May 6, 2015 (Spotlight Turns to AT&T-DirecTV)
BENTON'S COMMUNICATIONS-RELATED HEADLINES for WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 2015
Ensuring an Informed Citizenry: Examining the Administration’s Efforts to Improve Open Government https://www.benton.org/calendar/2015-05-06
OWNERSHIP
Now, Spotlight Turns to AT&T-DirecTV Deal
Netflix calls on FCC to reject AT&T merger unless changes are made
Cogent Urges US to Restrain AT&T in DirecTV Deal
PRIVACY/SECURITY
How the NSA Converts Spoken Words Into Searchable Text
Senate barreling toward surveillance standoff
Eleventh Circuit rules for the feds on cell-site records -- but then overreaches
Twitter challenge to US national security probes moves forward [links to web]
TELEVISION
Cable TV industry goes from high to low in a year
Top Cable Industry Guy Acknowledges People Hate Cable Guys
The Dreaded Bundle Comes to Internet TV - Tim Wu op-ed [links to web]
Acquired Content: Cable's Cornerstone - op-ed [links to web]
Media Companies Post Gains Despite Drop in TV Ratings [links to web]
WIRELESS
FCC Seeks Information on Current Trends in LTE-U and LAA Technology - Public Notice
Cashing In on Public Interest Programming - Harold Feld op-ed
We Need Better Infrastructure for Better Wi-Fi - Susan Crawford op-ed
Why I Will Participate in the Spectrum Auction - Bert Ellis op-ed
Broadcasters and Consumers Should Be Wary - Adonis Hoffman op-ed
Now It's Official: More Google Searches Are Coming From Mobile Than Desktop [links to web]
Republic Wireless Racing Against Google to Sell Wi-Fi Phones [links to web]
INTERNET/BROADBAND
Public Knowledge Files Opposition to Petition for Stay on Net Neutrality - press release
Expect Court to Partially Stay FCC’s Title II Internet Reclassification - Scott Cleland analysis [links to web]
Throw a Lifeline Across the Digital Divide - FCC Commissioner Clyburn op-ed
Remarks of FCC Commissioner O'Rielly Before the WTA - Advocates for Rural Broadband - speech
Florida ISP Uses Dark Fiber to Boost Bandwidth, Lower Costs [links to web]
Sen Cantwell Wants to Connect More Federal Buildings to the Internet of Things [links to web]
Arkansas launches $13 million school broadband upgrade [links to web]
Building for the Future: A New Federal Guide to Infrastructure Planning and Design [links to web]
LABOR
Asian-American tech workers absent from Silicon Valley's executive suites [links to web]
Google raising stakes on diversity [links to web]
ELECTIONS AND MEDIA
Fiorina: Next president needs 'fundamental understanding' of tech [links to web]
TRANSPORTATION
The Internet might transform commuting more than the self-driving car [links to web]
COMMUNITY MEDIA
Do We Really Need Libraries? - NPR analysis [links to web]
New York City’s Libraries Need Money - NYTimes editorial [links to web]
EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS
FirstNet Seeks Comment on Proposed Interpretations of Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 - public notice [links to web]
GOVERNMENT & COMMUNICATIONS
CBO Scores ALERT Act - research [links to web]
POLICYMAKERS
Senate approves Willie May to be new Commerce under secretary for standards and technology [links to web]
FCC Announces Appointment of Consumer Advisory Committee - public notice
STORIES FROM ABROAD
A Digital Single Market for Europe: Commission sets out 16 initiatives to make it happen - press release
Lawmakers in France Move to Vastly Expand Surveillance
Germany, Too, Is Accused of Spying on Friends [links to web]
OWNERSHIP
AT&T-DIRECTV IN SPOTLIGHT
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Emily Steel]
Just three months after Comcast announced its $45 billion takeover of Time Warner Cable, its rival AT&T announced a $48 billion takeover of DirecTV. Both deals were poised to create new industry behemoths and transform the country’s media landscape. But while the Comcast transaction set off a widespread public outcry and ultimately collapsed last month under regulatory scrutiny, the AT&T-DirecTV merger proposal has largely avoided intense examination. Until now. The spotlight has turned to AT&T’s deal for DirecTV, which -- if approved -- would unite the telecom giant with the satellite company to create the country’s largest television distributor. With about 26 million subscribers, it would surpass Comcast. Federal regulators are poring through more than 7.5 million pages of documents, hundreds of white papers and testimony by company executives to evaluate whether the AT&T-DirecTV deal will harm competition or serve the public interest. AT&T and DirecTV have both said they are confident the deal will close by the end of June.
