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February 2011

Smart Grid Panel Agrees on Data-Exchange Standards for Electricity Usage

The governing board of the public-private Smart Grid Interoperability Panel (SGIP) has voted in favor of a new standard important for two-way data communications between utilities and their customers, bringing the next-generation “smart” electrical power grid a step closer to reality.

The board’s vote concerns a foundational standard for the information used to communicate between utilities and the customer, and the way in which that information is organized.

This new “energy usage data model” standard was achieved through completion of Priority Action Plan 10, one of 17 Priority Action Plans (PAPs) established within the SGIP to address critical standards needs in order to realize an energy-efficient, modern power grid with seamlessly interoperable parts. The data standard was developed by the North American Energy Standards Board (NAESB) at the request of the SGIP and the Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and will allow utilities and customers to exchange detailed information about electricity usage in a consistent format. This will enable consumers to track their electricity usage and help them better manage their energy consumption and costs. Developed through NAESB’s American National Standards Institute-accredited process, the model is a ratified NAESB standard and will be included in NAESB’s filing with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission next month.

The recommended standard is also expected to create opportunities for innovation. With utilities now installing “smart” electric meters in millions of homes and business, established companies and start-ups are developing new products and services tailored to the energy-use behaviors and objectives of consumers. Smart-meter technology will enable real-time (or near real-time) communication of energy use, consumption, quality and source, among other information. The standard is "Internet-friendly," and its applications will include enabling customers to view and understand their energy usage and cost using local access devices and over the Internet.

Broadband Bundling: Trends and Policy Implications

Bundling can provide both benefits and drawbacks to broadband customers.

In general, bundled services are less expensive when purchased together and consumer surplus from one good in the bundle can help “subsidise” another less-valued element. Bundling also allows the integration of products in a way that benefits consumers. In other cases bundles can lead to situations where customers are worse off. Consumers may be required to purchase a bundle which contains one product they value and others they do not. Bundling also raises some significant concerns regarding transparency and consumer “lock in”. Bundles may make it difficult or impossible for subscribers to switch providers of certain bundled services and not others. An OECD data collection of over 2 000 offers of stand-alone and bundled services from 90 firms across 30 OECD countries reveals that broadband services in the OECD are overwhelmingly sold as mixed bundles, allowing users to choose among stand-alone offers or bundled services. Of the 90 operators surveyed, 77% allow users to buy stand-alone broadband service. 17% tie broadband service to a fixed-line voice service and 4% require a television package to obtain broadband access. Only 2% of the offers surveyed required subscribers to take a triple-play service to have broadband. Broadband bundles are typically sold with a significant price discount over stand-alone prices. The average bundled discount compared with buying the services separately is USD 15 (PPP) per month or 26%. The average price of a triple-play bundle across all countries and operators is USD 65 (PPP) per month, while the median price is USD 59 PPP. The average entry-level price for a triple-play bundle is USD 41 PPP per month.

US The Is a Leader in Innovation and Adoption for Advanced Broadband Wireless Services

[Commentary] The notion that the US is far behind other countries when it comes to wireless broadband innovation and adoption is wrong and harmful to good thinking regarding Internet policy.

First, a presentation made by Morgan Stanley in June of this past year has this headline in one of its slides: “Mobile Internet – Tortoise vs. Hare? USA Surpassed Japan as Country with Most 3G Users in CQ1:09 – USA Has Become Global Leader in Mobile Users + Innovation.” The data in the presentation suggests that the US has completely overtaken Japan in the number of 3G users by a country mile. Just a few years ago, most felt that Japan would dominate the mobile industry because of the rapid adoption in that country of both mobile phones and online services like banking. Morgan Stanley’s analysis shows the U. S. has pulled ahead in strongly in the number of people in the US using 3G devices.

A second Morgan Stanley presentation done in November of last year takes the data a step further, looking globally at 3G markets. Who is ahead? The US once again, ahead not only in terms of total numbers of 3G users but also in many cases in the rate of growth of adoption in the U. S. and in total penetration. A few countries – like Japan and Korea - rival or exceed the U. S. in one or both of these metrics. But very few other countries come even close. And in terms of total numbers of Americans using 3G services and devices, the U. S. outpaces many of the countries in Europe and elsewhere commonly cited as “being ahead of the U. S. in wireless”. That includes France, Germany, Sweden and the UK. Why is the US moving so rapidly ahead? Maybe it is because we are very innovative when it comes to wireless applications and services.

