November 26, 2013 (Will the NSA be reformed?)
BENTON'S COMMUNICATIONS-RELATED HEADLINES for TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2013
For updates all day long, follow us on Twitter @benton_fdn
GOVERNMENT & COMMUNICATIONS
Will the NSA be reformed? - op-ed
End the NSA Dragnet, Now - op-ed
NSA May Have Hit Internet Companies at a Weak Spot
Google Acts To Prevent Snooping By NSA [links to web]
NSA Spying Risks $35 Billion in US Technology Sales
EU accuses US of improperly trawling citizens’ online data
Spies worry over "doomsday" cache stashed by ex-NSA contractor Snowden
Spy World Links, Obama Ties Stoke Concern Over NSA Panel
Tech Companies Help Make NSA Surveillance Possible -- and They Can Help Stop It, Too - analysis [links to web]
Digital Disappointment: Why Are The Telcos MIA in the NSA Debate? - analysis
Map Shows the NSA's Massive Worldwide Malware Operations [links to web]
Zuckerberg: Government 'blew it' on data collection [links to web]
USA Today, News Tribune Won't Publish White House Photos [links to web]
EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS
Time Ticking for States to Opt In or Out of FirstNet
House Communications and Technology Subcommittee Continues Oversight of FirstNet - press release
Tracking System Prepares New York to Evacuate Patients in Emergencies [links to web]
WIRELESS/SPECTRUM
Airwaves Deal With Pentagon Called Near by Broadcasters
AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon Dropping Most Premium Text Service Billing in Effort to Combat Fraud
FCC Speed Test App: First Results - press release [links to web]
Mobility Fund Phase I Support for 218 Winning Bids Ready to be Authorized - public notice [links to web]
Mobile Crammers Settle FTC Charges of Unauthorized Billing - press release [links to web]
Unhappy about Airborne Cell Phones? Don't Call the FCC. - analysis [links to web]
Trade deal would imperil unlocking of phones [links to web]
Shift to 4G networks faster than previous generations [links to web]
INTERNET/TELECOM
FCC Chair Moves Forward On The Phone Transition: What To Expect For The Next Few Months.
The End of the Beginning of the IP Transition - press release
Helping Low-Income Seniors Build A Social Web Online
Akamai: U.S. Broadband Connectivity Plateau?
Expanding Broadband Access to Businesses Nationwide - press release
Broadband Availability in the Workplace - press release
New judges could give a net neutrality appeal a fighting chance
Comcast + Time Warner Cable: One Broadband Giant to Rule Them All? - analysis
In search of bigger bandwidth
Universities still reviewing hyper-speed Internet
Windstream asks FCC to investigate AT&T's special access increase proposals [links to web]
New Jersey Goes All In, Online - editorial [links to web]
TELEVISION/RADIO
Chairman Rockefeller Asks FCC To Proceed With Caution on TV Mergers
No End in Sight for Retransmission Fee Increases, Projected to Reach $7.6 Billion [links to web]
Localore: Hearing new voices [links to web]
EDUCATION
Educators Weigh iPad's Dominance of Tablet Market [links to web]
GOVERNMENT PERFORMANCE
How will we know the Obamacare site is fixed? [links to web]
AGENDA
A Look at Some of the Key Media Bills Being Introduced [links to web]
POLICYMAKERS
FCC Chairman Wheeler Announces Senior Staff Appointments - press release
FCC Commissioner Clyburn Names Adonis Hoffman Chief of Staff and Senior Legal Advisor - Media - press release [links to web]
COMPANY NEWS
What Tribune's latest consolidation means for newspaper sales [links to web]
LightSquared Plans May Not Work, U.S. Trustee Says [links to web]
STORIES FROM ABROAD
Trade deal would imperil unlocking of phones [links to web]
Mideast operators join race for African telecoms [links to web]
In Myanmar, Newly Free Media Struggle to Turn a Profit [links to web]
Amazon Workers in Germany Strike [links to web]
MORE ONLINE
Experts rank the top 10 global trends [links to web]
GOVERNMENT & COMMUNICATIONS
WILL NSA BE REFORMED?
