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  2. March 2016

March 2016

Public Interest Groups and Broadband Providers Urge Lifeline Modernization

Public Knowledge joined a broad cross-section of public interest groups [including the Benton Foundation] and broadband providers in a letter to support the Federal Communications Commission’s goal of bringing the Lifeline phone subsidy program into the modern era by extending the subsidy to broadband service. The letter reflects the almost universal support in the FCC’s record in this proceeding that Lifeline should offer the option of a broadband subsidy to recognize the critical role that Internet access plays in society.

In the letter, 17 public interest groups and six broadband providers agree that “it is time that Lifeline eligible consumers have the opportunity to use their benefit to reduce the cost of subscribing to broadband Internet access service.” The signatories urge the FCC to strengthen the program and reduce costs by using a third-party verifier/administrator to determine consumer eligibility. They also encourage the FCC to adopt a uniform national policy for authorizing providers that would encourage maximum participation by providers while also protecting the integrity of the Lifeline program and the Universal Service Fund. This letter follows the FCC’s June 2015 Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that considered extending Lifeline to broadband.

Six Bay Area Newspapers to Consolidate Into Two

Six daily newspapers in the San Francisco Bay Area will be merged into two, one serving Oakland and the East Bay and the other Silicon Valley. In the East Bay, The Contra Costa Times, Oakland Tribune, The Daily Review and The Argus would combine to become the new East Bay Times. In Silicon Valley, The San Jose Mercury News and The San Mateo County Times would form The Mercury News.

Sens Introduce internet of Things bill the DIGIT Act

Congressional interest in the Internet of Things persists, with a new bill aimed at using the network of connected devices to advance American industry. The Developing Innovation and Growing the Internet of Things Act, or the DIGIT Act, is a new bipartisan bill that directs the Federal Communications Commission to report on the spectrum required to support the Internet of Things. It also proposes creating a working group, made of public and private sector representatives, to advise Congress on planning for and encouraging the growth of that network as well as how the federal government can adopt the Internet of Things. The DIGIT Act was introduced by Sens Deb Fischer (R-NE), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), and Brian Schatz (D-HI).

Sens Seek Time, Money For Post-Spectrum Auction Move

A bipartisan group of Senators has filed an amendment that would use the MOBILE Now Act as a vehicle to give broadcasters more time and money to make the post-incentive auction transition. The amendment could still be withdrawn or defeated, but if it were approved, it would boost the relocation fund by a billion dollars from $1.75 billion to $2.75 billion and give broadcasters six years rather than three years to make the transition. The goal is to insure that no TV station is forced to stop broadcasting due to circumstances beyond its control. Filing the amendment were Sens Jerry Moran (R-KS), Tom Udall (D-NM), Roy Blunt (R-MO) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT). The Senate Commerce Committee is scheduled to mark up the MOBILE NOW Act March 3.

UK bill would mean UK police could hack phones and browse Internet records

Authorities in the United Kingdom will be able to hack into phones and look through web browsing records, under a proposal put forward by the government. The government wants to increase surveillance powers of British authorities investigating crimes and fighting terrorism. A new version of The Investigatory Powers Bill, dubbed "Snooper's Charter" in the UK, was published March 1. The government was forced to rewrite an earlier draft of the bill because of lack of privacy safeguards.

The UK home secretary Theresa May said the new version provides stronger privacy protection, but critics remain deeply dissatisfied. "Rather than a full redraft, we've been given cosmetic tweaks to a heavily criticized, deeply intrusive bill," said Eric King, the director of privacy campaign Don't Spy on Us. The bill could force Internet service providers to store data for 12 months, so they could be accessed by police. It would also give legal backing to bulk collection of Internet traffic data. Authorities would also be able to order tech companies to remove any encryption tools they have applied.

Deutsche Telekom puts sale of T-Mobile US on hold

Deutsche Telekom has put the sale of T-Mobile US on hold to deal with an upcoming auction of radio airwaves, giving potential suitors time to wait for a more favorable political environment toward telecoms mergers, apparently. The Federal Communications Commission is due to start an auction for low-frequency airwaves at the end of this month, which industry observers expect could last for months. "During that period, there will be no M&A activity in the US telecoms sector," apparently. Auction participants are not allowed to engage in any partnership or merger talks during the weeks before and after the bidding process. T-Mobile US, which is 65.4-percent owned by Deutsche Telekom, has said it could spend up to $10 billion in the auction. An auction of AWS-3 airwaves, which ended early 2015, raised a record $44.9 billion. Deutsche Telekom, which declined to comment, has been trying to sell the unit for years, hoping to cash in on a recovery in the business.

When technology and society outpace the law

[Commentary] The FBI-Apple encryption battle is just the beginning of an important debate this country needs to have about what to do when US innovation outpaces American law. The FBI's failure to get data it wanted from an iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino (CA) terrorists — despite significant help from Apple — shows that time has arrived once again. As with the coming of the telephone, the car, the radio and TV, the spread of the mobile Internet has gotten ahead of case law.

In this case, with hand-held smartphones now ubiquitous, a consumer technology has outstripped the ability of the government to complete an important terrorist investigation. Given the pace of development in the tech industry — especially in machine learning and artificial intelligence — hardware and software likely will soon outstrip the law in other areas, too. Unless we want to leave a wide range of legal questions to the vagaries of 50 states, lawmakers hearing from Apple and the FBI this week should draft legislation that defines the rights and liabilities being created for Americans by the proliferation of a intelligent machines.

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