February 7, 2014 (We Ain't Just Sucking Eggs)
BENTON'S COMMUNICATIONS-RELATED HEADLINES for FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2014
A look ahead to next week http://benton.org/calendar/2014-02-09--P1W/
INTERNET/TELECOM
FCC Chief Vows Not to 'Sit Around and Suck Eggs' on Phone Upgrade
What Comes Next in the IP Transition: Experiments and Research Targeted to Network Values - analysis
The FCC Gets Down to Details in IP Transition Trials - analysis
FCC to Launch Rural Broadband Trials
Rural Telecom Consolidation Trend Continues With Big USConnect Buy [links to web]
When It Comes To High-Speed Internet, US 'Falling Way Behind'
Minnesota’s Goals For Broadband Access Not Yet Met - Blandin Foundation press release [links to web]
FCC: The time is now to speed library broadband connections - analysis
Why Carriers Won't Win War On Netflix - op-ed
Comcast customer surprised to learn new router is also public hotspot
SPECTRUM/WIRELESS
California Bill Would Require Antitheft Technology for Cellphones
Shared spectrum is a pipe dream - AEI op-ed [links to web]
Iridium, Globalstar Pursue Customers With Satellite Wi-Fi [links to web]
Mid-Atlantic Broadband and Wireless ISP Deploy Green Wi-Fi [links to web]
TELEVISION
Congress must put TV viewers first - Public Knowledge op-ed
The $4.38 billion reason it’s so hard for US cord-cutters to watch the Olympics online
Broadcasters Call On Nielsen To Halt Rollout Of 'Hybrid' Local TV Measurement [links to web]
Aereo Reopens New York Online-TV Service to New Subscribers [links to web]
CNN pulls plug on programming for Latinos in US [links to web]
OWNERSHIP
Rep Waxman says he's still concerned about Tribune newspaper spinoff [links to web]
TELECOM REFORM
#CommActUpdate: Congress Should Focus on Competition, Consumer Choice - press release
GOVERNMENT AND COMMUNICATIONS
The Internet's Anti-NSA Revolt Starts Feb 11
Fighting for more #transparency - press release
Tech’s biggest players hire first NSA lobbyist [links to web]
For Yelp, an expanding push into politics [links to web]
FCC Won't Remove Link To 'Transitions' Site Just Yet [links to web]
PRIVACY/SECURITY
Target Data Breach Has Congress Eying Data-Security Alternatives [links to web]
The other security concern at Sochi Olympics: cyberthreats [links to web]
GOVERNMENT PERFORMANCE
House Commerce Committee Leaders Press Administration for Documents on Incomplete HealthCare.gov Appeals Program - press release [links to web]
COMPANY NEWS
Apple Repurchases $14 Billion of Own Shares in Two Weeks [links to web]
Google to own $750 million Lenovo stake after Motorola deal closes: HK exchange [links to web]
Google takes stand against anti-gay law at Sochi Winter Olympics [links to web]
You won’t believe Upworthy’s new way of measuring audience engagement until you read it [links to web]
STORIES FROM ABROAD
Amid Flow of Leaks, Turkey Moves to Crimp Internet
Russians Turning To Internet For Unbiased News - BBG press release [links to web]
The other security concern at Sochi Olympics: cyberthreats [links to web]
MORE ONLINE
When tech jobs don't last forever [links to web]
Unfazed, Houston Pushes Ahead on 1-to-1 Computing [links to web]
Digital Learning Day Ignites the Blended Flame - op-ed [links to web]
Utah Network of Cameras and Sensors Keeps Traffic Moving [links to web]
INTERNET/TELECOM
FCC CHAIRMAN WHEELER: AGENCY MUST ACCELERATE IP TRANSITION
[SOURCE: National Journal, AUTHOR: Brendan Sasso]
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler promised to move as quickly as possible to allow phone companies to upgrade to Internet-based networks. "If we sit around and suck eggs like the FCC did when they were thinking about should we use spectrum for cellular, we will have incredibly adverse consequences for the growth of this economy," Chairman Wheeler said at a policy summit hosted by National Journal. The comment was a shot at former FCC Commissioner and Chairman Robert E. Lee, who served from 1953 to 1981 and once said that people who called each other on cellphones were "frivolously using spectrum." But Chairman Wheeler also emphasized that his agency must be careful to apply regulatory safeguards to the new Internet-based phone systems. "You've got to make sure you preserve the values, you preserve consumer protection, you preserve and encourage competition. And those are neither easy tasks nor things to be taken lightly," he said. "We are the representatives of the people in the midst of a tumultuous change." He added that the FCC only has "one shot," so it must ensure that it gets it right. "You can't do a Gilda Radner on this -- 'Oh, never mind,'" Chairman Wheeler said.