[SOURCE: Los Angeles Times, AUTHOR: Doyle McManus]
[Commentary] Remember Edward Snowden? For a while, the National Security Agency's renegade contractor seemed like the most influential man in American intelligence, even though he's been hiding out in Moscow. Snowden's disclosures touched off a wave of enthusiasm in Congress for reforming the NSA's surveillance practices -- and anger overseas when he revealed that American spies were listening to foreign leaders' cellphone calls. But now, as Congress counts only a few working days remaining in its year, the momentum toward intelligence reform has slowed. "It's often not a good idea to legislate when you're angry," said Michael Allen, a former chief aide to the House Intelligence Committee. "The [congressional] leadership may want this issue to cool down a bit." And that suits the intelligence agencies just fine. "The best outcome from our standpoint is that nothing changes," said a former top official. Snowden probably hasn't released the last of his purloined documents. The U.S. intelligence community still faces unpleasant surprises from his next disclosures, a battle in Congress over competing proposals for reform, and a long road to restoring public confidence. More disclosure isn't the only answer to those challenges. But when it's happening anyway, thanks to a renegade contractor, it would be a useful start.
benton.org/node/168763 | Los Angeles Times
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END NSA DRAGNET
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Sen Ron Wyden (D-OR), Sen Mark Udall (D-CO), Sen Martin Heinrich (D-NM)]
[Commentary] The framers of the Constitution declared that government officials had no power to seize the records of individual Americans without evidence of wrongdoing, and they embedded this principle in the Fourth Amendment. The bulk collection of Americans’ telephone records -- so-called metadata -- by the National Security Agency is, in our view, a clear case of a general warrant that violates the spirit of the framers’ intentions. This intrusive program was authorized under a secret legal process by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, so for years American citizens did not have the knowledge needed to challenge the infringement of their privacy rights. The usefulness of the bulk collection program has been greatly exaggerated. We have yet to see any proof that it provides real, unique value in protecting national security. In spite of our repeated requests, the NSA has not provided evidence of any instance when the agency used this program to review phone records that could not have been obtained using a regular court order or emergency authorization. Congress needs to preserve the agencies’ ability to collect information that is actually necessary to guard against threats to our security. But it also needs to preserve the right of citizens to be free from unwarranted interference in their lives, which the framers understood was vital to American liberties.
benton.org/node/168762 | New York Times
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WEAK SPOT FOR INTERNET COMPANIES
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Nicole Perlroth, John Markoff]
The recent revelation that the National Security Agency was able to eavesdrop on the communications of Google and Yahoo users without breaking into either companies’ data centers sounded like something pulled from a Robert Ludlum spy thriller. People knowledgeable about Google and Yahoo’s infrastructure say they believe that government spies bypassed the big Internet companies and hit them at a weak spot — the fiber-optic cables that connect data centers around the world that are owned by companies like Verizon Communications, the BT Group, the Vodafone Group and Level 3 Communications. In particular, fingers have been pointed at Level 3, the world’s largest so-called Internet backbone provider, whose cables are used by Google and Yahoo. The Internet companies’ data centers are locked down with full-time security and state-of-the-art surveillance, including heat sensors and iris scanners. But between the data centers -- on Level 3’s fiber-optic cables that connected those massive computer farms -- information was unencrypted and an easier target for government intercept efforts, according to three people with knowledge of Google’s and Yahoo’s systems who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
benton.org/node/168761 | New York Times
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EU SAFE HARBOR DECISION
[SOURCE: Financial Times, AUTHOR: James Fontanella-Khan]
Brussels is to warn Washington that US tech companies risk losing their exemption from privacy rules unless the US changes the way it treats EU citizens’ online data. A European Commission review of the “safe harbour” pact that allows US technology groups such as Google, Facebook and Microsoft to operate in Europe without EU oversight will conclude that Washington has improperly forced US companies to hand over European customers’ data. It also says that breaches of the data deal have given US tech companies a competitive advantage over European rivals. Although the review, which will be unveiled on Nov 27, stops short of calling for the safe harbour agreement to be scrapped, its wording signals that the EU will move in that direction unless the US changes the way that it uses data held by companies on EU citizens. A scrapping of the safe harbour deal is one of the most formidable weapons the EU has in its arsenal to punish the Obama administration after claims of snooping on Europeans by the National Security Agency.
