June 2010

Telecom, tech giants seek voluntary network neutrality commitments

The nation's biggest broadband service providers and high-tech firms on June 9 said they are working together to come up with voluntary guidelines for managing network data traffic, a move aimed to appease regulators who are pushing for stronger Internet access rules.

The Technical Advisory Group, formed by AT&T, Comcast, Google, Intel, Microsoft and Verizon, said it will consist of engineers and will be led by former Federal Communications Commission Chief Technology Officer Dale Hatfield. Their intention is to minimize disputes over policy questions such as how broadband providers can manage traffic on their networks in the context of the FCC's push for new net neutrality rules. Over the coming weeks, the industry advisory group said it would try to "develop consensus on broadband network management practices or other technical issues that can affect users' Internet experience, including the impact to and from applications, content and devices that utilize the Internet." And the group said in a press release that it would take its suggestions and agreements on what are best practices to the FCC and related consumer protection agencies.

"The TAG will function as a neutral, expert technical forum and promote a greater consensus around technical practices within the Internet community," said Hatfield. "The TAG would consider a number of factors in looking at technical practices, including whether a practice is used by others in the industry; whether alternative technical approaches are available; the impact of a technical practice on other entities; and whether a technical practice is aimed at specific content, applications or companies."

Other participants include DISH Network, EchoStar, Intel, Level 3 Communications and Time Warner Cable. The organizations unanimously expressed their appreciation to Hatfield, one of the most respected engineers in the communications policy field, for his willingness to organize and chair the effort.

Net Neutrality Backers: TAG Isn't It

Network neutrality backers were quick to weigh in on the announcement of the formation of an industry technical advisory group (TAG) to come up with a consensus on reasonable broadband network management practices and advise the government on the issue.

Free Press Policy Counsel M. Chris Riley said he had no problem with industry trying to "identify broadband network management practices that do not harm users," but he said in a statement reacting to the technical working group announcement that it should not be a substitute for the government setting its own "basic rules of the road for the Internet." He called the proposal premature, and said defining nondiscrimination should be within a legal framework and backed by enforceable rules.

Gigi Sohn, president of Public Knowledge, was slightly more positive, but with the same big caveat. "We believe there is a role for advisory groups to consult on items of technical importance. Given that this advisory group is only just getting off the ground, we are cautiously optimistic that it may do some good." But she said that as currently constituted, the group is dominated by the telecom industry--members include Comcast, Time Warner, Verizon, AT&T--and that, in any event, "it is not a substitute for Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rules and enforcement procedures and it certainly should not be interpreted as such by anyone."

USDA Highlights Impact of Recent Recovery Act Broadband Loans and Grants

Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack released a report that details how broadband deployment funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act) will improve the quality of life of over half a million rural American households. The report also states that broadband awards announced to date will create about 5,000 immediate and direct jobs. The report outlines the projects USDA Rural Development's Rural Utilities Service (RUS) is funding under the first round of awards made under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act's Broadband Initiatives Program (BIP). In the first of two scheduled funding rounds, RUS awarded $1.068 billion for 68 broadband projects in 31 states and one territory.

Three types of projects received awards:

Last-mile remote projects, which will provide broadband service to households and other users in rural areas located at least 50 miles from the nearest non-rural area.
Last-mile non-remote projects, which will provide broadband service to households and other users located less than 50 miles from the nearest non-rural area.
Middle-mile projects, which will provide necessary "backbone" services such as interoffice transport, backhaul, Internet connectivity, or special access to rural areas.

The projects will bring broadband service to an estimated 529,249 households, 92,754 businesses and 3,332 anchor institutions across more than 172,000 square miles - a geographic area approximately the size of the state of California. Community anchors, such as schools, libraries, health care providers, colleges, and critical community facilities, provide essential services for safety, health, education and well-being for area residents. These projects will also provide services to 19 Tribal lands. A second round of successful applicants will be announced later in the 2010 fiscal year.

Lessons for Cities from the National Broadband Plan

What can cities do to take advantage of this broadband moment in the United States?