benton.org/node/174094 | National Journal | Multichannel News
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MORE ON FCC’S IP EXPERIMENTS
[SOURCE: Benton Foundation, AUTHOR: Kevin Taglang]
[Commentary] In a previous post, we looked at the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) recent decision to invite voluntary, service-based experiments to evaluate how customers are affected by the historic technology transitions that are transforming our nation’s voice communications services. Those experiments will examine the impacts on consumer values when providers substitute a new technology or service for a legacy one, with an eye toward discontinuing the legacy service in the post-transition world. In this article, we examine the FCC’s additional proposals for targeted experiments and cooperative research to explore the impact of technology transitions that focus on universal access. These proof-of-concept initiatives are focused on new technologies for particular groups of consumers, aspects of network functions, or more effective ways to reach all Americans.
http://benton.org/node/174049
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THE FCC GETS DOWN TO DETAILS IN IP TRANSITION TRIALS
[SOURCE: Public Knowledge, AUTHOR: Jodie Griffin]
[Commentary] One important step in the transition of our phone network from traditional TDM-based technology to IP (and in some cases from copper networks to fiber or wireless) is to figure out exactly how those new technologies are going to impact consumers. The Federal Communications Commission has now set out plans for a series of experiments on various aspects of the network transition. Right off the bat, the FCC starts on the right foot by setting out the core values that establish the purpose of the trials: “public safety, ubiquitous and affordable access, competition, and consumer protection.” Public Knowledge agrees with this approach -- in fact, our own Five Fundamentals for the network transition agree with much of what the FCC has adopted. The FCC Order sets out three directions for the upcoming trials: 1) Voluntary Service-Based Experiments; 2) Targeted Experiments and Cooperative Research; and 3) Ongoing Data Initiative.
benton.org/node/174065 | Public Knowledge
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FCC TO LAUNCH RURAL BROADBAND TRIALS
[SOURCE: The Daily Yonder, AUTHOR: Tim Marema]
Small Internet providers that have been trying to tap federal funds to serve hard-to-reach rural customers are going to get a crack at some of that money, but their first step will be convincing the Federal Communications Commission there's demand for the funding. The FCC voted to launch an experimental program to allow surplus from the Connect America Fund to go to rural broadband providers that hadn’t previously been eligible for the support. The money will pay for pilot projects to help the FCC learn what approaches work best for expanding broadband service in rural areas. How much money will go into the pilot projects? The FCC hasn't decided yet. And here’s the catch: The commission is going to wait to see how many broadband providers are interested in the new source of support before they determine the overall funding for the experiment. “I think if we see a big expression of interest, we’ll set a bigger budget,” said Jonathan Chambers, the chief of the FCC’s Office of Strategic Planning and Policy Analysis. “We’ve got to hear from folks first, and I think we will. ... But if we don't hear anything, we'll learn something.” Rural broadband advocates say the field is up to the challenge. “This is a chance to show the FCC that there’s a lot of interest among rural providers for this funding,” said Edyael Casaperalta, coordinator of the Rural Broadband Policy Group and on staff at the Center for Rural Strategies.
benton.org/node/174064 | Daily Yonder, The
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WHEN IT COMES TO HIGH-SPEED INTERNET, US 'FALLING WAY BEHIND'
[SOURCE: National Public Radio, AUTHOR: ]
A Q&A with Susan Crawford, author of Captive Audience: The Telecom Industry and Monopoly Power in the Gilded Age. For an increasing number of Americans, access to high-speed Internet has become an essential part of our lives. We do work, email friends, find restaurants, watch videos and movies, and check the weather. And the Internet is increasingly used for important services, like video medical consults and online education, and is relied upon by businesses for critical operations. Under a recent court decision, Internet service providers, primarily cable companies, aren't required to treat all websites equally. They can make deals to provide faster service to some, or slow down sites that refuse to pay them extra fees. Crawford says you may be experiencing the effects of this -- without realizing it.