benton.org/node/168758 | Bloomberg
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NSA TORPEDOED LIBERTY
[SOURCE: The Hill, AUTHOR: Josh Mendelsohn]
[Commentary] Many people think of Edward Snowden as a traitor. Others see him as hero acting in the name of vigilante justice. The controversy generally swirls around the idea of patriotism: was Snowden a traitor or a misunderstood patriot? What commentators miss is the lack of patriotism demonstrated by our own National Security Agency. Ultimately, the harm the NSA has caused to US commerce and freedom of information transactions will be the most disastrous consequence of this whole affair. Snowden will have been but a bit player. The impact of existing revelations -- nevermind those to come -- are grave. Countries across the world now have an excuse to pull back the freedom of exchange that had made the internet such a powerful tool. By ruthlessly tapping network connections, bypassing judicial process, providing zero transparency and, worst of all, hacking the internal networks of domestic internet companies like Google and Yahoo!, the United States Government gave up the moral high-ground. By doing so, we gave other developed countries an excuse to restrict the traffic and services of American businesses and users. Meanwhile, US SaaS (software as a service) companies -- previously among the most successful in the world -- find themselves under threat as international rivals race to fill the void. In addition to help from Congress, US tech companies must carry the burden. We must secure networks, perform comprehensive audits, integrate advanced encryption regimes, and re-earn the trust of users. Importantly, we must also ensure that regulatory authorities and governments around the world understand that the internet has been a force for great social good. Our constitution serves as a reminder of the freedoms that solidified a young nation and helped us to become an influential player on the global stage; we must act now to ensure the continuance of these values despite the changing landscape of the digital age.
[Mendelsohn is co-founder of Engine, a start-up advocacy organization]
benton.org/node/168756 | Financial Times
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SPIES WORRY OVER "DOOMSDAY" CACHE STASHED BY EX-NSA CONTRACTOR SNOWDEN
[SOURCE: Reuters, AUTHOR: Mark Hosenball]
British and US intelligence officials say they are worried about a "doomsday" cache of highly classified, heavily encrypted material they believe former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden has stored on a data cloud. The cache contains documents generated by the NSA and other agencies and includes names of US and allied intelligence personnel, seven current and former US officials and other sources briefed on the matter said. The data is protected with sophisticated encryption, and multiple passwords are needed to open it, said two of the sources, who like the others spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters. Spokespeople for both NSA and the US Office of the Director of National Intelligence declined to comment. One source described the cache of still unpublished material as Snowden's "insurance policy" against arrest or physical harm. US officials and other sources said only a small proportion of the classified material Snowden downloaded during stints as a contract systems administrator for NSA has been made public. Some Obama Administration officials have said privately that Snowden downloaded enough material to fuel two more years of news stories. "The worst is yet to come," said one former US official who follows the investigation closely.
benton.org/node/168731 | Reuters
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SPY WORLD LINKS, OBAMA TIES STOKE CONCERN OVER NSA PANEL
[SOURCE: Bloomberg, AUTHOR: Margaret Talev]
Working in secret like the programs they’re reviewing, five men with high-level security clearances and ties to President Barack Obama will soon deliver a report that’s likely to reshape US government surveillance. The group, which is scrutinizing the data harvesting by the National Security Agency, relies on the government’s spy office -- the very people it’s supposed to be examining -- for its staff and logistics. While that may be the safest way to handle sensitive materials, it also limits contrarian viewpoints, say people alarmed by the surveillance disclosures. “This is a panel of Administration insiders and therefore lacks credibility as a panel of independent reviewers,” said Sascha Meinrath, director of the Open Technology Institute at the New America Foundation in Washington, who participated in a Sept. 9 meeting with the review group. Credibility is vital because recommendations by the Review Group on Intelligence and Communications, if adopted by President Obama, could have consequences for Google, Microsoft, Facebook and Apple, among other technology companies.
benton.org/node/168455 | Bloomberg
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DIGITAL DISAPPOINTMENT: WHY ARE THE TELCOS MIA IN THE NSA DEBATE?
