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  2. August 2015

August 2015

LPTV Coalition: Licensed Stations Must Have Priority

The Low Power Television (LPTV) Spectrum Rights Coalition says it can get behind the Federal Communications Commission's TV station repack plan, including its proposal to reserve a vacant channel for unlicensed use, but not if unlicensed is given priority over licensed low powers and translators. That is according to an ex parte filing on a meeting between the coalition and top incentive auction execs and bureau chiefs.

The FCC has proposed that "vacant" means a channel left over after it has found new homes for full-powers and class As in the post-incentive auction repacking of TV stations below channel 37, but not necessarily for the translators and other low powers that were not given signal protections in the incentive auction legislation. "If no priority is given" to licensed low powers and translators before a market is determined to have a "vacant" channel, the coalition told the execs, the FCC is not adhering to its public interest mandate.

Counting on government to protect cars from hackers isn’t our best option

[Commentary] Recently, two hackers wirelessly took over a Jeep Cherokee, including at one point on a Missouri highway. A couple of senators introduced legislation within hours of the story breaking. The Jeep experiment demonstrates how premature government involvement is likely to interfere with potential industry solutions. Software security teams in industry are better off focusing on the latest threats and security best practices, rather than compliance with bureaucratic measures handed down from Washington. We must keep in mind that the researchers behaved according to “white hat” rules, by giving Chrysler early access to data and time to develop a patch. Indeed, the automaker has already issued a security patch to fix a few of the issues, so the system worked as intended.

Before we legislate new restrictions on innovation and technology, let’s take a moment to survey how the industry is best positioned to address potential problems — especially those based on some obscure, theoretical harm. Historically, automakers have a track record of advancing safety and security in cars, and there’s no reason to expect them to backpedal when it comes to the critical and forward-looking area of cybersecurity.

[Gary Shapiro is president and CEO of the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)]

FirstNet plans to release cybersecurity information this fall, Kennedy says

FirstNet officials will provide information about the organization’s cybersecurity strategy this fall, beginning with its Industry Day during the week of Aug 31, FirstNet President TJ Kennedy said. When FirstNet released its draft request for proposal (RFP) documents in April, it did not include a section on cybersecurity but promised to provide information later in the year. Kennedy said that cybersecurity will be a topic of discussion during FirstNet’s Industry Day event.

With a number of high-profile data breaches in both the corporate and government arenas being reported in recent years, cybersecurity is a hot topic for all enterprises, but particularly those dealing with sensitive information. With FirstNet being tasked to build a broadband network to support first-responder access to critical health, building and criminal records, organization officials have acknowledged that they expect the system to be a prime target for the hacking community. Knowing this as the network is being designed should benefit FirstNet, Kennedy said.

E-mail Isn’t Dead

[Commentary] There has been a lot of debate in the last couple years about whether e-mail is dead. The advent of new workplace communication solutions such as Slack, Handbrake and Facebook at Work, and existing offerings from Yammer, Jive Software, etc., has added fuel to that fire. Yes, some offer cool technology like incorporating hashtags to create conversations, and can be useful. And, yes, some of these technologies will prove to be valuable, but they will not kill e-mail. E-mail is here to stay.

In fact, it’s alive and thriving, and this will continue to be the case, especially if marketers take action now to optimize e-mail. People rely on e-mail in their personal lives and at work, and e-mail is their preference when it comes to marketing communications. In fact, on average, people spend six and a half hours per workday on e-mail, and they expect e-mail will continue to be their primary way to communicate with work colleagues in five years. Despite talk of e-mail being dead due to too much noise, too much spam, too many distractions, millennials texting and Snapchatting instead -- e-mail is and will remain the preferred method of communication, both at work and in our personal lives. The brands that will be most successful will truly understand and address consumers’ e-mail habits. After all, contextual e-mail is key.

