DIGITAL DIVIDE
ITU Conference Debates New Issues In Digital Divide Debate (ITU)
Debunking The Digital Divide (NW)
BROADBAND
Tauzin, Hollings to Discuss Broadband Policy (NB)
PRIVACY
Top Web Sites Adopting Internet Privacy Platform (SJM)
DIGITAL DIVIDE
ITU CONFERENCE DEBATES NEW ISSUES IN DIGITAL DIVIDE DEBATE
Issue: Digital Divide
The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) is launching two landmark
reports at its current event, "World Telecommunication Development
Conference" (WTDC). The reports, "World Telecommunication development Report
2002: Reinventing Telecoms" and "Trends in Telecommunication Reform 2002:
Effective Regulation" are aimed at addressing the key issues for telecom
planners and regulators. Regulators play a critical role in bridging the
digital divide by creating climates conducive to investment and diffusion.
The latest ITU reports show that access to the Internet is harder to
measure. "The new digital divide is not just about the number of access
lines, but also about the quality of the experience, as evidenced, for
example, by the availability of IP connectivity," says Tim Kelly, head of
ITU's Strategy and Policy Unit. At the week-long conference, best practices,
resources and tools will be explored and debated by conference participants.
[SOURCE: ITU, Press Release]
(http://www.itu.int/newsroom/press_releases/2002/05.html)
Further information about the WTDC conference is available at the ITU
Website: (http://www.itu.int/home/index.html).
DEBUNKING THE DIGITAL DIVDE
Issue: Digital Divide
[Commentary] In an analysis of recent census data and the findings of a new
study by economists David Card of UC Berkeley, and John DiNardo of the
University of Michigan, Newsweek columnist Robert J. Samuelson concludes
that the digital divide is not only shrinking, but has not increased
economic equalities. He first points to fast-growing computer adoption rates
in lower-income groups. From 1997 to 2001, the percentage of families with
incomes from $15,000 to $24,999 who used computers at home or work grew from
37% to 47%. Samuelson also cites data showing computer use has risen across
racial and ethic groups. As for economic disparities, in Card and DiNardo's
report they claim that the increase in economic inequalities occurred in the
1980s and that the 1986 wage gap was the same as it was in 1999. If
increased computer use were to blame for economic inequalities it should
have continued to expand in the 1990s. Lawrence Katz of Harvard is among a
group of economists who still believes that while computer use is not the
only influence on economic equality, it does promote wage inequality. He
maintains that the 1990s boom resulted in firms bidding up the wages of
unskilled workers thus offsetting the effect of computer use on their wages.
Samuelson states that either way, "the popular perception of computers'
impact on wages is hugely overblown", and "the digital divide suggested a
simple solution (computers) for a complex problem (poverty).
[SOURCE: Newsweek, AUTHOR: Robert J. Samuelson]
(http://www.msnbc.com/news/725345.asp?cp1=1)
BRAODBAND
TAUZIN, HOLLINGS TO DISCUSS BROADBAND POLICY
Issue: Broadband
A Senate hearing on the future of broadband policy is scheduled for the
Wednesday. At the hearings, opposite ends of the debate will be presented
and discussed. On one side is House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman
W.J. "Billy" Tauzin (R-La) who co-sponsored a bill (known as the
Tauzin-Dingell bill) that would make entry into the high-speed voice and
data markets easier for Baby Bell companies. On the other side is Senate
Commerce Committee Chairman Ernest "Fritz" Hollings (D - S.C.) who believes
that the Tauzin-Dingell bill would allow the Baby Bells to crush
competition. Hollings has proposed his own bill, the "Telecommunications
Competition Enforcement Act," that would require the Bells to separate their
retail and wholesale services. As yet the Hollings bill has received little
support. Senator Holling's resistance to the House-passed Tauzin-Dingell
bill may be sufficient to stop approval in the Senate.
[SOURCE: Newsbytes; AUTHOR: Brian Krebs]
(http://www.newsbytes.com/news/02/175252.html)
PRIVACY
TOP WEB SITES ADOPTING PRIVACY PLATFORM
Issue: Privacy
A number of leading Web sites are taking steps to offer consumers a simpler
version of their privacy policies. The software platform, Platform for
Privacy Preferences (P3P) collects answers to how a Web site collects and
uses data. It then matches users' privacy requirements with the Web site's
practices and offers a warning if they are not compatible. The industry-wide
World Wide Web consortium is expected to adopt P3P by April and supporters
are holding nationwide workshops to promote the standards. Major Web sites
are still waiting to see if consumers will demand they include the labels.
Some privacy advocates have complained that the P3P software offers Internet
users a false sense of security since it will not prevent Web sites from
collecting data or sharing information with marketers.
[SOURCE: San Jose Mercury News, AUTHOR: Associated Press]
(http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/news/editorial/2874425.htm)
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