1. Monthly archive
  2. July 2015

July 2015

Federal Communications Commission
July 23, 2015
1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
http://transition.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2015/db0720/DOC-...

The FCC’s ADA event will feature a panel of disability rights advocates from various organizations who will share stories about how advances in communication access have made a difference in their personal and professional lives, as well as the lives of their family, friends, and colleagues. The event will also recognize the 5th anniversary of the Twenty-first Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010 (CVAA), which will be occurring in October of this year.

List of confirmed panelists:

  • Zainab Alkebsi, National Association of the Deaf
  • Eric Bridges, American Council of the Blind
  • Lise Hamlin, Hearing Loss Association of America
  • Rebecca Ladew, Speech Communications by Telephone, Inc.
  • Eddie Martinez, Columbia Lighthouse for the Blind
  • John G. Paré Jr., National Federation of the Blind
  • Mark Richert, American Foundation for the Blind
  • Al Sonnenstrahl, Former (1990) Executive Director of TDI
  • Claude Stout, Current Executive Director, TDI

July 21, 2015 (USDA Broadband Funding)

BENTON'S COMMUNICATIONS-RELATED HEADLINES for TUESDAY, JULY 21, 2015

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INTERNET/BROADBAND
   USDA Announces Funding for Rural Broadband Projects - press release
   Why the Agriculture Department is giving out tens of millions of dollars for Internet access - WaPo analysis [links to web]
   Increasing America's broadband reach
   No Internet access restricts many Pennsylvanians; Allentown among nation's least-connected cities [links to web]
   Broadband becomes necessity for economic development in rural areas [links to web]
   Alabama Gov creates broadband office to spread high-speed Internet in Alabama
   Multistakeholder Internet governance: A pathway completed, the road ahead - analysis [links to web]
   AT&T enters Durham (NC) market with high-speed Internet [links to web]
   Web 2.0 (and Beyond): Developing the Next Generation of Connectivity [links to web]

WIRELESS/SPECTRUM
   FCC tentatively sets March 29, 2016, as start date for 600 MHz incentive auction
   From Proposal to Deployment: The History of Spectrum Allocation Timelines - research

TELEVISION
   Pat Butler on Public TV's Prospects [links to web]

CONTENT
   Google’s YouTube Signs Up Everyone But TV for New Paid Service [links to web]
   The mobile web sucks - The Verge analysis [links to web]
   Online food delivery ordering is about to overtake phone ordering in the US [links to web]

GOVERNMENT & COMMUNICATIONS
   Verizon Releases Transparency Report for First Half 2015 - press release [links to web]
   Senators resist the Internet, leave voters in the dark [links to web]
   The military is wasting tens of millions of dollars on satellite communications [links to web]

SURVEILLANCE
   How Advertisers' Cookies Are Helping the NSA's Data-Collection Efforts - AdAge op-ed

ELECTIONS & MEDIA
   Why political ads are going to reach a record in 2016
   Why is Trump surging? Blame the media. - WaPo op-ed [links to web]
   Rupert Murdoch's Media Empire Split Over Donald Trump [links to web]

JOURNALISM
   National Journal's Fawn Johnson decamps for 'Morning Consult' [links to web]

DIVERSITY
   Research: Minority numbers slide, women make gains - RTDNA press release
   Men who harass women online are quite literally losers, new study finds [links to web]

FCC REFORM
   How and why to de-politicize the FCC - Mark Jamison/AEI op-ed

LOBBYING
   Merger reviews bring lobbying dollars [links to web]

