September 2009

Scrap Google book settlement and start fresh

[Commentary] Friday is the deadline for authors to decide whether they want to accept the proposed Google book settlement or opt out and reserve their right to sue Google. But the company should scrap the whole thing and go back to square one. The proposed settlement has the potential for creating the framework for how books are digitized for the next century. The stakes for readers, authors and libraries are high. Unfortunately, many on the outside of this process looking in feel like Google's been throwing its weight around on this issue. Constructing a truly open and equitable system won't be easy. Just figuring out which parties should be at the table to lend credibility to the process could be a mammoth undertaking. That's why turning to an elected body is probably a better course for ensuring the process is inclusive. It is the kind of goodwill gesture that would go a long way toward diffusing the mounting frustration among critics and begin laying the groundwork toward an equitable solution. If Google's motives are true, then patience is the best course. It's far more important to get it right than to get it done.

Internet providers seek low broadband bar

The biggest US Internet service providers urged regulators to adopt a conservative definition of "broadband," arguing for minimum speeds that were substantially below many other nations. The submissions were filed with the Federal Communications Commission which had sought comments by August 31 on how the agency should define broadband for a report to be submitted to Congress early next year Some of the submissions from service providers argued for a definition that even undercut an international ranking of U.S. Internet speed. "The definition must include those services that Americans actually need and want -- and can afford -- to participate in the Internet-driven economy," AT&T said in its comment letter to the FCC. AT&T said regulators should keep in mind that not all applications like voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) or streaming video, that require faster speeds, are necessarily needed by unserved Americans. Verizon Communications Inc and Verizon Wireless urged the FCC to maintain speeds of at least 0.768 mbps downstream and 0.200 mbps upstream. Comcast, the biggest cable provider, said that "simpler is better" and that the actual online experience of any particular consumer at any particular moment in time involves a wide range of factors. "Many of which are outside the control of the Internet service provider," Comcast said in its letter, which argued for defining "basic" broadband as having a downstream and upstream speed of 0.256 mbps.

Consumer Groups Petition Congress for Online Privacy Regulations

A group of 10 consumer groups asked the House Commerce Committee, which is drafting an online privacy bill, to consider stringent regulations aimed at curbing behavioral advertising and the use of sensitive consumer information. The groups -- the Center for Digital Democracy, Consumers Union, Electronic Frontier Foundation, U.S. Public Interest Research Group and The World Privacy Forum -- also called for web sites to be more transparent about the types of data they collect and to give consumers a way to manage it. The principles include an opt-in clause whereby a web site must get the consumer's permission to share his data if the site wants to use it beyond a 24-hour period. They also require that consumer information is purged after 90 days, and include a Do Not Track List, by which consumers could opt out of data collection entirely.

FCC Seeks Comments on National Broadband Plan Workshops

The Federal Communications Commission is seeking public reaction to the National Broadband Plan workshops.

1) Responses to workshops held from August 6 to August 20 should be filed with the Commission by September 15. The include: E-Gov/Civic Engagement (8/6); Deployment Wired - General (8/12); Deployment Wireless - General (8/12); Deployment Unserved/Underserved (8/12); Technology/Fixed Broadband (8/13); Technology/Wireless (8/13); International Lessons (8/18); Opportunities for Small and Disadvantaged Businesses (8/18); Adoption/Utilization - Building the Fact Base: The State of Broadband Adoption and Utilization (8/19); Adoption/Utilization - Low Adoption and Utilization - Importance of Broadband and Applications (8/19); Adoption/Utilization - Programmatic Efforts to Increase Broadband Adoption and Usage - What Works and What Doesn't? (8/19); Broadband Opportunities for Individuals with Disabilities (8/20); and Education (8/20).

2) Responses to workshops held from August 25 to September 15 should be filed with the Commission by October 2. These include: Public Safety and Homeland Security (8/25); Smart Grid, Broadband and Climate Change (8/25); Economic Growth, Job Creation, and Private Investment (8/26); Job Training (8/26); Technology/Applications and Devices (8/27); State and Local Governments: Toolkits and Best Practices (9/1); Benchmarks (9/2); Best Practices/Big Ideas (9/3); Broadband Consumer Context (9/9); and Health Care (9/15).

