DIGITAL DIVIDE
Closing the Digital Divide Conference (NTIA)
Children Of Migrant Workers Keep Up Studies On The Internet (NYT)
Intel Takes Kids Inside To See What Makes Computers Tick (SJM)
Tech Grants To Assist Rookie Teachers (SJM)
INTERNET
Internet Board Opens Chile Meeting Amid Protests (CyberTimes)
AT&T Enters Brazil Telecom, Internet Market (SJM)
AOL Launches Free Net Access in Britain (WSJ)
Something In The Air On Net Access (SJM)
TELEPHONY
Phone Deal Fears Focus on Delay (ChiTrib)
Wireless Nation: Finland Pushes Cell Phone to
the High Tech Limit (WSJ)
OWNERSHIP
Newspaper Association Asks FCC to Ease Rule on
Broadcast Holding (WSJ)
DIGITAL DIVIDE
CLOSING THE DIGITAL DIVIDE CONFERENCE
Issue: Digital Divide
From Press Release: Commerce Secretary William Daley announced that he will
convene a national meeting this fall to address the information technology
gap that exists across the country as highlighted in a recent Department
report. Daley called for a serious dialogue among major technology
companies, civil rights organizations, civic leaders, and community groups about
how to bridge the digital divide in underserved communities. "The best way
to bring inner cities back to life is for government and business, educators
and community leaders to work together," Daley said. "We must close the
digital divide, and bring along all who have not shared in the boom of the
late 1990s," he said at the Greater Washington Urban League Technology
Center in northeast Washington, where he appeared with Washington Mayor
Anthony Williams and representatives of the AT&T Foundation and Microsoft.
Secretary Daley highlighted the Urban League center as a model for other
communities and applauded the commitment of Microsoft and AT&T to dedicate
their resources to addressing the digital divide in D.C. (See Sec Daley's
remarks at
http://204.193.246.62/public.nsf/docs/1C11DBA2E64D9A06852567D70060F5AC)
[SOURCE: NTIA]
(http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/press/dcdividerls82499.htm)
CHILDREN OF MIGRANT WORKERS KEEP UP STUDIES ON THE INTERNET
Issue: EdTech/Digital Divide
Keeping up in school can be very difficult for students whose migrant
worker parents move the family great distances each year. Because shuttling
between states with different school calendars and curriculums can take
such a toll, a two-year old project funded by the Department of Education
is providing some migrant high school students with lap-top computers that
enable them to take classes online. "If I can get the class over with online,
I can do something else in school instead of feeling like I have to
catch up," said Mario, who's family travels from Texas to New York each
year. The courses are offered through NovaNET, an online education company
that sells its services to school districts. Some critics, however, feel
that the program just offers a bandaid for these students, while ignoring
the larger social problems at its root. "It promises to solve a problem
without addressing the real nature of the problem involved -- an
exploitative labor system," said Douglass M. Sloan, a professor at Columbia
University's Teachers College.
[SOURCE: New York Times (A24), AUTHOR: Pamela Mendels]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/99/08/cyber/education/25education.html)
INTEL TAKES KIDS INSIDE TO SEE WHAT MAKES COMPUTERS TICK
Issue: EdTech/Digital Divide
A program developed by a partnership between the Santa Clara County
Alliance of Black Educators, Intel, and the Healing Institute will attempt
to combat the low levels of interest in math, science and technology among
African-American youths in the Bay Area. The over one hundred participants
in the Intel Carver Scholars Program will receive old laptops no longer
used by Intel employees. Some of the students even get the chance to go to
Intel, where will they help bring the outdated computers back to life.
"What better place to resolve the digital divide than in the heart of
Silicon Valley?" said Rasheed Salaam, operations director for the Healing
Institute. "It is one of the places where we see the biggest gap." The
Silicon Valley Network reported in May that one-third of the valley's
high-tech positions are filled by recruits from outside the region, because
of the lack of interest and training in high-tech careers among area high
school students.