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INTERNET/BROADBAND

USDA ANNOUNCES FUNDING FOR RURAL BROADBAND PROJECTS
[SOURCE: Department of Agriculture, AUTHOR: Press release]
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced $85.8 million in funding to strengthen access to high speed broadband for rural America. "Broadband is fundamental to expanding economic opportunity and job creation in rural areas, and it is as vital to rural America's future today as electricity was when USDA began bringing power to rural America 80 years ago," said Sec Vilsack. "The investments USDA is making today will deliver broadband to rural communities that are currently without high-speed Internet service, or whose infrastructure needs to be upgraded. Improved connectivity means these communities can offer robust business services, expand access to health care and improve the quality of education in their schools, creating a sustainable and dynamic future those who live and work in rural America."
[more at the URL below]
benton.org/headlines/usda-announces-funding-rural-broadband-projects | Department of Agriculture | ars technica
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INCREASING AMERICA'S BROADBAND REACH
[SOURCE: The Economist, AUTHOR: ]
A decade ago, an Internet connection capable of streaming a film or transmitting a video call was considered a luxury. Today, for much of the world, it is a necessity. President Barack Obama launched an initiative that he hopes will bring this necessity to more low-income American households. The program, called “ConnectHome”, is a partnership between government, tech companies and non-profit organisations that will provide low-cost broadband Internet, digital literacy programs and other resources to 275,000 public-housing developments in 28 locations across the country. ConnectHome is the latest White House effort to bridge the so-called “digital divide”, the gap in IT access and know-how between the rich and the poor. America's digital divide has narrowed in recent years but is still large for a rich country. In 2013, for example, approximately 67 percent of households in the Bronx borough of New York City had a broadband internet subscription; 5 percent had an ultrahigh-speed fiber-optic connection. In Manhattan, just across the Harlem River, the figures were 80 percent and 9 percent, respectively. Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the world wide web, once famously tweeted "this is for everyone" of his creation. If ConnectHome proves successful, that sentiment -- for Americans at least -- may be on the way to becoming a reality.
benton.org/headlines/ncreasing-americas-broadband-reach | Economist, The
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ALABAMA GOV CREATES BROADBAND OFFICE TO SPREAD HIGH-SPEED INTERNET IN ALABAMA
[SOURCE: Huntsville Times, AUTHOR: Lee Roop]
Gov Robert Bentley (R-AL) has created a new Office of Broadband Development to push the spread of high-speed Internet across Alabama. The governor created the office by executive order on July 16. "Broadband development is critical in Alabama's continued economic growth," Gov Bentley said, "and I am confident that this newly created office will help us in reaching statewide goals in the areas of public safety, healthcare, education, e-Government, agriculture, tourism, economic development and more." Gov Bentley will appoint 19 members to a board to advise broadband Director Kathy Johnson. Other non-voting members may be added as needed. Broadband has gone from luxury to "critical to everything from economic development to public safety," Johnson said. Broadband is available in most of the state, Gov Bentley's order said, but there are still areas without it. There were no details regarding funding for the office, but the governor's office said it will seek grants to develop broadband in areas where it isn't available and share information about it.
benton.org/headlines/alabama-gov-creates-broadband-office-spread-high-speed-internet-alabama | Huntsville Times
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WIRELESS/SPECTRUM

FCC TENTATIVELY SETS MARCH 29, 2016, AS START DATE FOR 600 MHZ INCENTIVE AUCTION
[SOURCE: Fierce, AUTHOR: Phil Goldstein]
The Federal Communications Commission currently plans to start 2016's incentive auction of 600 MHz broadcast TV spectrum on March 29, 2016. That would keep the agency just on target to meet FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler's goal of starting the complex auction in the first quarter of 2016, which ends March 31. During the week of July 13, the FCC postponed its vote on rules for the incentive auction until Aug. 6 after pressure from Congress to push back the vote that had been planned for the agency's July 16 meeting. The FCC is going to allow more time for stakeholders, including broadcasters and carriers, to review information to the FCC and submit filings on the rules. Accordingly, the FCC moved that agenda item onto its list of items that are currently "on circulation," meaning that they are being reviewed by the FCC's five commissioners before being voted on before the full commission. The item is titled: "Broadcast Incentive Auction to Begin March 29, 2016; Procedures for Competitive Bidding in Auction 1000, Including Initial Clearing Target Determination, Qualifying to Bid, and Bidding in Auctions 1001 (Reverse) and 1002 (Forward)." Chairman Wheeler reiterated his first-quarter start date goal despite the delay in the vote.
benton.org/headlines/cc-tentatively-sets-march-29-2016-start-date-600-mhz-incentive-auction | Fierce
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THE HISTORY OF SPECTRUM ALLOCATION TIMELINES
[SOURCE: CTIA, AUTHOR: Thomas Sawanobori, Robert Roche]
This report highlights the urgency necessary in the effort to identify and reallocate licensed spectrum. There is no more traditional licensed spectrum in the pipeline after the incentive auction, and on average it takes 13 years to reallocate or auction and clear spectrum. The protracted process of freeing up spectrum places the US at risk of losing its wireless broadband leadership. it is critical to move now to identify new bands to enable the continued growth of wireless -for 4G LTE, LTE Advanced, the Internet of Things, and next generation technologies like 5G. Failure to move quickly will not be felt only by wireless carriers and equipment manufacturers. The continued success of the mobile apps industry, for example -- a source of employment for over 750,000 people -- depends on more spectrum. With serious commitment, the time it takes to reallocate spectrum can be fast-tracked. Let's get to work.
benton.org/headlines/proposal-deployment-history-spectrum-allocation-timelines | CTIA | The Hill
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SURVEILLANCE