benton.org/headlines/now-spotlight-turns-att-directv-deal | New York Times
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NETFLIX CALLS ON FCC TO REJECT AT&T MERGER UNLESS CHANGES ARE MADE
[SOURCE: The Hill, AUTHOR: Mario Trujillo]
Netflix is urging federal regulators to deny the $48 billion merger of AT&T and DIRECTV unless changes are made to the proposal. The online video streaming giant made the call during a meeting with the Federal Communications Commission. "We've been highlighting these concerns and the need for appropriate remedies since last September," said Netflix spokeswoman Anne Marie Squeo. The merger with DIRECTV would make AT&T the largest provider of cable and satellite service, and could make it the largest Internet service provider as well, Netflix said. "Such market power creates new incentives and abilities to harm entities that AT&T perceives as competitive threats, and will exacerbate the anticompetitive behavior in which AT&T has already engaged," according to the filing. Netflix cited previous interconnection disputes with AT&T. It said the company's purchase of a legacy video service could make it see online video distributors (OVD) -- including Netflix -- as a threat. "AT&T’s investment in a business model that profits by selling bundled programming packages will result in a powerful incentive to protect that model," the filing said. The Netflix filing used strong language, calling on the FCC to "reject the merger as currently proposed."
benton.org/headlines/netflix-calls-fcc-reject-att-merger-unless-changes-are-made | Hill, The
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COGENT URGES US TO RESTRAIN AT&T IN DIRECTV DEAL
[SOURCE: Bloomberg, AUTHOR: Todd Shields]
Data carrier Cogent Communications Holdings Inc. called for AT&T/DirecTV merger conditions similar to what Netflix recently called for to ensure Web services aren’t harmed, according to a regulatory filing. It may be “good news” for the AT&T deal that Netflix and Cogent are asking for conditions, said Craig Moffett, an analyst at MoffettNathanson who expects the deal to close. “The broad consensus is that Netflix played a central role in scuttling the Comcast deal,” Moffett said. Now, he said, “two of the most ardent opponents are tacitly blessing the idea of the merger as long as there are appropriate conditions.” DirecTV Chairman Michael White said he expects the deal to close this quarter. Once it acquires DirecTV and its video business, AT&T will have an increased incentive to hinder streaming entertainment offerings, Netflix and Cogent said in filings dated May 4 and April 30 at the Federal Communications Commission.
benton.org/headlines/cogent-urge-us-restrain-att-directv-deal | Bloomberg
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PRIVACY/SECURITY
HOW THE NSA CONVERTS SPOKEN WORDS INTO SEARCHABLE TEXT
[SOURCE: The Intercept, AUTHOR: Dan Froomkin]
Most people realize that e-mails and other digital communications they once considered private can now become part of their permanent record. But even as they increasingly use apps that understand what they say, most people don’t realize that the words they speak are not so private anymore, either. Top-secret documents from the archive of former NSA contractor Edward Snowden show the National Security Agency can now automatically recognize the content within phone calls by creating rough transcripts and phonetic representations that can be easily searched and stored. The documents show NSA analysts celebrating the development of what they called “Google for Voice” nearly a decade ago. Though perfect transcription of natural conversation apparently remains the Intelligence Community’s “holy grail,” the Snowden documents describe extensive use of keyword searching as well as computer programs designed to analyze and “extract” the content of voice conversations, and even use sophisticated algorithms to flag conversations of interest. The documents include vivid examples of the use of speech recognition in war zones like Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as in Latin America. But they leave unclear exactly how widely the spy agency uses this ability, particularly in programs that pick up considerable amounts of conversations that include people who live in or are citizens of the United States. Spying on international telephone calls has always been a staple of NSA surveillance, but the requirement that an actual person do the listening meant it was effectively limited to a tiny percentage of the total traffic. By leveraging advances in automated speech recognition, the NSA has entered the era of bulk listening. And this has happened with no apparent public oversight, hearings or legislative action. Congress hasn’t shown signs of even knowing that it’s going on.
