April 2015

[Commentary] The Federal Communications Commission finally has control over broadband Internet Service Providers (ISPs) such as Comcast, Verizon, and Sprint. On February 26, 2015, the agency decided to employ Title II of the Communications Act of 1934, empowering itself to implement net neutrality rules. The dramatic rise of Internet video, occupying a rapidly growing share of our aggregate bandwidth, fueled this raging debate over the rules of the road. The discourse devolved into a conflated cacophony of political and technical jargon, all under the guise of net neutrality. Just about everyone favors an open Internet. But by picking this particular path, did the FCC undermine another critically important objective for our nation’s broadband future: a more competitive market, leading to much higher Internet speeds at lower prices?

The biggest challenge facing our future Internet is the creation of much more bandwidth (per home) at a competitive price. The FCC recently redefined broadband speed to be at least 25 Mbps (versus 4 Mbps). Achieving this ambitious goal nationwide in the next five to ten years will require FCC forbearance on Title II, massive capital investment, aggressive deployment of new technologies, and more competition. Title II may have been overkill, but it will not prevent us from reaching our broadband destiny.

[Marc Tayer is a 30-year veteran of the media and communications technology business]

Despite incorporating such innovations as automatic license plate readers and more than a dozen geospatial tools, the US law enforcement community’s technological implementation still has a ways to go, according to a new report by the RAND Corporation. The study, “High-Priority Information Technology Needs for Law Enforcement,” examined the technological tools at the disposal of some 18,000 law enforcement agencies across the US -- and the emerging tech they need to do their jobs better. The National Institute of Justice -- part of the Justice Department -- is the main force behind equipping law enforcement with effective technological tools. But it's working against an extremely tight budget. In 2014, the institute was awarded only about $40 million in funding, far less than even the FBI. The report looked at some of the areas where law enforcement needs to step up its game in using existing technology. The report also examined more than 100 of the law enforcement community's remaining "needs." Here are some of those deemed most important:

• Social media's effectiveness in allowing law enforcement to connect with the general public has a lot to do with its simplicity. The report suggested law enforcement agencies use Facebook and Twitter to share information with members of the public and direct them to helpful resources
• During extreme crisis events, police departments may need to locate each of their officers. Outfitting each member with a wearable tracking system, which could be activated during a disaster, could help coordinate the most effective response, according the report.
• For the protection of both citizens and police departments, the report outlined a need for light, wearable cameras. These would be used to record all interactions between both parties.
• Although there are currently guides available to law enforcement explaining best practices, there isn’t one central data bank containing all of them. The report suggested creating a repository of criminal justice best practices.

When lawmakers in Kansas considered legislation to regulate services such as Uber, the ride-hailing company sprang into action, urging local customers and drivers to blast legislators with e-mails opposing the bill. But instead of persuading legislators to side with Uber, the campaign disrupted the state legislature's e-mail system -- temporarily making it inaccessible and leaving frustrated lawmakers struggling to find important messages in a sea of more than 1,500 form e-mails from Uber customers.

"Every legislator got all the same e-mails," said state Sen Marci Francisco (D), who voted for the bill. "And they weren't just from Kansas -- some were from out of state. Maybe 20 were from my district." The company's most valuable political asset is its ability to rally drivers and customers to its defense. A driver or a customer might not understand the underlying policy questions at stake, but they probably will click a button in support of the service if it means continuing to have a cheap transportation alternative or a source of income. "The magic of the Uber platform is that it makes connections: We connect riders to drivers, residents with their cities, and, sometimes, constituents with their elected officials," said Uber spokeswoman Jennifer Mullin.

HBO Now, HBO’s new over-the-top stand-alone service, became available April 7 and is initially being offered directly through Apple or Cablevision Systems's broadband service starting at $14.99 per month. Customers who sign up for HBO Now in April will receive a 30-day free trial of the service, which is booting up ahead of this Sunday’s season five premiere of Game of Thrones. The on-demand offering (HBO Now is not launching with the linear live stream of HBO), does provide subs with access to movies such as Divergent and X-Men: Days of Future Past, and every season of HBO’s original content and series, including True Detective, Silicon Valley, as well as Last Week Tonight with John Oliver.