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John Dunbar
Update: Congress passes bill aimed at measuring Internet access
Submitted by Benton Foundation on October 1, 2008 - 7:25amLast updated: October 1, 2008 - 7:27am
Congress has passed legislation that will require the government to keep closer tabs on who has access to the Internet and who does not. Supporters hope the Broadband Data Improvement Act will help policymakers better identify areas of the country that are falling behind when it comes to high-speed Internet access.
FCC revives emergency communications plan
Submitted by Benton Foundation on September 25, 2008 - 8:04pmLast updated: September 25, 2008 - 8:05pm
The Federal Communications Commission approved a new framework for the creation of a nationwide emergency communications network Thursday amid concerns that the ongoing economic crisis may make it difficult to attract investors.
Timing lousy for emergency communications plan
Submitted by Benton Foundation on September 25, 2008 - 7:16amLast updated: October 1, 2008 - 2:14pm
A government plan to build a nationwide emergency communications network using private money and public airwaves flopped earlier this year when investors stayed away in droves. On Thursday, the Federal Communications Commission was trying again, this time in the midst of a full-blown economic crisis.
Digital TV transition concerns get technical
Submitted by Benton Foundation on September 23, 2008 - 9:37pmLast updated: September 23, 2008 - 9:37pm
Even if all goes smoothly, next February's digital television shift is likely to generate hundreds of thousands of complaints from television viewers around the country. A smaller digital footprint may affect as many as 15 percent of television markets in the US.
Old antennas cause complaints in digital TV test
Submitted by Benton Foundation on September 10, 2008 - 7:49amLast updated: September 10, 2008 - 7:49am
Problems with old-fashioned television antennas were the most common issue among residents of Wilmington, a city that volunteered to switch to digital broadcasting more than five months before the rest of the country.
FCC's First Network Neutrality Ruling taken to Court
Submitted by Benton Foundation on September 4, 2008 - 7:55pmLast updated: September 5, 2008 - 7:25am
Comcast is appealing a Federal Communications Commission ruling that the company is improperly blocking customers' Web traffic, triggering a legal battle that could determine the extent of the government's authority to regulate the Internet.
FCC to punish Comcast
Submitted by Benton Foundation on July 27, 2008 - 6:59pmLast updated: July 28, 2008 - 7:48am
Bad Comcast. Bad, bad, Comcast. A majority of the five Commissioners of the Federal Communications Commission have cast votes in favor of punishing Comcast for blocking subscribers' Internet traffic. Comcast, the nation's largest cable company and one of the largest broadband service providers, was accused of violating agency principles that guarantee customers open access to the Internet.
FCC Chief Martin hopes Comcast sanction serves as warning
Submitted by Benton Foundation on July 13, 2008 - 3:10pmA recommendation to punish Comcast for blocking subscribers' Internet traffic should serve as a warning to other service providers, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin said Friday. He hopes his action will make network operators sensitive about putting "arbitrary limits on the way consumers can access information on the Internet." Chairman Martin wants Comcast to stop using its current practice, to tell commissioners where it has used it in the past, and to disclose to the agency and consumers what limitations will be placed on customers under its new traffic management plan, which it hopes to have in place by the end of the year.
FCC's Martin: Comcast Broke Network Neutrality Rules
Submitted by Benton Foundation on July 11, 2008 - 6:46amOn Thursday, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin said he will recommend that Comcast, the nation's largest cable company, be punished for violating agency Network Neutrality principles that guarantee customers open access to the Internet.
Voted items at FCC are secret, agency says
Submitted by Benton Foundation on June 19, 2008 - 9:56amWhen the Federal Communications Commission votes on something at a public meeting, the document they are voting on isn't necessarily for public consumption, the agency said Wednesday. Commissioners unanimously rejected an appeal by The Associated Press for a copy of a document that was approved by a 4-1 vote at a July 31 public meeting.