benton.org/headlines/how-nsa-converts-spoken-words-searchable-text | Intercept, The
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SENATE BARRELING TOWARD SURVEILLANCE STANDOFF
[SOURCE: The Hill, AUTHOR: Julian Hattem]
The Senate isn't getting any closer to reforming the nation's spying laws or reauthorizing expiring portions of the Patriot Act with fewer than three legislative weeks left for lawmakers to do so. On May 5th, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) would not pledge to take up legislation called the USA Freedom Act, which is expected to gain broad support in the House. “We’re going to try to do something to avoid expiration at the end of the month,” he told reporters. “Exactly how that plays out will be determined in part by how much time is left to achieve [a deal].” Instead, Majority Leader McConnell indicated that the starting point for his chamber would be legislation he and Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr (R-NC) introduced to make a "clean" extension of the existing law for five years, which he would open up for amendments. “I think, most likely, the outcome is some kind of an extension,” he said. “Chairman Burr and I consulted and we agreed that the underlying bill would be a simple extension but it would be open for amendment, whenever we are able to fully turn to it.” “The question is whether we can do all of that between now and Memorial Day, and I can’t tell you right now," he added. The lack of certainty about a path forward could lead to a heightened standoff as lawmakers approach a June 1 deadline to extend or reform the Patriot Act. With members of both parties pledging to oppose a "clean" reauthorization of the law, it seems unlikely Republican leaders would be able to get the 60 votes they need to avoid a filibuster on the bill.
benton.org/headlines/senate-barreling-toward-surveillance-standoff | Hill, The
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ELEVENTH CIRCUIT RULES FOR THE FEDS ON CELL-SITE RECORDS -- BUT THEN OVERREACHES
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Orin Kerr]
[Commentary] The en banc Eleventh Circuit has ruled that historical cell-site records are not protected by the Fourth Amendment under the third-party doctrine. The case, United States v. Davis, also adds an alternative holding that is even more important: Even if cell-site records were protected, the en banc court holds, accessing them would trigger only minimal Fourth Amendment concerns and would not require a warrant or probable cause. My bottom line: I agree with court’s ruling that the third-party doctrine applies and there was no search, but I think the alternative holding is puzzling, inconsistent with precedent, and unnecessary. But stay tuned. It’s a long shot, but that second alternative holding might end up drawing Supreme Court review of both holdings.
