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BROADBAND
AOL, AT&T Deal Expected To Help Both

INTERNET
A Sheep-ish Stab at E-Commerce
Media Giant Decries Net's "Moral-Free Zone"
Wireless Web Comes To Starbucks Shops

BROADBAND

AOL, AT&T DEAL EXPECTED TO HELP BOTH
AOL Time Warner will buy out AT&T's stake in AOL Time Warner's cable assets.
Dissolving the AOL Time Warner-AT&T partnership was necessary to remove a
regulatory restriction blocking the AT&T-Comcast merger. The deal would
enable AOL to offer high-speed service in 22 million more homes, or 36
percent of the cable market. AOL has struggled to grow in the cable
broadband market where it now can offer service only on Time Warner systems.

[SOURCE: USA Today, AUTHOR: Paul Davidson]
(http://www.usatoday.com/tech/techinvestor/techmergers/2002-08-20-aoltw-att_
x.htm)

INTERNET

MEDIA GIANT DECRIES NET'S "MORAL-FREE ZONE"
Peter Chernin, president of News Corp. spoke out against digital piracy,
online pornography and spam at an annual conference organized by the
Progress and Freedom Foundation. "The vast potential of broadband has so far
benefited nobody as clearly as it's benefited downloaders of pornography and
pirates of digital content." Chernin called for government action in
curtailing digital piracy and called the "prevalence of pornographic Web
sites and emails... an increasing reason to keep kids and families off the
Internet." Bruce Mehlman, an assistant secretary at the Commerce Department,
did not agree with Chernin. He said it may not be fair to blame technology
for social and political problems. Chernin said that many of the Internet's
challenges could be worked out over time.
[SOURCE: CNET News.com, AUTHOR: Declan McCullagh]
(http://news.com.com/2100-1023-954651.html?tag=cd_mh)

A SHEEP-ISH STAB AT E-COMMERCE
Customers on EthioGift, Ethiopia's leading e-commerce Web site, can send
gift packages -- such as medium sheep and a chocolate cake -- to friends and
family in Ethiopia. "Most Ethiopians are not used to giving flowers as a
gift, while sheep is a very common gift," said Dawit Bekele, the
Ethiopian-born computer science PhD who founded the site. Because of
Ethiopia's low Internet and credit-card penetration rates, virtually all the
orders come from Ethiopians living overseas, particularly in Europe and the
United States. Bekele says he would like to experiment with alternative
payment systems in an attempt to launch a collection of Web sites for local
merchants. A United Nations report on e-commerce in the developing world
published last December cited EthioGift as an example of how entrepreneurs
in developing nations are using the Internet in ways that contribute to
local economies.
[SOURCE: Wired, AUTHOR: Joanna Glasner]
(http://www.wired.com/news/ebiz/0,1272,54360,00.html)

WIRELESS WEB COMES TO STARBUCKS SHOPS
Starbucks Corp. has teamed up with T-Mobile, the wireless division of
Deutsche Telekom AG and Hewlett-Packard, to build a wireless Internet
network. The goal is to open up 2,000 cafes through the United States and
Europe by the end of this year. While wireless networks have been very
popular with corporations and homeowners, they have been slow to develop in
public places. To encourage use of the networks, Hewlett-Packard is
providing free software to help owners of notebooks and handhelds with
wireless antennas find the coffee shop networks. There will be a fee to
access the networks, but free 24-hour trials will be given to new users.
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Reuters]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A43512-2002Aug21.html)

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INTERNATIONAL
India Cracks Down on Tehelka.com Months After Bribery Expose
Telecommunications Drawing Investors In Afghanistan

INTERNET
Broadband Service Providers Lure Users With 'Lite' Versions
Internet Audience Still Growing After All
Registrars Rally Behind ICANN

INTERNATIONAL

INDIA CRACKS DOWN ON TEHELKA.COM MONTHS AFTER BRIBERY EXPOSE
Last March the Indian news Web site Tehelka.com exposed widespread
corruption amongst numerous officers, top politicians and government
officials. The hidden-camera sting resulted in the resignation of several
senior government officials and massive public outrage. Now, a year later,
two of those senior officials are back at work and two Tehelka journalists
have been arrested. Financial backers of Tehelka.com have been targeted for
raids and are under investigation by India's securities agency.
Tehelka.com's editor has called the government's actions "...a massive
vendetta campaign," and the editor of the Hindustani Times added, "The level
of persecution is phenomenal." In the past, India has prided itself on its
hundreds of independent media outlets. Vincent Brossel, the head of
Reporters Sans Frontieres, a media watchdog group, said that in the last few
years "he has never seen so many press freedom issues in India."
[SOURCE: The Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Scott Neuman]
(http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB102969286920873315,00.html?mod=technolog
y_main_whats_news)
(Requires subscription)