3) Responses to workshops held from September 16 to October 20 should be filed with the Commission by October 30. These include: The Role of Content in the Broadband Ecosystem (9/17); Spectrum (9/17); Cyber Security (9/30); Diversity and Civil Rights Issues in Broadband Policy (10/2); Economic Issues in Broadband Competition (10/9); and Broadband Accessibility for People with Disabilities II: Barriers, Opportunities and Policy Recommendations (10/20).

FCC To Help California Stations

The Federal Communications Commission's Media Bureau has outlined procedures it has put in place to help TV and radio stations continue to reach over-the-air viewers if their towers are "compromised" by the California wildfires. In a public notice issued late Monday, the bureau provided staff contacts for affected broadcasters and explained what avenues were available for expedited applications, waivers of standard commission policy and other help. Those include cutting red tape for applications for special temporary authority to operate the station at variance with its FCC-authorized operation, allowing radio and TV stations to erect emergency antennas without first clearing it with the commission, allowing AM radio stations to remain at full power throughout the night based on the "good faith" assurance that it is necessary to protect life and property, and, if necessary, waivers of the usual notification timelines for stations that have to discontinue operations.

Broaden access for broadband

[Commentary] Much as the federal government assisted in rural electrification decades ago, lighting the way to progress, now the government must help bring broadband Internet service to Western Massachusetts. The region has lagged behind the rest of the state in this crucial component of economic development. Providing broadband to the 43 Western Massachusetts towns that lack it entirely or in part could kickstart the economy of a region that has suffered from the decline of basic industries like paper and electrical equipment. According to federal figures, communities with broadband add a percentage point to their employment growth rate. Rural areas in this state and elsewhere lack broadband service for the same reason they were slow to get electricity: The return on investment for private providers is slow when houses and businesses are few and far between. A private company would need 30 years just to break even on broadband investment in a rural area. The state should do whatever it can to move its western counties out of the breakdown lane of the information superhighway.

AT&T's iPhone deal under scrutiny

As a stronger regulatory breeze gusts through the nation's capital, wireless phone companies are feeling the heat to change some of their business practices. Front and center is AT&T Inc. and its cozy two-year relationship with Apple Inc. and the popular iPhone. AT&T is the only U.S. carrier allowed to sell the device in a practice known as handset exclusivity. If consumer groups and some policy makers have their way, handset exclusivity would be banned and the iPhone would become available on any compatible wireless network. Ditto for the BlackBerry Storm, currently sold only through Verizon Communications Inc., and the Palm Pre, sold exclusively via Sprint Nextel Corp. Critics say exclusive handset deals limit consumer choice and they argue that innovation would occur just as rapidly even if the practice were eliminated. Both sides will get a chance to state their case after the Federal Communications Commission voted late last week to conduct a fresh review of the wireless industry. The outcome is far from certain, however, and it's not even clear if the FCC has the authority to ban handset exclusivity.

Safety group says social media can help families connect during disasters

Text messaging, Twitter and social networking Web sites could help families stay in touch in the wake of a disaster, a national safety group said. The Safe America Foundation announced a campaign to train families about alternate ways of staying in touch if traditional communication methods are not working. The Atlanta-based group is working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency on this "Drill Down for Safety" program to make people more aware of communication options during an emergency.

Social networking sites grab big slice of Web ads

About one of every five Internet display ads in the United States is viewed on a social networking Web site like MySpace and Facebook, according to a new report. The report by analytics firm comScore underscores the increasing prominence of social media sites in the Internet landscape and broadening acceptance of the sites by brand advertisers. It also illustrates the increasing competition between social media sites and established Internet companies like Yahoo Inc and Time Warner Inc's AOL which have long billed themselves as the top online destinations for brand advertisers.

Does less evening Internet mean Europeans lead better lives?

What don't Europeans do all night? Surf the Internet, apparently. Arbor Networks has compiled traffic data from 65 ISPs in Europe and North America, all of which showed an intriguing difference in Internet usage patterns. When time zone differences are accounted for, North American Internet traffic peaks at 11pm and drops off consistently all night; European traffic peaks at 7pm and plummets soon after. Intriguing questions lie hidden within that one data point. Perhaps, as some of Arbor's customers speculated, "Europeans use the Internet less at night, have better social interactions, eat better food, and generally live better lives."

Benton

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