[Orin Kerr is the Fred C. Stevenson Research Professor at The George Washington University Law School]
benton.org/headlines/eleventh-circuit-rules-feds-cell-site-records-then-overreaches | Washington Post | The Verge
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TELEVISION
CABLE TV INDUSTRY GOES FROM HIGH TO LOW IN A YEAR
[SOURCE: Los Angeles Times, AUTHOR: Meg James]
It hasn't been a good year for television. That seems clear from 2015's annual convention of the nation's pay-TV industry here. The lofty expectations from 2014's gathering of the National Cable & Telecommunications Association have given way to 2015's anxiety over digital disruption. The most obvious sign? A new name for the massive event -- the Internet and Television Expo -- a nod to the rising threat of online platforms and streaming services. Gone is 2014's buzz about Comcast's audacious $45-billion bid for Time Warner Cable. That deal is dead. The renewed ratings strength at major programming companies such as NBC and Viacom 2014? It's been a struggle. And 21st Century Fox Chairman Rupert Murdoch's play for Time Warner ended up failing. "It's an interesting time for the cable TV business," said Richard Greenfield, media analyst with BTIG Research. "The chessboard keeps wanting to be reset, but at the same time the business is increasingly threatened by rapid growth of Internet video." Top executives of all the major cable companies, as well as top government regulators, plan to attend the cable convention in Chicago, which begins May 5th and typically draws more than 10,000 attendees. 2015's key topic is expected to be how well the cable industry can weather the digital storm that looms over the landscape. Sluggish ratings at major cable and broadcast networks are giving industry leaders more cause for concern. Conventional media companies have been roiled by consumers' increased use of high-tech devices to watch TV shows and films, and that's led to slumping television ratings.
benton.org/headlines/cable-tv-industry-goes-high-low-year | Los Angeles Times
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TOP CABLE INDUSTRY GUY ACKNOWLEDGES PEOPLE HATE CABLE GUYS
[SOURCE: Revere Digital, AUTHOR: Amy Schatz]
Two massive losses in Washington (DC) recently by the cable industry -- the adoption of network neutrality rules and the death of Comcast’s Time Warner Cable deal -- have left cable operators “highly conscious” of the industry’s image problems, National Cable & Telecommunications Association chief executive Michael Powell said. “I’m a firm believer that words and messages don’t work if you’re not liked,” Powell said at the cable industry’s annual trade show, which has been redubbed INTX, the Internet and Television Expo. Cable industry executives are “not delusional” about the complaints from consumers -- from ever-higher prices to terrible customer service -- and are working on long-term fixes to those problems, he said. Another issue that the industry isn’t particularly delusional about is the latest threat of piracy that has been introduced by video sharing apps such as Meerkat, Periscope or Vine. Powell also said that he hates cable, the name that is, because it does not capture all that his industry has done to build out broadband. "I hate the name," Powell said. "I do think it has a proud history but I think it has to be retired in some way because I think your past can be apart of your glory but it also can be a weight around your ankle. And it also doesn't fairly capture what they do." And while he may hate the name, he loves the record of building out broadband. He said the industry had "successfully deployed the most sophisticated infrastructure in the history of the world in the fastest amount of time of any technology in the history of the world, and increased the capacity of that at exponential rates."
benton.org/headlines/top-cable-industry-guy-acknowledges-people-hate-cable-guys | Revere Digital | Multichannel News
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WIRELESS
FCC SEEKS INFORMATION ON CURRENT RENDS IN LTE-U AND LAA TECHNOLOGY
[SOURCE: Federal Communications Commission, AUTHOR: Public notice]
Parties within the wireless industry are developing a version of commercial wireless LTE technology called LTE-Unlicensed (LTE-U) that is intended for operations in certain unlicensed frequency bands. LTE-U could operate in conjunction with licensed commercial wireless services using a technique called Licensed Assisted Access (LAA) whereby a channel in an operator's licensed spectrum is used as the primary channel for devices operating on an unlicensed basis. The Office of Engineering and Technology and the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau seek information on these technologies and the techniques they will implement to share spectrum with existing unlicensed operations and technologies such as Wi-Fi that are widely used by the public. The Federal Communications Commission is opening this docket to provide an opportunity for interested parties to enable a fully participatory and transparent discussion about LTE_U and LAA technologies and how they will coexist with other technologies, including Wi-Fi. Interested parties may file comments on or before June 11, 2015, and reply comments on or before June 26, 2015. [ET Docket No. 15-105]
benton.org/headlines/fcc-seeks-information-current-trends-lte-u-and-laa-technology | Federal Communications Commission
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CASHING IN ON PUBLIC INTEREST PROGRAMMING
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Harold Feld]
[Commentary] As part of an 80-year-old bargain under the Communications Act, local television and radio broadcasters license “public airwaves” from the government for free in exchange for increasingly minimal public interest obligations to serve local communities. But those same airwaves -- also called electromagnetic spectrum, or just, spectrum -- could also be used by telecommunications companies like AT&T and Verizon to expand Internet access to our mobile phones and devices. Because it would be politically impossible to simply cancel the free licenses for broadcasters, and auction them off to Internet giants, Congress is offering broadcasters a cut of the auction proceeds if they give up their licenses. No one doubts this country’s insatiable love for, and dependence on, mobile devices. Also, the government stands to make billions of dollars after the companies like AT&T and Verizon buy airwave space, having raised almost $45 billion at the last spectrum auction. But what effect could this have on public television? With the Federal Communications Commission promising broadcasters billion-dollar payouts in exchange for their licenses, even the most dedicated public broadcasting affiliate must give serious thought to cashing in. That could spell the end of PBS as a national network, and would end our greatest effort to dedicate a portion of the public airwaves to the public.