benton.org/node/174093 | National Public Radio
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THE TIME IS NOW TO SPEED LIBRARY BROADBAND CONNECTIONS
[SOURCE: American Library Association, AUTHOR: Marijke Visser, Larra Clark]
[Commentary] Invoking Thomas Jefferson as he helped open the 2014 Digital Learning Day at the Library of Congress, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler emphasized the crucial role of libraries as the “community on-ramp to the world of information.” He also turned the familiar refrain of E-rate as a program for schools and libraries to a program for libraries and schools. Chairman Wheeler reminded us that we “have a problem that must be fixed” when a majority of our schools and libraries connect at Internet speeds on par with the average US home. We agree with Chairman Wheeler that we can do better. What will it take for libraries? Clearly, we must focus on high-speed broadband, knowing that insufficient capacity is a very real barrier for modern libraries to meet growing community needs. This must be accomplished, however, through a phased transition rather than flash cuts. And we must bring capital investment to support high-capacity connections to libraries and schools where it currently is unavailable or unaffordable. What is the library of the future? We cannot predict perfectly, but we can see some trends. Libraries are moving to cloud-based services so users can access digital resources anywhere, anytime. Libraries digitize local histories – photographs, oral histories (sometimes in vanishing languages), and unique ephemera – and upload these collections to platforms accessible anywhere on the globe with an internet connection. How do we accommodate symmetrical upload and download speeds for multiples of users creating and sharing audio and video files in our digital learning labs? Today libraries provide video conferencing to connect remote users to resources otherwise out of reach. It may not be long before a video is part of a typical job interview or a college admission requirement. We are investigating library applications for Google Glass, so how do we account for that kind of device? Our libraries must be equipped so that no one is denied opportunity because of inadequate broadband.
[Visser is associate director of the American Library Association Program on Networks; Clark is program director, America’s Libraries for the 21st Century]
benton.org/node/174081 | American Library Association
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CARRIERS VS NETFLIX
[SOURCE: InformationWeek, AUTHOR: Jonathan Feldman]
[Commentary] It was only a matter of time. The simmer surrounding the hyped "death of Net neutrality" escalated to a boil when a blogger who works for a cloud startup claimed that Verizon is now using the opportunity to "wage war against Netflix" and other content providers. To be fair, it's not entirely clear whether the blogger was experiencing peering congestion or true rate limiting. You can't tell without more rigorous testing than the blogger was able to do. But under-the-covers traffic management is a common practice of any network operator. The bottom line is this: Even if Verizon or any other carrier hasn't tried to impede bandwidth-hogging traffic in this post-Net-neutrality world, the carriers will likely experiment with it. Would they be wolves if they left lambs alone? But they're not going to be able to get away with it because testing is relatively easy, content providers have deep pockets, and we have antitrust laws that address anticompetitive behavior. And so begins another arms race. Settle down for amusing and interesting times. Just know that the Internet ain't melting down anytime soon. [Feldman is Chief Information Officer for the City of Asheville (NC)]
benton.org/node/174102 | InformationWeek
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COMCAST CUSTOMER SURPRISED TO LEARN NEW ROUTER IS ALSO PUBLIC HOTSPOT
[SOURCE: ars technica, AUTHOR: Jon Brodkin]
Comcast started adding the public hotspot to its modems by default in mid-2013. Customers can turn the second signal off if they choose, but it's definitely an opt-out program rather than opt-in. Separate networks mean your bandwidth won't be shared, Comcast says. In an FAQ, Comcast doesn't provide instructions for turning it off manually. You have to call Comcast for that. Presumably, a customer service representative will try to talk you out of disabling it. “We encourage all subscribers to keep this feature enabled as it allows more people to enjoy the benefits of XFINITY Wi-Fi around the neighborhood," the company says. Furthermore, Comcast promises that the second network won't slow your primary connection down, at least not much. "The broadband connection to your home will be unaffected by the XFINITY Wi-Fi feature," the company says. Comcast's own statements make it obvious that the company isn't going out of its way to help customers turn the hotspot off. The Pioneer Press quoted three customers who expressed concerns about performance, data privacy, and just general distrust of Comcast's customer service representatives.
