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BENTON'S COMMUNICATIONS-RELATED HEADLINES for THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2014
Headlines will return on Monday, October 6.
Today’s events http://benton.org/calendar/2014-10-02/ include School-Library Partnerships and Other Strategies for Anchor Institution Broadband Deployment http://benton.org/node/198196
INTERNET/BROADBAND
FCC’s Wheeler to NATOA: The Broadband Speed Times Need A Changin'
Gigabit Availability = $1.4 Billion in GDP
Akamai: Average US Broadband Speed Jumps to 11.4 Mbps
Regulating the Internet "Like a Utility" Won't Yield an Open Internet - Unless ... - op-ed
Fiber is coming: Seattle City Council strikes down restrictive rule [links to web]
WIRELESS
At the 11th hour, Verizon decides to cancel its controversial throttling plans
FCC Launches Financial Pitch For Incentive Auction
Members of Congress Seek GAO Study of Auction Impact on LPTV, Translators [links to web]
PRIVACY/SECURITY
How Much of Your Data Would You Trade for a Free Cookie?
EDUCATION
ALA encouraged by E-rate momentum - press release [links to web]
HEALTH
Doctors Find Barriers to Sharing Digital Medical Records [links to web]
ELECTIONS AND MEDIA
Now entering political arena: Women in tech [links to web]
DIVERSITY
FCC’s Pai: Government shouldn’t ban ‘Redskins’ name [links to web]
How We Solve the Tech Industry’s Gender Gap - op-ed [links to web]
Vast majority of iPhone 6 buyers are rich, white men [links to web]
STORIES FROM ABROAD
Netflix’s Chief Executive Pushes Net Neutrality in Europe
INTERNET/BROADBAND
WHEELER AT NATOA
[SOURCE: Multichannel News, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
Federal Communications Commission Chairman suggested that the country needed to start swimming together toward robust broadband or it will sink like a low-speed stone. He was speaking to the annual conference of the National Association of Telecommunications Officer and Advisors in St. Paul (MN). He reiterated that speed is of the essence. "Table stakes for the 21st century is 25 Mbps," he said, "and winning the game means that all consumers can get at least 100 Mbps – and more." One way to do that, he said, was by combatting the forces he suggested were undercutting that effort. He did not say incumbent commercial ISPs, but he certainly appeared to be referencing, in part, the pushback on municipal Wi-Fi by state legislatures and the incumbents he has said are working to limit competition. "NATOA and the FCC are swimming to the common goal of making sure that communities across America – large and small – have access to robust broadband networks that deliver the benefits of broadband connectivity to all citizens," he told the audience. "But you may have noticed that not everyone is swimming alongside that effort. There are those who seek to block the competitive forces that can produce faster, cheaper, better broadband; those who make it difficult to build out the infrastructure necessary for the broadband future; and those with which both you, and we have to contend that would use changes in technology as an excuse to sidestep the responsibilities network operators have always had to their users.”
benton.org/headlines/fccs-wheeler-natoa-broadband-speed-times-need-changin | Multichannel News
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WHAT’S A GIGABIT WORTH?
[SOURCE: Fiber to the Home Council, AUTHOR: Press release]
A new study finds that communities with widely available gigabit access have per capita GDP that is 1.1 percent higher than communities with little to no availability of gigabit services. The study examined 55 communities in 9 states, finding a positive impact on economic activity in the 14 communities where gigabit services are widely available. The study, conducted by the economic, financial and strategy firm Analysis Group found widespread gigabit availability contributes to the economies of communities in multiple ways, including through the direct effect of infrastructure investment and increased expenditures, as well as shifts in economic activity (e.g. job creation and occupational changes) and productivity gains. Communities with widely available gigabit access are gaining control over the factors that shape the lives of their residents, businesses and institutions. Conversely, the 41 communities in the study that didn’t have widely available gigabit broadband likely experienced forgone GDP in 2012 of as much as $3.3 billion.
