BENTON'S COMMUNICATIONS-RELATED HEADLINES for WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2016
Benton Foundation’s Weekly Round-up is a recap of the biggest (or most overlooked) telecommunications stories of the week. The round-up is delivered via e-mail each Friday; to get your own copy, subscribe www.benton.org/user/register
SECURITY/PRIVACY
Winning the 21st Century Cyberspace Race - Dr Ben Carson op-ed
The FCC's Role in Protecting Online Privacy - New America Foundation report
Moment of truth: Feds must say if they used backdoored Juniper firewalls [links to Benton summary]
The Pentagon's plan to defend the power grid against hackers [links to Benton summary]
More Security Vulnerabilities Found in Hello Barbie Toy's Servers [links to Vice]
Op-Ed: Why Agencies Must Take a 'Security First' Approach in 2016 [links to nextgov]
CONTENT
Suffer in Silence or Pay Up - Sen John Thune (R-SD), Rep Darrell Issa (R-CA) op-ed
The quest for binge watchers [links to USAToday]
Touring Can’t Save Musicians in the Age of Spotify [links to New York Times]
OWNERSHIP
Comcast and Charter may soon control 70 Percent of 25Mbps Internet subscriptions
Why the Charter–Time Warner Cable Merger is a Bad Deal - op-ed
California PUC plans a hearing on Charter's purchase of Time Warner Cable and Bright House [links to Benton summary]
Meredith Said Close to Allowing Nexstar's Media General Deal [links to Bloomberg]
INTERNET/BROADBAND
Why 6 Republican senators think you don't need faster broadband - CIO analysis
Consumer counsel issues report critical of broadband in CT
Cool & Connected: Announcement of Federal Planning Assistance for Broadband and Sustainable Community Development - EPA press release
Government-funded fiber broadband: Not as straightforward as it sounds - AEI op-ed [links to Benton summary]
WIRELESS/SPECTRUM
The Heavy Price We Pay for ‘Free’ Wi-Fi - Gov Tech op-ed [links to Benton summary]
Dual-Use Public-Private Wi-Fi Forecast: 366 Million Routers in Use by 2020, According to Juniper Study [links to telecompetitor]
How a DIY Network Plans to Subvert Time Warner Cable's NYC Internet Monopoly [links to Benton summary]
Sprint Said to Cut 2,500 Jobs, 7% of Staff, to Lower Costs [links to Bloomberg]
Sales of iPhones grow at slowest pace since the smartphone was introduced [links to Washington Post]
What’s Up With Those Wireless Attack Ads? [links to Benton summary]
Comcast Gets Down to Business With Wi-Fi [links to Benton summary]
Report: Smart Home Satisfaction Higher for Devices Than Apps [links to telecompetitor]
ELECTIONS & MEDIA
Donald Trump, in Feud With Fox News, Shuns Debate
Here are the Megyn Kelly questions that Donald Trump is still sore about [links to Washington Post]
Erik Wemple: Donald Trump, Fox News and the implosion of the conservative media critique [links to Washington Post]
Fox's Megyn Kelly Responds To Trump Pulling Out Of Fox Debate: "He Doesn't Get To Control The Media" [links to Media Matters for America]
With Donald Trump Abandoning Its Debate, Fox News Scorched By Its Own Chicanery [links to Media Matters for America]
Fox News head will let Trump walk before replacing Megyn Kelly as debate moderator [links to Washington Post]
Presidential debates are just a showroom for the Internet - The Verge analysis [links to Benton summary]
Winning the 21st Century Cyberspace Race - Dr Ben Carson op-ed
MSNBC, Union Leader team up for unsanctioned Democratic debate
Clinton’s e-mail controversy has not disappeared, as Jan 25’s town hall showed [links to Washington Post]
Google Takes On Twitter By Integrating Real-Time Responses From Presidential Candidates Into Search Results [links to AOL]
What an anti-Hillary hashtag tells us about sexism in the 2016 campaign [links to Washington Post]
Trump’s Anti-Immigration Talk Is Inspiring iPhone Games [links to Vice]
GOVERNMENT & COMMUNICATIONS
With Lockheed Deal, Leidos now the Government's Largest IT Provider [links to nextgov]
DHS Wants Better Social Media Screening Technology [links to nextgov]
The agency that enforces our campaign finance laws doesn't do its job. And many people like it that way. [links to Vox]