[SOURCE: New America Foundation, AUTHOR: Kevin Bankston]
[Commentary] Who hasn’t stepped up to support surveillance transparency, much less surveillance reform? Who, despite -- or because of -- being as deeply involved as anyone can be in the National Security Agency’s dragnet, has had nothing to say other than “no comment”? The telcos. In the current debate over NSA spying, the telecommunications companies (telcos) that provide all of us with our telephone and Internet service, the giant corporations like AT&T and Verizon that own the phone lines and cell towers and fiber optic cables and Internet exchange points that carry all of our data -- and that the NSA is tapping into -- are nowhere to be seen. The telcos’ failure to work with the privacy community to protect their users against government overreach, in contrast with the Internet companies who’ve joined our coalition, is especially disappointing considering that they are the ones who should be helping the most. It’s no surprise the telcos aren’t fans of transparency reporting by companies. Their numbers would stink. They’d have to tattle on their friends in the intelligence community. And the industry is highly regulated by the Federal Communications Commission. It needs the Justice Department to approve its mergers. It has a well-established revolving door between its legal compliance teams and the law enforcement and intelligence communities. And, of course, the U.S. government is the industry’s single biggest client, with huge contracts -- not least with the Defense Department. So, why rock the boat? One final reason why the telcos haven’t sided with the Internet companies and their users in the NSA debate is that they haven’t been under the same economic pressure. [Kevin Bankston is Policy Director of the Open Technology Institute at the New America Foundation]
benton.org/node/168444 | New America Foundation
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EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS
TIME TICKING FOR STATES TO OPT IN OR OUT OF FIRSTNET
[SOURCE: Government Technology, AUTHOR: Steve Towns]
Within the next year or two, governors will need to decide if they want to join the federal government’s new nationwide public safety communications network. And although the decision may seem far away, now is the time to prepare. The First Responder Network Authority -- the independent federal entity better known as FirstNet -- is in the process of drawing up specific network designs for each state. Right now, a federal grant program is paying states to tally potential users and inventory radio towers and other gear that could be used by the network. Once those network plans hit governors’ desks, the clock starts ticking. Under federal legislation signed in 2012, states have 90 days to opt into or out of the plan. The goal of the new broadband network is to finally put the nation’s emergency responders on a common communications platform, eliminating potentially deadly situations where police or fire agencies from different jurisdictions can’t talk to each other during major disasters. But to deliver on those promises, FirstNet needs to offer a national service that’s better than existing networks used by state and local agencies. That won’t be easy. And if states don’t like what they see? Rejecting the plan presents its own set of challenges. Opting out of FirstNet doesn’t mean the network won’t come to your state; it just means the feds won’t build it for you. Instead, you’ll build your own network -- following standards that allow it to plug into the national network -- and pick up at least 20 percent of the cost. States opting out will have just 180 days to get their own network plans approved by the Federal Communications Commission and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, and then release a request for proposals for the project. Furthermore, governors may not be able to make the opt-out decision alone, says Bill Schrier, who, as a senior policy adviser to the Washington state CIO, serves as point man for the FirstNet deployment there. “Let’s suppose that it costs $100 million to build the network in Washington state,” Schier says. “If the governor opts out, he needs to cough up at least $20 million. That typically would require legislative authorization.”
benton.org/node/168472 | Government Technology
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HOUSE COMMUNICATIONS AND TECHNOLOGY SUBCOMMITTEE CONTINUES OVERSIGHT OF FIRSTNET
[SOURCE: House of Representatives Commerce Committee, AUTHOR: Press release]
The House Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, chaired by Rep. Greg Walden (R-OR), continued its oversight of the development and build out of FirstNet and other emergency communications networks. FirstNet is a nationwide, interoperable broadband public safety network created by the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012. Members heard from FirstNet and private sector entities that are working to implement this nationwide public safety network. The hearing also reviewed other emergency communications technologies to better understand how their development can improve the capabilities of first responders across the nation. “While there is significant work to be done to ensure that the states are partners, not customers, of FirstNet, it appears that FirstNet has made progress in reaching out to state, tribal, and local jurisdictions along these lines,” explained Chairman Walden. “We cannot afford to have this effort fail to produce a network, or worse, have this network deployed and then have no one show up to use it.” He added, “Today, we are asking our witnesses ’what is working, what isn’t working, and how can we help?’”