TELECOMMUNICATIONS DRAWING INVESTORS IN AFGHANISTAN
Afghanistan's government is aggressively pursuing foreign investors to help
build cellular networks in what is one of world's poorest countries. "We
have a big technological gap because no investment has come into the sector
over the past two decades apart from very limited investment in telephones,"
said Communications Minister Mohammad Masoom Stanakzai. The Afghan
government has formed partnerships with United States-based Telephone
Systems International to offer cellular service in Kabul, Herat and
Kandahar. Years of war have severely damaged the wireline phone network and
what remains does not extend beyond Afghanistan's borders. Today the country
relies on satellite bandwidth for telephone calls and data transmission to
the outside world. While the challenges to bring connectivity to Afghanistan
remain high, telecommunications remain the only sector of the Afghan economy
that is attracting foreign investors.
[SOURCE: San Jose Mercury News, AUTHOR: Associated Press]
(http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/news/3891314.htm)

INTERNET

BROADBAND SERVICE PROVIDERS LURE USERS WITH 'LITE' VERSIONS
In an effort to attract more Internet users, several broadband providers are
offering a slower, cheaper version of their service. Covad Communications
Group, Charter Communications and Cox Communications all offer services that
are much faster than dial-up but only a third as fast as a DSL connection.
The companies are hoping to get their customers hooked on faster service and
eventually want to upgrade to the faster, more expensive service. "What
these providers are discovering is... they have a good amount of capacity
and a lot of it is not being utilized," said Mark Kersey at ARS. "Covad's
got this great backbone and only about 350,000 people using it, so why not
persuade people to switch from dial-up?"
[SOURCE: The Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Associated Press]
(http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB102952444259247795,00.html?mod=telecommu
nications%5Fprimary%5Fhs)
(Requires subscription)

INTERNET AUDIENCE STILL GROWING AFTER ALL
After a June in which sequential growth of the Internet audience slowed to a
standstill, Media Metrix says the number of Americans using the medium is
rising again. The study found that there were 119 million Internet users in
July, up 29 percent from 92.2 million users the previous July. Usage minutes
climbed 3.7 percent month over month, marking the first significant gain
since February. Total usage minutes were measured at 106.1 billion in July
2002, up 62 percent from 69.7 billion a year ago.
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Pamela Parker]
(http://www.internetnews.com/IAR/article.php/1448061)

REGISTRARS RALLY BEHIND ICANN
Forty-four accredited registrars sent a letter to the Commerce Department in
support of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN).
The group stated that ICANN is "the most viable solution to ensure the
ongoing stability of the Internet's naming and addressing systems." ICANN
has been criticized for being "flawed and ineffective," but this group of
registrars insisted that any issues could be solved in a "mutually agreeable
manner."
[SOURCE: CNET News.com, AUTHOR: Jim Hu]
(http://news.com.com/2100-1023-954167.html?tag=cd_mh)

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DIGITAL DIVIDE
Wanted: Web-Savvy Schooling
Cyberspace 'Plazas' Help Mexicans Stay Connected
Egypt Gets Into Gear on the IT Superhighway

OWNEESHIP
Local Static Hits Comcast Plan To Buy AT&T's Cable Division

INTERNET
Scholarly Reviews Through the Web
The Media Titans Still Don't Get It

DIGITAL DIVIDE

WANTED: WEB-SAVVY SCHOOLING
A study released yesterday by the Pew Internet and American Life Project
(PIP) found that students do not think their schools fully utilize the Web
as a teaching tool. The teenagers interviewed for the report identified
themselves as heavy Internet users. Even though they use the Internet for
education-related work, students say that little of this is sanctioned by
teachers. "Even though we spend all this money to wire the schools, we're
not all that well prepared to use it," said Lee Rainie, director of PIP.
"The kids really do know how to use the Internet and they want it to be
exploited in the ways they know it can be exploited. Outside the classroom
and outside of any formal instruction, the Internet is a key part of their
educational instruction." According to the study, students want policymakers
to address the digital divide, and for school administrators to provide
support and training to teachers.
The full report, "The Digital Disconnect: The Widening Gap Between
Internet-Savvy Students and Their Schools," may be found here:
http://www.pewinternet.org/reports/toc.asp?Report=67
(Requires free Acrobat PDF reader)
[SOURCE: The Washington Post, AUTHOR: Ellen McCarthy]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A19910-2002Aug14.html)

