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March 31, 2011
Source: 
Government Technology
Author: 
Brian Heaton
Coverage Type: 
Lauren Frayer

This week Washington (DC) broke ground on a new high-speed fiber network aimed at providing broadband access to underserved areas. Called the DC Community Access Network (DC-CAN), the program will focus on rolling out high-speed Internet services to residents, businesses, schools libraries and other public centers.

The new $25 million network is funded primarily through a $17.5 million grant from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. The DC government will also provide matching funds for the network Specifically DC-CAN will offer service to 223 health clinics, charter schools and senior centers, and will upgrade 68 public library and public safety sites. DC-CAN will service areas that have broadband adoption rates of less than 40 percent. DC-CAN is managed by the district’s Office of the Chief Technology Officer DC-Net program. DC-Net is the district’s high-speed fiber-optic network, but the two entities aren't connected and will serve different purposes. Washington (DC) is divided into eight wards, and high-speed Internet services will be available later this year in wards seven and eight. Ward five is scheduled for rollout in spring 2012. Other wards and areas will receive broadband capability as fiber construction continues through 2013.

Washington Addressing Digital Divide With New Fiber Network

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March 31, 2011
Source: 
GigaOm
Author: 
Mathew Ingram
Coverage Type: 
Lauren Frayer

What is the thread that ties together the rapid rise of companies as different as Facebook, Zynga, Twitter, The Huffington Post and Quora? Wedbush Securities, a brokerage firm that analyzes the valuations of private companies, says they are all players in what it calls the “Second Internet.”

Wedbush says there are certain attributes that allow such players to grow and thrive while more traditional players — including some of the leaders from the early days of the Internet — fail to prosper and gradually recede into history. The most important of these attributes, the firm says, is an understanding of the value of the social web. The social nature of this new wave of Internet companies is such a major factor that Wedbush also calls it the rise of the “Social Internet” in a new report on the sector, and says successful companies are powered by similar features, including:

  • Platforms open up their API to developers
  • Continuous and rapid pace of innovation (see Facebook)
  • The company/brand must listen to the dialogue and participate with customers
  • Customer contribution is a large percent of the value/experience
  • Every customer has a personalized experience
  • Social graph connections drive discovery rather than search
The Rise of the “Second Internet” and What It Means

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ZeroDivide
Tuesday, April 5th
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A funder-only webinar to discuss the findings of our new survey, “Amplifying Social Impact in a Connected Age: A Survey of Technology-Related Grantmaking for Social Benefit.”


March 31, 2011
Source: 
Benton Foundation
Author: 
press release
Coverage Type: 
Lauren Frayer

The Benton Foundation is honored to announce that former White House staffer Jim Kohlenberger has agreed to join our Board of Directors.

Most recently, Kohlenberger served as Chief of Staff of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) under Director Dr. John Holdren. While in the White House, he helped craft the President’s innovation strategy, advanced policies to help spur a mobile broadband revolution through spectrum reform, worked to secure cyberspace, helped put the U.S. space program on a bold new course for the future, and sought to harness innovation as an engine of economic growth and opportunity for all Americans.

From 2004-2008, Kohlenberger was a Senior Fellow at Benton. In that position, he guided Benton's media policy work and strengthened the foundation's collaborations in the field. Kohlenberger headed Benton's advocacy for universal, affordable broadband, tangible public interest obligations for digital broadcasters, diversified media ownership and open communications networks. Previously, Kohlenberger helped shape the Clinton Administration's approach to the Internet. He served as Vice President Al Gore's senior domestic policy adviser and worked to help pass and implement the Telecommunications Act of 1996. Before joining OSTP, Kohlenberger was executive director of the Voice on the Net (VON) Coalition, and ran his own innovation focused consulting practice.

In his new role, Kohlenberger will assist in the governance of the Benton Foundation. In addition, he will join the Board's Program Committee, headed by Elizabeth Daley, dean of the School of Cinematic Arts, University of Southern California. This committee is charged with providing guidance and direction for the programmatic efforts undertaken by Benton staff. Also serving on the Program Committee are Henry Rivera, former FCC commissioner and partner, Wiley Rein, LLP, and Joanne Hovis, president of Columbia Telecommunications Corp., and president-elect of the National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors (NATOA).

Benton Foundation Welcomes Jim Kohlenberger to Board of Directors

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Benton Foundation Welcomes Jim Kohlenberger to Board of Directors

Submitted by benton on Thu, 03/31/2011 - 14:20

The Benton Foundation is honored to announce that former White House staffer Jim Kohlenberger has agreed to join our Board of Directors. Most recently, Kohlenberger served as Chief of Staff of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) under Director Dr. John Holdren. While in the White House, he helped craft the President’s innovation strategy, advanced policies to help spur a mobile broadband revolution through spectrum reform, worked to secure cyberspace, helped put the U.S. space program on a bold new course for the future, and sought to harness innovation as an engine of economic growth and opportunity for all Americans.

From 2004-2008, Kohlenberger was a Senior Fellow at Benton. In that position, he guided Benton's media policy work and strengthened the foundation's collaborations in the field. Kohlenberger headed Benton's advocacy for universal, affordable broadband, tangible public interest obligations for digital broadcasters, diversified media ownership and open communications networks. Previously, Kohlenberger helped shape the Clinton Administration's approach to the Internet. He served as Vice President Al Gore's senior domestic policy adviser and worked to help pass and implement the Telecommunications Act of 1996. Before joining OSTP, Kohlenberger was executive director of the Voice on the Net (VON) Coalition, and ran his own innovation focused consulting practice.