[Feld is the senior vice president of Public Knowledge]
benton.org/headlines/cashing-public-interest-programming | New York Times
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FIBER FOR BETTER WI-FI
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Susan Crawford]
[Commentary] If fiber-optic lines ran to every business and residence in the country, we'd have a cloud of unlimited Wi-Fi connectivity everywhere we work, live and play. Only fiber can handle the tsunami of data uploaded by mobile devices and sensors Americans are going to use. The Federal Communications Commission took a major step in the direction of this vision by voting to open up a wide swath of frequencies for Wi-Fi use that had been previously controlled by the Department of Defense. But this will make little difference for consumers if the wires needed to facilitate Wi-Fi access in America are second-rate and controlled by the cable industry, and there is no plan for the country to upgrade to fiber. The cable industry already controls the Wi-Fi market with its wires. This is great for cable: It can sell Wi-Fi services for a fee without having to invest a dime in new infrastructure. But consumers are stuck with the cable companies' proprietary Wi-Fi as well as their second-class wires. What’s most needed to improve wireless communication is for cities to call for publicly owned, privately built open access fiber networks -- with these in place, we'd have a cloud of free, public Wi-Fi in every part of our lives, not just more cellular service.
[Crawford is a visiting professor at the Harvard Kennedy School and Harvard Law School]
benton.org/headlines/we-need-better-infrastructure-better-wi-fi | New York Times
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KDOC AND THE SPECTRUM AUCTION
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Bert Ellis]
[Commentary] As the owner of KDOC-TV in Los Angeles, I believe the Federal Communications Commission spectrum auction will be very positive for consumers, as well as the broadcast industry. KDOC is able to participate in this auction, and sell back some of the airwaves, via a channel sharing arrangement with another Los Angeles-based television station — in this case, a major network affiliate. We will sell the spectrum of one of our two stations and continue broadcasting our same channel line-ups, without change, on the airwaves of the remaining “shared” station. Consumers won't even have to adapt to a new TV station. Current technology will enable both TV stations to broadcast two separate full HD signals over one broadcast channel. Consumers will continue to see the programming from both stations via their existing “virtual” channels. After the auction, television viewers in Los Angeles will have to re-tune their TV sets once to accommodate the changes, but they will continue to view KDOC-TV and our sharing partner station on the same (separate) TV channels that they always have. We will invest our joint proceeds from the spectrum auction into better local entertainment, news and sports programming.