The US wireless market is the most innovative and competitive on the planet. And as a result, consumers get great value and a host of options and they are voting with their feet in rapidly buying new 3G devices and services. And now the US is poised to lead in the evolution to 4G as Verizon rapidly builds out its LTE network and other players move to deploy technologies beyond 3G. To claim otherwise, as far too many do, is baseless, it is as simple as that.

Imagining the 21st century's digital bookstore

[Commentary] Last week's announcement that Borders would close 200 stores across the country might have seemed to some the inevitable next step in the publishing industry's conversion from printed to digital media. As more and more Americans choose to order books online, or to switch to e-books, they don't need to patronize physical bookstores any longer. But any sales person ought to know that need and want are two different things.

I can find a much larger selection of books by firing up my Web browser than heading over to my local Borders, which is among those scheduled to close. I don't need that Borders in order to find and buy the books which interest me. But, as an enthusiastic reader, I want to have an excuse to get out of the house once in a while and spend some time alone with fresh books and magazines. My middle-school, book-worm daughter wants a place to hang out with her friends after school. No, we don't need a physical place to buy books any longer, but we want that alternative. Borders seems to have made the same mistake as countless other old media publishers and retailers have over the past decade - viewing digital and print as two separate products and businesses, rather than finding a way to naturally blend the two. So I'd like to devote this post to a thought exercise: How to design a physical bookstore for the 21st century - one that would survive and profit in a marketplace driven by digital media? Physical bookstores offer two advantages, that I see, over virtual ones. First is the out-of-home, social experience of being in a bookstore. While that's not always a plus for people who want to download a book in a hurry, plenty of us enjoy being in a physical space with other book lovers. The second is the ability to sit down and read through as much of any book as we want before deciding to buy. That's the element I think a 21st century bookstore needs to find a way to replicate.

What effect has the Internet had on journalism?

The web's effect on news reporting is considered the most clear evidence that this is a revolutionary technology: news editors – and in some cases, the governments that they observe – are no longer the gatekeepers to information because costs of distribution have almost completely disappeared. If knowledge is power, the web is the greatest tool in the history of the world. The process that happens before a story is published has also been transformed. The web has become the go-to point for the globe when it comes to getting information; it's the same for reporters. Online, they find a multiplicity of perspectives and a library of available knowledge that provides the context for stories. Increasingly, the stories are coming from the web.

Justice Settles With Alleged USF Scammer

Alaska DigiTel has agreed to pay $1.56 million to settle allegations it had submitted false claims between 2004 and 2008 for money from the Federal Communications Commission's Universal Service Fund. The settlement resulted from a whistleblower claim that the company was signing up subscribers who did not qualify. That whistleblower will get $260,274 from the settlement.

February 22, 2011 (More on the Broadband Map)

BENTON'S COMMUNICATIONS-RELATED HEADLINES for TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2011


CYBERSECURITY
   Latest Cybersecurity Bill Prohibits Internet 'Kill Switch'
   Now is the time for Congress and the Obama Administration to tackle cybersecurity

INTERNET/BROADBAND
   Kundra: 25 percent of IT spending should to go to the cloud
   Navigating the US National Broadband Map
   National Broadband Map’s Accuracy Questioned
   New Broadband Map Has Flaws
   GOP rep voted to protect network neutrality out of competition concerns
   Rep Matheson's amendment cuts broadband funding in spending bill
   Administration has 'great trepidation' about the UN governing the Internet
   North Carolina lawmaker launches another community broadband ban bill
   Wisconsin's stimulus rejection: Too many strings, or too much scrutiny?
   Wealthy suburbs get best broadband deals; DC, rural areas lag behind
   Cable winning broadband wars, but is competition at risk?