benton.org/node/168433 | House of Representatives Commerce Committee
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WIRELESS/SPECTRUM
AIRWAVES DEAL WITH PENTAGON CALLED NEAR BY BROADCASTERS
[SOURCE: Bloomberg, AUTHOR: Todd Shields]
US broadcasters said they’re near an agreement to share frequencies with the Defense Department, a move that could help free airwaves for use by mobile providers led by Verizon Wireless and AT&T. Broadcasters and the military “were able to arrive at a framework,” said Rick Kaplan, an executive vice president with the National Association of Broadcasters. The trade group is “very confident” details will be resolved, he said. The Pentagon will assign some of its functions to airwaves now used by broadcast television for live coverage of sporting events and emergencies, Kaplan said. The block cleared of defense functions can be added to frequencies to be offered for competitive auction by 2014 by the Federal Communications Commission. “This arrangement allows the FCC to hold a successful auction while ensuring that local TV stations retain essential emergency news gathering spectrum,” said NAB President Gordon Smith. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration, which coordinates federal airwaves use, in a letter proposed altering frequency assignments to accommodate the proposed changes. The letter to the FCC was signed by Karl Nebbia, as associate administrator at NTIA.
benton.org/node/168730 | Bloomberg | NTIA announcement | NTIA letter | Sen Thune | Reps Upton and Walden
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AT&T, SPRINT, T-MOBILE, VERIZON DROPPING MOST PREMIUM TEXT SERVICE BILLING IN EFFORT TO COMBAT FRAUD
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Ina Fried]
All four major US carriers said that they will stop billing for most premium text messages, acknowledging such services had become a significant gateway for fraud. Vermont’s attorney general, along with regulators in 44 other states, had been looking into the issue of unauthorized third-party services, known as “cramming.” “While [premium text] has some benefits, like charitable giving, it is also a major contributor to the current mobile cramming problem,” Vermont Attorney General Bill Sorrell said. “We are pleased that AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile have decided to stop the flow of money from the pockets of ordinary people to the bank accounts of scam artists. We’re hopeful the other carriers will soon follow their lead.” Most of the carriers will still allow customers to donate to charitable causes, political campaigns or both, while ending most other paid test messaging. This doesn’t eliminate other text options, like voting on “American Idol,” which use standard text messaging. Verizon is also discontinuing the practice, though it was not part of the Vermont announcement. “While we don’t agree with all of the attorney general’s allegations, we respect his efforts in this area,” Verizon general counsel William Petersen said. (Nov 21)
benton.org/node/168456 | Wall Street Journal
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INTERNET/TELECOM
FCC CHAIR MOVES FORWARD ON THE PHONE TRANSITION
[SOURCE: Public Knowledge, AUTHOR: Harold Feld]
[Commentary] Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler started out strong, with good opening remarks and a staff prepared to start working immediately on the major issues. But even I was surprised at his recent blog post, announcing his intent to get an Order out on the transition of the phone system by January 2014. We’ve taken the position that (a) it’s a good thing to upgrade our phone system; (b) we need to make sure that the same social values that made our phone network totally awesome for everyone for the last 100 years guide this transition and form the foundation for whatever new rules and policies we adopt; and, (c) this needs to be an upgrade for everyone, not an upgrade for some and a downgrade for others. In addition, we need to make sure things do not get screwed up in the transition. Instead of looking at state and federal oversight of the transition as a negative, people need to recognize that state and federal oversight are what prevent potential disasters like Fire Island from going critical. Chairman Wheeler explicitly embraces Commissioner Rosenworcel’s 4 Key Values for the IP Transition: “[a]s we develop a new policy framework for IP networks, we must keep in mind the four enduring values that have always informed communications law — public safety, universal access, competition, and consumer protection.” Although we at Public Knowledge embrace a “Five Fundamental Values” Framework, we see substantial overlap between our framework and that of Commissioner Rosenworcel’s. Chairman Wheeler highlights these values as critical to his vision of the “Network Compact” constituting the rights of users and the responsibilities of network operators. Having praised the work done prior to his arrival, Chairman Wheeler also makes clear that his decision to move forward rapidly does not in any way imply criticism of his predecessors. Also, by taking something from each Commissioner, he shows his desire to move forward in a collegial manner that will -- hopefully -- have buy in from a unanimous FCC.