[Kristin Naragon is the Director of E-mail Solutions at Adobe]

Telecommunications Policy Research Conference
Friday, September 25, 2015
4:00 pm

This year, TPRC will include a set of three new “Moderator Commentary” sessions, to be held on the afternoon of Friday, Sept. 25. These sessions place two conference papers in conversation with each other. Each features the presentation of a pair of papers on a related topic followed by a detailed commentary from a moderator with expertise in the field. Moderator Commentary sessions will run 90 minutes. The authors and moderator will each have 22 minutes to present, leaving approximately 20 minutes for conversation and audience Q&A.

Privacy
Moderator: Ashkan Soltani, FTC

  • Privacy Concern, Trust, and Desire for Content Personalization, Darren M. Stevenson,* University of Michigan at Ann Arbor; Josh Pasek, University of Michigan
  • Meaningful Consent: The Economics of Privity in Networked Environments, Jonathan Cave, University of Warwick

Copyright
Moderator: Eli Noam, Columbia University

  • Reconsidering Copyright, Thomas Beard, Auburn University; George S. Ford,* Phoenix Center for Advanced Legal & Economic Public Policy Studies; Gilad Sorek, Auburn University; Lawrence J. Spiwak, Phoenix Center for Advanced Legal & Economic Public Policy Studies
  • What Is the Appropriate Economic Goal of Copyright in the Digital Age?, Michael Mandel, Progressive Policy Institute

Internet Access
Moderator: Jonathan Nuechterlein, FTC

  • Deja Vu All Over Again: Questions and a Few Suggestions on How the FCC Can Lawfully Regulate Internet Access, Rob Frieden, Pennsylvania State University - Dickinson School of Law
  • The Constitutional Conundrums Created by the FCC's Open Internet Order, Ben Sperry,* International Center for Law & Economics; Geoffrey A. Manne, International Center for Law & Economics

Telecommunications Policy Research Conference
Sunday, September 27, 2015
11:10 am

Moderator: Sharon Gillett, Microsoft Corp.

Panelists:

  • Joe Waz, Comcast/NBCUniversal
  • Paul Mitchell, Microsoft
  • David D. Clark, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab
  • Kathleen Hamm, T-Mobile USA
  • Richard Whitt, Google

Telecommunications Policy Research Conference
Friday, September 25, 2015
2 pm

Moderator: Johannes M. Bauer, Department of Media and Information, Michigan State University

Panelists:

  • Jon Gant, Graduate School of Library and Information Science, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
  • William Lehr, Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
  • Stephen Rhody, ASR Analytics; Sandeep Taxali, National Telecommunications and Information Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce

Telecommunications Policy Research Conference
Friday, September 25, 2015
2 pm

Moderator: David Reed, University of Colorado at Boulder

Panelists:

  • Pierre Francois, IMDEA Networks Institute
  • Roderick Fanou, IMDEA Networks Institute; Hernan Galperin, University of Southern California
  • Ignacio Alvarez-Hamelin, Universidad de Buenos Aires/ITBA/CONICET
  • Jesse Sowell, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
  • Nishal Goburdhan, Packet Clearing House

Telecommunications Policy Research Conference
Friday, September 25, 2015
2 pm

Moderator: Steve Wildman, College of Communication Arts & Sciences, Michigan State University

Panelists:

  • Charles H. Davis, RTA School of Media, Ryerson University, Toronto
  • Sora Park, News & Media Research Centre, University of Canberra
  • Robert G. Picard, Department of Politics and International Relations, University of Oxford

August 26, 2015 ("Worse than 1984" in UK)

BENTON'S COMMUNICATIONS-RELATED HEADLINES for WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 26, 2015

Spectrum Management Advisory Committee Meeting today: https://www.benton.org/node/223991

PRIVACY/SURVEILLANCE
   UK surveillance “worse than 1984,” says new UN privacy chief
   How to Make Privacy Policies Better, in Two Easy Steps - analysis
   When your TV can spy on you. - LA Times' David Lazarus [links to web]

WIRELESS/SPECTRUM
   Cell Carriers Battle for Wi-Fi Airwaves

TELEVISION
   Pay-TV operators ditching lower-income customers, driving up average revenue per sub, analyst finds
   Verizon to FCC: Fix Broken Retrans System [links to web]
   Broadcasters want Dish, DirecTV and Mediacom branded as retrans “bad actors” [links to web]