HOW ADVERTISERS' COOKIES ARE HELPING THE NSA' DATA-COLLECTION EFFORTS
[SOURCE: AdAge, AUTHOR: Noah Swartz]
[Commentary] It turns out advertisers and the data they rely on are facilitating the government's bulk surveillance. The National Security Agency's XKeyscore program is designed to collect and analyze global Internet traffic. Along with information on the breadth and scale of the NSA's data collection, The Intercept revealed how the NSA relies on unencrypted cookie data to identify users: "The NSA's ability to piggyback off of private companies' tracking of their own users is a vital instrument that allows the agency to trace the data it collects to individual users. It makes no difference if visitors switch to public Wi-Fi networks or connect to VPNs to change their IP addresses: the tracking cookie will follow them around as long as they are using the same web browser and fail to clear their cookies." Advertisers need good information about which ads are and are not working. Often they do this by identifying users via cookies in order to create specific user profiles. But the ability of the NSA to leverage this data is a huge privacy issue. Slides from leaked NSA presentations show agents discussing how to mine these cookies and automatically extract data that uniquely identifies users or their machines. Worse yet, advertisers have not given the public any meaningful way to opt out of tracking, which means users have no way to protect themselves from this NSA piggybacking. Although initiatives like the Digital Advertising Alliance have guidelines which give users the option to opt out of targeted ads, they don't require advertisers to discontinue user tracking. Instead this data must, according to the DAA's About Ads site, "within a reasonable period of time from collection go through a de-identification process." Unfortunately this does nothing to mitigate the NSA's ability to use the cookies advertisers serve to track netizens. As a result, the advertising industry has become complicit in the NSA's bulk surveillance of the entire Internet. Fortunately, the solution is easy: Advertisers must discontinue all tracking of users who have opted out.
[Noah Swartz is a staff technologist at the Electronic Frontier Foundation]
benton.org/headlines/how-advertisers-cookies-are-helping-nsas-data-collection-efforts | AdAge
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ELECTIONS AND MEDIA

WHY POLITICAL ADS ARE GOING TO REACH A RECORD IN 2016
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Cecilia Kang]
Political advertising on television is expected to jump 16 percent to a record $4.4 billion in the 2016 presidential cycle compared to four years ago, showing a continued belief by candidates that broadcast and cable TV is still the best way to reach voters, according to a report from Kantar Media research. Since the Supreme Court's Citizens United v. FEC decision in 2010 opened the way for unlimited spending by corporations and unions, analysts say television airwaves in primary and key battleground states have been seeing sharp growth in revenues from political ads. Already Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton has reserved $8 million in TV advertising that could begin as early as November. The desire to reach TV eyeballs may seem like a contradiction given that a growing number of people are cutting the cord on traditional television and network ratings have been on the decline -- some of the ratings of the networks owned by Viacom, such as Comedy Central and MTV, are down double digits over the last year. Television viewing by 18- to 34-year-olds was down 17 percent in the first quarter compared to the same period in 2014, according to Nielsen. But one thing that hasn't changed yet is the fact the most reliable voters tend to be older and are still turning mainly to traditional TV for their news and entertainment, especially shows such as Wheel of Fortune or the local evening newscasts.
benton.org/headlines/why-political-ads-are-going-reach-record-2016 | Washington Post | Cook Political Report
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DIVERSITY