benton.org/node/168728 | Public Knowledge
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THE END OF THE BEGINNING
[SOURCE: AT&T, AUTHOR: Bob Quinn]
Much has been written over the 12 months that have passed since AT&T filed its request for the Federal Communications Commission to oversee trials to facilitate the industry’s continued transition from aging communication platforms and services to new services based fully on Internet Protocol (“IP”). One important highlight in all that has been written is the vast number of customers, both business and residential, that already have made the transition. But to paraphrase Sir Winston Churchill, this is not the end of the transition, it is not even the beginning of the end of the transition, but it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning of the transition. We have been very clear about our efforts to transform our network to one that is all Internet Protocol (IP). The first step of that plan is to align the commitments we make to our customers with the goal of transitioning to an all-IP network. That is why today we have taken a step to make sure that multi-year commitments we enter into for aging TDM-based services reflect the on-going transition to IP and do not extend beyond the expected completion of our transition in 2020. Taking this step ensures we keep the commitments we enter into with our customers. In industry jargon, we are “grandfathering” these longer term plans for TDM-based services (i.e., allow those that have it to keep it but not enter in to new long term plans for these services). The tariff changes will grandfather DS1 and DS3 term plans greater than 36 months, including ones that have term periods as long as seven years. These changes are scheduled to become effective on December 10, 2013. Other tariffed term plans of shorter durations will continue to be available to all customers. Importantly, customers also will continue to have the opportunity to negotiate individualized contracts with AT&T to obtain these services.
benton.org/node/168492 | AT&T
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HELPING LOW-INCOME SENIORS BUILD SOCIAL WEB ONLINE
[SOURCE: National Public Radio, AUTHOR: ]
The Internet is often considered the realm of the young. But in the US, people over 65 are one of the fastest-growing groups to go online and social media usage among seniors has soared. A program in Washington, D.C., is designed to bring more seniors online, especially those who are socially isolated. The Connecting to Community training program is sponsored by the AARP Foundation in partnership with the nonprofit Older Adults Technology Services, Comcast and the D.C. social services organization Family Matters of Greater Washington. It puts the latest digital tools in the hands of low-income, older Americans to help them combat loneliness and develop social connections through social media and other online offerings. The program's pilot run just finished in Washington, D.C., and while the free iPad tablets the students received were brand new, some of the people using them were born decades before Bill Gates or Steve Jobs were out of diapers.
benton.org/node/168726 | National Public Radio
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AKAMAI: US BROADBAND CONNECTIVITY PLATEAU?
[SOURCE: telecompetitor, AUTHOR: Joan Engebretson]
US broadband connectivity rates showed virtually no change between the first and second quarter of 2013, according to the latest Akamai State of the Internet Report. The average US broadband connection speed was 8.7 Mbps in the second quarter, Akamai said. That’s virtually unchanged from first quarter when the average speed was 8.6 Mbps. The percentage of US broadband users connecting at speeds above 10 Mbps also was virtually unchanged, measuring 24% compared with 25% in first quarter, when it saw a 14% jump from the previous quarter. Akamai also found relatively small changes when it looked at the data on a state-by-state basis. The District of Columbia had the highest average connection speed in second quarter. But its average connection rate of 11.4 Mbps was lower than that of the top state from first quarter. In first quarter, Vermont had the highest average connection rate, which measured 12.7 Mbps.