7 Ways Local Governments Are Getting Creative with Data Mapping [links to Government Technology]
COURT
German court declared unlawful a feature that encourages Amazon customers to share links to products of the online shop with their contacts [links to Benton summary]
ADVERTISING
Facebook Is Expanding Its Burgeoning Ad Network to the Mobile Web [links to Benton summary]
Why I’d Rather Pay for the Web [links to Vice]
Boost Mobile: View an ad, lower your cellphone bill [links to USAToday]
TELECOM
USTelecom wants cable's business services dominance considered in new special access rules [links to Benton summary]
TELEVISION
FCC to Propose Overhauling Rules on Set-Top Boxes [links to Benton summary]
How scared is Hollywood of Netflix and Amazon? [links to Washington Post]
Op-Ed: TV Research Is Programmatic’s Best Friend [links to Broadcasting&Cable]
EDUCATION
LA Unified Inches Toward Districtwide Tech Upgrades, Wireless Access [links to Benton summary]
LABOR
Department of Labor plans labor survey that will include on-demand jobs [links to Benton summary]
HEALTH
Groups Support Calls for FCC To Update Rural Health Care Program
Big Pharma's bet on Big Data creates opportunities and risks [links to Reuters]
JOURNALISM
Apple plans to offer subscription content through News app [links to Reuters]
Stop comparing your new media venture to Vice [links to Columbia Journalism Review]
What Happened to Jane Mayer When She Wrote About the Koch Brothers [links to New York Times]
DIVERSITY
Opinion: The Oscars can’t change until the rest of the movie industry does [links to Washington Post]
STORIES FROM ABROAD
Ofcom promises better deal for UK business broadband users [links to Financial Times]
Big-data tools transform business in Africa [links to Financial Times]
Smartphones pave way for huge opportunities in Africa [links to Financial Times]
Mobile payments race in Africa spawns entrepreneurs [links to Financial Times]
Tencent in bid to loosen Facebook’s grip in Africa [links to Financial Times]
China’s video hosting sites hit by content ban [links to Financial Times]
Publisher warns of China's campaign to 'wipe out' free speech in Hong Kong [links to Christian Science Monitor]
German court declared unlawful a feature that encourages Amazon customers to share links to products of the online shop with their contacts [links to Benton summary]
France’s Top Cop Has More to Teach Silicon Valley [links to Benton summary]
ITU’s Second Global Forum on Emergency Telecommunications opens in Kuwait City [links to International Telecommunication Union]
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SECURITY/PRIVACY
WINNING THE 21ST CENTURY CYBERSPACE RACE
[SOURCE: Revere Digital, AUTHOR: Dr Ben Carson]
[Commentary] Just this weekend, Washington (DC), and much of the East Coast was hit by massive snow storms. Severe weather conditions can strain a city’s resources and risk lives even under the best conditions. But imagine if, taking advantage of the situation, a sophisticated cyber attack had also taken down the electrical grid, snarling communications, disabling emergency services and hospitals — even robbing people in their homes of life-saving heat. How would America have responded? How serious a toll on human life could it have taken? It is frightening to think about just how reliant we are on technology, and just how vulnerable that can make our society. Cybersecurity must be a national priority — not only to protect our nation, but to protect ourselves and our neighbors. As President, I will prioritize America’s cybersector, bringing together private, public and government resources to secure and advance America’s online presence. Central to this initiative is the establishment of a National Cyber Security Administration (NCSA). Just as NASA helped centralize America’s efforts in the space race, the NCSA will be instrumental in winning the cyberspace race. This is not another federal bureaucracy. On the contrary, the NCSA will consolidate inefficient government initiatives and offices, eliminating stovepipes and providing a central point for public-private cooperation.
