March 2013

BENTON'S COMMUNICATIONS-RELATED HEADLINES for WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13, 2013

Cybersecurity, spectrum issues headline today’s agenda http://benton.org/calendar/2013-03-13/

FCC OVERSIGHT
   Recap: FCC Oversight Hearing

CYBERSECURITY
   Intelligence chiefs warn that cyberattacks are nation’s top security threat
   US Official Cites Cyberattack Risks
   US Cyber Command chief warns of rising cyberattacks on banks [links to web]
   Lawmakers: Speed up cyberdefense work [links to web]
   President Will Make Personal Pitch for Cybersecurity Legislation [links to web]
   President Obama to meet CEOs on cybersecurity [links to web]
   Pentagon creating teams to launch cyberattacks as threat grows
   Federal Cybersecurity Misses Targets in Annual Report

INTERNET/BROADBAND
   How the Humble Telephone is About to Bring Internet to the Masses
   BITAG Announces Next Technical Topic On Congestion Management - press release

WIRELESS/SPECTRUM
   FCC Approves T-Mobile/MetroPCS Merger - public notice
   DoJ Approves T-Mobile/MetroPCS Merger - press release
   MetroPCS Defends T-Mobile Deal [links to web]
   IPhone Eyed by Small Carriers Backing Unlocked Devices
   NAB: Nobel Is No Guarantee of Successful Auction [links to web]
   Don’t auction off empty TV airwaves, SXSW activists tell FCC [links to web]
   Testing shows voice-over-LTE power drain is improving, but it’s still no 2G [links to web]
   After FloTV Debacle, Qualcomm Finding New Use for Broadcast Know-How [links to web]

PRIVACY
   Google cuts $7-million settlement with states over Street View
    Interactive Advertising Bureau Escalates Attack on Firefox Privacy Browser [links to web]
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ADVERTISING
   FTC Staff Revises Online Advertising Disclosure Guidelines - press release
    Interactive Advertising Bureau Escalates Attack on Firefox Privacy Browser [links to web]

TELECOM
   Level 3 Agrees To Adopt Rigorous New Call Completion Standards And Provide Rural Call Completion Data, Resolving FCC Investigation - press release
   Proposed Second Quarter 2013 Universal Service Contribution Factor - public notice [links to web]
   COMPTEL's James: CLECs need more regulatory certainty [links to web]

ELECTIONS AND MEDIA
   The GOP's stubborn digital deficit

EDUCATION
   California Bill Seeks Campus Credit for Online Study

KIDS AND MEDIA
   Teens and Technology 2013 - research
   NPR Wants to Click With Those Who Tweet [links to web]

HEALTH
   House lawmakers to examine regulation of medical apps [links to web]

GOVERNMENT & COMMUNICATIONS
   Bipartisan Bill Aims to Beef Up FOIA Compliance [links to web]
   Transparency advocates give administration mixed marks [links to web]

POLICYMAKERS
   Chairman Pryor Plans Busy Communications Subcommittee [links to web]
   FCC Seeks Nominations for Four Board Members Positions on The Universal Service Administrative Company Board of Directions - public notice [links to web]

STORIES FROM ABROAD
   France May Let Phone Operators Share Networks
   France says Skype could face prosecution for failure to register as a telecom
   France Proposes New Rules for Internet Equal Access

