DIGITAL DIVIDE
Russian Schools to Get PCs and Internet (MT)
Worldwide Internet Growth is Slowing (NewsBytes)
Study Shows An Increase of Web Usage Among Asian Women (NewsBytes)
OWNERSHIP
Media Buying, Selling Might See Massive Increase (USA)
SECURITY
Cheney: Bush Budget to Boost High-Tech (CNET)
DIGITAL DIVIDE
RUSSIAN SCHOOLS TO GET PCS AND INTERNET
Issue: EdTech
The Russian Education Ministry is attempting to provide access to personal
computers and the Internet for every child in every school in every village
in the country. This effort is the second part of a nationwide project known
as Children of Russia. The first stage saw the installation of 56,500
computers and 9,000 printers in 30,700 village schools in all federal
districts. Now the rest of the nation's schools are to be accommodated.
Unlike the first stage, where schools only received one or two computers,
the second stage strives to provide schools with enough computers to
organize entire classes. The Education Ministry hopes to complete this
second stage by October 2002.
[SOURCE: The Moscow Times, AUTHOR: Pavel Nefyodov]
(http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2002/02/20/052.html)
WORLDWIDE INTERNET GROWTH IS SLOWING
Issue: Internet
A new study from Probe Research has reported that while millions of new
Internet users are logging on each year, the growth rate is slowing in
developed countries. After the triple digit growth of the last few years,
the United States is now showing only incremental growth in new users. In
terms of connectivity, competition and lower costs have helped DSL
technologies spread over cable modems throughout Japan, Germany and France.
The study noted that markets in Asia and South America are still poised for
strong growth in the next three years. Probe Research projects that
Internet use in South America will grow from 6.8 million to 17.96 million by
the end of 2005. Internet use in Asia hit 52.2 million and is projected to
rise to 145 million by the end of 2005.
[SOURCE: NewsBytes, AUTHOR: Michael Bartlett]
(http://www.newsbytes.com/news/02/174687.html)
STUDY SHOWS AN INCREASE OF WEB USAGE AMONG ASIAN WOMEN
Issue: Digital Divide
According to Internet measurement company NetValue, many indicators jumped
in the last quarter of 2001 for various Asian countries. "Towards the end of
2001, women were definitely interested in keeping in touch with people over
the Internet," said Jack Loo, president of NetValue. For example, the
proportion of women in Hong Kong using Webmail increased by 104.7 percent in
the last quarter. Korean women dominate the chat scene: in the same time
period, the number of female Koreans visiting chat sites or Internet relay
chat (IRC) jumped by 17.5 percentage points. While Korea leads the chat
category, Singapore's chat sites saw a 440 percent growth in women users.
[SOURCE: Newsbytes, AUTHOR: Adam Creed]
(http://www.newsbytes.com/news/02/174659.html)
OWNERSHIP
MEDIA BUYING, SELLING MIGHT SEE MASSIVE INCREASE
Issue: Ownership
This week's court ruling against limits on broadcast and cable TV ownership
''makes everybody a buyer or a seller,'' says a top executive of Sinclair
Broadcasting, one of the two largest independent owners of local TV
stations. A U.S. appeals court ordered the Federal Communications Commission
to justify its ban on a TV broadcaster owning stations that reach more than
35% of U.S. households. FCC Chairman Michael Powell, has expressed doubts
about the limit and the agency is expected to at least dramatically relax
the cap. The court also struck a rule barring ownership of a cable system
and TV station in the same market. The lifting of the cable-broadcast
cross-ownership will likely prompt megamergers that spawn cable-broadcast
behemoths. AOL Time Warner, for example, might want to buy local affiliates,
as well as a network, such as NBC, analysts say. While there is no
indication that any deals actually are about to take place, media analyst
Tom Wolzien of Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. says, ''Things have a tendency to
happen once they're allowed.''
[SOURCE: USAToday, AUTHOR: Paul Davidson]
(http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20020222/3886088s.htm)
SECURITY
CHENEY: BUSH BUDGET TO BOOST HIGH-TECH
Issue: Security
Speaking at the Tech Museum of Innovation in San Jose, vice president Dick
Cheney called on technology industry leaders to support an increased budget
for defense and homeland security, saying it could help lead the high-tech
sector out of recession. Cheney explained that the Bush administration's
request for a $48 billion increase in the US budget for defense and a $38
billion budget for homeland security will actually help the tech industry.
Money would support a range of research and development programs, said
Cheney. He suggested that Silicon Valley companies in need of a new mission
could conduct much of this new work.
[SOURCE: CNET, AUTHOR: Reuters Limited]
(http://news.com.com/2102-1017-842615.html)
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