In his new role, Kohlenberger will assist in the governance of the Benton Foundation. In addition, he will join the Board's Program Committee, headed by Elizabeth Daley, dean of the School of Cinematic Arts, University of Southern California. This committee is charged with providing guidance and direction for the programmatic efforts undertaken by Benton staff. Also serving on the Program Committee are Henry Rivera, former FCC commissioner and partner, Wiley Rein, LLP, and Joanne Hovis, president of Columbia Telecommunications Corp., and president-elect of the National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors (NATOA).

March 31, 2011
Source: 
Stanford University
Author: 
Gregory Rosston
Roger Noll
Coverage Type: 
Lauren Frayer

AT&T's proposed acquisition of AT&T appears to run seriously afoul of the merger policy of federal antitrust enforcement agencies. The first step in merger analysis is typically to measure concentration -- an indicator of the extent of competition.

The standard measure of concentration is the Hirschman-Herfindahl Index (HHI), which is the sum of the squares of the market shares of the sellers in the market. According to the Federal Trade Commission and Antitrust Division Merger Guidelines, if the post-acquisition HHI exceeds 2500, an acquisition that causes the HHI to increase by more than 200 is likely to cause a significant reduction in competition if the market also has substantial barriers to entry. At present, nationwide concentration in wireless telecommunications services is roughly equal to the 2500 threshold, and the acquisition would increase the HHI by more than 600.

These numbers probably understate the effective concentration in the industry for two reasons. First, only the four major carriers can serve customers who seek mobile access in most of the nation. For connections outside their service territories, smaller carriers often resell Sprint’s service. Second, the available data do not distinguish between mobile voice service, which is more competitive, and high-speed data service, which is more concentrated.

Competitive Implications of the Proposed Acquisition of T-Mobile by AT&T Mobility

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March 31, 2011
Source: 
Politico
Author: 
Kim Hart
Coverage Type: 
Lauren Frayer

Federal Communications Commission member Michael Copps appears on this week's The Communicators on C-SPAN -- and he has serious concerns about AT&T’s proposed acquisition of T-Mobile.

Commissioner Copps says the transaction is an even steeper climb for him than Comcast’s merger with NBC Universal. He also said the deal could negatively impact other proceedings at the agency.

"What is the impact going to be on American jobs? I'm trying to find that out. I haven't had a satisfactory answer yet, but I hope and trust that we will. There’s a lot of money on the table, and how much of that money will end up in Europe supporting telecommunications there rather than the United States? It’s a big deal, but as much as anything, what troubles me is that it kind of sucks the oxygen out of so many issues that are pending before the Federal Communications Commission. We can chew gum and walk at the same time, I guess, but this affects so much of what we’re doing. I think whether this goes forward or not has an effect on the whole issue of spectrum auctions. I think it has an impact on public safety. It’s a lot to absorb. I've been at the Commission almost 10 years now and it seems sometimes that we’re the federal merger commission. That’s because companies bring us so many mergers, and it’s always ‘The last one. We’re not going to be back.’ But as soon as you approve one, someone else is at the door saying ‘Hey you let the other guy get real big so you've got to let us too, or else it’s not fair.’"

FCC's Copps Knocks AT&T|T-Mobile Deal Copps: AT&T merger a 'steeper climb' than Comcast/NBCU (The Hill)

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March 31, 2011
Source: 
Hill, The
Author: 
Sara Jerome
Coverage Type: 
Lauren Frayer

Verizon's top policy executive Tom Tauke is concerned that federal regulators could use AT&T's merger with T-Mobile as a pretext for the government to create new regulations.

Verizon does not have a position for or against the merger, but feels strongly the government must not use the transaction as an excuse to introduce onerous new mandates on industry, he said. "We do not want the government to use this transaction as a vehicle for government management of the marketplace," he said. The Federal Communications Commission should also refrain from adding merger conditions that are not related to the transaction or that would otherwise require a rulemaking process, Tauke said, calling that a "perversion of the process." Tauke said it is important Capitol Hill and the FCC maintain a strong focus on freeing up more spectrum.

Verizon official: merger must not be pretext to regulate

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March 31, 2011
Source: 
Connected Planet
Author: 
Kevin Fitchard
Coverage Type: 
Lauren Frayer

While Sprint is decrying AT&T’s proposed acquisition of T-Mobile, claiming it will marginalize all other operators apart from AT&T and Verizon Wireless, the country’s largest Tier II operator doesn't have a problem with it.

According to MetroPCS chief operating officer Tom Keys, “too big” is a relative term when you’re operator of 8 million customers staring down giants. From Metro’s perspective, the leading operator having 100 million customers versus having 80 million customers makes little difference, Keys said. In fact, Keys sees the acquisition giving Metro a competitive advantage. It not only would knock one of the Big 4 operators out of the business, but it would also remove the one nationwide operator with the most similar market focus to Metro’s, Keys said. T-Mobile has always targeted the lower-end of the postpaid market and the prepaid markets -- Metro’s sweet spot. If T-Mobile were swallowed up by AT&T, that could leave 34 million abandoned customers, many of whom are ripe for Metro’s plucking.

MetroPCS unopposed to a combined AT&T, T-Mobile

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March 31, 2011
Source: 
Hill, The
Author: 
Sara Jerome
Coverage Type: 
Lauren Frayer

Senate Commerce Chairman Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) is expanding his investigation into whether phone companies are ripping off consumers with unwarranted fees on their monthly bills. The investigation surrounds a practice called "cramming," which adds unauthorized third-party charges to telephone bills. Chairman Rockefeller began the investigation last year, asking AT&T, Verizon and Qwest for data on cramming. He expanded the probe to CenturyLink, Windstream, Frontier Communications, FairPoint Communications and Cincinnati Bell.

Chairman Rockefeller expands phone industry probe Rockefeller Probe Into Bogus Charges on Consumer Phone Bills Expands (Chairman Rockefeller)

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