FCC OVERSIGHT

FCC OVERSIGHT HEARING
[SOURCE: US Senate Commerce Committee]
On March 12, the Senate Commerce Committee held an oversight hearing on the Federal Communications Commission. All five FCC commissioners testified. Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) identified cybersecurity, construction of a nationwide interoperable public safety network, and broadband access for schools as key priorities for government and industry to come together to address. Concerning the public safety network, the Chairman asked the FCC move forward on an aggressive timetable to craft and implement incentive auctions to raise the funds needed for construction. He also called for an update the E-Rate program that subsidizes the communications costs of schools and libraries. “By the end of this decade, I believe that every school in America should have 1 Gigabit of connectivity. And, if every coffee shop in America can offer wireless connectivity, then surely every school in America should be able to offer it as well. We owe our children this,” Chairman Rockefeller said. Committee Ranking Member John Thune (R-SD) prioritized making spectrum available for wireless communications and “establishing a 21st century legal and regulatory structure that serves the purposes of our 21st century economy.” He suggested developing a new FCC reauthorization bill “to ensure the Commission is an efficient and truly modern regulator—one that is a reliable resource for Congress and an effective agency for American citizens and industry alike.”
FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski said that given that the FCC is already operating at its lowest staffing level in years, the additional sequestration cuts could have dire consequences. The total FCC budget is $341,923,845. Sequestration would cut about $17 million, and would need to be realized in seven months. But, according to Senate Commerce Committee Republican staffers, the sequester should not have much of an effect on the FCC's operations -- the Universal Service Fund is not affected, the incentive auctions are not affected, and even staff cuts do not appear “to affect the FCC's ability to function adequately.”
FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, a former Rockefeller staffer, echoed Chairman Rockefeller’s call for an E-Rate upgrade: "Going forward, we need to update the E-Rate program to meet 21st century education needs. Year-in and year-out, the demand for this program is double the amount the Commission makes available. Moreover, our surveys suggest that 80% of schools and libraries believe their broadband connections do not meet the current needs. So I believe it is time for E-Rate 2.0. I think it is time to reboot, reinvest, and reinvigorate this program and put it on a course to provide higher speeds and greater opportunities in the days ahead."
FCC commissioner Ajit Pai says he sees some "storm clouds" on the spectrum auction horizon, primarily by limiting participation and not raising enough for public safety. He pointed out that the only closing condition on the auction was that the revenues from the auction of spectrum reclaimed from broadcasters cover the costs of the incentive auction that clears that spectrum. He says the goal must then be to maximize the revenues.
Sen Bill Nelson (D-FL) urged the FCC to use its existing legal authority to force the donors behind political TV ads to reveal themselves. He noted that FCC regulations currently require TV broadcasters and cable providers to "fully and fairly disclose the true identity" of sponsors of ads – and rgued that the rule means that groups must state more than just a vague name, like the "Committee for God, Mother and Country" on their ads—they must identify their major donors.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) brought up the issue of sports blackouts and his request to the commission that it look into lifting its 40-year-old blackout rules. He said they were "deeply troubling," particularly when his constituents' favorite teams are involved. He asked the status of that issue, which he said was "profoundly important," not only to people in Connecticut but across the nation. Chairman Genachowski also said that the FCC may have to take action on retransmission consent to reduce the potential for blackouts, but then suggested the commission would need help from Congress.
benton.org/node/147694 | US Senate Commerce Committee | Chairman Rockefeller | Ranking Member Thune | Commissioner McDowell | Commissioner Clyburn | Commissioner Rosenworcel | Commissioner Rosenworcel summary | Commissioner Pai | B&C-Genachowski | B&C- Sequester | B&C-Rosenworcel | B&C-Rockefeller | B&C-Pai
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CYBERSECURITY

