INTERNET
WorldCom Collapse Not Likely To Disrupt Internet
The World Summit On Information Society
It's Time for ICANN to Go
OWNERSHIP
Memo To: Media Monopolists
PUBLIC BROADCASTING
A Look Into Public Broadcasting in the Digital Era
FCC
Public Invited to Review Draft Strategic Plan
INTERNET
WORLDCOM COLLAPSE NOT LIKELY TO DISRUPT INTERNET
Despite the possibility of a WorldCom bankruptcy, Internet analysts believe
that the Internet will not be disrupted. Joel Yaffe, an analyst with Giga
Information Group said, "The Internet itself is fairly resilient."
WorldCom's stock has plummeted since disclosing an accounting error that
missed 4 billion in expenses resulting in inflated earnings. UUNet, one of
the Internet's major controllers of the wires used to carry Internet traffic
around the world is a WorldCom subsidiary. They handle more than 50% of
U.S. Internet traffic and 70% of all American emails. WorldCom chief
executive John Sidgmore has said, "I don't really see any significant chance
of the UUNet network going dark under any circumstance".
[SOURCE: USA Today, AUTHOR: Associated Press]
(http://www.usatoday.com/life/cyber/tech/2002/07/03/worldcom-internet.htm)
STATEMENT OF CONSUMER FEDERATION OF AMERICAN REGARDING THE WORLD SUMMIT ON
INFORMATION SOCIETY
The Consumer Federation of American (CFA) published statements to the
Prepcom I Meeting of the World Summit on the Information Society. The CFA is
pressing to include specific measures in the final Summit action plan that
will safeguard consumer interest. The measures include developing programs
that ensure all consumers regardless of income or geography have access to
telecommunications technologies and all information available through the
technologies. The CFA also recommends that consumers have full access to
interactive communications and that consumer privacy rights are assured
through regulation and privacy laws. Additionally, they are pressing for
regulations that support strong marketplace competition including fair
access to telecommunications technologies for independent content producers.
[SOURCE: Consumer Federation of America]
(http://www.consumerfed.org/backpage/070202_itsummit_statement.html)
IT'S TIME FOR ICANN TO GO
John Gilmore, a tireless promoter of civil liberties in cyberspace, says he
would like to see "the current ICANN will be scrapped as a failed
experiment." Salon talked with Gilmore, who, along with Electronic Frontier
Foundation, is currently helping to fund a lawsuit filed by publicly elected
ICANN director Karl Auerbach, demanding that the organization open its books
to him. Gilmore hopes the suit forces ICANN to be accountable to its
directors for its actions. Ultimately, Gilmore hopes that ICANN's current
structure will be abandoned, and it's "assets and powers will be handed on
to some new experiment, hopefully with transparency, openness,
accountability and respect for human rights built in deeply, not only in its
corporate structure but in the people who we elect and hire to run it."
[SOURCE: Salon, AUTHOR: Damien Cave]
(http://salon.com/tech/feature/2002/07/02/gilmore/index.html)
OWNERSHIP
MEMO TO: MEDIA MONOPOLISTS
[Commentary] Seth Godin lays out the competitive landscape the large media
companies face and challenges them to think through a strategy that does not
focus on criminalizing software companies and consumers. New technologies
have turned a climate of media scarcity into a world of millions of Web
channels, downloadable DVD movies, and mp3 music-swapping sites. Consumers
have more choices than ever and it has become extremely easy to share media
without paying. In today's information age climate Godin stresses that it
is in the media company's interest to stop thinking like monopolists and
start honing their entrepreneurial skills. He believes they should let go
of old profit models and begin developing new markets and strategies or risk
ending up on the losing side.
[SOURCE: Fast Company, AUTHOR: Seth Godin]
(http://www.fastcompany.com/online/60/monopolist.html)
PUBLIC BROADCASTING
A LOOK INTO PUBLIC BROADCASTING IN THE DIGITAL ERA
The House Energy & Commerce subcommittee on Telecommunications and the
Internet is holding a hearing entitle, "Corporation for Public Broadcasting
Oversight and a Look into Public Broadcasting in the Digital Era." It's
scheduled for Wednesday, July 10th at 10:00 a.m. and will be webcast.
[SOURCE: House of Representatives]
(http://energycommerce.house.gov/107/hearings/07102002Hearing622/hearing.htm
)
FCC
PUBLIC INVITED TO REVIEW DRAFT STRATEGIC PLAN
The Federal Communications Commission announced today that the public is
welcome to review and comment on a draft of its revised strategic plan
(http://www.fcc.gov/omd/strategicplan) for 2003-2008. The FCC is revising
its strategic plan at this time in compliance with the requirements of the
Government Performance and Results Act. Comments are due by August 2, 2002.
[SOURCE: FCC]
(http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-223852A1.doc)
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