JOURNALISM
   As legacy media cuts back on FOIA, digital-only news outlets step in - CJR op-ed
   Boston Globe Pledges Columnist Will Stop Writing About Telecom Issues After Conflict Of Interest Criticism [links to web]
   A rule for online news: Errors are inevitable; lack of transparency is not - op-ed [links to web]

INTERNET/BROADBAND
   Farm Computer Usage and Ownership - USDA research [links to web]

EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS
   As 911 outages increase, FCC considers new rules [links to web]

CONTENT
   Is Amazon Creating a Cultural Monopoly? - New Yorker analysis [links to web]
   Streaming services aren't kidding around as they compete for young viewers [links to web]

LABOR
   Program trains older adults in online work [links to web]

HEALTH
   Why Your Doctor Won't Friend You On Facebook [links to web]

EDUCATION
   How High Schoolers Spent Their Summer: Online, Taking More Courses [links to web]

OPEN GOVERNMENT
   Caroline Kennedy Used Personal E-mail for State Department Business, Report Finds [links to web]

STORIES FROM ABROAD
   A 21st-Century Migrant’s Essentials: Food, Shelter, Smartphone
   UK surveillance “worse than 1984,” says new UN privacy chief
   China’s Party-Run Media Is Silent on Market Mayhem [links to web]

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PRIVACY/SURVEILLANCE

UK SURVEILLANCE "WORSE THAN 1984," SAYS NEW UN PRIVACY CHIEF
[SOURCE: ars technica, AUTHOR: Glyn Moody]
The newly appointed United Nations special rapporteur on privacy, Joseph Cannataci, has called the United Kingdom's oversight of surveillance "a rather bad joke at its citizens’ expense," and said that the situation regarding privacy is "worse" than anything George Orwell imagined in his novel 1984. Cannataci said: "at least Winston [a character in Orwell's 1984] was able to go out in the countryside and go under a tree and expect there wouldn’t be any screen, as it was called. Whereas today there are many parts of the English countryside where there are more cameras than George Orwell could ever have imagined. So the situation in some cases is far worse already." Cannataci is also concerned about the routine surveillance carried out by Internet companies as a key part of their business model. "They just went out and created a model where people’s data has become the new currency," he said. "And unfortunately, the vast bulk of people sign their rights away without knowing or thinking too much about it."
benton.org/headlines/uk-surveillance-worse-1984-says-new-un-privacy-chief | Ars Technica
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HOW TO MAKE PRIVACY POLICIES BETTER, IN TWO EASY STEPS
[SOURCE: The Atlantic, AUTHOR: Robinson Meyer]
[Commentary] The agita over Spotify’s privacy policy resembled disputes in 2015 over other companies’s privacy policies -- like Samsung’s and Uber’s -- as well as the the cyclical fretting over Facebook’s reach. These scandals have attained a degree of predictability: They are almost as formulaic as the legalese of the policies themselves. But beyond the cycle of discovery, outrage, and apologetic adjustment, there are deeper problems. The way lawyers, executives, and developers address user privacy just doesn’t work that well. Neither consumers nor corporations benefit from our current amend-then-freak-out regime. The situation could also be improved with two different specific adjustments, one legal and one technical. Legally, the tech-policy writer Logan Koepke advocates that companies should announce a new privacy policy whenever they change. If a regulatory change looks unlikely, though, there is a technical intervention that Apple and Google could make. Imagine if, right before a run, Spotify asked for 60 minutes of access to your GPS location. If you still seemed on the move 55 minutes later, it would ask for another hour of access. That seems to me like a better trade: Not all the access, all the time, wherever; but access right now, for a little while, here. Apple or Google could encourage this practice simply by making that feature possible at the operating-system level. It would be more seamful, and it would be more trustworthy.
   How to Make Privacy Policies Better, in Two Easy Steps - analysis

benton.org/headlines/how-make-privacy-policies-better-two-easy-steps | Atlantic, The
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WIRELESS/SPECTRUM