WIRELESS
   Warner Introduces Bill To Authorize Spectrum Auctions
   Broadcasters who don't relinquish spectrum could face fees
   King's public safety bill meets concern from broadcast engineers
   Cellphones Become the World’s Eyes and Ears on Protests
   So much data, so little money for mobile operators

TELEVISION
   Promoting Over-the-Air Gain Without the Pain
   Disney, ABC Station Owners Agree to Share Pay-TV Fees

PRIVACY
   FTC Collects Comments on Privacy Framework, COPPA
   Biz Groups: Mandate Will Undercut Self-Regulation Program
   Chairman Genachowski's Response to Members of Congress Regarding the Commission's NPRM Implementing the Telephone Consumer Protection Act

CONTENT
   Free Trove of Music Scores on Web Hits Sensitive Copyright Note
   Searching for Details Online, Lawyers Facebook the Jury
   Online, ugly — yet free speech

TELECOM
   Verizon's Failed 911 Calls
   FCC Seeks Input on New Technologies Used by Consumers for Video Relay Services
   Chairman Genachowski's Response to Members of Congress Regarding the Commission's NPRM Implementing the Telephone Consumer Protection Act
   FCC's Genachowski Answers Concerns About Access Stimulation
   FCC's Genachowski on the Qwest-CenturyLink Merger
   FCC's Genachowski on the Hawaii Telecom waiver Request

HEALTH
   GAO: CMS should reconcile e-prescribing, EHR incentive reporting
   HHS funds seven state insurance exchange IT designs
   Louisiana fast tracks a statewide HIE

POLICYMAKERS
   FCC: 'Diversity czar' not a czar at all

STORIES FROM ABROAD
   Smart Dictators Don't Quash the Internet
   Home Internet May Get Even Faster in South Korea
   Huawei U-turn on US deal saves blushes
   China Co-Opts Social Media to Head Off Unrest
   Google Search Competitor in France Files EU Antitrust Complaint Over Ads
   Telecom New Zealand Says Some Network Sites Badly Damaged by Earthquake
   Arrests in Zimbabwe for Watching TV

MORE ONLINE
   Tech Dinner with the President
   Obama: Ensure next Google is made in America to create jobs
   Intel plans to add 4,000 workers this year
   Romer: Silicon Valley Can Help Nation Out of Slump
   The ‘Subscription Economy’ Is Growing, And It’s Bigger Than Just Media
   Acceptable Use Policies in Web 2.0 & Mobile Era
   The Other Book Revolution
   China Telecom's Fiber Plans
   Media Black Hole: So Much News That We'll Implode?

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CYBERSECURITY

CYBERSECURITY BILL REINTRODUCED
[SOURCE: National Journal, AUTHOR: Josh Smith]
Responding to charges that their legislation would establish an Internet "kill switch," the top members of the Senate Homeland Security Committee introduced legislation late Thursday that would specifically keep the president from shutting down the Internet. The committee's chairman, Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT), and ranking member, Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) joined Sen. Tom Carper (D-Delaware) in revising and reintroducing their Cybersecurity and Internet Freedom Act. The bill is almost identical to legislation proposed last year, but after concern that the bill could allow the president to control the Internet in an emergency, the three senators included language that prohibits the president from blocking all access to the Internet, as Egypt's government did during the recent protests. In another change from last year, the bill also allows operators of systems and assets that are deemed "critical infrastructure" to appeal any action taken under the act's provisions.
benton.org/node/51028 | National Journal
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NOW'S THE TIME TO TACKLE CYBERSECURITY
[SOURCE: nextgov, AUTHOR: James Langevin, Michael McCaul]
[Commentary] 2010 was another watershed year for cybersecurity. One of the most significant threats to our national security is the danger posed by hackers, organized crime syndicates and foreign powers operating in cyberspace. Events, from WikiLeaks' Cablegate to the Stuxnet computer worm have pushed cybersecurity deeper into the public's consciousness than perhaps ever before. The progress made hasn't been nearly enough, however. Our national response to these and other potential threats remains far below what is needed, and we remain drastically underprepared for the challenges we face. Many of the cyber threats that have taken root and grown beyond the headlines continue to fester due to a lack of attention from the legislative and executive branches and the private sector. The utilities that operate our critical infrastructure are unable to address what are seen as only "perceived" threats to our power grid. Our government continues to operate with vulnerable and outdated computers and there is no structure that governs coordination among our own federal agencies, much less our allies and partners overseas. Today, our nation stands largely unprepared to deal with the very real threats against not just our financial markets, power grids and military, but on our civil liberties and privacy as well. There are many passionate and smart voices, inside government and outside, that are committed to seeing the United States remain strong and secure as the digital domain increasingly shapes our reality. Two years ago President Obama made cybersecurity a priority. Now is the time for the administration and Congress to follow through. With legislative groundwork laid last year, the White House and leaders in the House and Senate have an opportunity to work in a bipartisan manner to bring our nation in line with the technological realities facing us online. We hope we can all rise to the challenge presented to us and pledge to work toward a more secure tomorrow. [Reps. James R. Langevin (D-RI) and Michael T. McCaul (R-TX) served as co-chairmen of the Center for Strategic and International Security's Commission on Cybersecurity]
benton.org/node/51026 | nextgov
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INTERNET/BROADBAND