[SOURCE: San Jose Mercury News, AUTHOR: Deborah Claymon]
(http://www.mercurycenter.com/svtech/news/indepth/docs/laptop082599.htm)
TECH GRANTS TO ASSIST ROOKIE TEACHERS
Issue: Ed Tech
U.S. Education Secretary Richard Riley announced the disbursement of $135
million in technology education grants on Tuesday. The grants are
considered unique because they will be used to train 400,000 new teachers
nationwide on how to integrate computer use into a classroom curriculum.
Most of the grants were distributed to teacher-education programs at
colleges throughout the country.
[SOURCE: San Jose Mercury News, AUTHOR: Dana Hull]
(http://www.mercurycenter.com/svtech/news/indepth/docs/riley082599.htm)
INTERNET
INTERNET BOARD OPENS CHILE MEETING AMID PROTESTS
Issue: Internet
A major meeting of the Internet's new international governing body, the
Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), opened in
Santiago, Chile this week. Controversy over how to guarantee that individual
Internet users and non-commercial interests have a voice in upcoming policy
decisions enveloped the event. Many are concerned that big business and
major trademark holders have dominated the process for drafting the rules
for resolving cybersquatting and other disputes. A newly formed group of
non-commercial domain-name holders have circulated a petition asking that
the board delay its Thursday vote when it considers a proposal for cracking
down on cybersquatters -- people who buy Internet domains with popular names
or trademarks in hopes of reselling them at a hefty profit. The group fears
the current proposal defines cybersquatting too broadly, enabling companies
to use the rules to take domain names away from individuals that might have
legitimate claims to those names. ICANN has not yet officially recognized
the non-commercial group , and has voted against a proposal to create a
separate body to represent individual domain name owners.
[SOURCE: CyberTimes, AUTHOR: Jeri Clausing]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/99/08/cyber/articles/25domain.html)
AT&T ENTERS BRAZIL TELECOM, INTERNET MARKET
Issue: International/Broadband
AT&T, the number one U.S. long-distance carrier, said Tuesday it agreed to
buy Brazil's Netstream, an emerging carrier with a broadband network base.
"AT&T's intention is to grow with Brazil, one of the most dynamic and
exciting telecommunications markets and one of the fastest growing in the
world," said George Foyo, president of AT&T's operations in Latin America
and the Caribbean. The acquisition marks another step in AT&T's recent
international expansion, which includes investments in Canada, Japan and
Mexico. Netstream, an upstart that began less than a year ago, has one of
the biggest fiber optic cable networks in the country. The company focuses
on data and Internet services for businesses, but it could also offer more
basic residential service when the sector opens up to competition after 2002.
[SOURCE: San Jose Mercury News, AUTHOR: Shasta Darlington (Reuters)]
(http://www.mercurycenter.com/svtech/news/breaking/reuters/docs/784400l.htm)
See Also:
AT&T WILL PAY $300 MILLION TO ACQUIRE BRAZILIAN BROADBAND CARRIER NETSTREAM
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Dow Jones Newswires]
(http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB935520592807175039.htm)
AOL LAUNCHES FREE NET ACCESS IN BRITAIN
Issue: Internet Access
AOL's European company has decided to compete with Freeserve, launching
a free Internet-access service in Britain. Freeserve, which makes
money from subscribers' phone charges, has become the biggest
Internet-access provider in Britain with 1.3 million registered users.
That's more than twice as many as AOL's subscription-based service, which
was launched
in January 1996. AOL's new service, Netscape Online, also will get revenue
from phone tolls, as well as advertising and electronic-commerce
commissions. Through an agreement with Kingfisher, AOL will distribute
CD-ROMs containing Netscape Online software through 789 Woolworths stores,
beginning September 1st.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, A13, AUTHOR: Stephanie Gruner]
(http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB935498141481570498.htm)
SOMETHING IN THE AIR ON NET ACCESS
Issue: Internet Access
Nine companies in California's South Bay area are offering wireless service
to Internet businesses in need of network access with a promise of fast
access and a more affordable price than traditional high-capacity
connections. One of the companies is testing a wireless service that will
run nearly 2,000 times as fast as a dial-up Internet connection. The
wireless carriers, which offer Internet access as well as voice and data
services, are facing significant competition from other new
phone-line technologies providing high speed access at relatively low
prices. These wireless companies are competing by offering even more speed,
cheaper prices, faster delivery, and service to businesses in areas not
reached by traditional phone-line carriers. One issue faced by the wireless
companies is the need for a clear line of sight between transmitters.