[Ellis is the chairman and chief executive officer of Ellis Communications and the owner of KDOC-TV in Los Angeles]
benton.org/headlines/why-i-will-participate-spectrum-auction | New York Times
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BROADCASTERS AND CONSUMERS SHOULD BE WARY
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Adonis Hoffman]
[Commentary] If the government’s auction of some of the most valuable broadcast spectrum succeeds, broadcasters and consumers should be wary. Once broadcasters relinquish their valuable spectrum, who will inherit their longstanding commitment to local service? The broadcast industry may have its warts, but when it comes to meeting the information needs of local communities, nobody does it better -- not cable and not the Internet or wireless service providers. When the flood waters rise or the cell towers fail, local broadcasters are the go-to medium for news, weather and safety information from coast to coast. The arcane regulatory distinction between cable and broadcast television stands at the very core of this issue. Simply put, by well-settled law, broadcast is highly regulated and cable is not. Broadcasters have public service obligations -- wireless providers, not so much. Ultimately, the Federal Communications Commission is duty-bound to uphold the public interest. Local broadcasters have expanded those obligations as responsible custodians of the public airwaves. Can we expect the same from the new owners, or will policymakers need to write new rules for getting important public service information to communities?
[Hoffman, an adjunct professor at Georgetown University, is the founder and chairman of Business in the Public Interest]
benton.org/headlines/broadcasters-and-consumers-should-be-wary | New York Times
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INTERNET/BROADBAND
PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE FILES OPPOSITION TO PETITION FOR STAY ON NET NEUTRALITY
[SOURCE: Public Knowledge, AUTHOR: Shiva Stella]
Public Knowledge and other consumer advocacy groups filed an Opposition to the Petition for Stay Pending Judicial Review of Daniel Berninger, Founder of the Voice Communication Exchange Committee. Berninger’s Petition for Stay filed at the Federal Communications Commission requests the agency grant a stay of its landmark network neutrality order, which reclassifies broadband Internet access service under Title II of the Communications Act. A stay would prevent the FCC’s Open Internet Order from taking effect, denying customers the guarantee of an Open Internet while causing uncertainty for companies and consumers alike. In evaluating a Petition for Stay, the FCC considers: (1) whether Petitioner is likely to succeed on the merits; (2) whether Petitioner will be irreparably injured in the absence of a stay; (3) whether a stay will harm other parties; and (4) whether the public interest supports a stay. Public Knowledge finds that Berninger has failed to show that any of these factors favor the grant of a stay, and so encourage the FCC to deny the Petitioner’s request.
benton.org/headlines/public-knowledge-files-opposition-petition-stay-net-neutrality | Public Knowledge
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THROW A LIFELINE ACROSS THE DIGITAL DIVIDE
[SOURCE: Multichannel News, AUTHOR: FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn]
[Commentary] While the old adage “content is king” remains true, that content is now being provided by a flood of new entrants, along with traditional media companies. But to take advantage of new, diverse offerings, consumers need access to broadband. For too many Americans, however, broadband remains out of reach. Nearly half of adults with annual incomes of less than $30,000 do not have broadband access at home. Today, a full three decades after the creation of Lifeline, the program still only funds voice service. It has been stuck in a bygone era since its inception and is in need of serious reform. Over the past few months, I have outlined a vision for changes that I believe are needed to usher the program into the digital era and ensure that we are meeting the statutory directive for universal service. Reforming Lifeline is not going to entirely undo the digital divide, for we need public-private partnerships to address issues other than affordability to encourage broadband adoption. But with carefully calibrated reforms and collaboration between regulators and the industry I believe Lifeline has the potential to become a much more effective tool in tackling this chronic problem. I look forward to working with National Cable & Telecommunications Association and its members to accomplish this result.
benton.org/headlines/throw-lifeline-across-digital-divide | Multichannel News
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REMARKS OF FCC COMMISSIONER O'RIELLY BEFORE THE WTA - ADVOCATES FOR RURAL BROADBAND
[SOURCE: Federal Communications Commission, AUTHOR: FCC Commissioner Michael O'Rielly]
Little did I know when I accepted this meeting that it would be crunch time for discussing the details of a Connect America Fund (CAF) for rate-of-return providers. The heart of universal service cannot be accomplished without ensuring that there are networks in place throughout America to deliver those services. It is absolutely critical to complete the Connect America Fund reforms. I appreciate the work that you and other associations have undertaken so far to find paths forward for rate-of-return areas. I recognize that no rate-of-return reform has ever been sustainable without your input. And I am convinced that with some hard work, creative thinking, and compromise from everyone -- including us Commissioners at the Federal Communications Commission -- we can get this done.