FEDERAL CLOUD COMPUTING STRATEGY
[SOURCE: Government Computer News, AUTHOR: Kathleen Hickey]
Federal CIO Vivek Kundra’s recently released Federal Cloud Computing Strategy calls for about a quarter of federal IT spending to be committed to cloud systems. Additionally, under the Cloud First program, agencies will be required to move three services to the cloud within 18 months, adopt a cloud model wherever feasible and evaluate cloud options before making investments. An estimated $20 billion of the federal government’s $80 billion in IT spending could be used for cloud computing, Kundra said in the report. The agencies expected to spend the most on cloud technology are the Homeland Security and Treasury departments, at approximately $2.4 billion apiece, followed by the Defense, Veterans Affairs and Transportation departments. Funding for the move will be created through data center consolidation. Kundra anticipates a 30 percent reduction in data center infrastructure costs by moving to cloud solutions, with similar efficiencies in software applications and end-user support.
benton.org/node/51054 | Government Computer News | read the strategy
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NAVIGATION THE NBM
[SOURCE: ars technica, AUTHOR: Matthew Lasar]
The National Broadband Map has been released, but how can you use it? First, just go to the main page and type in an address. You'll receive a breakdown of all available broadband services around the building: wired and wireless. What can you do with this data? Well, one thing you might want to try is contacting these carriers to find out whether the map is accurate. If you find that one of the carriers listed doesn't actually provide service in the neighborhood you searched, you can tell the map that it's wrong. Or you can alert the map to an unmentioned ISP. But if you're okay with the data, the application lets you share it on Facebook, Tweet it, or create a tinyurl link to the page. This is the most practical thing you can do with the National Broadband Map—and it's definitely a service, in that it allows you to discover what kind of broadband plans are available in your area. But the site offers more ambitious researchers additional tools. Go over to the broadband technology section of the app and you can map out available ISP technologies by geographic area. For example, you can create a chart of all Fiber-to-the-End-user networks across the United States, and then drill down into specific places to see where Fiber-to-the-Home is available in your region. The process is a little bit unwieldy, but it works. One thing you learn pretty fast is that the Midwest is where the fiber is (hello Wichita and Indianapolis!). You can also map out your area via the various DSL flavors, DOCSIS cable, and fixed or mobile wireless. For broadband watchers who want to shame their politicians into encouraging more ISP deployment in their area, the map has excellent ranking capabilities. And the map also offers community snapshots of broadband services in any area.
benton.org/node/51067 | Ars Technica
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MAP ACCURACY QUESTIONED
[SOURCE: Government Technology, AUTHOR: Lauren Katims]
The National Broadband Map shows Alaska, Texas, Idaho and Nevada as the only states with U.S. Census tracts that have no ability to connect to the Internet. However, some Nevada Internet service providers apparently believe the first version of the map isn't an accurate representation of Internet accessibility in Nevada. “There are humungous errors in that map,” said Karen Pearl, executive director of the Nevada Telecommunications Association. The association represents various service providers in the state. “We’re ticked! That was a lot of effort, time and taxpayer money.” Connected Nation, a nonprofit public-private partnership, was contracted as the broadband mapping agent for 12 states and Puerto Rico, contributing nearly a quarter of the records that compose the national map. The Nevada map was created by Connect Nevada, a subsidiary of Connected Nation, which worked with each of the state’s broadband providers to create detailed maps of broadband coverage and to assess the current state of broadband adoption, community-by-community, across Nevada. The Nevada Telecommunications Association helped facilitate the data collection in the state. As with many new programs, traffic on the map website has been heavy since its initial launch Thursday, sometimes preventing the map from loading correctly — a possible explanation about the confusion about the data. “The data in the Connect Nevada map is the same data being used for the National Broadband Map,” Jessica Ditto, spokeswoman for Connected Nation, wrote in an e-mail. “We have received inquiries regarding how provider data is displayed across the two versions and we are working to investigate and respond to these questions. Due to the fact that the national map has only been available for 24 hours, we are currently investigating consumer and provider questions and will be offering clarifying answers as soon as we have more information," she said.
benton.org/node/51065 | Government Technology
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EXPLAINING NET NEUTRALITY VOTES
[SOURCE: The Hill, AUTHOR: Sara Jerome]
Rep. Scott Rigell (R-VA) was one of four Republicans to vote against an amendment that would defund Federal Communications Commission implementation of its network neutrality order. He voted against the amendment out of concerns about competition. Rep Jerry Lewis (R-CA) also voted in support of network neutrality rules -- by accident. He has issued an insert to the Congressional Record to say: I didn't mean it. Rep Henry Cuellar (D-TX) was one of four Democrats to vote to prevent FCC implementation of the new rules. He said: "Net neutrality creates unnecessary burdens on service providers, which will inevitably be passed on to consumers. We should be working to expand broadband access, especially to underserved communities; and not limiting expansion by creating an environment for imminent cost hikes." Rep Collin Peterson (D-MN) is the only Democrat to have voted for network neutrality rules in 2006, but also defunding the FCC's rules this year.
benton.org/node/51071 | Hill, The | The Hill - Lewis | The Hill - Cuellar
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SMART DICTATORS DON'T QUASH THE NET
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Evgeny Morozov]
[Commentary] The Egyptian experience suggests that social media can greatly accelerate the death of already dying authoritarian regimes. But while it's important to acknowledge the role that the Internet played in the Egyptian uprising, we shouldn't lose sight of the fact that the protesters were blessed with a government that didn't know a tweet from a poke—as illustrated most of all, perhaps, by its desperate (and belated) gambit in temporarily shutting off the country's access to the outside world. The lethal blow that the Internet has helped to deliver to the Mubarak regime is likely to push fellow tyrants to catch up on the latest developments in Silicon Valley and learn the ropes of online propaganda. The most urgent Internet question facing many dictators today is what to do about American social networking sites like Facebook. Many are bound to follow the lead of Russia and China, which have championed homegrown competitors. An online group calling for the overthrow of the Russian government wouldn't survive for long on Vkontakte, Russia's alternative to Facebook. Judging by the relative success of Moscow and Beijing in taming the democratic potential of the Web, it seems dictators learn fast and are perfectly capable of mastering the Internet. It's only by anticipating their response that those of us who care about democracy in the West can make their tough methods less effective. After all, these regimes have turned mostly to Western companies and consultants for advice about the technology of repression. Triumphalism about recent events in the Middle East is premature. The contest is still in its early stages, and the new age of Internet-driven democratization will endure only if we learn to counter the sophisticated measures now being developed to quash it.
benton.org/node/51074 | Wall Street Journal
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WIRELESS