[Dr. Ben Carson a retired pediatric neurosurgeon and Republican candidate for president]
benton.org/headlines/winning-21st-century-cyberspace-race | Revere Digital | Dr Carson's Full Plan
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THE FCC’S ROLE IN PROTECTING ONLINE PRIVACY
[SOURCE: New America, AUTHOR: Press release]
Internet Service Providers are different. They are different from other online players like Apple, Facebook, or Google, both because of their unique role as Internet gatekeepers and because of the nature of the market for consumer-facing last mile Internet service. Their umbrella-like ability to capture individual interactions over the Internet and all aspects of an individual subscriber’s daily use patterns is notable. And unlike other actors in the Internet
ecosystem, wireline and wireless ISPs are always able to connect individual Internet use patterns to a subscriber’s real name, address, phone number, and billing history. With its rulemaking authority, the FCC should set privacy baselines that help to define the minimum standards that Americans can expect from their ISPs. In the long run, the adoption of these basic rules will encourage more Americans to engage in the modern Internet by offering subscribers control over the personal data that they have no choice but to reveal to their common carriers. A clear regulatory framework will ensure that the Internet continues to grow as the essential communications network millions of Americans already recognize it to be—a network where free and open speech flourishes.
benton.org/headlines/fccs-role-protecting-online-privacy | New America
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CONTENT
SUFFER IN SILENCE OR PAY UP
[SOURCE: Huffington Post, AUTHOR: Sen John Thune (R-SD), Rep Darrell Issa (R-CA)]
[Commentary] As Americans make more purchase decisions through free information gathered via the Internet, online reviews play an increasingly important role in selecting a hotel for a vacation, buying a gift, or choosing a professional contractor. But when some businesses block tough but truthful criticism, the trustworthiness of such reviews is diminished -- even for businesses that don't engage in the practice. We introduced the bipartisan Consumer Review Freedom Act, in both the US Senate and House of Representatives, to protect the spirit of our Constitution's First Amendment right to free speech by prohibiting gag clauses. Our legislation, which the Senate has already approved, would stop these egregious gag clauses while still preserving the right of a business to defend itself against false claims, including any manufactured by competitors. What our proposal enacts is a common-sense approach to protecting consumer rights and an extraordinary free market system of customers that holds businesses accountable in a digitally-connected world. Through this legislation, we can stop gag clauses before the practice goes viral and guarantee your right as a consumer to inform and learn from others. Until the Consumer Review Freedom Act is enacted, however, that right is in jeopardy.
benton.org/headlines/suffer-silence-or-pay | Huffington Post | Reviewer
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OWNERSHIP
COMCAST AND CHARTER MAY SOON CONTROL 70 PERCENT OF 25MBPS INTERNET SUBSCRIPTIONS
[SOURCE: ars technica, AUTHOR: Jon Brodkin]
If Charter Communications is allowed to buy cable rivals Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks, just two Internet service providers could control about 70 percent of the nation's 25Mbps-and-up broadband subscriptions. Comcast would remain the country's largest ISP with 22.87 million Internet subscribers, while Charter's merger will push it into second place with at least 20.56 million. (AT&T has 15.83 million.) Combined, Comcast and Charter would account for less than half of home Internet connections. But under the Federal Communications Commission’s updated broadband benchmark speeds of at least 25Mbps, Comcast and Charter would reign supreme in the US. Charter said in November that it would serve 23 percent of the nation's 25Mbps-and-up broadband subscribers if it can buy TWC and BHN. Comcast has about 47.6 percent based on our calculations, pushing the two companies' total over 70 percent.
benton.org/headlines/comcast-and-charter-may-soon-control-70-percent-25mbps-internet-subscriptions | Ars Technica
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WHY THE CHARTER-TIME WARNER CABLE MERGER IS A BAD DEAL
[SOURCE: Variety, AUTHOR: David Young, Ellen Stutzman]
[Commentary] Had the Comcast-Time Warner Cable merger had been approved, one company would have controlled more than half of the nation’s high-speed broadband market. If this latest merger is approved, two companies—Comcast and the new Charter entity—will control close to 90 percent of that market. This is a problem because these two companies will have both motive and opportunity to coordinate actions to stifle online video competition that threatens their traditional cable business. Companies like Charter, Time Warner Cable and Comcast have controlled video distribution for decades, deciding what networks were available to consumers. But the Internet has put consumers in charge and the results are compelling. This means more content, more competition and more consumer control, none of which cable operators like. That’s why the Writers Guild of America, West is part of the Stop Mega Cable Coalition, which includes more than a dozen organizations that represent consumers, online video providers and broadband providers and are opposed to this merger. If this merger is not stopped we can expect a future that looks very much like the past, with the same cable gatekeepers controlling Internet-delivered video. Companies like Charter and Comcast can use the pricing of Internet service and proprietary set-top boxes to determine which online content is accessible and at what price to their customers; they can add data caps to make online video more expensive; or they can pick which video services can be watched through the company’s set-top box. To protect the new opportunities for talent and the breadth and depth of content the Internet now offers consumers, this merger must be stopped.
