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  2. February 2016

February 2016

FCC's Sallet Cites Gore Role in Telecom Act

Federal Communications Commission General Counsel Jon Sallet, a former Commerce Department official and communications policy advisor to Vice President Al Gore at the time the Telecommunications Act of 1996 was being drafted, talked about a Gore theory of Internet choke points: "Vice President Gore observed that '[for] some time, in many places, there are likely to be only one or two broadband, interactive wires, probably owned by cable or telephone companies.' And then the Vice President said: 'We cannot permit the creation of information bottlenecks that adversely affect information providers who use the highways as a means of supplying their customers. Nor can we can permit bottlenecks for information consumers who desire programming that may not be available through the wires that enter their homes or offices.'"

Sallet said that the Vice President's principles "were sound in 1994 and are, in my view, equally sound today." Sallet did suggest that edge providers and ISPs are not easily stovepiped for the purposes of regulation, something cable operators have also pointed out when arguing that those edge providers have escaped what they see as the FCC's heavy hand.

CAC Recommendation Regarding Modernization of the Lifeline Program

The Federal Communications Commission’s Consumer Advisory Committee adopted a recommendation on modernization of the FCC’s Lifeline program. The CAC recommends:
The FCC act expeditiously to include robust broadband service in the Lifeline program;
In order to promote efficiency and program integrity the eligibility determination and renewals of eligibility be handled by a third party administrator(s);
The FCC reform the Lifeline program to promote competition and ensure robust consumer choice, including products for consumers with disabilities, and enable Lifeline consumers to change service providers and technology platforms at their discretion while still ensuring program participants face minimal barriers to participation, including accessibility for consumers with disabilities;
The FCC improve Lifeline enrollment and outreach through collaboration with community based organizations and anchor institutions and coordination with the federal anti-poverty programs including establishment of automated enrollment procedures, with priority attention paid to the programs conferring Lifeline eligibility. However, regardless of enrollment coordination and cooperation by federal agencies, the program must continue to accept participation in a wide variety of social service programs, or demonstration of income eligibility, as qualification criteria for the program; and
Against the imposition of a program spending cap, or restrictive budget that results in the program not being able to serve all eligible households.

How PBS Can Continue Explaining The Crisis Of Money In Politics During the Democratic Debate

Across all nightly network broadcasts, PBS has consistently provided the most coverage of the crisis of money in politics and campaign finance reform over the last 16 months. During the upcoming debate, PBS can continue its much-needed emphasis on the issue by asking the candidates what steps they will take to address money in politics if elected president by asking the following questions:

Will You Take Executive Action Requiring Federal Contractors To Disclose Campaign Gifts?
Will You Push The Securities And Exchange Commission (SEC) To Begin Planning Rules That Would Require Publicly Traded Companies To Disclose Political Spending?
The Federal Election Commission (FEC) Chairwoman Has Said The Commission Is "Worse Than Dysfunctional." What Will You Do To Break The Gridlock At The FEC?

Idea to retire: The “rock star” chief information officer

[Commentary] While undeniably, a government rock star chief information officer (CIO) can be successful, success is far more likely if the CIO is a career government employee rather than a rock star. There are several reasons for this. First, in government, the CIO is surrounded by career employees who have deep knowledge and great respect for the process of government IT. Secondly, government employees, realizing that the incoming rock star CIO is unlikely to stay for long, are aware that they can simply wait out the new CIO. Thirdly, agency directors (or mayors or legislators) are generally unwilling to risk implementing a major initiative simply based on the star power of the rock star, even if they were responsible for bringing in the rock star.

[Dr. Gregory S. Dawson is a senior faculty associate at the Center for Organization Research and Design (CORD) within the School of Public Programs at Arizona State University]

AT&T/ Nokia Utility IoT Offering to Rely on Dedicated Spectrum

A new AT&T/ Nokia utility IoT offering aims to address the key issue that utility companies have had with purchasing wireless connectivity from wireless service providers. Utilities are seeking two-way wireless communications networks to support smart grid initiatives. But as Mike Troiano, vice president of industrial IoT for AT&T, explained, the utilities “use cellular but usually build their own [network]. . . If you unpeel the real objection, what they want is a private [network].” The utilities, he said, want a high level of control over their network. To address this objection, the AT&T/ Nokia utility IoT solution relies on a swath of AT&T spectrum that will be dedicated to the utility industry and will support networks based on Nokia equipment that will be built for the exclusive use of the utility company in a geographic area.

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