WARNER INTRODUCES SPECTRUM BILL
[SOURCE: National Journal, AUTHOR: Josh Smith]
Sen Mark Warner (D-VA) introduced legislation that would authorize the Federal Communications Commission to hold incentive auctions to free up wireless spectrum. The auctions would allow license holders to return underused spectrum to the government, freeing the space for other wireless uses. Federal officials have estimated that such auctions could generation more than $100 billion in revenue over the next five years. What to do with that money, however, promises to be a divisive political question, said Paul Glenchur, a senior telecommunications analyst for Potomac Research Group. "The debate will be between those who want to use any extra money to decrease deficits, and those who support using it to fund new programs," he said. While the bill does not specify how the money would be used, Sen Warner said the funds could go toward a combination of causes, including deficit reduction, expanding access to high-speed Internet, or establishing a nation-wide broadband network for emergency responders. Sen Warner said this bill is just one element in his effort to reform spectrum policy. He also plans on introducing legislation to "encourage greater efficiencies in government uses of spectrum as well as creating incentives for other spectrum licensees to vacate underutilized spectrum."
benton.org/node/51063 | National Journal | The Hill | Broadcasting&Cable
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CELLPHONES ARE THE EYES OF PROTESTS
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Jennifer Preston, Brian Stelter]
For some of the protesters facing Bahrain’s heavily armed security forces in and around Pearl Square in Manama, the most powerful weapon against shotguns and tear gas has been the tiny camera inside their cellphones. By uploading images of this week’s violence in Manama, the capital, to Web sites like YouTube and yFrog, and then sharing them on Facebook and Twitter, the protesters upstaged government accounts and drew worldwide attention to their demands. A novelty less than a decade ago, the cellphone camera has become a vital tool to document the government response to the unrest that has spread through the Middle East and North Africa. Recognizing the power of such documentation, human rights groups have published guides and provided training on how to use cellphone cameras effectively. Now, news organizations regularly seek out, sift and publish such images. Authenticating them remains a challenge, since photos can be easily altered by computers and old videos can resurface again, purporting to be new. YouTube is using Storyful, a news aggregation site, to help manage the tens of thousands of videos that have been uploaded from the Middle East in recent weeks and to highlight notable ones on the CitizenTube channel. But journalists are not the only conduits. Cellphone images are increasingly being shared between users on mobile networks and social networking sites, and they are being broadly consumed on Web sites that aggregate video and images.
benton.org/node/51076 | New York Times
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TELEVISION