[David Young is the executive director and Ellen Stutzman is the senior director, research and public policy, Writers Guild of America, West]
benton.org/headlines/why-charter-time-warner-cable-merger-bad-deal | Variety
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INTERNET/BROADBAND
WHY 6 REPUBLICAN SENS THINK YOU DON'T NEED FASTER BROADBAND
[SOURCE: CIO, AUTHOR: Bill Snyder]
[Commentary] An effort by the big Internet service providers and a group of Republican senators to change the definition of broadband could affect millions of consumers and small businesses that are still stuck in the Internet's slow lane. For years, broadband was defined as a barely satisfactory 4 Mbps downstream and 1 Mbps upstream. Today, broadband is defined as a much more reasonable 25 Mbps downstream and 3 Mbps upstream. If this was all just bureaucratic verbiage, no one would care. But it isn't, and the fact that the big ISPs are so angry about the new definition hints at its true importance. The ISPs' Republican allies in Congress were angry in 2015 when the rule was changed, and now they are pushing the Federal Communications Commission to reverse course. The six Republican senators who signed the letter to FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler say most users don't need fast broadband Internet as it's now defined. From that letter: "Looking at the market for broadband applications, we are aware of few applications that require download speeds of 25 Mbps. Netflix, for example, recommends a download speed of 5 Mbps to receive high-definition streaming video; and Amazon recommends as speed of 3.5 Mbps." The senators' claims are accurate. However, they mistakenly assume consumers don't simultaneously connect multiple devices to the Internet. And when newer video formats such as 4K become more common, even single devices will need additional bandwidth. The ISPs know this, of course, and they frequently tout the benefits of faster — and more expensive — connectivity. But they can't have it both ways.
benton.org/headlines/why-6-republican-senators-think-you-dont-need-faster-broadband | CIO
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CONSUMER COUNSEL ISSUES REPORT CRITICAL OF BROADBAND IN CT
[SOURCE: Hartford Business Journal, AUTHOR: ]
The state Office of Consumer Counsel has released a report on broadband deficiencies in Connecticut that paints a troubling picture for both business and residential users. Prepared by Maryland consulting firm, Columbia Telecommunications Corp, the report, "A Brief Overview of Broadband Deficiencies in Connecticut" found a range of what it called "serious broadband challenges," including:
Maximum speeds are often far less than what businesses need for their current operations
There are limited or no affordable competitive options for broadband services for businesses in urban areas
Businesses' growing needs for broadband will further exceed the available broadband services
Businesses face long delays in obtaining services, or are unable to obtain service even when infrastructure is relatively nearby.
The report included a sampling of Hartford (CT) businesses where it found poor download and upload times, as well as expensive options costing hundreds of thousands of dollars in some instances to acquire better service. The report said, "The poor service at the sampling locations in Hartford was surprising, given that the city is the state capital, a major city in the state, and a densely populated community."
[Joanne Hovis, President of Columbia Telecommunications Corp, is board member for the Benton Foundation]
benton.org/headlines/consumer-counsel-issues-report-critical-broadband-ct | Hartford Business Journal | read the report
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COOL & CONNECTED BROADBAND PROGRAM
[SOURCE: Environmental Protection Agency, AUTHOR: Press release]
Communities interested in using broadband service to help revitalize small-town main streets and promote economic development are encouraged to apply for Cool & Connected, a pilot program sponsored by the US Department of Agriculture Rural Utilities Service and US Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Sustainable Communities. Through Cool & Connected, a team of experts will help community members develop strategies and an action plan for using planned or existing broadband service to promote smart, sustainable community development. Quality broadband access can provide new opportunities for people and businesses. A growing number of communities have combined broadband service with other local assets such as cultural and recreational amenities to attract and retain investment and people, including young people. This can help diversify local economies. Such efforts typically require planning among community leaders, businesses, and Internet service providers. The Cool & Connected program will provide assistance to this end, helping communities take advantage of new or existing broadband service to create walkable, connected, economically vibrant main streets and small-town neighborhoods.