CYBERSPACE 'PLAZAS' HELP MEXICANS STAY CONNECTED
There is an expanding grassroots effort among tech-savvy, Mexican immigrants
in the United States to build online communities for their hometowns.
Fernando Diaz, mayor of Jalpa, Mexico, uses Jalpazac.com to stay in touch
with former residents and keep them informed of government activities. There
are more than two dozen Web sites where Mexicans of all ages and income
levels swap stories, post family photos, share news and discuss local
government. These Web sites not only provide an invaluable way to stay in
touch, but many of the creators are working to increase computer literacy
among village residents. Mario Tejeda, creator of Sanmartinjalisco.com, is
in the process of raising money to buy computers for village schools, while
the creators of Tulcingo.net have plans to bring a $50,000 server to their
village of 5,154 people.
[SOURCE: The Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Ana Campoy]
(http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB102935483878600595,00.html?mod=technolog
y%5Ffeatured%5Fstories%5Fhs)
(Requires subscription)

EGYPT GETS INTO GEAR ON THE IT SUPERHIGHWAY
Large government subsidies and free Internet access are helping to build
Egypt's IT sector into a regional high-tech center. While the local IT
industry is currently among the Arab world's top ranks, Internet penetration
has remained low and few resident own computers. Jordan, Morocco and Dubai
are also working aggressively to grab the regional IT market. "As a business
center, Dubai for the time being is the undisputed leader," says Ali
Faramawy, Microsoft's regional general manager. "When it comes to raw
talent, resources and people, I think Egypt will be the number one player."
Egyptian Communication and Information Minister Ahmed Nazif described the
390 IT clubs backed by the government as "subsidized Internet access centers
where people can, without computers at home, actually access the network,
have training on computers and improve their own skills." Egypt has also
been successful in attracting new IT foreign investment.
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Rachel Noeman]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A20206-2002Aug15.html)

OWNERSHIP

LOCAL STATIC HITS COMCAST PLAN TO BUY AT&T'S CABLE DIVISION
Federal regulators are expected to approve the Comcast-AT&T merger, but
local regulators are making aggressive requests that could dramatically
change the terms of the agreement. Across the country local regulators are
asking for financial commitments, customer-service guarantees and promises
that the new entity will not discriminate against rival cable and satellite
television providers. AT&T and Comcast have stated they will fight most of
the requests, especially a demand that a cable company that owns cable
channels cannot refuse to license the channels to other cable systems. For
example, Comcast has refused to license a popular SportsNet channel to
competitors, and local regulators fear the newly formed AT&T-Comcast will
attempt to create similar proprietary channels. Despite the challenges, AT&T
spokeswoman Claudia Jones said, "We expect the merger to close by the end of
the year."
[SOURCE: The Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Nicholas Kulish and Yochi J.
Dreazen]
(http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB1029353291102117795,00.html?mod=technolo
gy_main_whats_news)
(Requires subscription)

INTERNET

SCHOLARLY REVIEWS THROUGH THE WEB
Internationally, there are about 25,000 science, technical and medical
journals that are peer-reviewed. Traditionally, authors, reviewers and
editors have struggled with lengthy mail delays, postage costs and
administrative hurdles. But over the past few years, Web-based peer-review
programs have been developed to lighten the burden and reduce turnaround
time. Industry observers estimate that 30 percent of scholarly publications
have adopted online systems. Creators of peer-review software say that the
online review systems can help publishers gain an edge without changing the
nature of the peer-review system. While younger authors and publishers have
been quick to adopt online reviewing, industry representatives admit that
constituents in their 50's and 60's tend to resist using the system. Medical
journals, in particular, find that doctors are especially resistant to the
new process.
[SOURCE: The New York Times, AUTHOR: Sarah Milstein]
(http://www.nytimes.com/2002/08/12/technology/12NECO.html)
(Requires registration)

THE MEDIA TITANS STILL DON'T GET IT
(Commentary) "Corporate America lost billions on the Net," contends author
Scott Rosenberg. "That doesn't mean the medium has no value -- but the
moguls remain clueless about where it lies." Commercial media, entrenched in
the predictable cycle of innovation, seems to be done covering the Internet
saga. It has run its cycle, ready to move on to the next big thing. But the
Internet hasn't gone away. "As a generator of instant wealth, the Net may
now be a big bust," he continues. "As a generator of instant ideas, it keeps
thrumming along." The true value of the Internet is in the widely accessible
pool of information and entertainment available. "In this context,
statements like 'Web content is dead' or 'AOL Time Warner will dominate'
aren't so much wrong as irrelevant. Web content is everywhere. No one can
dominate the Internet. And the Web belongs to its users. That's not the end
of a story, it's the beginning."
[SOURCE: Salon, AUTHOR: Scott Rosenberg]
(http://www.salon.com/tech/feature/2002/08/13/media_titans/index.html)

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DIGITAL DIVIDE
Mozambique Grapples With How To Make Sense Of Net Content
Poll Shows 'Digital Divide' Shrinking, Internet Use Up
Radio Sagarmatha: Broadcasting the Internet to Nepal