benton.org/node/174090 | Ars Technica
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WIRELESS
REQUIRING CELLPHONE ANTITHEFT TECH
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Brian Chen]
A smartphone is sleek, compact and valuable, which makes it a perfect target for a thief. Californian lawmakers want to require cellphone companies to fix that problem. State Senator Mark Leno (D-CA) is expected to introduce legislation requiring all smartphones and tablets sold in the state to include a so-called “kill switch” that would render a smartphone unusable after it was stolen, which would make it difficult for a thief to sell the device. The bill would require phones sold in California on or after Jan. 1, 2015, to include the antitheft solution. Companies that sold phones without kill switches would be subject to fines of up to $2,500 for each device sold. If passed, the legislation would most likely push smartphone makers to add kill switches in all their devices in the country, because it would be inefficient for manufacturers to make cellphones meant to be sold only in California.
benton.org/node/174101 | New York Times
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TELEVISION
CONGRESS MUST PUT TV VIEWERS FIRST
[SOURCE: The Hill, AUTHOR: John Bergmayer]
The laws and regulations that govern the video marketplace, and in particular the relationship between broadcasters and pay-TV providers, are in a sorry state. They weren’t planned by anyone. Instead, they’ve accumulated over the decades, as policymakers’ objectives changed over time (in sometimes inconsistent ways). To make out any rhyme or reason to the regulatory scheme that is in place today, you have to be as much of a historian as a lawyer. Unsurprisingly, a dysfunctional regulatory system results in a dysfunctional marketplace. The “retransmission consent” rules, which control how pay-TV providers carry broadcast signals, have become the leading example of what’s wrong with the current system. If these rules were phased out, viewers who opted out of paying for supposedly “free” broadcast programming would not have to fumble around with rabbit ears or a rooftop antenna, or switch their TVs between different “modes.” It would make sense for pay TV companies and third-party manufacturers to provide consumers with set-top boxes that seamlessly integrated over-the-air signals with other content in a seamless user interface. Needless to say, these devices don’t exist today, because of the restrictive rules that makes the market for them illegal. The existing rules are slanted too far in favor of broadcasters. Congress should fix this, not to benefit any one industry, but to help viewers. [John Bergmayer is a senior staff attorney at Public Knowledge]
benton.org/node/174092 | Hill, The
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THE $4.38 BILLION REASON IT’S SO HARD FOR US CORD-CUTTERS TO WATCH THE OLYMPICS ONLINE
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Andrea Peterson]
The 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics start tonight. But if you're among the 9 percent of US households who have broadband but don't subscribe to paid television, it will be nearly impossible to (legally) watch the games online. That's because while NBC is streaming all of the events live online, full access to the livestream will only be available to paying cable subscribers. And thanks to a $4.38 billion exclusive deal NBC struck with the International Olympics Committee (IOC) in 2011 for the privilege of broadcasting the Olympic games in the US through 2020, cord-cutters don't have a lot of options.
benton.org/node/174089 | Washington Post | Slate
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TELECOM REFORM
#COMMACTUPDATE: CONGRESS SHOULD FOCUS ON COMPETITION, CONSUMER CHOICE
[SOURCE: Verizon, AUTHOR: Peter Davidson]
The House Commerce Committee requested communications industry stakeholders to weigh in on the legislative effort to modernize the legal and regulatory framework governing the country’s communications sector. Verizon submitted comments. The dizzying array of choices that consumers now have to communicate -- and the wide range of players competing to meet consumers’ communications needs -- bears scant resemblance to the voice-centric world of the Telecommunications Act of 1996. Given the fundamental changes in the communications sector, Congress shouldn’t just tweak the current statute, but instead start from scratch and create a policy and regulatory framework that fits the 21st Century broadband world. As Congress considers a framework for the 21st Century broadband world, Verizon suggests that it remain focused on a few long-standing goals that will remain relevant regardless of where the marketplace evolves next: protecting consumers, promoting competition, and encouraging investment and innovation. Furthering these goals requires a change of course from the old ways of regulating. In place of today’s outdated framework, Congress should embrace an approach based on consumer choice, competition and effective multi-stakeholder processes to address emerging issues or market failures. Finally, it’s important for Congress to consider a review of policies in other areas -- such as public safety, accessibility and spectrum management -- that will continue to be important even as technology and the ways people communicate continue to evolve. [Peter Davidson is Senior Vice President of Federal Government Relations at Verizon]
