisle, Marin Randall]
The Data Breach Notification Act (S. 1408) would require most federal agencies and business entities that collect, transmit, store, or use sensitive personal information to notify any individuals whose information has been unlawfully accessed through a breach in security systems designed to protect such information from unauthorized access. The legislation defines sensitive personal information as combinations of an individual’s name, address or phone number, and Social Security number, driver’s license number, financial account information, or biometric data (that is, finger print, voice print, or retina scan). Under certain circumstances, entities could apply to the federal government for exemptions from those notification requirements. In addition, the affected entities would be required to notify the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) of a security breach. Finally, S. 1408 would impose civil penalties on entities that fail to provide notice to affected individuals.
CBO estimates that, assuming appropriation of the necessary amounts, implementing the bill would cost about $15 million over the 2012-2016 period. Enacting the bill also could affect direct spending and revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures apply. However, any such effects would not be significant.
S. 1408 contains intergovernmental and private-sector mandates, as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA), but CBO estimates the costs to comply with those mandates would not exceed the thresholds in that act ($71 million and $142 million, respectively, in 2011, adjusted annually for inflation).
benton.org/node/103161 | Congressional Budget Office
Recommend this Headline
back to top
CONTENT
STOP ONLINE PIRACY ACT
[SOURCE: San Francisco Chronicle, AUTHOR: James Temple]
[Commentary] A bipartisan bill introduced last week in the House of Representatives would mark a fundamental change in Internet law, shifting liability for copyright piracy from the infringer to the host website. It would chip away at critical safeguards that have shaped the Internet as we know it today, and many worry it would make it far more difficult for the next YouTube, Facebook or Craigslist to emerge and succeed. The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) is the counterpart to the Senate's pending PROTECT IP Act, which already had rights groups, academics and many online businesses up in arms. But the House bill goes much further. The goal of both bills is to give copyright holders stronger legal tools to go after sites that host unauthorized or counterfeit music, movies, software or goods, in particular "rogue" overseas sites that largely lie beyond the reach of U.S. law. It's a worthy goal, but not one worth sacrificing a critical enabler of online innovation, job creation and expression. "The limitation, censorship or stunting of such tools - because they may not support the guidelines of SOPA - would inevitably be bad for content creators and democracy more broadly," said Aaron Levie, chief executive officer of Box.net, a Palo Alto online storage and collaboration service. It's impossible to understand what the bill could do without first understanding the enormous influence of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.
benton.org/node/103451 | San Francisco Chronicle
Recommend this Headline
back to top
OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH E-BOOKS
[SOURCE: GigaOm, AUTHOR: Mathew Ingram]
One of the best things about media going digital is that it can be easily shared and distributed to others with just a click — except of course that it often doesn’t work like that, thanks to copyright or licensing restrictions and competing platforms. E-books are a great example: Theoretically, it should be easy to share not just books, but passages we like, and there are a number of startups and services like OpenMargin and Readmill and Findings that are trying to make this happen. But competing rights, standards and platforms mean these kinds of features are available on only a tiny fraction of books, and that keeps most readers inside their little reading silos.
benton.org/node/103166 | GigaOm
Recommend this Headline
back to top
OWNERSHIP
TRIBUNE BANKRUPTCY
[SOURCE: Los Angeles Times, AUTHOR: Michael Oneal]
Tribune Company and its allies in bankruptcy court were optimistic that their plan for reorganizing the company would eventually win a Delaware judge's approval. But even as lawyers hunkered down to analyze a long-awaited decision in the case, several sources acknowledged that significant challenges remain to resolve the nearly 3-year-old bankruptcy. Particularly problematic could be the judge's concern over how the senior creditors' plan treated a group of investors who hold junior bonds known as the PHONES. The PHONES have more than $1 billion in claims but get nothing in the company-sponsored plan. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Kevin J. Carey took issue with how the Tribune-sponsored plan deals with the PHONES subordination agreement. Sources said it was likely that the decision would energize the PHONES trustee, Wilmington Trust Co., to press for a slice of the settlement proceeds, potentially adding another level of complexity to the case. Tribune employees, meanwhile, reacted with alarm to the judge's rejection of plan provisions shielding them from litigation stemming from the company's 2007 leveraged buyout. Tribune had sought releases for employees who sold Tribune stock into the deal.