RESEARCH: MINORITY NUMBERS SLIDE, WOMEN MAKE GAINS
[SOURCE: Radio Television Digital News Association, AUTHOR: Bob Papper]
This is the ninth in a series of reports developed from Radio Television Digital News Association's annual survey of newsrooms across the United States. Women and minorities research highlights:
Mixed minority numbers in TV
Mostly down minority numbers in radio
Record numbers of women in TV and women in TV news leadership
The latest RTDNA/Hofstra University Annual Survey finds the minority workforce in TV news slid 0.2 to 22.2 percent... still the third highest level ever. And the minority workforce at non-Hispanic TV stations rose in 2015 to the third highest level ever as well. The minority workforce in radio fell back from 2014's high. In TV, women news directors and women in the workforce both rose to the highest levels ever. The picture for women in radio news was more mixed. Still, as far as minorities are concerned, the bigger picture remains unchanged. In the last 25 years, the minority population in the US has risen 11.5 points; but the minority workforce in TV news is up less than half that (4.4), and the minority workforce in radio is actually down by a full point.
benton.org/headlines/research-minority-numbers-slide-women-make-gains | Radio Television Digital News Association
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FCC REFORM

HOW AND WHY TO DE-POLITICIZE THE FCC
[SOURCE: American Enterprise Institute, AUTHOR: Mark Jamison]
[Commentary] One of the worst things you can do to a regulatory agency is politicize it. Politicized agencies bend to the ever-changing winds of politics, which creates problems for industry and consumers alike. This straightforward lesson is one I have taught government agencies around the world. They seem to get it. Meanwhile, our very own FCC still has to make the small but crucial first step required to start the de-politicization process. We try to keep regulatory agencies at arm’s length from politics to ensure that economic decisions regarding critical industries do not become the victim of political rent seeking. Actually, this is why infrastructure regulation is typically placed in agencies like the FCC, which are designed to be independent. If we fail in this, then regulatory decisions are pushed one direction and then another by whichever way the political winds are blowing. De-politicizing an agency requires a realignment of loyalties and generally takes effective leadership from the head of the agency, other commissioners, and people outside the agency. While de-politicizing isn’t easy, it is not impossible.
[Jamison is the director and Gunter Professor of the Public Utility Research Center at the University of Florida and serves as its director of telecommunications studies.]
benton.org/headlines/how-and-why-de-politicize-fcc | American Enterprise Institute
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Why political ads are going to reach a record in 2016

Political advertising on television is expected to jump 16 percent to a record $4.4 billion in the 2016 presidential cycle compared to four years ago, showing a continued belief by candidates that broadcast and cable TV is still the best way to reach voters, according to a report from Kantar Media research.

Since the Supreme Court's Citizens United v. FEC decision in 2010 opened the way for unlimited spending by corporations and unions, analysts say television airwaves in primary and key battleground states have been seeing sharp growth in revenues from political ads. Already Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton has reserved $8 million in TV advertising that could begin as early as November. The desire to reach TV eyeballs may seem like a contradiction given that a growing number of people are cutting the cord on traditional television and network ratings have been on the decline -- some of the ratings of the networks owned by Viacom, such as Comedy Central and MTV, are down double digits over the last year. Television viewing by 18- to 34-year-olds was down 17 percent in the first quarter compared to the same period in 2014, according to Nielsen. But one thing that hasn't changed yet is the fact the most reliable voters tend to be older and are still turning mainly to traditional TV for their news and entertainment, especially shows such as Wheel of Fortune or the local evening newscasts.

How and why to de-politicize the FCC

[Commentary] One of the worst things you can do to a regulatory agency is politicize it. Politicized agencies bend to the ever-changing winds of politics, which creates problems for industry and consumers alike. This straightforward lesson is one I have taught government agencies around the world. They seem to get it. Meanwhile, our very own FCC still has to make the small but crucial first step required to start the de-politicization process.

