June 2009

National Broadband: Definition Must Come Before Action

With the first round of comments filed on a national broadband strategy, the Federal Communications Commission can start hashing through myriad details, beginning at one very basic point: how to define broadband. The definition dilemma drew dozens of responses in the 540 total comments submitted. Numerous other issues also were raised, but the FCC cannot realistically weave a national broadband program until it knows what broadband means. Of the hundreds of filings, an estimated two-thirds came from the general public. Most of the communications industry made an appearance, too including the Bells, several Competitive Local Exchange Carriers (CLECs), WiMAX network operators, satellite and telecom service providers, equipment makers, Web 2.0 firms, cable companies, relevant associations and pundits with each party addressing the usual pet subjects. But before the FCC can change existing regulations, it must deal with some underlying matters namely, figuring out what exactly constitutes broadband. Right now the FCC considers 768kbps to qualify as basic broadband service. That speed generally is considered fast enough to accommodate e-mail and Web site access, as well as media streaming and downloading. But a lot of communications companies are calling on the FCC to define broadband first by the network that delivers it, and then the rate at which it is delivered.

Smart Infrastructure starts with planning

[Commentary] If you are wondering how economic stimulus funds can turn your community into the futuristic society depicted in "The Jetsons," it's easy to get lost in the complexities of what Smart Grids and Smart Infrastructure have to do with any of this. Instead of going to Hollywood to see what the future may hold, go to Cleveland. It's here you'll find an example of a community with five years of experience in creating a regional fiber-optic network that connects more than 1,000 organizations — hospitals, school districts, governments, museums, libraries and other public and nonprofit organizations. The success in and around Cleveland demonstrates not only the benefits of Smart Infrastructure, but also the reality that local communities are best equipped to implement today's fundamental need for infrastructure that empowers innovation. A Smart Infrastructure looks at the big-picture and end goals. If a road project is in progress, smart planning might mean going an extra mile to lay fiber optic cables while the road is open. Having the foresight to plan for civic improvements while empowering innovation is what smart infrastructure is all about.

(Garn Anderson is vice president for Business & Community Intelligence of the Cleveland-based technology nonprofit OneCommunity, which operates the Knight Center of Digital Excellence in partnership with The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.)

FCC NBS Comments: Why Not Follow Japan's Lead?

[Commentary] The Japanese government submitted comments to the Federal Communications Commission on a US national broadband plan. Japan is at least five to ten years ahead of us in terms of getting themselves wired with next-gen networks and inspired about using these networks. Japan released its first in a succession of national strategies all the way back in 2001. The initial goals were to provide "high-speed Internet" to 30 million households and "ultra-high-speed Internet" to 10 million households within five years. Japan achieved this goal by 2003, only two years after the initial strategy was set in motion, which shows what can be accomplished when a government sets clear goals and puts in place specific plans to achieve them.

UK needs industrial policy for a digital age

[Commentary] The British government will on Tuesday attempt to rebut this with the publication of Digital Britain, a policy framework for the communications and technology and media sector that represents a shift towards "industrial activism." Good industrial activism has to reflect the reality of where the UK can exercise economic leadership, carving a path for others to follow, rather than gamely trying to sustain industries past their sell-by date. As our iconic media and communications companies show, the UK retains enormous power in the digital content industry, a market with strong prospects. Any country relying today on Internet access speeds of 14.4 Kb/s would be left in the slow lane. The UK government knows there is more change to come. That is why Digital Britain focuses on policies to ensure we are prepared for next-generation changes in fixed and mobile networks. (Lord Carter is the UK's communications minister.)

AT&T: FCC Needs To Fix Universal Service Fund

AT&T says that the Federal Communications Commission cannot get serious about a national broadband plan until it fixes the Universal Service Fund. The FCC announcement Monday the latest USF contribution percentage, which is now at 12.9%, up from 9.5% at the beginning of the year, a whopping 36% increase. The fund's base continues to shrink as more people drop landline for wireless and Internet phone service. "The universal service fund is in a death spiral, driven by growing demands on the fund, the decline of the wireline model and consumer migration to other platforms and services," said AT&T in a statement. "These factors cause the government to ask for more money from a shrinking base of phone customers to support the goals of universal service. This vicious cycle leads to higher and higher USF fees.... In order to begin a discussion on a National Broadband Plan, the Commission must address comprehensive universal service reform."

Turning the Masses Onto Mobile Broadband

After two years of rapid growth, mobile broadband, the wireless industry's most successful innovation of the past decade, is at a crossroads as operators struggle to maintain fast, omnipresent service in the face of exploding Internet traffic. Since mid-2007, when the first services came on the market, about 16 million people worldwide have signed up for mobile broadband, according to Screen Digest, an industry researcher. In 2008, the number of subscribers almost doubled. But the rapid deployment — and mounting Internet traffic from video streaming and file sharing — have caused many wireless broadband services to slow down or interrupt from data overload.

American Broadband Market Works, Economists Say

Reports of the death of American broadband have been greatly exaggerated, said a group of economists Friday at a panel on broadband market competition sponsored by the Progress and Freedom Foundation. Because American broadband was deregulated just five years ago, "competition is driving innovation," says Emperis managing partner Jeffrey Eisenach. But Information Technology and Innovative Foundation President Rob Atkinson said there is a difference between government "facilitation" of deregulation and actual deregulation on the broadband system. "I think we are behind, and I think it is a duopoly," he said. But Americans are "lucky to have two pipes" compared with many countries, he said. Introducing a municipal third pipe would be "overbuilding [and] a huge waste of money."

Iran Cracks Down on Western Media as Protest Spreads

Iranian authorities criticized international media reports and took steps to control the flow of information from independent news sources as anti-government protests raged in the country for a second day Sunday. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad lashed out at the media shortly after he claimed victory in the election that critics contend was marked by widespread voter fraud. At a news conference Sunday, he accused international media of launching a "psychological war" against the country. Street protests broke out in Tehran and were fiercely battled by anti-riot police. A range of communications have been disrupted inside Iran since election day, including those which could be used to organize protests.

Social Networks Spread Iranian Defiance Online

As the embattled government of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad appears to be trying to limit Internet access and communications in Iran, new kinds of social media are challenging those traditional levers of state media control and allowing Iranians to find novel ways around the restrictions. Iranians are blogging, posting to Facebook and, most visibly, coordinating their protests on Twitter, the messaging service. Their activity has increased, not decreased, since the presidential election on Friday and ensuing attempts by the government to restrict or censor their online communications.

China Orders Patches to Planned Web Filter

A designer of censorship software that the Chinese government requires to be preinstalled on computers sold in China has been ordered to fix potential security breaches in the software, the newspaper China Daily reported Monday. The report was an indication that the government still supports use of the software despite heated debate over it. The software, called Green Dam-Youth Escort, has come under attack by many computer users in China for both political and technical reasons. Critics say that although the Chinese government insists that the software will be used only to block access to pornography Web sites, the software's actual use will be to block any site with content deemed politically objectionable, like the Tibet issue or the 1989 Tiananmen killings. The government says all computers sold in China must have the software installed by July 1. Some computer experts who have studied the software said last week that it was so flawed that it could allow hackers to monitor a user's Internet activity, steal personal data or plant viruses.

Benton

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