CYBERATTACKS AS TOP THREAT
[SOURCE: The Hill, AUTHOR: Jordy Yager, Carlo Muñoz]
The nation’s top intelligence officials told senators that cyberattacks are the leading security threat facing the United States. Testifying at the Senate Intelligence Committee’s annual hearing on worldwide threats, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper told lawmakers that terrorist groups are increasingly pursuing the ability to wage cyberattacks, which, if successful, could bring businesses and the government to a collapsing halt. “Our statement this year leads with cyber, and it's hard to overemphasize its significance,” said Clapper, reading a statement on behalf of himself, FBI Director Robert Mueller, CIA Director John Brennan and National Counterterrorism Center Director Matthew Olsen. “Increasingly state and non-state actors are gaining and using cyber expertise,” he said. “These capabilities put all sectors of our country at risk, from government and private networks to critical infrastructures. We see indications that some terrorist organizations are interested in developing offensive cyber capabilities, and as cyber criminals are using a growing black market to sell cyber tools that fall into the hands of state and non-state actors.”
benton.org/node/147688 | Hill, The | IDG News Service
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CYBERATTACK RISKS
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Siobhan Gorman]
Relatively unsophisticated hackers could eventually disrupt insecure computer networks running parts of vital functions like the power grid, a US intelligence official said in an annual assessment of world-wide threats that gave cybersecurity top billing. The increasing risk of cyberattacks on critical U.S. infrastructure edged aside al Qaeda and terrorism, which were described as increasingly diffuse threats more likely to harm U.S. interests abroad than at home. The annual assessment was provided by Director of National Intelligence James Clapper. Cyberattacks from "less advanced but highly motivated actors" could still do great harm, Mr. Clapper said in prepared testimony for the Senate Intelligence Committee, because of the effects on computer networks connected to the one under attack. The report cited cyberassaults last year on the websites of U.S. banks and a more destructive attack on a Saudi oil company that destroyed 30,000 computers as examples of the kinds of disruptions already taking place.
benton.org/node/147672 | Wall Street Journal | B&C
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TEAMS TO LAUNCH CYBERATTACKS
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Ellen Nakashima]
The Pentagon’s Cyber Command will create 40 offensive cyber-teams by the fall of 2015 to help defend the nation against major computer attacks and assist combat commands as they plan offensive capabilities, Gen. Keith Alexander testified to Congress. The new teams are part of a broader government effort to shield the nation from destructive attacks over the Internet that could harm Wall Street or knock out electric power, for instance. Some teams are already in place, he said, to focus on “the most serious threats,” which he did not identify. But Alexander warned that budget cuts will undermine the effort to build up these forces even as foreign threats to the nation’s critical computer systems intensify. And he urged Congress to pass legislation to enable the private sector to share computer threat data with the government without fear of being sued. As he moves into his eighth year as director of the National Security Agency and his third year as head of the fledgling Cyber Command, Alexander told the Senate Armed Services Committee that the strategic threat picture is worsening.
benton.org/node/147690 | Washington Post
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FEDERAL CYBERSECURITY MISSES TARGETS IN ANNUAL REPORT
[SOURCE: nextgov, AUTHOR: Aliya Sternstein]
More government programs violated data security law standards in 2012 than in the previous year, the White House has informed Congress. At the same time, computer security costs have increased by more than $1 billion, according to the executive branch’s yearly report on compliance with the 2002 Federal Information Security Management Act. Inadequate training was a large part of the reason all-around FISMA adherence scores slipped from 75 percent in 2011 to 74 percent in 2012. Agencies reported that about 88 percent of personnel with system access privileges received annual security awareness instruction, down from 99 percent in 2011. Meanwhile, personnel expenses accounted for the vast majority -- 90 percent -- of the $14.6 billion departments spent on information technology security in 2012. Agencies spent $1.3 billion less on IT security in 2011. Other factors that led to lower FISMA marks in 2012 the major departments are not using smartcards to restrict network access and are not automatically configuring system settings. About 57 percent of user accounts require tokens to log on, down from 66 percent in 2011. A decrease in smartcard usage at the Pentagon and significantly lower usage at the Agriculture Department contributed to the decline.
benton.org/node/147668 | nextgov
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INTERNET/BROADBAND

HOW THE HUMBLE TELEPHONE IS ABOUT TO BRING INTERNET TO THE MASSES
[SOURCE: National Journal, AUTHOR: Brian Fung]
Ten years ago, if you went to pick up a phone call, your voice would have been carried across the same copper-wire technology that powered America’s very first telephone system. Today? With recent advances, at least some of your call would be routed through pipes that also carry Internet traffic. This new way of handling phone conversation is mostly invisible, and it’s unlikely to make a huge difference in the way we actually place a call. But for a small share of Americans, the change could help them catch up to a new economy that’s largely left them behind. What does a revamped telephone backbone have to do with lifting people’s fortunes? It begins with a nationwide movement to replace the country’s ancient phone infrastructure with one that runs primarily on fiberoptic cables. Recall the last decade, when the country moved from analog to all-digital television. What’s happening now in telephony is a lot like that, only customers won’t have to lift a finger to experience its benefits. The transition to all-IP telephony should help close the digital divide for some of the country’s neediest.
benton.org/node/147661 | National Journal
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CONGESTION MANAGEMENT
[SOURCE: Broadband Internet Technical Advisory Group, AUTHOR: Press release]
The Broadband Internet Technical Advisory Group (BITAG) launched a new technical review focused on the topic of real-time Internet network traffic management practices used by Internet service providers (ISPs) for purposes of congestion management that are based on subscriber behavior and/or type of application. This topic was brought to BITAG by Dale Hatfield and Scott Jordan, two members of BITAG’s Community Representative member category.
benton.org/node/147653 | Broadband Internet Technical Advisory Group
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WIRELESS/SPECTRUM