benton.org/headlines/gigabit-availability-14-billion-gdp | Fiber to the Home Council
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AVERAGE INTERNET SPEEDS
[SOURCE: telecompetitor, AUTHOR: Joan Engebretson]
The average US broadband speed reached 11.4 Mbps in the second quarter of 2014, according to the latest Akamai State of the Internet report. That’s an increase of 8.9% over first quarter of 2014, which saw a 9% speed increase over the last quarter of 2013. The 11.4 Mbps average broadband speed represented a 39% increase over the same period in 2013. The jump in average connection speed was not high enough to put the U.S. back in the top 10 countries measured by that metric, however. After finding itself in the top 10 for quarter after quarter, the U.S. fell off the top 10 list in the first quarter of 2014. As usual, the 10 US states with the highest average connection speeds were primarily in the East. All states in the top 10 had average broadband connection speeds of at least 12.8 Mbps.
benton.org/headlines/akamai-average-us-broadband-speed-jumps-114-mbps | telecompetitor
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TITLE II REGULATION
[SOURCE: CommLawBlog, AUTHOR: Mitchell Lazarus]
[Commentary] Regulating the Internet “like a utility” won’t work. It means bringing Internet service providers (ISPs) under Title II of the Communications Act, which is the statutory basis for common carrier regulation. Title II prohibits “unjust or unreasonable discrimination.” Preventing discrimination is also the purpose of net neutrality. That looks like a good fit. Why isn’t it enough? A simple rule saying nothing more than ISPs “shall not discriminate” would be meaningless. An ISP’s capacity is, after all, finite. At peak times it may not be able to accommodate 100% of all potential content. At those times, some discrimination must necessarily occur in allotting access to providers. The question, then, is how to ensure that the discrimination is “fair”. An effective non-discrimination rule would give an ISP managing a traffic overload clear guidance on which bits to send on and which to hold back in every possible situation. More than that, a proper rule would let the ISP program in algorithms that make these decisions automatically, on the fly. The solution entails applying Title II to the ISPs, plus one step more: a rule that requires the ISP to open its channels (cable or phone line or fiber) to competing ISPs. Those competitors would have to pay for use of the channel. Under this approach, a consumer dissatisfied with the performance of one ISP could easily switch to another with no change to the household wiring -- an impossibility in today's system.
benton.org/headlines/regulating-internet-utility-wont-yield-open-internet-unless | CommLawBlog
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WIRELESS
VERIZON’S THROTTLING PLAN
[SOURCE: GigaOm, AUTHOR: Kevin Fitchard]
October 1 was supposed to be the day that Verizon’s new 4G “network optimization” policy went into effect. Verizon’s heaviest data users on grandfathered unlimited plans faced the possibility of having their speeds throttled down to make room on the LTE network for customers who pay for data by the gigabyte. But Verizon said it would pull the plug on the new policy before it went into effect. The company’s statement: “Verizon is committed to providing its customers with an unparalleled mobile network experience. At a time of ever-increasing mobile broadband data usage, we not only take pride in the way we manage our network resources, but also take seriously our responsibility to deliver exceptional mobile service to every customer. We’ve greatly valued the ongoing dialogue over the past several months concerning network optimization and we’ve decided not to move forward with the planned implementation of network optimization for 4G LTE customers on unlimited plans. Exceptional network service will always be our priority and we remain committed to working closely with industry stakeholders to manage broadband issues so that American consumers get the world-class mobile service they expect and value.”
benton.org/headlines/11th-hour-verizon-decides-cancel-its-controversial-throttling-plans | GigaOm
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AUCTION PITCH
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
The Federal Communications Commission has begun sending out information packets to broadcasters making the financial case for why broadcasters should participate in the incentive auction. That includes breakdowns of what a station in each market, in an ideal scenario, could be paid for its spectrum, plus the median price in each market. The packets were prepared by FCC staffers in conjunction with investment banker Greenhill & Co., which the FCC turned to help turn policy into a financial case for giving up spectrum. FCC staffers will also be making road trips to talk to broadcasters about the info and the auction opportunities. A high-end estimate of revenues from the incentive auction could mean as much as $38 billion to compensate broadcasters for giving up spectrum for that auction.
benton.org/headlines/fcc-launches-financial-pitch-incentive-auction | Broadcasting&Cable | B&C - $38 billion reasons | Recode | Washington Post | | FCC
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PRIVACY/SECURITY
COOKIE FOR YOUR INFO?
