May 2014

Polka: Viacom's 'Retaliatory' Web Move Raises Openness Issues

American Cable Association President Matt Polka says Viacom's denial of access to its websites by broadband Internet subscribers of Cable One and others is a violation of Internet openness that should raise warning flags in Washington.

Cable One dropped 15 cable networks April 1, and Viacom then decided that its programming would "no longer be available to Cable One customers in any form." Polka said that broadband Internet customers of both Cable One and Liberty Cablevision of Puerto Rico are being denied access to Viacom websites, including customers who have cut the cord on traditional video.

“Viacom’s actions are a flagrant attack on Internet openness and a textbook replay of the vengeful action CBS took against Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks broadband customers during their well-documented retransmission consent dispute last August," said Polka. “All who care about ensuring access to content on the Internet should be outraged that Viacom is selectively blocking access to its public websites by broadband Internet subscribers served by smaller cable companies."

Legislators Seek USF Support For Broadband-Only Subscribers

Nearly 50 senators from both parties have called on the Federal Communications Commission to reform the Universal Service Fund so that it supports broadband-only service in rural areas.

In a letter to FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler, the 44 legislators, led by Sen John Thune (R-SD), ranking member of the Commerce Committee, and Sen Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) said that if the FCC does not make the change, it would lead to less choice and support for rural consumers.

The FCC is migrating USF support from traditional telephone to broadband as part of its revamp of USF, and the senators point to that USF goal of increasing broadband adoption. Currently, they point out, a smaller, rate-of-return carrier is eligible for support if a rural consumer buys phone service, whether or not they take broadband, but carriers don't get USF money for broadband, only rural subs.

Public Knowledge Reflects on NETmundial

As Public Knowledge reflects upon the recent NETmundial multi-stakeholder meeting in Brazil, it is clear that for all its faults, the meeting in Sao Paulo was a turning point for Internet governance and human rights in the digital environment.

For the first time in such a meeting, all the stakeholders were not only “at the table” but, to some extent, drivers of the agenda, drafting, and outcomes. The process itself was open to the Internet, whether it was for scathing criticism or simply curious engagement via video streaming.

3 Ways Big Data Is Going To Be Used Against You In The Future

[Commentary] The President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology just released a report analyzing future "big data" scenarios we all may face, alongside a 90-day review of the big data practices led by White House advisor John Podesta.

Health care, crime, smart homes, education, law enforcement, employment -- these are all areas in which big data has promised to deliver miracles. But are the tradeoffs of privacy for convenience (like Rodriguez's) something we really want? If they are, how do we make sure that individuals maintain control over how our information is being used?

You might not be worried about it, but here are three ways in which big data practices might one day affect you. Job Discrimination. Criminal Discrimination. Consumer Discrimination.

Forrester: Businesses having trouble getting with the digital times

Although businesses acknowledge the disruptions digital technology will bring them, digital is still not driving business strategy, concludes a report entitled "The State of Digital Business in 2014".

While 74 percent of business executives surveyed say their company has a digital strategy, just 15 percent believe their company has the capability to execute the strategy. "Despite the threat of disruption, digital is not yet driving business strategy in 2014. Only 34 percent of executives in companies with more than 250 employees see digital technology as a major driver  of business strategy.

Forrester expects this number to climb significantly as more and more firms feel the impact of disruption in their markets," the report states.

Forrester believes every business needs to transform into a digital business, in which digital technologies are exploited to find new sources of value for customers and increase operational agility. Successful digital business transformation requires a CEO's full support to drive investment priorities.

But few CEOs set a clear vision for digital, Forrester said. Outside of the business's digital team, few executives understand their firm's digital strategy.

More on low band spectrum debate

[Commentary] As the debate about auction limitations and restrictions rages on, one new argument is particularly notable. The Competitive Carriers Association has for months sought low band restrictions or limits in the auction.

CCA has long argued that AT&T and Verizon have somehow foreclosed their members from access to low band spectrum (a notion that I debunked in a blog some months ago). Therefore, CCA has argued, there should be low band limits that restrict AT&T and Verizon in the 600 MHz auction while their members have free reign.

The FCC has now proposed a set of restrictions that basically gives CCA exactly what it has demanded -- it is proposing to restrict a carrier’s participation in the 600 MHz auction based on the amount of low band spectrum it holds in its portfolio.

One would think CCA would be cheering from the stands, but they are not. Why? Because the FCC’s proposal has finally forced CCA to acknowledge that there are “multiple examples” “throughout the country” of incidences where their members already have a significant portfolio of low band spectrum. Those members would therefore be restricted under the FCC’s current proposal.

Google will partner with wireless carriers to make Project Loon a reality

Google opted not to buy "a relatively thin piece of harmonized spectrum" and decided Project Loon would instead use spectrum that's already owned by wireless carriers across the globe.

Rather than pay to license spectrum, Google will lease the balloons to carriers as they fly over countries where each company provides service.

"That actually makes you feel much more comfortable that I’m not invading your country or I’m about to take your users," Teller said. "So now you and I can be great friends, and we don’t even need to buy the spectrum." This approach also gives Google a "much thicker wedge" offering far more bandwidth.

Using Mobile Technology for Work Linked to Higher Stress

US workers who e-mail for work and who spend more hours working remotely outside of normal working hours are more likely to experience a substantial amount of stress on any given day than workers who do not exhibit these behaviors.

Nearly half of workers who "frequently" email for work outside of normal working hours report experiencing stress "a lot of the day yesterday," compared with the 36% experiencing stress who never email for work.

The Art of the Possible: An Overview of Public Broadband Options

More and more local governments across the US are building broadband infrastructure to provide high speed Internet access to better enable their schools, businesses and citizens to compete in today's digital economy.

This report, from New America’s Open Technology Institute (OTI) and CTC Technology & Energy, is intended to serve as a primer for local government and community leaders on different approaches to public broadband networks.

The report addresses broadband technologies, network business models, and the considerable benefits beyond the balance sheet that public networks can provide to communities.

“For nearly two decades, hundreds of innovative local governments have built and operated fiber optic networks to meet internal government needs and the needs of the public,” said Joanne Hovis, President of CTC Technology & Energy [and member Benton Foundation Board of Directors]. “This report offers a survey of some of the strategies they have developed, with background about technology, business planning, risks, and benefits. This report's goal is to provide sufficient guidance that communities can begin to develop their own approaches to meeting local needs.”

The military thinks Bitcoin could pose a threat to national security

Does Bitcoin risk endangering the nation's safety? The Pentagon thinks it might.

According to a Defense Department solicitation, virtual currencies represent an emerging technology that could help terrorists and criminals evade law enforcement and launch attacks against the United States.

To prepare, the Pentagon's Combating Terrorism Technical Support Office asked companies in January to help study virtual currencies' potential role in "threat finance." (The study would be conducted as part of a wider investigation into evolving threats, including facial recognition and Web monitoring.)

"The introduction of virtual currency will likely shape threat finance by increasing the opaqueness, transactional velocity, and overall efficiencies of terrorist attacks," according to a CTTSO memo obtained by Bitcoin Magazine.

One reason would-be criminals find Bitcoin so attractive is that it makes anonymous transactions over long distances a cinch. Like cash, it's the perfect financial tool if you're trying to cover your tracks.

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