COPYRIGHT
PVRs Change The Broadcast Picture; Networks Sue Over Ad Skipping

BROADBAND
Revolution Will Not Be Televised

DIGITAL DIVIDE

MOZAMBIQUE GRAPPLES WITH HOW TO MAKE SENSE OF NET CONTENT
Mozambique's efforts to close the digital divide face the question, "What
comes first, the chicken or the egg?" Without content to drive usage, the
Internet remains largely the tool of the wealthier urban elite. But without
content that is useful to the poor majority, the user base is likely to grow
very slowly. Even if relevant content does become available, the poor
majority would have difficulty paying fees to support content-driven
business models.
[SOURCE: Balancing Act via Digital Opportunity Channel, AUTHOR: Artur
Manhica ]
(http://www.digitalopportunity.org/features/analysis/)

POLL SHOWS 'DIGITAL DIVIDE' SHRINKING, INTERNET USE UP
A survey conducted by Scripps Howard News Service and Ohio University finds
that the digital divide between age groups is shrinking. Scripps Howard and
Ohio University have been tacking Internet usage since 1995 when 87 percent
of the adults surveyed said they did not use the Internet. At that time, the
majority of Internet users were under the age of 45. The latest poll,
conducted in 2001, found that more and more Americans over the age of 50 are
using the Internet regularly. The poll also found that 29 percent of
American adults log onto the Web every day. The survey found that half of
all people in households with incomes of $80,000 or more use the Internet
every day. In comparison, less than a quarter of those in households earning
less than $25,000 use the Internet.
[SOURCE: Modbee, AUTHOR: Thomas Hargrove and Guido H. Stempel III (Scripps
Howard News Service)]
(http://www.modbee.com/24hour/technology/story/496645p-3960930c.html)

RADIO SAGARMATHA: BROADCASTING THE INTERNET TO NEPAL
In a world where radio is being simulcast over the Internet, Radio
Sagarmatha is doing the exact opposite: it is broadcasting the Internet over
radio. Founded in 1997 by a group of environmental journalists, Kathmandu's
Radio Sagarmatha was the first community radio station to be established in
South Asia. Producer Gaurab Raj Upadhaya's popular show about information
and communication technologies experimented with live-broadcast of
announcers surfing of the Internet. This format had to dropped because of
the considerable amount air time wasted while Web sites slowly loaded. Other
segments explain Internet and technical jargon and feature discussion with
experienced Internet users ncluding journalists, businessmen and engineers.
[SOURCE: Digital Divide Network, AUTHOR: Shenaz Malik]
(http://www.digitaldividenetwork.org/content/stories/index.cfm?key=252)

COPYRIGHT

PVRs CHANGE THE BROADCAST PICTURE; NETWORKS SUE OVER AD SKIPPING
The personal video recorder (PVR) just passed the 1 million mark and sales
are speeding up. More and more consumers are attracted to the ease of
recording programs and pausing live broadcasts. Hollywood however, has
become more and more upset about the recording devices and recently filed a
suit against Sonicblue for copyright infringement. The company has created a
PVR that enables viewers to skip commercials. Sonicblue Chief Technology
Officer Andy Wolfe said the choice between the studios and consumers was an
easy one, "They said, 'if you go through with this, we will be very mad and
sue you'. But the consumer will be happy. Who are we going to choose, people
who don't want our business to exist at all or the customer?" In May, five
Replay owners filed a countersuit against the studios after a studio
executive was quoted saying, "any time you skip a commercial...you're
actually stealing the programming."
[SOURCE: USA Today, AUTHOR: Jefferson Graham]
(http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20020813/4354547s.htm)

BROADBAND

REVOLUTION WILL NOT BE TELEVISED
What is broadband for? For the most part, says the author, people use
broadband the same way they used their narrowband connections. The critical
difference is that broadband is always on and can handle a larger volume of
information. According to the author, we've been so busy fantasizing about
"a nirvana of 'high bandwidth applications," we've completely overlooked
what's really important about broadband. In order of importance, the author
finds these three characteristics of broadband to be far more important than
specific applications: 1) it's always on, 2) it has a very low latency (a
very small gap between the moment of a mouse click and something happening),
3) broadband is very fast. Economically, it makes no sense for the broadband
industry to encourage consumers to watch live videos on our PCs. This, the
author argues, would simply overload the network and result in a commercial
meltdown. Rather, parsimonious narrowband applications should be encouraged.
What's really going to change our lives is the always-on feature of
broadband, not the ability to get entertainment.
[SOURCE: The Guardian, AUTHOR: Steve Bowbrick]
(http://www.guardian.co.uk/online/story/0,3605,770560,00.html)

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