benton.org/node/168718 | telecompetitor
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EXPANDING BROADBAND ACCES TO BUSINESSES NATIONWIDE
[SOURCE: National Telecommunications and Information Administration, AUTHOR: Press Release]
Just as more Americans are finding broadband essential to life at work and home, most businesses also need high-speed Internet service to remain competitive. The nation has made good headway in efforts to expand broadband access to work places, according to a new report from the US Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and Economic and Statistics Administration (ESA). Nearly all jobs in the United States are located in areas with at least basic wired or wireless broadband service, which is defined as service with an advertised download speed of 3 megabits per second (Mbps) and an upload speed of 768 kilobits per second (Kbps), according to the report. Using data collected by NTIA’s State Broadband Initiative (SBI) and the Census Bureau, which is part of ESA, the report also finds that between 2011 and 2012 the number of jobs located in areas with access to broadband download service speeds of 50 Mbps or greater increased from 56 percent to 75 percent. Employers located in areas that have robust broadband may have an advantage compared with otherwise similar competitors. Manufacturing jobs, which make up 9.2 percent of all jobs in 2010, are more concentrated in “Very Rural” or “Exurban” areas, as defined in the report, where there is less high-speed broadband available. In 2012, 69 percent of manufacturing jobs were in areas with 50 Mbps or greater download service compared to 75 percent of all jobs. Still, there has been progress in recent years in bringing high-speed broadband to these areas. In 2011, only 49 percent of manufacturing jobs had access to broadband at these speeds. Access to broadband with download speeds of 50 Mbps or greater in Very Rural areas grew from only 18 percent in 2011 to 33 percent in 2012, while in Exurbs, it went from 36 percent in 2011 to 53 percent in 2012.
benton.org/node/168480 | National Telecommunications and Information Administration |
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BROADBAND AVAILABILTY IN THE WORKPLACE
[SOURCE: National Telecommunications and Information Administration, AUTHOR: Press Release]
Building on previous work examining broadband availability across different geographies by population, this report examines broadband availability by job location. As in Broadband Availability, Beyond the Rural/Urban Divide, this report divides the United States into five categories based on degree of urbanization. Rather than examining broadband and general population levels, however, this report assesses the impact of broadband availability in the workplace. Virtually all jobs have access to very basic broadband speeds. However, jobs located in more rural communities have less access to high-speed broadband than more urban communities, for both upload and download speeds, and the gaps in availability generally are greater at higher speeds. This brief also examines two industries -- manufacturing and information. Manufacturing jobs, which are relatively concentrated in more rural communities, have less access to higher speed broadband than information jobs, which are concentrated in more urbanized communities.
benton.org/node/168478 | National Telecommunications and Information Administration | NTIA
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NEW JUDGES COULD GIVE A NET NEUTRALITY APPEAL A FIGHTING CHANCE
[SOURCE: GigaOm, AUTHOR: Stacey Higginbotham]
Any day now the DC Circuit Court is expected to rule on Verizon’s case against the Federal Communication Commission’s open internet order -- the network neutrality rules. Most analysts expect the court to reverse many parts of the FCC’s order, which would be a devastating blow to consumers and tech firms. But Stifel Nicolaus, a DC investment bank, notes that the expected confirmation for three new Democratic appointees to the DC Circuit Court will give the FCC a better chance of winning if it appeals the decision the current 3-judge panel makes. Which basically means more waiting.
benton.org/node/168476 | GigaOm
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COMCAST + TIME WARNER CABLE: ONE BROADBAND GIANT TO RULE THEM ALL?
[SOURCE: Time, AUTHOR: Sam Gustin]
Cable industry sharks are circling Time Warner Cable, the second largest cable TV company in the United States, which has become the subject of intense speculation that it might be purchased by one of its rivals. The latest scuttlebutt suggests that Comcast, the nation’s largest cable company, might pursue a joint bid for Time Warner Cable with Charter Communications, with plans to break it up. That news follows reports that Comcast is exploring the regulatory hurdles associated with buying Time Warner Cable outright, which sent the company’s shares soaring by 10%. Such a merger would be intensely scrutinized by the US government, including the Justice Department, which would address antitrust concerns, and the Federal Communications Commission, which would be charged with ensuring that the deal serves the public interest. Combining the number one and number two cable companies in the country would create a corporate behemoth with approximately 33 million customers. Comcast already owns NBCUniversal, one of the crown jewels of the media industry, after buying the company from industrial conglomerate General Electric in a highly controversial deal.