PROMOTING OVER-THE-AIR TV
[SOURCE: TVNewsCheck, AUTHOR: Harry Jessell]
[Commentary] Broadcast television may not be promoting the advantages of replacing cable and satellite with a rooftop antenna for a couple of reasons: fear of losing retransmission revenue and not wanting to alienate cable systems that advertise on their air. But one stations thinks it’s found a solution: convincing a local antenna installer to advertise. I'm guessing the station can generate more in revenue each month from antenna installers than the company will lose in retransmission revenue. And even if it doesn't, the station will benefit in ways harder to calculate: from strengthening broadcasting as a local advertising medium, weakening rival cable and sending the message to Washington that broadcasting is here to stay.
benton.org/node/51034 | TVNewsCheck
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TELECOM

VERIZON'S FAILED 911 CALLS
[SOURCE: Federal Communications Commission, AUTHOR: Jamie Barnett]
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is asking Verizon for answers on why 10,000 calls to 911 did not make it through during a snowstorm last month. The FCC asked whether the problem can occur elsewhere along with a list of questions about why the incident occurred. A response is requested by March 10 and for a meeting within two weeks.
benton.org/node/51031 | Federal Communications Commission | read the letter | The Hill
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FCC SEEKS COMMENT ON APPLICATION OF NEW AND EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES FOR VIDEO RELAY SERVICE USE
[SOURCE: Federal Communications Commission, AUTHOR: ]
The Federal Communications Commission is asking for information about the new and off-the-shelf technologies that can be used to access Video Relay Service (VRS), such as Skype, Apple Facetime, etc. The FCC wants input on the following:
What specific features or functions of off-the-shelf equipment, services, and software are needed to effectively use VRS?
What broadband speeds and frames-per-second transmission rates are necessary for acceptable video quality?
What lux level ratings are required for a camera to produce acceptable images in low light settings?
What other features must a camera have (e.g., pan, zoom, tilt)? How much jitter (lateral and angular) is tolerable?
To what extent are consumers currently using off-the-shelf video communication software and/or platforms in connection with VRS?
How often do consumers use these technologies (e.g., Skype, Apple FaceTime) as compared to equipment and software issued by VRS providers for point-to-point communications?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of the off-the-shelf technologies compared to technologies provided by VRS providers? For example, are there specific functionalities ­ for either VRS or point-to-point communications ­ that these technologies offer that are not available on devices issued by providers? What are the current limitations of such technologies (e.g., with respect to interoperability, numbering, emergency services) and to what extent do such limitations impede their use by persons who rely on VRS?
Do such off-the-shelf technologies comply with the FCC’s current rules? If they do not comply, in what ways do they not comply?
Should the FCC’s rules be modified in any way to provide more flexibility to VRS users to utilize off-the-shelf equipment, and if so, how?
benton.org/node/51029 | Federal Communications Commission | COAT
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POLICYMAKERS