benton.org/headlines/cool-connected-announcement-federal-planning-assistance-broadband-and-sustainable | Environmental Protection Agency
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ELECTIONS & MEDIA
TRUMP, FOX AND THE DEBATE
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Maggie Haberman, Nick Corasaniti]
Donald Trump and Fox News, the candidate who has reordered the Republican presidential race and the cable network of choice for many of the party’s voters, stared each other down over his demand that the news anchor Megyn Kelly be dumped from moderating a debate, the last before Iowa’s caucuses. The network did not blink. So Trump walked. His announcement that he would “probably,” or would “most likely,” or was “pretty close to” irrevocably planning to skip the debate — an aide put it more directly — created a gaping uncertainty at the center of the Republican nominating contest just as it was formally about to begin in Iowa. It was the most intense confrontation yet between two mutually dependent but increasingly antagonistic powerhouses of media and politics. Mr. Trump, who has made the presidential race into a riveting television spectacle, was overtly exploiting the ratings leverage his candidacy has created to try to bend Fox News to his will. “Let’s see how much money Fox is going to make on the debate without me,” he said.
benton.org/headlines/donald-trump-feud-fox-news-shuns-debate | New York Times | Financial Times
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MSNBC, UNION LEADER TEAM UP FOR UNSANCTIONED DEMOCRATIC DEBATE
[SOURCE: Politico, AUTHOR: Hadas Gold, Gabriel Debenedetti]
MSNBC and the New Hampshire Union Leader are planning an unsanctioned Democratic Debate, shortly before the New Hampshire primary. The debate, moderated by "Meet the Press" anchor Chuck Todd and MSNBC host Rachel Maddow will take place Feb 4 and would be the only debate between the Iowa caucus and before primary voting in New Hampshire on Feb. 9. "Our readers have demanded a debate to help them see who is most fit to be the Democratic nominee for President," said Joseph W. McQuaid, president and publisher of the Union Leader. "We were always concerned that this would have been the first time in 32 years without a Democratic debate before the New Hampshire primary. We are glad to partner with MSNBC to ensure Granite Staters have the information they need to make a critical decision on Feb. 9." Organizers hope will include Hillary Clinton, Sen Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Martin O'Malley. The move comes as the Democratic National Committee has faced withering criticisms over their debate schedule, which has just six debates, three of which were scheduled over weekends, and after months of pressure from local Democrats, who have urged the DNC to add more events. But the move — which was driven by the media organizers, apparently — also comes as some operatives near Clinton’s operation have quietly second-guessed their initial wish to hold fewer debates, now that Clinton has performed well in the events so far while remaining in tight contests with Sen Sanders.
benton.org/headlines/msnbc-union-leader-team-unsanctioned-democratic-debate | Politico
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HEALTH
GROUPS SUPPORT CALLS FOR FCC TO UPDATE RURAL HEATLH CARE PROGRAM
[SOURCE: iHealthBeat, AUTHOR: ]
The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society and the Personal Connected Health Alliance have sent a letter to the Federal Communications Commission supporting calls for the department to modernize the Rural Health Care Program. Among other things, the coalition asked that FCC:
Allow rural providers to obtain discounts for using broadband in remote monitoring programs under a 2015 request from CHRISTUS Health to FCC
Help launch coalitions that allow safety-net providers to access broadband
Increase incentives to help rural providers access affordable broadband
Support more patient monitoring efforts.
In a letter of support, HIMSS and the Personal Connected Health Alliance wrote, "The need amongst many rural health care providers for access to high-quality broadband access is profound." They added, "Benefits of expanded broadband access include the ability to conduct secure high quality eVisits such as telemedicine and expanded remote patient monitoring within the home."
benton.org/headlines/groups-support-calls-fcc-update-rural-health-care-program | iHealthBeat | read the letter
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