FCC APPROVES T-MOBILE/METROPCS MERGER
[SOURCE: Federal Communications Commission, AUTHOR: ]
The Federal Communications Commission has approved the applications of Deutsche Telekom, T-Mobile USA and MetroPCS (together, the “Applicants”) to the transfer of control of a number of Personal Communications Service (“PCS”) and Advanced Wireless Services (“AWS-1”) licenses and leases, and one lower 700 MHz license to a newly combined entity, ultimately to be named T-Mobile US. Further, the Applicants sought approval to the transfer of control of international Section 214 authorizations held by T-Mobile USA and MetroPCS to Newco. Based on the record and the review of the competitive effects of the proposed transaction, the FCC finds that approval of the transaction will serve the public interest. In considering the applications, the FCC evaluated the likely competitive effects of the proposed transaction at both the local and national levels.
benton.org/node/147683 | Federal Communications Commission | Chairman Genachowski | Commissioner Rosenworcel | Commissioner Pai | GigaOm | Bloomberg | The Hill
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JUSTICE APPROVES T-MOBILE/METROPCS
[SOURCE: Department of Justice, AUTHOR: Press release]
After a thorough review of the proposed transaction, the Antitrust Division has determined that the combination of T-Mobile and MetroPCS is unlikely to harm consumers or substantially lessen competition and has closed its investigation. The department considered whether the proposed combination of T-Mobile and MetroPCS might tend to lessen competition substantially in any particular local area, for instance by combining the two carriers with the best local coverage. MetroPCS has a network based on high frequency spectrum (i.e. advanced wireless services (AWS) and personal communications services (PCS) spectrum) that is less able to cover rural areas or penetrate buildings. It does not provide a particularly unique and competitively significant differentiated offering in the regions in which it operates. Each of the markets served by MetroPCS is also served by all four national carriers. Accordingly, the transaction is not likely to lessen competition substantially at local levels. Finally, the proposed combination of T-Mobile and MetroPCS may have a procompetitive impact in that it improves T-Mobile’s scale and spectrum position, particularly since MetroPCS’s spectrum holdings are compatible with T-Mobile’s existing network. The department said that it will continue to monitor competition in the mobile wireless industry and to bring enforcement actions where warranted.
benton.org/node/147682 | Department of Justice
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UNLOCKING CELLPHONES
[SOURCE: Bloomberg, AUTHOR: Eric Engleman]
Small wireless carriers see a new path to scoring users of Apple’s iPhone and other popular handsets: the legalization of unlocking mobile devices. Regional and rural wireless providers are backing several bills in Congress that would let consumers unlock mobile phones and tablet computers without carriers’ permission. Big phone companies often land exclusive rights to offer the hottest devices, and U.S. rules currently prohibit altering software to let new phones from one carrier to work on other networks. “Smaller carriers have a very difficult time getting access to smartphones and handsets,” said Steven Berry, president of the Competitive Carriers Association, which represents such companies as U.S. Cellular and Bluegrass Cellular. “The unlocking is one way the consumer can make the decision that I can try someone else who has better coverage in the area where I live or play.” The Washington-based trade group is seeking to undo a Library of Congress decision, backed by largest U.S. mobile providers Verizon Wireless and AT&T, barring consumers from unlocking their handsets without their carrier’s approval.
benton.org/node/147711 | Bloomberg
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PRIVACY

GOOGLE SETTLEMENT
[SOURCE: Los Angeles Times, AUTHOR: Jessica Guynn]
Google has agreed to pay a $7-million fine to settle a probe by 38 states and the District of Columbia that it collected personal data from unsecured wireless networks while operating its Street View fleet. The Connecticut attorney general's office, which led an eight-state committee that investigated the data collection, made the announcement March 12. As part of the agreement, Google must educate employees about the privacy of consumer data and sponsor a public service campaign to teach people how to secure their wireless networks. Google also agreed to destroy the data it collected. Google said it collected information that identified wireless networks for use in future location services and that its executives were not aware the Street View vehicles were also collecting other data, Connecticut Atty. Gen. George Jepsen said in a statement. The information included emails, passwords, Web history, text messages and other confidential details. Google has disabled or removed the equipment and software used to collect the data, Jepsen said.
benton.org/node/147693 | Los Angeles Times | The Hill | Politico
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ADVERTISING