"DIVERSITY CZAR"
[SOURCE: Politico, AUTHOR: Eliza Krigman]
The House passed an amendment to defund the Federal Communications Commission’s so-called “diversity czar.” But the FCC says their diversity chief is actually not a “czar” at all. Mark Lloyd is a chief diversity officer and associate counsel in the office of General Counsel, not a czar, a senior FCC official said. Conservative critics of Lloyd, who previously worked for the Center for American Progress, dubbed him the “diversity czar” back in 2009 when he was appointed to the newly created position. Glenn Beck has characterized Lloyd as an extremist who wants government control of media, and Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.), chairman of the telecommunications subcommittee, has expressed concern about his past. Hardline conservatives have taken issue with his past as a civil rights activist. The FCC defended Lloyd’s work. “For more than 18 months, Mark Lloyd has helped the commission pursue a congressional objective [to promote diversity in communications by] contributing on many important initiatives ­ like working to bridge the digital divide by increasing broadband adoption among hard-pressed Americans,” a senior FCC official said.
benton.org/node/51059 | Politico | The Hill | National Journal
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Huawei U-turn on US deal saves blushes

Huawei’s unexpected decision to capitulate to US demands to unwind a $2m patent deal has spared the Chinese telecommunications equipment maker from a potentially devastating judgment from President Barack Obama on the threat the company posed to US security.

Huawei revealed on Feb 18 that it would comply with the recommendations of a secretive US government panel that reviews foreign transactions, known as Cfius, and divest patents it acquired from 3Leaf, a small US company, last May. It was a reversal from the company’s position less than a week earlier, when it declared that it was seeking a final ruling on the deal from Mr Obama, who has the sole legal authority to issue such decisions on foreign deals under US law. But the incident has damaged the company’s reputation and global ambitions by revealing the skepticism with which US government officials view Huawei’s expansion plans. These came to light in 2008 when a planned acquisition of 3Com, a US router and switch maker, was scuppered for similar reasons. The Chinese group has since spent millions trying to improve the relationship. Analysts and attorneys unanimously agreed that President Obama would have sided with his national security advisers in the case and forced Huawei to abandon the transaction.

New Broadband Map Has Flaws

[Commentary] The National Broadband Map leaves a lot to be desired.

It is frustrating to see that after two years of work, some of the information is incomplete, incorrect or out of date. There's much you might like to know that the map and its accompanying database don't provide, most notably how much broadband services cost in your area. The map just launched, so it is likely to get better over time. The government is allowing anyone to download and use the database and is providing tools to allow other websites to access the map and data. It also is taking input from consumers to identify errors that will be corrected in updates. Here's hoping that the government regulators follow through on those revisions and seriously consider updating the site more often. Because the National Broadband Map has the potential to be a very useful tool for consumers -- but it's not there yet.

Romer: Silicon Valley Can Help Nation Out of Slump

Silicon Valley's tech companies are well-positioned to help the nation innovate its way out of the current slump, Christina Romer, President Barack Obama's former top economic adviser, told an audience of valley leaders Feb 18. But Romer, teaching again at UC Berkeley after two years as chairwoman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, warned that the country faces a bigger challenge than recovering from recession: a huge, long-term deficit from paying for the health care costs of an aging baby boomer generation.

"Government is going to have to change its free-spending, inadequate-taxing ways," she told an audience of about 1,000 people gathered at the McEnery Convention Center in San Jose for Joint Venture: Silicon Valley's 2011 State of the Valley Conference. The tax code needs reforming, she said, but "it's very clear" that tax cuts for the wealthy do not result in economic growth. They "just make the very wealthy even wealthier," she said. Romer said she's frustrated that so much of the rhetoric in Washington has been about cutting discretionary, nondefense spending, which she said represents about 15 percent of the federal budget. That debate is a "distraction" from the task of dealing with the long-term deficit, which she described as "a slow-moving train wreck that everyone can see coming years in advance."

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