benton.org/node/103452 | Los Angeles Times
Recommend this Headline
back to top
GOVERNMENT & COMMUNICATIONS
CLOUD COMPUTING ROADMAP
[SOURCE: National Institute of Standards and Technology, AUTHOR: Willie May]
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) publishes this notice to seek public comments on the first draft of Special Publication 500–293, US Government Cloud Computing Technology Roadmap, Release 1.0 (Draft). This document is intended to be the mechanism to define and communicate interoperability, portability, and security requirement priorities that must be met in terms of standards, guidance and technology for U.S. Government (USG) agencies to accelerate their adoption of cloud computing. The roadmap has been developed through a transparent working group process, which included five NIST Cloud Computing Working Groups that were established in November 2010.
Comments must be received on or before 5 p.m. Eastern time on December 2, 2011.
benton.org/node/103163 | National Institute of Standards and Technology | read the draft
Recommend this Headline
back to top
WHY GOV SHOULD NOT TOUCH THE INTERNET
[SOURCE: Financial Times, AUTHOR: Maija Palmer]
[Commentary] The London Cyberspace conference is an elegant metaphor for why government involvement in the internet should be limited as much as possible. Even its name is already out of date, as quaint as calling it the “information super-highway” these days. A roomful of young people, convened as a “Youth Forum” on the fringes of the conference, were asked if anyone used the word “cyber” any more. No one raised their hands. Registering as a journalist was a laborious process, involving uploading letters of accreditation, passport details and a photo. The Queen Elizabeth II conference center in Westminster was surrounded by police, including many carrying sub-machine guns. Yet, inside, the airport-style x-ray machine was broken and harassed security staff were reduced to giving cursory glances to bags. Hmm. Is there a parallel somewhere in there about elaborate firewalls while ministry staff leave unencrypted laptops in the back of taxis? No wonder then, that almost every presentation from an internet company was a thinly veiled plea to “please leave us alone.” The best line of the day was from Jimmy Wales, the founder of Wikipedia, saying that “the greatest threat to the internet was misguided and over-reaching government policy.”
benton.org/node/103445 | Financial Times
Recommend this Headline
back to top
POLICYMAKERS
FCC NOMINEES LIKELY TO SAIL THROUGH
[SOURCE: The Hill, AUTHOR: Gautham Nagesh]
President Barack Obama’s nominees to be commissioners at the Federal Communications Commission -- Jessica Rosenworcel and Ajit Pai -- are two longtime telecommunications policy aides, making it likely the FCC will be back to full strength by the end of the year. Both Rosenworcel and Pai have long histories working on telecom policy issues, including previous stints as lawyers at the FCC. Pai was previously floated as a potential nominee in 2009 and reportedly had the support of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY). The president appoints the commissioners to five-year terms. The Senate must confirm nominees, and only three of the five commissioners may be of the same political party. Given the support of Senate leadership for both nominees, the process is expected to go smoothly, and both could be confirmed by the end of this month. Industry groups, legislators and fellow regulators congratulated Rosenworcel and Pai on their nominations.
benton.org/node/103200 | Hill, The | B&C
Recommend this Headline
back to top
SANDOVAL ADDED TO FCC BOARD
[SOURCE: Federal Communications Commission, AUTHOR: Marlene Dortch]
The Federal Communications Commission has added Catherine J.K. Sandoval, Commissioner, California Public Utilities Commission, to serve on the Federal-State Joint Conference on Advanced Telecommunications Services.
The Joint Conference was convened in 1999 as part of the Commission’s ongoing efforts to ensure that advanced services are deployed as rapidly as possible to all Americans. It serves as a forum for an ongoing dialogue among the Commission, state regulators, and local and regional entities regarding the deployment of advanced telecommunications capabilities. It is comprised of commissioners from state public utilities commissions and from the FCC.
