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  2. June 2016

June 2016

High-Speed Internet Plan Met with Excitement, Questions in Rancho Santa Fe (CA)

After the Rancho Santa Fe (CA) Association signed a $13.5 million letter of intent with Hotwire Communications offering to bring 10 gigabit high-speed Internet service to the community, there has been a lot of excitement but a lot of questions as well. To help bring awareness to what services are available currently in Rancho Santa Fe, resident Lindsay Short arranged for Orion Cable CEO John Santhoff to give an informational talk at the Rancho Santa Fe Golf Club on June 1.

As disagreements flared up between residents, Santhoff and members of the Association board and tech committee, the meeting turned ugly with shouting and swearing. Short put an end to the disruption, reiterating her intent for a simple, informational meeting. “I will not have this shocking behavior here this evening,” Short said. “This is a friendly neighborhood and you’re making it unattractive.” Santhoff said that Orion has been offering services in the Ranch since 2006, as long as he has owned the company that he considers his “baby,” his business that he said he takes very personally. Santhoff said Orion already has an “extensive infrastructure” within the Covenant—including over 15 miles of underground conduit and more than 10 miles of aerial plant.

Can Broadband Replace Coal in Kentucky?

State officials in Kentucky are growing more optimistic about high-speed Internet access helping to supplant coal jobs lost in the “Silicon Holler” of eastern Kentucky. The Shaping Our Appalachian Region (SOAR) initiative hosted its third-annual summit on June 6 in Pikeville’s East Kentucky Expo Center. “There’s never been a greater necessity for invention, innovation, finding ways to supplement the coal industry,” US Rep Hal Rogers (R-KY) told more than 1,000 Kentuckians at the summit. Coal production in Kentucky dipped last year to its lowest point since the Great Depression, according to the state Energy and Environmental Cabinet. The state’s coal industry lost 27.7 percent of its workforce in 2015. Less than 6,000 eastern Kentuckians are now employed by the coal industry, down from 14,381 in 2008, per the cabinet.

Defining Auto Safety of Life in 5.9 GHz

The intention of Dedicated Short Range Communications (DSRC) systems in the 5.9 GHz spectrum band is to promote the safety of life of automobile drivers, passengers and possibly even pedestrians. If there are ubiquitous deployments of this equipment and everything works correctly, these systems could help prevent car crashes from happening. This is a noble and important purpose, but a number of key questions remain.

In particular, one missing piece is a common understanding of what falls under the term “safety of life.” Given the Commission’s current proceeding on 5.9 GHz, this is a perfect time for the Federal Communications Commission to define what is and is not included within the safety-of-life category. Clarifying which DSRC functions are worthy of protection would provide certainty to automobile manufacturers and ensure the efficient use of the spectrum band.

Google adds US Cellular to Project Fi

Google has added a third cellular network to Project Fi. US Cellular, the fifth-largest carrier in the country, will be available to Project Fi customers in the coming weeks.

Project Fi was announced in April of 2015, and it offers a few twists on the way wireless carriers traditionally work. For one, it employs multiple different cell networks — Project Fi phones switch between T-Mobile, Sprint, and Wi-Fi networks depending on which connection is strongest at any given moment. Google also offers a much more customer-friendly payment plan with Fi. Project Fi starts at $20 a month for all the basics (like talk, text, Wi-Fi tethering, and international coverage), and then data is sold separately at a price of $10 per GB. The benefit of this model is that Google credits customers for the data they don't use, so if you pay $40 for 4GB and only use 3GB, the company will give back that $10 difference. The only "catch" is there are only three compatible phones at the moment: the Nexus 6, Nexus 6P, and the Nexus 5X.

FCC Updates Broadcast Incentive Auction File Formats for Forward Auction Clock Phase, Including File Formats for Bid Upload Feature for All Rounds

The Wireless Telecommunications Bureau updates specifications for Auction System data file formats and provides a new set of sample data files for the clock phase of the broadcast incentive auction’s forward auction (Auction 1002). Of particular note, the updates include the specifications for data file formats and sample data files that will enable bidders to use the Auction System’s bid upload feature in all rounds of the auction. Other minor modifications have been made to the supporting text and file specifications. A complete description of all modifications is included in the updated specifications.

Remarks of Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, Telecommunication Industry Association, Network of the Future

What I want to talk about today is the future of connectivity, the future of wireless and the future of next generation wireless services, or 5G. We need a framework. So let me offer you my five ideas for 5G.
Idea #1: To find spectrum for next generation networks we need to look high.
Idea #2: When we look high for new spectrum, we cannot forget that we also need to look low.
Idea #3: We need not just licensed airwaves, but unlicensed airwaves too.
Idea #4: To build a bigger wireless future, we need to focus as much on the ground as on the skies.
Idea #5: We need sandboxes for cities—and more experimental licenses.

Q&A with Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker: Why Trade Agreements are Vital for US Economic Growth

A Q&A with Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker.

When asked, "What is the strategic importance of Obama administration priorities like the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), and the G-20?" Sec Prtizker replied, "Trade agreements like TPP and TTIP enable us to set rules and standards for trade in the 21st century, which is an essential component of US leadership in the world. Trade agreements allow us to shape relationships—they empower us to help set labor and environmental standards, rules for e-commerce, and intellectual property and trade secret protections. And they strengthen our national security, since we have better relations with countries where there is a strong US commercial presence. With TPP, specifically, we want to ensure that our companies to have access to the countries that have the fastest-growing middle classes on earth. There is real demand for American products and services across Asia, but there are currently barriers to entry—and we don’t want our companies left behind."

Facebook’s political controversy points to emerging issues between cities and big data platforms

[Commentary] The technology and political worlds collided in May when some conservatives accused Facebook of suppressing conservative political views. This issue continues to evolve, as the social media platform addressed the concerns with a private roundtable with leading conservative voices and further promises to reform its “Trending Topics” news section. I believe that, while Facebook did the right thing by its shareholders, comforting its critics swept under the rug a number of constitutional and regulatory issues related to big data platforms.

Unlike Facebook, local government will eventually have to face those issues head-on. Cities were not involved with this particular controversy. Nonetheless, every level of government, from multi-national bodies to local municipalities are increasingly involved with policy issues related to big data. Protecting the security and privacy of information will largely be left to the state and national level. But cities, particularly as they become “smart,” are all going to need cyber-security plans to protect essential infrastructure that depends on big data.

Fresh off California win, Clinton is tech's candidate

Before the polls closed in California on June 7, Hillary Clinton was a winner. In Silicon Valley, a left-of-center bastion that values smarts more than wealth and charisma, presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton had a profound edge over Donald Trump. Fresh from her convincing victory in Democratic California primary, Clinton further burnished her image as the candidate of choice in the Valley, where she has displayed a deep understanding of issues ranging from Net Neutrality and the National Security Agency's surveillance program to H-1B visas and the under-representation of minorities and women here.

She's also raked in piles of cash. For Trump, who won the Republican primary, it's a different political story. In June, Intel CEO Brian Krzanich abruptly canceled a fundraiser for the Donald amid outrage from within Intel for his anti-immigration stance. Then there are barbs the tough-talking Trump aimed at Apple, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos. Silicon Valley, which normally makes its bets through venture funding, is investing heavily on Clinton. Her campaign has been showered with $2.68 million in donations — including a $500,000 contribution to her Super PAC from venture-capital legend John Doerr — compared with $21,815 for Trump, who has largely self-funded his campaign, according to Crowdpac, a nonpartisan political crowdfunding web site.

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