Additionally all the users who connect to the new network have to share its
capacity, which can slow the network down as the number of users increases.
[SOURCE: San Jose Mercury News, AUTHOR: Jon Healey]
(http://www.mercurycenter.com/svtech/news/indepth/docs/broad082599.htm)
TELEPHONY
PHONE DEAL FEARS FOCUS ON DELAY
Issue: Mergers
Illinois Commerce Commission appears close to approving the SBC-Ameritech
merger, but one ICC commissioner is raising fears that the conditions placed
on the merger will be too stringent. Commissioner Richard Kolhauser worries
about a proposed requirement that before the merger closes, Ameritech must
open its Illinois network to sharing transport of communications traffic
with competitors such as AT&T Corp., Sprint Corp. and MCI WorldCom Inc.
Kolhauser said that condition means competitors could argue Ameritech hasn't
complied with the requirement -- even if it has done so -- and drag out the
issue while opposing parties wrangled before the ICC. "I'm concerned that
this could prove a back-door approach to delaying this merger for months,"
said Commissioner Kolhauser. "Shared transport is a very contentious issue.
All parties will game this process as much as possible." The commissioner is
suggesting that SBC be required to open Ameritech's system to competitors
within 30 days after the merger closes. Com Kolhauser also is questioning
the consensus to estimate the savings from the merger and pass it on to
customers. He thinks it would be more appropriate to review local phone
charges at another time. The ICC is expected to complete its merger review
by Labor Day.
[SOURCE: Chicago Tribune (Sec3 p1), AUTHOR:Jon Van]
(http://chicagotribune.com/business/printedition/article/0,2669,SAV-99082500
67,FF.html)
WIRELESS NATION: FINLAND PUSHES CELL PHONE TO THE HIGH TECH LIMIT
Issue: Wireless
Despite its small size and relative isolation in the Arctic Circle, Finland
is leading the pack in mobile phone technology. Many new homeowners never
bother ordering fixed-line service. There are two reasons for the high
wireless penetration in Finland. First, the country hosts many eager users
as 60% of Finns own mobile phones (compared with about 25% of Americans).
Second, Nokia, which recently passed the USA's Motorola as the leading
supplier of mobile handsets with 37.4 million sold in 1998. Today in Finland
you can use your wireless phone to send text messages to other users instead
of calling them -- SMS (Short Message Service) is exploding, particularly
among teens, who like its low cost and classroom-friendly silence. You can
also purchase items such as a car wash by phoning a number that charges the
goods/services to your phone bill. "Finland will hit 100% penetration by
late 2000," predicts Christian Kern,
London-based wireless analyst for Salomon Smith Barney. Timo Saari, a Ph.D.
candidate in psychological reactions to communication technology at Stanford
University, said, "Your phone will know where you are at all times. It will
provide you information based on your profile. News. Sports scores.
Whatever. As you walk a block, ads will flash onto the phone's screen,
perhaps a beep alerting you to a sale going on inside a store you've passed.
Or as you turn a corner, an alert telling you not to go that way because
there's a gas leak." The goal of the Finnish mobile providers is to make
the portable phone as indispensable as oxygen. No one is betting against
them.
[SOURCE: USA Today, 1A, AUTHOR: Marco R. della Cava]
(http://www.usatoday.com/news/acovwed.htm)
OWNERSHIP
NEWSPAPER ASSOCIATION ASKS FCC TO EASE RULE ON BROADCAST HOLDING
Issue: Ownership
The Newspaper Association of America has asked the Federal Communications
Commission to suspend the rule that prohibits ownership of a broadcast
station and a daily newspaper in the same locale. In its petition, the
association asked the FCC to cease enforcing that regulation or implement a
waiver policy until the rule can be repealed -- as the association contends
recent relaxation of broadcast rules have put newspaper owners at a
disadvantage. Earlier this month the FCC relaxed ownership rules on
broadcasters owning two TV stations in the same market as well as the
cross-ownership rules between television and radio.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, B2, AUTHOR: Associated Press]
(http://wsj.com)
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