benton.org/node/103193 | Federal Communications Commission
Recommend this Headline
back to top
STORIES FROM ABROAD
These headlines presented in partnership with:
EUROPEAN COMMISSION PLANS AMBITIOUS €100BN FIBRE PROJECT
[SOURCE: Telecoms.com, AUTHOR: Dawinderpal Sahota]
The EU Commission is looking to attract investment of €100bn to be spent on rolling out fiber broadband across Europe. The European Parliament and the EU’s Council of Ministers is considering a proposal from the European Commission for an ambitious project, worth up to €100bn ($140bn), to fund the rollout of fiber broadband and associated services across the EU. The Commission has proposed to spend €9.2bn from 2014 to 2020, to give EU citizens and business access to broadband speeds of 100Mbps. However, this initial €9.2bn will be used to attract additional investment to a total of between €50bn and €100bn, with each Euro spent expected to attract another private investment of between €6 and €15, according to the Commission. The additional funding would come via innovative financing tools and the purchase of high-value blue chip bonds. A blue chip bond is one that is well-established, financially sound, and historically secure. Blue chip companies are known for their strong executive management teams that make intelligent growth decisions, and for their high-quality products and services.
benton.org/node/103153 | telecoms.com
Recommend this Headline
back to top
FINLAND TO REQUIRE MOBILE BROADBAND SPEEDS TO BE INCLUDED IN CUSTOMER CONTRACTS
[SOURCE: cellular-news, AUTHOR: Simon Davies]
Fin¬land's telecoms regulator, Ficora, has issued instructions that consumer contracts will have to carry more accurate information about mobile and landline based broadband speeds.
The speed included in the contract must depict the true speed range of the connection with sufficient precision. The regulator said that it is not sufficient to only express the maximum speed or theoretical maximum speed of the broadband connection.
benton.org/node/103150 | cellular-news
Recommend this Headline
back to top
RURAL WIRELESS INTERNET IN THE UK
[SOURCE: Financial Times, AUTHOR: Daniel Thomas]
Vodafone is to test innovative technology in an effort to improve mobile internet coverage in rural areas.
Amid government concern over mobile “not spots” outside main population centers, the company will on Wednesday unveil plans to trial devices that can be installed in local facilities such as community centers and pubs. These will provide high-quality data-carrying signals using existing phone lines. They can be used to project a 3G network across areas otherwise without coverage, and could also be used for the next-generation 4G coverage. Their range is likely to be limited to a few hundred metres, so a remote village or town would need several sites to provide comprehensive coverage. Vodafone will seek 12 communities across the UK to take part in the trial, which will start early next year. It has so far used the technology in the Berkshire village of East Garston near its Newbury headquarters. The government has identified improving mobile coverage in rural areas as a priority, committing an additional £150m to boost services. High-speed internet connections are seen as key to boosting local economies. Ed Vaizey, the communications minister, said: “Bringing mobile coverage to communities can make a huge difference to people’s lives. It is good to see Vodafone looking for innovative ways to bring mobile coverage to rural areas. I urge areas without mobile coverage to get involved and see if this trial is suitable for them.”
benton.org/node/103448 | Financial Times
Recommend this Headline
back to top
3G IN THE UK
[SOURCE: Financial Times, AUTHOR: Daniel Thomas]
Nearly 90 per cent of the UK’s land mass and a quarter of buildings are unable to receive all five 3G phone networks a decade after the introduction of the mobile licenses, according to the telecoms regulator. In its first report on the UK’s communications infrastructure, Ofcom said that almost 7.7m homes and workplaces did not have a choice of all five 3G networks, which allow fast internet access. The regulator is working with the government on the best way to invest the £150m set aside to improve coverage, in particular in so-called “mobile not-spots” in rural and remote areas left behind as operators prioritize investment in larger cities. Ofcom said signals from all five networks – Vodafone, Orange, T-Mobile, O2 and Three – were available outside 73 per cent of buildings. However, all five were available in just 13 per cent of the country’s land mass, with lower coverage focused in less densely populated areas. Coverage is worst in the Scottish highlands and mid-Wales. Overall, 30 per cent of the UK cannot receive any 3G signal, although this represents only 1.2 per cent of premises. Ofcom said its findings might not reflect consumers’ actual experience of mobile services, with complaints about coverage from users even in large cities. Consumer groups criticized the findings, with Bob Warner, chairman of the Communications Consumer Panel, saying the UK’s mobile phone coverage was unsatisfactory.
benton.org/node/103446 | Financial Times
Recommend this Headline
back to top