1) Understand the broadband environment in the city. 2) Lower the cost of deploying infrastructure in the city. 3) Support broadband access at city libraries. 4) Explore partnerships. 5) Understand & contribute to best practices around the country. 6) Undertake efforts to use broadband to improve services - such as education, energy, and government. 7) Monitor & Assess Programs.

Digital Bridge Wins $4.3 Million BTOP Grant

Digital Bridge is the latest broadband stimulus award winner. The wireless broadband provider is one of the few WiMax providers in the nation.

The Virginia-based firm was established in 2005 and launched its first network two years later. Digital Bridge maintains 15 networks nationwide. The firm was awarded a $4.3 million grant to provide service to underserved communities in three Idaho counties; Digital Bridge already provides service in neighboring Twin Falls. In addition to Idaho the company has submitted 31 round two applications for Virginia, South Carolina, Mississippi, Tennessee and Indiana for a little over $150 million. By using wireless technologies and optimizing its equipment, Digital Bridge is able to provide coverage for $300 per household, which is one of the more cost effective options presented to the NTIA.

FTC Rejects Group's Request For COPPA Safe Harbor

On June 8, the Federal Trade Commission rejected a proposal by the Internet safety education group iSAFE to operate a self-regulatory program that would allow firms that sign up for it to comply with the provisions of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act.

The FTC voted 5-0 to reject iSAFE's application to operate a "safe harbor" program in compliance with COPPA, which requires Web sites aimed at children under 13 to obtain parental consent before collecting information from them. In a letter to iSAFE Chief Operations Officer Dennis Shaw, the FTC said the California-based group failed to meet the FTC's requirements for a safe harbor program. These include that the program provide "substantially similar" requirements to those included in the COPPA rule, provide an independent mechanism for assessing participants compliance with the safe harbor program and provide "effective" incentives for participants' compliance with the program.

Poll Finds Public Concern Over Online Privacy

A new poll shows that a large majority of consumers are concerned about being tracked on the Internet and favor a proposal from privacy groups to create a "do not track list."

The survey, commissioned by the tech and telecom industry research group Precursor LLC, found that 81 percent of those polled said they were "somewhat" or "very" concerned about companies tracking their Web surfing habits and using that information for advertising, while 88 percent said it is "unfair" for companies to do such tracking without an Internet user's permission.

Barton Says He Wants To Work On Privacy Bill

Rep Joe Barton (R-TX), the ranking member of the House Commerce Committee, wants to work on an online privacy bill. He said that a draft bill offered by Reps Rick Boucher (D-VA) and Cliff Stearns (R-FL) must go further to protect consumer privacy, adding that he wants to give "as much control to individuals as possible." While saying he would like to see privacy legislation enacted this year, he said Rep Boucher, Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman (D-CA) and senior Commerce Committee member Edward Markey (D-MA) need to reach consensus on privacy legislation. Reps Markey and Barton are the House co-chairmen of the privacy caucus.

States Ponder Privacy Concerns as Smart Grid Deployment Takes Shape

Vulnerable passwords, financial records or personal data are likely what first comes to mind when thinking of cyber-privacy and cyber-security. But if recent reports are to be believed, the newest and most pervasive threat to personal privacy could be the smart meter that public utilities departments are increasingly using to measure electricity consumption.

The U.S. Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 supercharged a movement that's developing a power grid that gives power to users via digital technology. But some say this smart grid might be too smart for everyone's own good. In May 2010, The Denver Post reported that smart meters can gather more data than just how much electricity a household uses. They can tell how many people live there, when they sleep and when they aren't home. Smart meters track when household members take showers, how much TV they watch or how often they use the microwave. According to the newspaper, 52 million smart meters will be in the country by 2015.

Not everyone ready for the digital textbook revolution

Don't let the iPhones and BlackBerries fool you: Research and a recent pilot program that put eReaders in college students' hands suggest that most students aren't ready to read their textbooks electronically, despite the proliferation of Internet-ready mobile devices on campuses nationwide.

In fact, 74 percent of students surveyed by the National Association of College Stores (NACS), a nonprofit trade organization representing 3,000 campus retailers, preferred printed textbooks for their college classes. The study, released May 25, also found that more than half of college students surveyed on 19 campuses said they "were unsure about purchasing digital textbooks or would not consider buying them even if they were available."

Benton

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