benton.org/node/168469 | Time | Fortune
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IN SEARCH OF BIGGER BANDWIDTH
[SOURCE: Sioux City Journal, AUTHOR: Nate Robson]
A push to expand high-speed Internet access in Iowa has gained the attention of rural school districts struggling to incorporate more technology into the classroom. In Storm Lake, Superintendent Carl Turner said ensuring Internet access for students outside of school and problems with inconsistent speeds in school limit the ability to get his 2,100 students online. The district is struggling to find enough bandwidth to accommodate students and staff looking to use mobile devices in class. Iowa has the worst ranking for high-speed Internet access compared with seven neighboring states, according to a 2012 TechNet State Broadband Index. Iowa ranks 34th nationally, while North Dakota at 18th and Minnesota at 19th lead the region. Illinois comes in at 24th, followed by South Dakota at 26th, Wisconsin, 29th, Missouri, 32nd and Nebraska, 33rd. John Stineman, executive director of the Heartland Technology Alliance, a regional advocacy group, said the lack of access is a quality-of-life issue that affects economic development and education. Connect Iowa, a nonprofit group that tracks Internet access in Iowa, estimates that about 680,000 Iowans don’t have broadband Internet service. “It’s a big issue and it’s not going to go away,” Stineman said. “The rural nature of Iowa and its small communities do present challenges, but Iowa is not alone.”
benton.org/node/168467 | Sioux City Journal
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UNIVERSITIES STILL REVIEWING HYPER-SPEED INTERNET
[SOURCE: Winston-Salem Journal, AUTHOR: Richard Craver]
The North Carolina Next Generation Network project is being billed as the fastest lane yet on the information superhighway. However, the process for launching the ultra-high speed Internet service in Winston-Salem and the Triangle appears to be moving along at a dial-up modem pace. The goal had been securing an Internet service provider by fall, which would design, build, operate and own the network, and have the network operational by mid-2014. “NCNNG is reviewing the proposals,” Eric Tomlinson, president of Wake Forest Innovation Quarter, said. “It’s a crucial opportunity/need.” Wake Forest University, along with Duke University, NC State University and UNC Chapel Hill, are establishing the network as part of the GiG.U initiative, which involves 37 universities nationwide. An advantage Winston-Salem has is that the potential network would be built on part of the high-tech foundation provided since 2001 by Winston-Net, a partnership of local governments, academic institutions and the Winston-Salem Chamber of Commerce. The network is a way to allow more people to have access to cloud technology at an affordable price, said Rick Matthews, an associate provost for technology and information systems at Wake Forest. The goal is providing wireless service, up to 100 times faster than typically available, at a potential cost of $70 to $100 a month. “It’s a potential driver for the academic and scientific sides of the university, including potentially giving us an advantage in recruiting more technology and life-sciences companies if it is done in a relative quick period of time,” Tomlinson said. The GiG.U initiative has drawn more than $200 million in private investment funding. There are 18 communities nationwide involved in the first phase.
benton.org/node/168464 | Winston-Salem Journal
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TELEVISION
SHARED SERVICES AGREEMENTS AND TV MERGERS
[SOURCE: Multichannel News, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) told Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler he thinks the FCC should delay decisions on recent broadcast mergers -- those include Sinclair purchases, Gannett/Belo and others -- until the Government Accountability Office has completed a report on the use of shared services agreements (SSAs). He also asked the FCC to look at use of the SSAs by those potential merged broadcast partners as it considers the deals, making sure to collect the necessary information to understand their impact on competition and consumers. Chairman Rockefeller said he was not taking a position on any of those deals in the pipeline. He wants the FCC to proceed with caution and said it "may be wise for the FCC to wait to approve any pending transaction that involves SSAs or related arrangements until GAO has completed its study and issued its report."
benton.org/node/168746 | Multichannel News | TVNewsCheck
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POLICYMAKERS
FCC CHAIRMAN WHEELER ANNOUNCES SENIOR STAFF APPOINTMENTS
[SOURCE: Federal Communications Commission, AUTHOR: Press Release]
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler announced the following senior appointments to Bureau and Office positions: Shannon Gilson, Communications Director and Head of the Office of Media Relations; Jonathan Chambers, Chief of the Office of Strategic Planning and Policy Analysis; Gary Epstein, Special Advisor to the Chairman on Incentive Auctions; John Leibovitz, Special Advisor to the Chairman for Spectrum Policy. [more at the URL below]
benton.org/node/168729 | Federal Communications Commission
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