Communications-related Headlines for 8/8/01

ANTITRUST
Microsoft Asks Supreme Court to Reverse Antitrust Finding (WP)

SATELLITES
Slow To Take Off (WP)
Satellite Challenging Cable Companies For TV Viewers (WP)

ANTITRUST

MICROSOFT ASKS SUPREME COURT TO REVERSE ANTITRUST FINDING
Issue: Antitrust
Microsoft asked the Supreme Court yesterday to reverse a recent appeals
court finding that the company had repeatedly violated antitrust law and to
expunge all legal and factual findings in the case because of disparaging
comments about the company by a federal district judge. Microsoft also asked
the appeals court to suspend all other legal proceedings until the Supreme
Court can decide whether to hear the case. The issue Microsoft has presented
for review to the Supreme Court is whether the appeals court erred in not
disqualifying Judge Jackson and vacating all his findings after finding that
the judge repeatedly violated judicial ethics rules by holding conversations
with reporters from a variety of publications.
[SORUCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Stephen Labaton]
(http://www.nytimes.com/2001/08/08/technology/08SOFT.html)

SATELLITES

SLOW TO TAKE OFF
Issue: Satellites
Satellite-delivered Internet is sometimes the only broadband option for
Internet users in rural areas, where telecommunications companies are least
likely to invest money to string fiber-optic networks or DSL lines.
Unfortunately, satellite is still a very costly option for consumers. At
$500 to $600 for the equipment and around $70 a month for service, satellite
costs 30 to 50 percent more than typical cable or DSL service costs.
Bundling Internet access with satellite television service is the most
promising avenue of growth for satellite-delivered Internet, said Michael
Goodman, an analyst with Boston-based market-research firm Yankee Group
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Yuki Noguchi]
(http://www.washtech.com/news/telecom/11715-1.html)

SATELLITE CHALLENGING CABLE COMPANIES FOR TV VIEWERS
Issue: Satellites
Satellite providers and cable companies are engaged in a battle for the
nation's TV viewers. In the seven years satellite providers have been in
business, have signed up an astonishing 16 million viewers. According to a
survey from Consumer Reports magazine due out next week, cable seems plagued
by problems such as poor customer service. "Cable companies may ... be their
own worst enemy," the survey found, since they received "among the lowest
marks of any service providers we regularly evaluate - even lower than those
for technical support form computer manufacturers." Despite the inroads
satellite has made, one major drawback remains the limited availability of
local broadcast channels, a standard feature on cable.
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Seth Sutel]
(http://www.washtech.com/news/netarch/11722-1.html)

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