DIGITAL DIVIDE
Congressional Democrats Push For Rural Broadband Rollout (Newsbytes)
Feds Raise Bar for Disabled (Wired)
China's Web Women Boost E-Commerce Outlook (Newsbytes)
INTERNET POLICY
Canadian Copyright Law Review Threatens JumpTV Plans (Newsbytes)
DIGITAL DIVIDE
CONGRESSIONAL DEMOCRATS PUSH FOR RURAL BROADBAND ROLLOUT
Issue: Broadband
Democrats in the House and Senate introduced legislation last week that
would provide the carrot for the deployment of broadband Internet service in
rural parts of the country through a low-interest loan guarantee program.
Sponsors of the bill S. 966 included Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle,
S.D., and Democratic Sens. Byron Dorgan, N.D., Tim Johnson, S.D., Patty
Murray, Wash., and Paul Wellstone, Minn. In the House, Reps. Bart Stupak,
Mich., and Earl Pomeroy, N.D. sponsored an identical bill H.R. 2038. The
legislation would give more power to the Rural Utility Service, along with
the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, to give low
interest loans to high-speed Internet service providers to rural and
underserved areas. Sen. Dorgan remarked that, "Without this program, market
forces will pass by much of America, and that is unacceptable."
[SOURCE: Newsbytes]
(http://www.newsbytes.com/news/01/166229.html)
FEDS RAISE BAR FOR DISABLED
Issue: Digital Divide
Awareness of providing access to persons with disabilities is rising quickly
with the impending enactment of the federal law "Section 508" on June 21.
Section 508 mandates the U.S. government to purchase computers, software,
and office equipment like fax machines that meet new standards for access by
users with disabilities. Major commercial hardware and software producers in
the private sector and federal government agencies are rushing to comply
with the law, passed in 1998. According to statistics, 54 million people in
the United States are disabled. "Without laws like 508, I don't think the
(software) vendors would have come to a realization that accessibility is an
important issue on their own," said James Gashel, director of governmental
affairs at the National Federation of the Blind. "These laws are crucial."
[SOURCE: Wired, AUTHOR: Jeffrey Benner]
(http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,44062,00.html)
CHINA'S WEB WOMEN BOOST E-COMMERCE OUTLOOK
Issue: Digital Divide
According to a study by NetValue released today, more and more Chinese homes
are getting connected to the Internet, and this March women have logged on
the Internet 6.7 percent more than last November. In China's largest cities,
Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen, women made up 39.8 percent of
home Internet users. Marketers and e-commerce companies are increasingly
targeting the online activity of women as a result. The survey found that
Chinese women visit community, medical/health, and "everyday life" Web sites
more than men. Instant messaging is more than one-third more popular with
Chinese women than with men, and chat is twice as popular with women than
with men. Women and men tend to stay on the Net the same amount of time and
have the same number of sessions, the study says. The study also found that
that women are more likely to spend money and visit shopping malls on the
Internet than men.
[SOURCE: Newsbytes, AUTHOR: Martin Stone]
(http://www.newsbytes.com/news/01/166248.html)
INTERNET POLICY
CANADIAN COPYRIGHT LAW REVIEW THREATENS JUMPTV PLANS
Issue: Telecommunications
Canada is undergoing a reconsideration of its copyright law as a result of
rising disputes between television broadcasters and Internet Webcasters. TV
broadcasters cheered the move by the Canadian government, taking the
position that companies that broadcast television content over the Internet
like the new JumpTV should not qualify for tax breaks on licensing available
to other retransmitters like cable and satellite TV companies. Last year
JumpTV's now-defunct predecessor iCraveTV.com was closed down by legal
action in Canada and the U.S. for not controlling content "leaking" out of
Canada. JumpTV claims new technology inhibits content "leaking" and argues
that its services are legal under existing copyright law. Upcoming Canadian
Copyright Board hearings that may set statutory licensing fees for
retransmission of broadcast TV over the Net are facing objection by TV
broadcasters a result of the copyright law review. "JumpTV has always
represented that application of retransmission laws in Canada must be
applied in a technology neutral manner," protested Farrel Miller, CEO of
JumpTV.
[SOURCE: Newsbytes, AUTHOR: Steven Bonisteel]
(http://www.newsbytes.com/news/01/166224.html)
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