DIGITAL DIVIDE
Rural School Is Now Wired to the World (NYT)
Diversity Must Be A Priority, HP's Fiorina Tells Execs(SJM)
INTERNET
FTC Issues Guidelines For E-Commerce Ads (WSJ)
House Subcommittee Says Congress Must Act to Prevent Access Charges
(WSJ)
Web Site IServed Scoops Up U.S. Version of Military Paper (WSJ)
Scan the Headlines? No, Just the Bar Codes (NYT)
BROADCASTING & CABLE
FCC Approves Viacom-CBS Deal (WP)
Viewers Casualties in TV War (WP)
Time Warner Faces a Fine by F.C.C. Unit (NYT)
BROADBAND
Night of the Living D.S.L.: Broadband Horror Stories (NYT)
WIRLESS
Aether, Visa Set Deal On Wireless Billing (WP)
DIGITAL DIVIDE
RURAL SCHOOL IS NOW WIRED TO THE WORLD
Issue: Digital Divide
In an extremely rural central Wyoming Elementary School, Diamond Forbes is
the only student. Yet, with her teacher and an iMac computer with Internet
access at her side, Diamond is anything but disadvantaged. Now that Wyoming
has become the first state to provide every one of its public schools with
Internet access the disadvantages of isolation have been neutralized. This
is a significant accomplishment considering that of Wyoming's 234 elementary
schools, 19 have less than 10 students. Wyoming, with its small wired
schools, has provided an enviable learning environment with an incredibly
low student-to-teacher ratio matched by a statewide average of eight
students for every computer. Gov. Jim Geringer, who passed the legislation
to wire every public school says, "Every child in Wyoming now has the
opportunity to develop to his or her own potential."
[SOURCE: New York Times (A22), AUTHOR: Michael Janofsky]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/00/05/biztech/articles/04wyoming.html)
DIVERSITY MUST BE A PRIORITY, HP'S FIORINA TELLS EXECS
Issue: Digital Divide
Jessie Jackson's Rainbow/Push Coalition is hosting a three day digital
divide conference in San Jose to address the issue of minority inclusion
into the Silicon Valley's high-tech economy. While speaking on Wednesday's
panel, Hewlett-Packard's Carly Fiorina said, "The fact is that diversity is
not a hiring practice or a hiring priority in many Silicon Valley companies
. . .As a result, this industry has far too much conformity." The
Rainbow/Push conference is an attempt to bring high-tech minority executives
and entrepreneurs together and introduce them to the business leaders of the
Silicon Valley. Additional contributors to the Wednesday panel included John
Chambers of Cisco Systems, Craig Barrett of Intel Corp. and Robert Knowling
Jr. of Covered Communications. However, it was Fiorina that led the robust
discussion by offering a three-step plan, "We need to stop the rhetoric,
recognize the value in diversity and change through `e-inclusion." Jessie
Jackson attended the panel discussion. He was encouraged by the ability of
the contributors to address the diversity problems of Silicon Valley. But he
said that its time to move on to addressing the solutions rather than the
problems.
[SOURCE: San Jose Mercury News, AUTHOR: Joshua L. Kwan]
(http://www.mercurycenter.com/svtech/news/top/docs/divide050400.htm)
INTERNET
FTC ISSUES GUIDELINES FOR E-COMMERCE ADS
Issue: E-Commerce
The Federal Trade Commission issued official guidelines for Internet
advertising that spell out how the agency's consumer-protection rules apply
to online ads and sales practices. "This guidance represents the cooperative
efforts of government, communications experts in industry, and consumer
groups to achieve fair, informative online advertising," said Jodie
Bernstein, FTC director of consumer protection. The guidelines emphasize the
importance of posting clear and conspicuous disclosures to prevent
misleading ads.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal Interactive, AUTHOR: Staff Reporter]
(http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB957402460160455109.htm)
HOUSE SUBCOMMITTEE SAYS CONGRESS MUST ACT TO PREVENT ACCESS CHARGES
Issue: Internet
Rep. Fred Upton, (R-Mich.) has introduced a bill that would bar the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC) from having Internet Service Providers pay
[long-distance] access charges for sending digital data. Voice data used in
IP telephony is not covered by the bill. "While it is true that Internet
service providers are currently exempt from having to pay [long-distance]
access charges, the FCC [Federal Communications Commission] could always
change its mind," said Rep. Tom Bliley, (R.-Va.), chairman of the full House
Commerce Committee.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal Interactive, AUTHOR: Mark Wigfield]
(http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB95738438471116264.htm)
WEB SITE ISERVED SCOOPS UP US VERSION OF MILITARY PAPER
Issue: Internet
In an example that anything is fair game for the Internet, the Internet
company IServed.com acquired the U.S. edition of Stars & Stripes veterans'
newspaper and will begin posting its stories on a new Web site. The purchase
does not include not include the government-owned European and Pacific
editions of the Stars & Stripes, which are circulated at military bases.