We try to keep regulatory agencies at arm’s length from politics to ensure that economic decisions regarding critical industries do not become the victim of political rent seeking. Actually, this is why infrastructure regulation is typically placed in agencies like the FCC, which are designed to be independent. If we fail in this, then regulatory decisions are pushed one direction and then another by whichever way the political winds are blowing. De-politicizing an agency requires a realignment of loyalties and generally takes effective leadership from the head of the agency, other commissioners, and people outside the agency. While de-politicizing isn’t easy, it is not impossible.

[Jamison is the director and Gunter Professor of the Public Utility Research Center at the University of Florida and serves as its director of telecommunications studies.]

Merger reviews bring lobbying dollars

A handful of telecom companies with mergers before government regulators saw their lobbying bills go up in the second quarter of the year.

Charter Communications, which is pushing for regulatory approval of its proposed merger with Time Warner Cable, posted a $1.06 million lobbying bill in the second quarter, compared to $620,000 during the same period in 2014. Lobbying from Comcast, which pulled its merger plans with Time Warner Cable amid regulator concerns, decreased to $3.8 million, from $4.45 million this time in 2014.

AT&T and DirecTV, which are waiting for approval on their deal, also posted slight increases. AT&T spent $4.1 million in lobbying, an increase of about $300,000 from the same period last year. DirecTV spent $730,000, compared to $590,000 at the same time last year.

Some telecom trade groups saw their lobbying spending decline in the second quarter as a major fight over network neutrality at the Federal Communications Commission moved to the courts. The National Cable & Telecommunications Association spent $2.95 million, the lowest quarter in more than a decade and more than $1 million less than this time last year. CTIA - The Wireless Association spent $1.76 million, compared to $2.16 million this time last year.

USDA Announces Funding for Rural Broadband Projects

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced $85.8 million in funding to strengthen access to high speed broadband for rural America. "Broadband is fundamental to expanding economic opportunity and job creation in rural areas, and it is as vital to rural America's future today as electricity was when USDA began bringing power to rural America 80 years ago," said Sec Vilsack. "The investments USDA is making today will deliver broadband to rural communities that are currently without high-speed Internet service, or whose infrastructure needs to be upgraded. Improved connectivity means these communities can offer robust business services, expand access to health care and improve the quality of education in their schools, creating a sustainable and dynamic future those who live and work in rural America."

Telecommunications Loans:

  • In Minnesota, a $12.63 million loan to Garden Valley Telephone will include fiber and electronics upgrades to improve the system for rural subscribers.
  • South Carolina's FTC Communications will use a $12.38 million loan to upgrade their wireless telecommunications network to 4G/LTE (Long-Term Evolution)
  • In Montana, Triangle Telephone Cooperative Association will use a $29.95 million loan to upgrade their system with fiber to supply greater bandwidth to increase speed and the quality of service for their rural Montana subscribers.
  • In Wisconsin, LaValle Telephone Cooperative will use $7.61 million to deploy fiber and replace a switch to provide rural subscribers with improved services, including voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and the flexibility to connect to Gigabit Ethernet and IP interfaces.

Community Connect Grants:

  • In Alaska, the Arctic Slope Telephone Association Cooperative, Inc. will receive a $1.4 million grant to provide Point Hope subscribers with high-speed internet service and prepare the network for an undersea fiber connection currently planned for construction within the next two years.
  • Minnesota's Northeast Service Cooperative (NESC) will receive two $3 million grants for two projects to provide broadband service to subscribers on the Fond du Lac Reservation. NESC will partner with the Fond du Lac Band of Superior Chippewa.
  • Oklahoma's @Link Services will receive a grant of nearly $1.5 million to provide high-speed broadband to homes, businesses and critical community facilities in parts of Seminole County.
  • Virginia's Scott County Telephone Cooperative will receive $2.1 million to build a broadband network with one gigabyte of bandwidth for 540 locations in Dickenson County. This project is expected to benefit Edwards Ridge and the surrounding area by promoting economic development through improved broadband access.