[SOURCE: Pro Publica, AUTHOR: Lois Beckett]
In a highly unscientific but delicious experiment, 380 New Yorkers gave up sensitive personal information -- from fingerprints to partial Social Security numbers -- for a cookie. "It is crazy what people were willing to give me," said artist Risa Puno, who conducted the experiment, which she called "Please Enable Cookies," at a Brooklyn arts festival. The cookies -- actual cookies -- came in flavors such as "Chocolate Chili Fleur de Sel" and "Pink Pistachio Peppercorn." To get a cookie, people had to turn over personal data that could include their address, driver's license number, phone number and mother's maiden name. More than half of the people allowed Puno to take their photographs. Just under half -- or 162 people -- gave what they said were the last four digits of their Social Security numbers. And about one-third -- 117 people -- allowed her to take their fingerprints. She examined people's driver's licenses to verify some of the information they provided. When people asked Puno what she was going to do with their information, she refused to say. Instead, she referred them to her terms of service, a full page of legal boilerplate displayed in tiny print, which gives her the right to display the information and share it with others.
benton.org/headlines/how-much-your-data-would-you-trade-free-cookie | Pro Publica
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STORIES FROM ABROAD
NET NEUTRALITY IN EUROPE
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Mark Scott]
Speaking at a conference in Brussels, Netflix’s Reed Hastings -- who has been a vocal critic of plans that would allow Internet service providers to charge extra for faster connections on their networks -- laid out again why he opposed such deals. “We shouldn’t have to pay for your network if you don’t have to pay for our content,” he told a conference audience filled with many of Europe’s largest telecommunications and broadband providers. “Why are so many people attracted to the concept of net neutrality? Because they fear the loss of the digital commons,” Hastings added. He said that no company should be “held hostage” by Internet service providers. In Europe, opposition to paid access for improved Internet performance has been equally vocal. But in contrast to American policy makers, the European Parliament passed rules this year that outlawed efforts by Internet service providers to charge for better access to their networks. Final rules will be completed sometime next year, though analysts say the telecommunications industry is hoping to water down the current proposals.
benton.org/headlines/netflixs-chief-executive-pushes-net-neutrality-europe | New York Times
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Federal Communications Commission Chairman suggested that the country needed to start swimming together toward robust broadband or it will sink like a low-speed stone.
He was speaking to the annual conference of the National Association of Telecommunications Officer and Advisors in St. Paul (MN). He reiterated that speed is of the essence. "Table stakes for the 21st century is 25 Mbps," he said, "and winning the game means that all consumers can get at least 100 Mbps – and more." One way to do that, he said, was by combatting the forces he suggested were undercutting that effort. He did not say incumbent commercial ISPs, but he certainly appeared to be referencing, in part, the pushback on municipal Wi-Fi by state legislatures and the incumbents he has said are working to limit competition.
"NATOA and the FCC are swimming to the common goal of making sure that communities across America – large and small – have access to robust broadband networks that deliver the benefits of broadband connectivity to all citizens," he told the audience. "But you may have noticed that not everyone is swimming alongside that effort. There are those who seek to block the competitive forces that can produce faster, cheaper, better broadband; those who make it difficult to build out the infrastructure necessary for the broadband future; and those with which both you, and we have to contend that would use changes in technology as an excuse to sidestep the responsibilities network operators have always had to their users.”
October 1 was supposed to be the day that Verizon’s new 4G “network optimization” policy went into effect. Verizon’s heaviest data users on grandfathered unlimited plans faced the possibility of having their speeds throttled down to make room on the LTE network for customers who pay for data by the gigabyte. But Verizon said it would pull the plug on the new policy before it went into effect.
The company’s statement: “Verizon is committed to providing its customers with an unparalleled mobile network experience. At a time of ever-increasing mobile broadband data usage, we not only take pride in the way we manage our network resources, but also take seriously our responsibility to deliver exceptional mobile service to every customer. We’ve greatly valued the ongoing dialogue over the past several months concerning network optimization and we’ve decided not to move forward with the planned implementation of network optimization for 4G LTE customers on unlimited plans. Exceptional network service will always be our priority and we remain committed to working closely with industry stakeholders to manage broadband issues so that American consumers get the world-class mobile service they expect and value.”