benton.org/node/174061 | Verizon
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GOVERNMENT AND COMMUNICATIONS
THE INTERNET'S ANTI-NSA REVOLT STARTS TUESDAY
[SOURCE: National Journal, AUTHOR: Dustin Volz]
Circle Feb 11 on your calendar. You're going to notice something a little different when browsing the Internet that day. Thousands of civil-liberty and online-freedom groups and websites will take to the digital streets to wage a coordinated war against the National Security Agency's spying powers, a battle strike reminiscent of a virtual protest that two years ago killed an online piracy bill. Billing the protest as "The Day We Fight Back," organizers are promising banners will be prominently displayed on websites across the Internet urging users to engage in viral activity expressing their opposition to the NSA. Additionally, those banners will ask readers to flood the telephone lines and email in-boxes of congressional offices to voice their support of the Freedom Act, a bill in Congress that aims to restrict the government's surveillance authority. The roster of participating groups, which organizers say now tops 4,000, includes the American Civil Liberties Union, reddit, Tumblr, Mozilla, DailyKos, and Amnesty International. "The ultimate goal is to provide more esteem for the USA Freedom Act and other measures and to ensure that [Sen Dianne] Feinstein (D-CA)'s so-called FISA Improvements Act never sees the light of day," said David Segal, executive director of Demand Progress, a leftist group forged in the crucible of an earlier wave of Internet activism that famously killed the Stop Online Piracy Act and the Protect IP Act in 2012.
benton.org/node/174084 | National Journal | i2coalition
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FIGHTING FOR MORE #TRANSPARENCY
[SOURCE: Twitter, AUTHOR: Jeremy Kessel]
The US Department of Justice and various communications providers reached an agreement allowing disclosure of national security requests in very large ranges. While this agreement is a step in the right direction, these ranges do not provide meaningful or sufficient transparency for the public, especially for entities that do not receive a significant number of -- or any -- national security requests. Allowing Twitter, or any other similarly situated company, to only disclose national security requests within an overly broad range seriously undermines the objective of transparency. In addition, we also want the freedom to disclose that we do not receive certain types of requests, if, in fact, we have not received any. Unfortunately, we are currently prohibited from providing this level of transparency. We think the government’s restriction on our speech not only unfairly impacts our users’ privacy, but also violates our First Amendment right to free expression and open discussion of government affairs. Therefore, we have pressed the US Department of Justice to allow greater transparency, and proposed future disclosures concerning national security requests that would be more meaningful to Twitter’s users. We are also considering legal options we may have to seek to defend our First Amendment rights. [Kessel is Twitter’s Manager of Global Legal Policy]
benton.org/node/174063 | Twitter | The Verge
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STORIES FROM ABROAD
TURKEY CRIMPS INTERNET
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Tim Arango, Ceylan Yeginsu]
Shortly after an audio recording in which Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is said to be heard talking about easing zoning laws for a construction tycoon in exchange for two villas for his family, SoundCloud, the file-sharing site where it was leaked last month, was suddenly unavailable to Internet users in Turkey. Other recordings, also apparently from wiretaps connected with a corruption inquiry linked to Prime Minister Erdogan and those close to him, have shown up on YouTube, Vimeo, Twitter and other social media sites. Often, just as quickly as they appear, they disappear, only to show up soon after somewhere else on the Internet, like a game of Whac-a-Mole. But now, facing a wide-ranging corruption investigation and a steady flow of embarrassing leaks, the government has moved to more aggressively control the flow of information online by passing -- in a late-night parliamentary session -- a new set of laws that would make it easier for government bureaucrats to censor the Internet. Under the legislation, Turkey, which already has strict laws to regulate content online, will allow government officials to block sites they deem violate personal privacy, without obtaining a court order. It would also force Internet companies to retain the data — like emails and search histories — accumulated by their customers for two years, which some here worry could be used by the authorities to start criminal investigations. The government has cast the new laws, which still need the signature of President Abdullah Gul, as an effort to protect individual privacy, but critics have dismissed them as an attempt by the government to clamp down on leaks from the corruption investigation and call them a gross violation of freedom of expression.
benton.org/node/174096 | New York Times | WSJ
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