ONLINE ADVERTISING DISCLOSURE GUIDELINES
[SOURCE: Federal Trade Commission, AUTHOR: Press release]
The Federal Trade Commission released new guidance for mobile and other online advertisers that explains how to make disclosures clear and conspicuous to avoid deception. The new guidance takes into account the expanding use of smartphones with small screens and the rise of social media marketing. It also contains mock ads that illustrate the updated principles. It emphasizes that consumer protection laws apply equally to marketers across all mediums, whether delivered on a desktop computer, a mobile device, or more traditional media such as television, radio, or print. The guidance calls on advertisers to avoid using hyperlinks for disclosures that involve product cost or certain health and safety issues. The new guidelines also call for labeling hyperlinks as specifically as possible, and they caution advertisers to consider how their hyperlinks will function on various programs and devices. The new guidance points out that advertisers using space-constrained ads, such as on some social media platforms, must still provide disclosures necessary to prevent an ad from being deceptive, and it advises marketers to avoid conveying such disclosures through pop-ups, because they are often blocked.
benton.org/node/147679 | Federal Trade Commission | read the guidance | FTC blog | LATimes | The Hill | AdWeek | paidContent | B&C
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TELECOM

LEVEL 3 AGREES TO ADOPT RIGOROUS NEW CALL COMPLETION STANDARDS AND PROVIDE RURAL CALL COMPLETION DATA, RESOLVING FCC INVESTIGATION
[SOURCE: Federal Communications Commission, AUTHOR: Press release]
Level 3 Communications, resolving an investigation into the company’s rural call completion practices, has agreed to meet rigorous, verifiable call completion standards and to provide extensive records that will assist Federal Communications Commission enforcement of rules protecting against failed calls to rural areas. Level 3 will also make a $975,000 voluntary contribution to the U.S. Treasury, and has agreed to make additional $1 million voluntary contributions going forward if it misses specified quarterly benchmarks. In its consent decree with the Enforcement Bureau, Level 3 has agreed to:
Complete long-distance calls to incumbent local exchange carriers in rural areas at a rate within 5% of that in non-rural areas over a two-year period.
Report compliance with the 5% benchmark every quarter, beginning in January 2014.
Pay an additional $1 million voluntary contribution if it misses the 5% benchmark in any quarter.
Develop scorecards for intermediate providers that Level 3 uses to route calls, assessing their performance in the areas of post-dial delay in connecting calls, network failure, and call completion rates.
Identify problematic routes to intermediate providers monthly.
Cease using poorly performing intermediate providers.
Assist the Enforcement Bureau in other investigations by providing data concerning the performance of intermediate providers.
benton.org/node/147677 | Federal Communications Commission | read the Order | read the Consent Decree | Commissioner Clyburn
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ELECTIONS AND MEDIA

GOP’S DIGITAL DEFICIT
[SOURCE: Politico, AUTHOR: Steve Friess, Emily Schultheis]
Reince Priebus is supposed to tell the world specifically how he will repair a GOP digital operation that last year Democrats made look like a relic of the dial-up era. Yet in late-February meetings with tech industry gurus on the West Coast, the Republican National Committee chairman still appeared genuinely torn, sources present told POLITICO. Priebus, they said, complained about not knowing whom to trust amid a barrage of conflicting advice about how to fix one of the party’s most vexing deficiencies. And those issues are likely to trouble the GOP for some time, if the forthcoming plan of action in an RNC preview is any indication. The outline looks to some like a version of similar vague rhetoric that several GOP strategists — all of whom were involved in high-profile 2012 campaigns — told POLITICO they’ve heard before. The most specific promise, for instance, is to hire a digital director — dubbed a “chief technology officer” — who will be well-funded and empowered to be bold and innovative. That is regarded by many with cautious optimism, a hope that the party really means it this time, tempered by a sense of déjà vu. The RNC is regarding such a hire as an important new idea, but Republican strategists have been clamoring for it since Election Day and believe someone should already be in place.
benton.org/node/147709 | Politico
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EDUCATION

CREDIT FOR ONLINE STUDY
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Tamar Lewin]
Legislation will be introduced in the California Senate on March 13 that could reshape higher education by requiring the state’s public colleges and universities to give credit for faculty-approved online courses taken by students unable to register for oversubscribed classes on campus. If it passes, as seems likely, it would be the first time that state legislators have instructed public universities to grant credit for courses that were not their own — including those taught by a private vendor, not by a college or university. “We want to be the first state in the nation to make this promise: No college student in California will be denied the right to move through their education because they couldn’t get a seat in the course they needed,” said Darrell Steinberg, the president pro tem of the Senate, who will introduce the bill. “That’s the motivation for this.”
benton.org/node/147710 | New York Times | WSJ
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KIDS AND MEDIA