No Internet access restricts many Pennsylvanians; Allentown among nation's least-connected cities

At least 55 million Americans lack reliable broadband Internet access at home -- an issue that has swiftly moved from a nuisance to an impediment. In Pennsylvania, nearly one quarter of households lack Internet entirely, according to 2013 U.S. Census data. Allentown (PA), along with Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Erie (PA), were among the least-connected cities with 100,000 or more residents. Seventy to 77 percent of households in those cities had Internet access. The Pew Research Center found that disconnected Americans were more likely to be in lower income brackets and in rural areas.

Not only is it expensive to create municipal networks, but in Pennsylvania and 18 other states, there are limitations on municipal broadband. Pennsylvania law requires phone service providers such as Verizon to be offered the chance of providing the desired Internet service before the community is allowed to step in. Big cities tend to stay out of the Internet business, leaving the giants to set the prices. To meet the Federal Communications Commission Internet speed standard in Pittsburgh, it's at least $44.99 monthly plus tax and equipment charges, rising after the first two years of service. In Philadelphia, the headquarters of the country's largest home Internet service provider, Comcast, about 173,800 households are without service, according to 2013 Census estimates. In Pittsburgh, more people are turning to public libraries for Wi-Fi than ever before. Wi-Fi use throughout Pittsburgh's Carnegie Library system increased 19 percent between 2013 and 2014, with Wi-Fi sessions surpassing library computer use for the first time, according to the library's annual report.

Why the Agriculture Department is giving out tens of millions of dollars for Internet access

[Commentary] You've probably never heard of La Valle (WI), a town of about 1,300 people in southwest Wisconsin. La Valle, like many rural communities in America, have been passed over by the country's major communications providers, leaving the small town to fend for itself. And it has done so tremendously: Residents can buy fiber-optic Internet from the customer-owned LaValle Telephone Cooperative at speeds of up to 60 megabits per second -- fast enough to rival the connections many Americans enjoy elsewhere. The co-op will be getting a $7.61 million loan from the federal government, part of a package announced that will deliver $85 million in new funding nationwide for rural Internet access.

You might think that the money is coming from some telecommunications-related agency like the Federal Communications Commission. It's not. Instead, it's coming from a surprising source: the US Department of Agriculture. "We're trying to live up to the president's commitment on [broadband]," said Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack. "Focus on the areas that don't have it today or on those who don't have many telecom facilities at all. People are surprised we do home loans," Sec Vilsack added. "People are surprised we build schools and hospitals, and that we equip them." But despite its lower profile on broadband, the USDA, along with other federal agencies such as the Department of Housing and Urban Development, are taking on a bigger role in expanding Internet access. That seemingly random agencies are becoming increasingly involved in Internet access is a reflection of how unevenly broadband access is distributed in the United States.

Google’s YouTube Signs Up Everyone But TV for New Paid Service

Google’s YouTube, which has signed up partners for a new paid video service, may find out by early in 2016 whether its own Internet stars really are as valuable as those in Hollywood. Partners accounting for more than 90 percent of YouTube viewing have signed on to the paid service, the company said. While the lineup includes home-grown celebrities and music videos, YouTube so far doesn’t have TV networks such as Fox, NBC and CBS, according to people with knowledge of the matter who asked not to be identified discussing the project. TV staples like Fox’s “Futurama,” NBC’s “Parks & Recreation” and CBS’s “Under the Dome” are a featured part of competing products from Netflix and Amazon.

Without shows like those, YouTube’s commercial-free service will have to attract paying viewers with original series, music videos and thousands of its channels already available for free. “We are progressing according to plan,” YouTube said. “We have support from the overwhelming majority of our partners, with well over 90 percent of YouTube watchtime covered by agreements, and more in the pipeline about to close.” The networks still have time to sign up. YouTube, has targeted a roll-out of the paid service by the end of the year, people with knowledge of the matter said in April. The company has advised partners like top draw PewDiePie that their clips won’t be allowed to remain on the public, ad-supported YouTube if they don’t also sign up for the commercial-free subscription version. (Holdouts can keep videos hosted privately on YouTube, allowing them to become public once a deal is reached.)

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