We are encouraged by the Federal Communications Commission’s commitment to making substantial improvements to the E-rate program and recognizing the vital roles libraries play in connecting our communities to critical online tools and resources.
In our comments, we advocate strongly for increasing the number of libraries with scalable, affordable high-capacity broadband to their buildings. Nearly all public libraries now offer free public Wi-Fi access and robust digital content, and usage is growing dramatically. Given that the majority of libraries today report broadband speeds of less than 10 Mbps, we need to immediately increase broadband capacity in libraries before we come close to meeting the gigabit goal set by the FCC. We also call on the Commission to address the ‘affordability gap’ plaguing libraries that cannot afford the monthly cost for broadband services. We urge the FCC to consider ways that it can ensure that prices for high-capacity broadband are affordable no matter if it is for a special construction project or recurring costs.
Of course, the fund must have sufficient funding to accommodate the proportionally higher cost for services as libraries and schools scale toward the gigabit goal. Additionally, we are pleased with FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler’s remarks to close the fiber gap in rural areas of the country and enforce the lowest corresponding price for E-rate services. We are encouraged that the FCC Chairman is highlighting the fiber gap and is looking for ways to address this inequity. All of our nation’s libraries depend on affordable, scalable, high-capacity broadband in order to complete Education, jump-start Employment and Entrepreneurship, and foster individual Empowerment and Engagement, or The E’s of Libraries. We appreciate the opportunity to engage with FCC Commissioners and staff and are pleased they are addressing the need to increase the broadband capacity to the library. We look forward to continuing our engagement at the FCC on behalf of libraries during the next phase of the E-rate modernization process.
Men dominate boardrooms, money and jobs in Silicon Valley. But in at least one area, women are making inroads: politics.
Women in tech are taking on high-profile roles in both the Washington and California political arenas, cutting big political checks and taking their case to Capitol Hill, even lobbying in person with lawmakers and staff. The tech sector has been less active politically than more mature industries, like financial services or manufacturing. But the industry has gotten into the political game in recent years, and women have been a part of the trend, a sign some women hope will reflect improved standing in the Valley overall.
Federal Communications Commission
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
http://transition.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2014/db1001/DOC-...
Open Meeting
Federal Communications Commission
December 11, 2014
10:30 AM - 12:30 PM EST
http://www.fcc.gov/events/open-commission-meeting-december-2014
The FCC will consider:
Open Meeting
Federal Communications Commission
November 21, 2014
10:30 AM - 12:30 PM EST
http://www.fcc.gov/events/open-commission-meeting-november-2014
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler announced that the following items will tentatively be on the agenda for the next open meeting scheduled for Friday, November 21, 2014:
[Commentary] Regulating the Internet “like a utility” won’t work. It means bringing Internet service providers (ISPs) under Title II of the Communications Act, which is the statutory basis for common carrier regulation. Title II prohibits “unjust or unreasonable discrimination.” Preventing discrimination is also the purpose of net neutrality. That looks like a good fit. Why isn’t it enough? A simple rule saying nothing more than ISPs “shall not discriminate” would be meaningless. An ISP’s capacity is, after all, finite. At peak times it may not be able to accommodate 100% of all potential content. At those times, some discrimination must necessarily occur in allotting access to providers.
The question, then, is how to ensure that the discrimination is “fair”. An effective non-discrimination rule would give an ISP managing a traffic overload clear guidance on which bits to send on and which to hold back in every possible situation. More than that, a proper rule would let the ISP program in algorithms that make these decisions automatically, on the fly.
The solution entails applying Title II to the ISPs, plus one step more: a rule that requires the ISP to open its channels (cable or phone line or fiber) to competing ISPs. Those competitors would have to pay for use of the channel. Under this approach, a consumer dissatisfied with the performance of one ISP could easily switch to another with no change to the household wiring -- an impossibility in today's system.
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