TEENS AND TECHNOLOGY
[SOURCE: Pew Internet and American Life Project, AUTHOR: Mary Madden, Amanda Lenhart, Maeve Duggan, Sandra Cortesi, Urs Gasser]
Smartphone adoption among American teens has increased substantially and mobile access to the internet is pervasive. One in four teens are “cell-mostly” internet users, who say they mostly go online using their phone and not using some other device such as a desktop or laptop computer. These are among the new findings from a nationally representative survey of 802 teens ages 12-17 and their parents which shows that:
78% of teens now have a cell phone, and almost half (47%) of those own smartphones. That translates into 37% of all teens who have smartphones, up from just 23% in 2011.
One in four teens (23%) have a tablet computer, a level comparable to the general adult population.
Nine in ten (93%) teens have a computer or have access to one at home. Seven in ten (71%) teens with home computer access say the laptop or desktop they use most often is one they share with other family members.
Mobile access to the internet is common among American teens, and the cell phone has become an especially important access point for certain groups:
About three in four (74%) teens ages 12-17 say they access the internet on cell phones, tablets, and other mobile devices at least occasionally.
One in four teens are “cell-mostly” internet users — far more than the 15% of adults who are cell-mostly. Among teen smartphone owners, half are cell-mostly.
Older girls are especially likely to be cell-mostly internet users; 34% of teen girls ages 14-17 say they mostly go online using their cell phone, compared with 24% of teen boys ages 14-17. This is notable since boys and girls are equally likely to be smartphone owners.
Among older teen girls who are smartphone owners, 55% say they use the internet mostly from their phone.
benton.org/node/147707 | Pew Internet and American Life Project | AP | Washington Post
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STORIES FROM ABROAD

FRANCE MAY LET PHONE OPERATORS SHARE NETWORKS
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Sam Schechner]
France's antitrust authority said it was open to allowing cellphone operators to share parts of their networks, an opinion that could spark deals among the country's four main companies as they reel from a brutal price war. The Autorité de la Concurrence, the antitrust body, said it may approve requests by cellphone companies to share pylons and real estate for cellphone towers in cities, as well as full equipment sets, including antennas and transmitters, in rural areas. "It's a path that we are opening," Bruno Lasserre, the authority's chairman, said of network sharing. The announcement signals a shift in French telecommunications policy.
benton.org/node/147647 | Wall Street Journal
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FRANCE VS SKYPE
[SOURCE: ars technica, AUTHOR: Cyrus Farivar]
French regulators have said Skype could face prosecution for failing to register as an “electronic communications operator” with France’s telecom regulator. The agency, known by its French acronym ARCEP, wrote in an English-language statement that “failure to comply with this obligation does, however, constitute a criminal offense.” Being an operator that provides telecom services to the public “also implies compliance with certain obligations, which include the routing of emergency calls and implementing the means required to perform legally ordered [wiretap] interceptions," according to ARCEP. In its statement, ARCEP said it had requested that Skype go through this process “several times,” and the company has apparently failed to comply.
benton.org/node/147646 | Ars Technica
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FRANCE AND NETWORK NEUTRALITY
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Eric Pfanner, Nicola Clark]
The French government called for a law requiring Internet service providers to give all the traffic on their networks equal priority, saying existing rules were insufficient for protecting free speech online and ensuring fair competition among Web publishers. The proposal would mark a big shift in French policy and a break with existing European Union practice on the thorny issue of so-called network neutrality. And though almost certain to meet resistance from some Internet service providers, it could fuel calls for similar rules throughout the 27-country European Union. The issue came to a head in France in January, when one service provider, Free, temporarily blocked users from seeing advertising sold by Google until the government ordered Free to restore access. The proposal, by a French government advisory panel and endorsed by the minister overseeing digital commerce, pits companies that build and operate telecommunications systems against Internet players that rely on the networks to deliver their content to consumers. The French proposal would still need to be drafted as legislation and taken up by Parliament.
benton.org/node/147715 | New York Times
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