WI-FI AIRWAVES
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Thomas Gryta, Ryan Knutson]
A battle is brewing among tech giants over the future of Wi-Fi, the ubiquitous and unregulated wireless connections at the core of the mobile Internet. Verizon Communications Inc. and T-Mobile US Inc. are preparing to broadcast cellular signals over some of the same free airwaves currently used by Wi-Fi networks. The wireless carriers plan to begin rolling out the technology in 2016. That worries startups like Republic Wireless as well as companies like Google and Cablevision that have built services that rely on Wi-Fi networks. They argue Verizon’s and T-Mobile’s signals could take up space Wi-Fi services normally use and crowd them out. Wi-Fi networks—in homes, offices, airports and coffee shops—already carry more than half of mobile data usage globally. Google officials wrote a letter in June to the Federal Communications Commission urging caution.
benton.org/headlines/cell-carriers-battle-wi-fi-airwaves | Wall Street Journal
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TELEVISION

PAY-TV OPERATORS DITCHING LOWER-INCOME CUSTOMERS
[SOURCE: Fierce, AUTHOR: Daniel Frankel]
A focus on higher-income customers by pay-TV operators is driving both cord-cutting and average revenue per customer, said Strategy Analytics analyst Jason Blackwell. "Over the past few quarters we have seen price increases from Dish Network and DirecTV as well as other Pay TV operators," Blackwell said. "But, there is also evidence from our primary research that cord-cutters could actually be driving up the ARPU (average revenue per user) as well. We are finding that a large number of those people who have dropped a pay TV service have lower household incomes." In a report issued the week of Aug 17, Blackwell noted the contrast between a record-setting second quarter for cord-cutting and sharp increases in per-customer revenue. DirecTV, for example, lost 133,000 subscribers during the second quarter, but saw per-customer revenue increase by 6.4 percent to $109.93. Dish Network lost 81,000 customers in the second quarter but had a 4.4 percent increase in per-user revenue to $87.91.
benton.org/headlines/pay-tv-operators-ditching-lower-income-customers-driving-average-revenue-sub-analyst-finds | Fierce
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JOURNALISM

AS LEGACY MEDIA CUTS BACK ON FOIA, DIGITAL-ONLY NEWS OUTLETS STEP IN
[SOURCE: Columbia Journalism Review, AUTHOR: Trevor Timm]
[Commentary] Ask any journalist and they’ll tell you the Freedom of Information Act process is broken. Denials are at record highs, navigating the bureaucracy can be a nightmare, and the federal agencies recently killed a modest reform bill. But a series of FOIA lawsuits also have just shown how the 50-year-old transparency law can still be indispensable. And absent any change in the law, the best way for news organizations to make sure it stays relevant is to use it innovatively and aggressively. A study by Syracuse’s Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse showed that, with the exception of The New York Times, no legacy news organization sued the government under FOIA in 2014. But where print newspapers have largely faded away, digital-only news organizations -- including some that are foolishly caricatured as mere meme generators and gossip mags -- are thankfully starting to spend the time and money to fill the gap.
[Trevor Timm is the executive director of Freedom of the Press Foundation]
benton.org/headlines/legacy-media-cuts-back-foia-digital-only-news-outlets-step | Columbia Journalism Review
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STORIES FROM ABROAD

FOOD, SHELTER, SMARTPHONE
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Matthew Brunwasser]
The tens of thousands of migrants who have flooded into the Balkans in recent weeks need food, water and shelter, just like the millions displaced by war the world over. But there is also one other thing they swear they cannot live without: a smartphone charging station. Technology has transformed this 21st-century version of a refugee crisis, not least by making it easier for millions more people to move. In this modern migration, smartphone maps, global positioning apps, social media and WhatsApp have become essential tools. Migrants depend on them to post real-time updates about routes, arrests, border guard movements and transport, as well as places to stay and prices, all the while keeping in touch with family and friends. The first thing many do once they have successfully navigated the watery passage between Turkey and Greece is pull out a smartphone and send loved ones a message that they made it.
benton.org/headlines/21st-century-migrants-essentials-food-shelter-smartphone | New York Times
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