September 2009

CTIA: Adopt a Specific Definition of Mobile Broadband

CTIA, the wireless industry lobbying organization, filed comments in the Federal Communications Commission's proceeding on defining broadband. CTIA says the Commission's effort to define broadband must recognize the value of mobile wireless broadband to consumers and must account for the constraints that mobile wireless broadband providers face as they deliver broadband over limited allocations of radio spectrum. As a result, CTIA says, the Commission should adopt a specific definition of broadband for the mobile wireless context.

NASUCA: Consumer Experience Should Drive Definition of Broadband

The National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates filed comments with the Federal Communications Commission saying it is not necessary to define broadband now. NASUCA said that the FCC should adopt definitions, and see how they work. Then (and only then) should the FCC decide when to update those definitions. The consumer's use of broadband services should drive evaluations of broadband, and thus should drive the definition used.

NATOA: A New, Adequate, Aspirational Definition for Broadband is Imperative

The National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors told the FCC that broadband service should:

1) Aspire toward and be scalable to the international standard for data communications: 100 Mbps to 1Gbps symmetrical, with scalability in the next decade to 10 Gbps, also an emerging international standard.

2) Offer consistent, high speeds capable of supporting integrated voice, video and data applications.

3) Be measured by speeds actually experienced by the end users during peak times -- not the theoretical "up to" speeds advertised by most providers.

4) Have symmetrical connections or at least robust upstream speeds to facilitate interactivity. Every person is not only a receiver of information but potentially a producer. If Americans are to be developers and creators as well as consumers, robust upstream service is imperative.

5) Ensure high reliability and low latency.

6) Enable innovation and transformative breakthrough interactive applications such as full motion HD video conferencing, real video-on demand, "virtual" education and healthcare.

New America: Definition of broadband will shape the trajectory of telecommunications innovation

The New America Foundation filed comments at the Federal Communications Commission saying that determining an appropriate definition of broadband is a critical part of the Commission's development of a National Broadband Plan. An appropriate definition is essential not only for establishing "what is broadband" and "where is it available," but also for shaping the future trajectory of telecommunications innovation in the United States.

NAF recommends:

1) Given the Commission's aim to ensure "access to broadband capability" for the entire nation, a broadband definition in terms of a baseline for determining universal service or access seems most appropriate, i.e. what minimal speeds and characteristics will be currently required for individuals to access the economic, educational, and societal benefits made possible by the Internet and high-speed access.

2) The baseline or minimum thresholds should reflect actual throughput or performance with some standards for reliability, rather than relying solely on the advertised speeds of providers.

3) Beyond transmission speeds or performance capabilities, the Commission should include a requirement that broadband provides high-speed access to the public Internet.

4) Although defining broadband in the near-term is important, it is also essential that Commission set high goals and reevaluate the definition and performance indicators to ensure the U.S. continues to be a leading innovator and remains competitive with other nations.

OPASTCO: Same Definition of Broadband for Rural and Urban Areas

Customers served by rural incumbent local exchange carriers should have the same definition of broadband as urban areas, based upon the Federal Communications Commission's forward-looking speed tier system. The definition of broadband, and subsequent reviews and updates, should emphasize available speeds, which are critical to global economic competitiveness. Therefore, the definition should be set at a speed level that will enable the United States to achieve and maintain a world leadership position in broadband. Speed also determines the applications and content consumers can access, which in turn determines the value of broadband for consumers. The definition of broadband and subsequent reviews should emphasize the need for scalable networks, and the lower long-term cost of deploying greater capacity (specifically through the use of fiber), as opposed to managing the traffic on lower-capacity networks. Mobile technologies can provide complimentary services, but lack the scalability needed to keep pace with the demands of consumers. The broadband definition and review process should also account for the data speeds necessary to accommodate the video component of a growing number of non-entertainment applications and services.

Go for gigabit speeds: America should expect nothing less

[Commentary] Wayne Gretzky is credited for saying, "Go to where the puck's going, not where it is." As the Federal Communications Commission is charged with establishing our nation's first broadband policy, we should focus not only where we fall short today, but also where we will entirely miss opportunities - and the puck. We need to know where our broadband strategy is going and what happens to our nation's future without a bold one. We need to follow the lead of other countries and start aiming (including investing and incentivizing) for gigabit Internet speeds for all. Gigabit-speed networks would provide Americans with hundreds of times the Internet speeds broadband households currently have. Today's spending choices and public policy decisions amount to an incentive and investment into the business plan for America's future. Good planning requires that we learn from the past while keeping our eye on a greater future. Our American tradition is one of reaching for the highest goals, whether, in our past, via the Oregon Trail or an Apollo mission to the moon. Today, in the 21st century, why wouldn't we go for gigabit speeds?

NCTA: FCC Should Stick To Existing Broadband Definition

National Cable & Telecommunications Association has told the Federal Communications Commission that a single definition of broadband is needed for policy and data-collection purposes, particularly if the FCC decides to expand the Universal Service Fund to include supporting broadband deployment. In comments filed today, NCTA argues that the FCC should not use defining broadband as a vehicle for new substantive speed, price, or openness conditions, or tied to characteristics like latency, symmetry or mobility. Instead, said NCTA, the commission should define it more broadly as "the opportunity to purchase services and equipment that enable them to access the Internet at any time and use the types of applications that are most commonly used today, such as e-mail and web browsing," and use the current speed definition if it has a need for speed as part of the definition. The FCC last year changed its definition of broadband to "services with download speeds of more than 768 kbps and upload speeds of more than 200 kbs."

Los Angeles television stations defend their coverage of the fire

Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich and some viewers are complaining that local television stations did not adequately inform residents of the Station fire over the weekend, despite evacuations and threats to homes. Supervisor Antonovich on Monday accused television news stations of being negligent in failing to provide comprehensive fire coverage. "There were a large number of evacuations taking place, people and animals were in danger, and people had no information of where to go," Antonovich said in an interview. "I'm upset. The media let people down during a horrendous fire, one of the worst in the county's history." But local news officials countered Monday that they gave appropriate coverage to what was then principally a brush fire. They noted that the fire had already been burning for a couple of days before the weekend and had not at that time posed a serious threat to a large number of residences.

Ad Spending in First Half of Year Drops $10.3 Billion

According to Nielsen, advertising spending in the first half of 2009 dropped by $10.3 billion to $56.9 billion. Cable TV was the only medium to show growth; ad spending on cable was up 1.5%. But Nielsen credited cable's boost to the industry's own advertising leading up to June's transition to digital television. The biggest decliner among TV advertising categories was local spot TV in the smaller markets (DMAs 101-210), down 32.1%. Spot TV in the top 100 markets was down 17.4%. Automotive saw the biggest drop of any ad category in the top 10 spenders, with factory and dealer associations down 31.4% to $3.68 billion and dealerships down 26.2% to $1.69 billion.

Disney's Marvel Acquisition May Not Portend More Media Deals

The Walt Disney Co.'s agreement to buy Marvel Entertainment raised the prospect of a new wave of mergers and acquisitions hitting the beleaguered media industry after the global financial crisis put a lid on dealmaking last fall. But the deal was hardly a sign of defensive consolidation in a shrinking industry, which some observers have been waiting to see in media. Disney paid a rich valuation for Marvel - a bet that the deal can yield outsized returns years down the road. In addition, Disney, with its ample free cash flow, is in a strong financial position and has a solid track record when it comes to integrating new business and brands into its sprawling portfolio of media and entertainment assets.

Benton

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