August 2015

[Commentary] Donald Trump and the Amen chorus of Republican presidential aspirants may have appeared to monopolize the capacity to make fantastical claims about what’s wrong with America and how to fix it. But a rival has appeared on the scene, outlining a very different fantasy plan to run for president on the Democratic side of the aisle. Harvard law professor Lawrence Lessig looks meek -- a dead ringer for Mr. Peepers -- yet is anything but.

Lessig built an impressive career in legal scholarship on the regulation of cyberspace, and the mild-mannered, soft-spoken academic became a cult hero among libertarians fearful of increasing legal restrictions on copyright, trademark and the electromagnetic spectrum. But Lessig’s transformation into a political activist was spurred by his personal revelation that money in politics is the root of all our governing problems. Eliminate the dependence of elected officials on private donors and the formidable obstacles to constructive policymaking will crumble. Simple but searing truth, or a caricature of a complex governing system shaped by institutions, ideas/ideologies, and interests?

[Commentary] In the previous posts of this series, we’ve referenced Fire Island (NY) a lot, but haven’t gone into detail. Here’s what happened, and why it still matters: In October 2012, Superstorm Sandy struck, and wrought unprecedented damage up and down the East Coast of the United States. The storm devastated many public utilities, leaving people without electricity, water, and phone access. In Fire Island, Verizon responded to the storm’s damage by replacing its landline copper phone and DSL network with a new fixed wireless service called “Voice Link.” This transition was extremely problematic for Fire Island residents.

For years, Public Knowledge has asked the Federal Communications Commission to implement adequate standards for public notification for the tech transitions. This means that even if a portion of the copper network is removed or disabled, the provider is effectively retiring the old network and should go through the necessary regulatory process to do so (including the FCC discontinuance notices we discussed last week). When a network is disabled for a short term, or only partially disabled, this may not significantly impact providers, but it can have a devastating impact on residents and businesses that rely on the network.

[Commentary] As President Barack Obama arrived in Ethiopia in July, his National Security Advisor Susan Rice was asked if she considered the country to be a democracy. “One hundred percent,” she quipped, referring to the tally in favor of the ruling party in national elections in May. Not everyone was amused.

For the activists and journalists who face harassment, imprisonment, and exile, massive state repression in Ethiopia is no laughing matter. Indeed, while the government of Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn released six imprisoned journalists in advance of President Obama’s visit, it was able to effectively deflect criticism of Ethiopia’s human rights record, noting bilateral discussions were focused on trade, security, and entrepreneurship. Rice’s joke was all the more troubling because it strikes at a larger challenge confronting the Obama Administration and its efforts to strengthen civil society and press freedom in Africa. The president’s trip to Kenya and Ethiopia was his fourth to a region where a new generation of autocratic leaders is on the rise. These leaders have earned legitimacy and international support by winning elections. But in office, they govern with contempt for the independent institutions that define a democracy, the media foremost among them. I call these elected autocrats “democratators,” and their influence is hardly confined to Africa.

Combined data traffic streaming over cellular and Wi-Fi networks exploded between 2H 2013 and 1H 2015, rising over threefold, according to Strategy Analytics’ Telemetry Intelligence Platform. Monthly wireless data usage for US smartphone users averaged 9.7 GB during 1H’15. Only 1.6 GB/month (17 percent of total data) crossed over cellular networks. Digging deeper into the data, Strategy Analytics found that African-Americans accessed more data over wireless networks than any other ethnicity. The US’ second-largest ethnic group, Hispanics didn’t access as much data via cellular networks as African-Americans.