benton.org/headlines/remarks-fcc-commissioner-orielly-wta-advocates-rural-broadband | Federal Communications Commission
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POLICYMAKERS
FCC ANNOUNCES APPOINTMENT OF CONSUMER ADVISORY COMMITTEE
[SOURCE: Federal Communications Commission, AUTHOR: Public notice]
The Federal Communications Commission announces the appointment of the thirty-seven members of the Consumer Advisory Committee, a committee to make recommendations to the FCC regarding consumer issues within jurisdiction of the FCC and to facilitate the participation of consumers (including underserved populations, such as Native Americans, persons living in rural areas, older persons, people with disabilities, and persons for whom English is not their primary language) in proceedings before the FCC. Of the thirty-seven members [which includes the Benton Foundation], 21 represent general consumer organizations/academia, two represent disability organizations, eight represent industry, four represent regulators, one represents seniors, and one represents unions. FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler reappoints Debra R. Berlyn representing the National Consumers League as Chairperson of the Committee. All appointments and reappointments are effective immediately and shall terminate October 21, 2016, or when the Committee is terminated, whichever is earlier. The first meeting of the Committee under its renewed charter will take place on June 12, 2015 from 9:00am to 4:00pm at FCC headquarters building. [more at the URL below]
benton.org/headlines/fcc-announces-appointment-consumer-advisory-committee | Federal Communications Commission
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STORIES FROM ABROAD
DIGITAL SINGLE MARKET
[SOURCE: European Commission, AUTHOR: Press release]
The European Commission unveiled its detailed plans to create a Digital Single Market, thereby delivering on one of its top priorities. The Digital Single Market Strategy adopted May 6 includes a set of targeted actions to be delivered by the end of next year. It is built on three pillars: (1) better access for consumers and businesses to digital goods and services across Europe; (2) creating the right conditions and a level playing field for digital networks and innovative services to flourish; (3) maximising the growth potential of the digital economy. The Digital Single Market project team will deliver on these different actions by the end of 2016. With the backing of the European Parliament and the Council, the Digital Single Market should be completed as soon as possible. The Digital Single Market will be on the agenda of the European Council meeting on 25-26 June. [much more at the URL below]
benton.org/headlines/digital-single-market-europe-commission-sets-out-16-initiatives-make-it-happen | European Commission | WSJ | Bloomberg | Politico
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FRENCH LAWMAKERS TO EXPAND SURVEILLANCE
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Alissa Rubin]
At a moment when American lawmakers are reconsidering the broad surveillance powers assumed by the government after Sept. 11, the lower house of the French Parliament took a long stride in the opposite direction, overwhelmingly approving a bill that could give the authorities their most intrusive domestic spying abilities ever, with almost no judicial oversight. The bill, in the works since 2014, now goes to the Senate, where it seems likely to pass, having been given new impetus in reaction to the terrorist attacks in and around Paris in January. The provisions, as currently outlined, would allow the intelligence services to tap cellphones, read emails and force Internet companies to comply with requests to allow the government to sift through virtually all of their subscribers’ communications. Among the types of surveillance that the intelligence services would be able to carry out is bulk collection and analysis of metadata similar to that done by the United States’ National Security Agency. The intelligence services could also request the right to put hidden microphones in a room or on objects such as cars or in computers, or to place antennas to capture telephone conversations or mechanisms that capture text messages. Both French citizens and foreigners could be tapped.
benton.org/headlines/lawmakers-france-move-vastly-expand-surveillance | New York Times
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