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January 2018

2018 Will Be the Year When the Internet Collides With Reality

The onset of a new year brings plenty of predictions, and so I will hazard one: Many of the biggest events of 2018 will be bound together by a common theme, namely the collision of the virtual internet with the real “flesh and blood” world. This integration is likely to steer our daily lives, our economy, and maybe even politics to an unprecedented degree. For instance, the coming year will see a major expansion of the “internet of things,” especially home and other smart devices subject to our commands.

Comcast already on pace to spend $50B on networks, despite Title II rollback promise

Despite tying a projected five-year capital expenditure figure of $50 billion to the Federal Communications Commission’s recent decision to roll back its net neutrality mandates, an analysis of Comcast’s capital expenditures (capex) reveals that the top US cable operator was on track to spend about that much even before the agency voted to deregulate. 

Net neutrality fight heads to California capital

The battle over network neutrality rules that were overturned in Washington in Dec moved into Sacramento (CA) on Jan 3. CA State Sen Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) introduced a bill to require telecommunications companies doing business in the state to guarantee equal Internet access. “We will protect a free and open Internet in our state,” State Sen Wiener said. “We won’t let the FCC undermine our democracy.” SB822 would try to use state Public Utilities Commission regulations governing telecommunications companies to force them to adhere to net neutrality rules.

Crossing the Line: What Counts as Online Harassment?

In an effort to examine more deeply where people “draw the line” when it comes to online harassment, the Pew Research Center conducted a survey in which respondents were presented with fictional scenarios depicting different types of escalating online interactions. The survey then asked them to indicate which specific elements of the story they considered to be harassment. Their answers indicate that Americans broadly agree that certain behaviors are beyond the pale.

Pockets of Rural America Without Internet Access at Ricks of Being Undercounted in Census

Rural communities with high levels of poverty and lack of access to internet could be undercounted in the 2020 U. S. Census, according to a report. Researchers at the Carsey School of Public Policy at the University of New Hampshire have identified numerous steps the Census Bureau can take to improving census collection in rural areas. Reporter author William O’Hare’s warning is based on likely limits to budgets for Census operations and a change in methodology. The Census will rely more on the internet for data collection.

Fact-checking Mignon Clyburn’s net neutrality statement

[Commentary] This blog reviews some specious claims made in Federal Communications Commission Commissioner Mignon Clyburn's statement on network neutrality.

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