Howard Haugerud, the owner of the U.S. edition, said he never made money in
the nine years he owned the paper. "I never tried to make money. The way we
ran it, it was never going to make money." The newspaper has an editorial
staff of only four people. The name "Stars & Stripes" holds a special place
in the heart of any military brat - this one included.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal Interactive, AUTHOR: Associated Press]
(http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB957358921654979445.htm)
SCAN THE HEADLINES? NO, JUST THE BAR CODES
Issue: Internet
Some readers of the Post and Courier, the daily newspaper in Charleston,
S.C., will soon be able to access news on the Web, without even typing in a
URL address. A select group of testers in Charleston will receive free
handheld scanners so they can activate small bar codes on the pages of the
Post and Courier and jump straight to the corresponding Web sites. "You just
beep on this thing and you're there," said Alan H. Seim, director of
Internet operations at The Post and Courier. The experiment in Charleston is
part of an effort to create useable links between real-world items and the
Internet. Wired magazine and Popular Mechanics will soon be sporting
imperceptible digital watermarks in printed text and photograph that, when
held up to a Webcam, tell the computer to display related Web pages. "We
think it will change the dynamic of how we edit the magazine and
relationships with our readers," said Jay McGill, publisher of Popular
Mechanics.
[SOURCE: New York Times (E1), AUTHOR: Lisa Guernsey]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/00/05/circuits/articles/04bar.html)
BROADCASTING & CABLE
FCC APPROVES VIACOM-CBS DEAL
Issue: Merger
The Federal Communications Commission, approved the merger between Viacom
and CBS yesterday. While this surprised very few people, there was a certain
amount of curiosity as to whether the colossal new company would be forced
to sell off one of its two television networks-CBS or the struggling UPN. In
recent weeks, however, the FCC has hinted that the new company can keep
both. The new company will be the largest diversified media company around,
with assets including the two broadcast networks, a movie studio, cable
networks, and the ubiquitous Blockbuster video chain.
[SOURCE: Washington Post (E1), AUTHOR: Paul Farhi]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A64164-2000May3.html)
TIME WARNER FACES A FINE BY F.C.C. UNIT
Issue: Cable
The Federal Communications Commission's Cable Bureau is pretty annoyed at
Time Warner for yanking ABC. The FCC said yesterday that Time Warner had
violated a federal regulation by pulling ABC off the air in the midst of a
ratings sweep month. There has been no decision made about what action to
take against the errant cable system but, according to an FCC spokesman,
Time Warner will likely face a fine. F.C.C. chairman, William E. Kennard,
said: "Time Warner Cable committed a clear violation of F.C.C. rules.
Unfortunately millions of consumers paid the price." He added, "No company
should use consumers in a private contract dispute."
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Bill Carter]
(http://www.nytimes.com/yr/mo/day/news/financial/fcc-timewarner.html)
VIEWERS CASUALTIES IN TV WAR
Issue: Cable
Time Warner's decision to drop ABC's signal this week hasn't made them any
friends in the 3 million consumers who were without "Who Wants to Be a
Millionaire?" for that fateful 36 hours. The Federal Communications
Commission wasn't amused either, they ruled for Disney in the dispute that
led to the blackout. Disney is busily making friends with consumers by
offering $198 rebates towards the purchase of satellite television systems.
And the battle will likely intensify as Time Warner's proposed merger with
AOL gets closer scrutiny in the coming weeks. Those on Capitol Hill are
really worked up by the whole thing and there have already been some pretty
decent quotes to come out of this. "This is a picture-perfect image of two
greedy corporate titans fighting it out, with the only real victim being the
consumer," said Mark Buse, staff director for the Senate Commerce Committee,
which will have a hearing in July to consider rules on negotiations between
cable and broadcasting interests. "As long as you have this consolidation
and corporate giants with more and power, you're going to have these
battles."
[SOURCE: Washington Post (E1), AUTHOR: Peter S. Goodman and Paul Farhi]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A64191-2000May3.html)
BROADBAND
NIGHT OF THE LIVING D.S.L.: BROADBAND HORROR STORIES
Issue: Broadband
As the demand for D.S.L., or digital subscriber line -- a form of high-speed
Internet connection - grows, so does the level of frustration felt by many
dissatisfied DSL customers. By the end of this year there will be 900,000
D.S.L. subscribers in the United States and more than double that number by
the end of 2001, said Fritz McCormick, an analyst at the Yankee Group. It
can be a struggle for many customers to just get DSL installed, for others,
problems may begin after it is. Many subscribers complain of service outages
and poor customer care. "My take on the whole situation is probably that the
D.S.L. industry is growing too fast," said Bill Hipps, a D.S.L customer from
Salt Lake City, "and that the technology hasn't been tested enough with all
the volume and variables." Meanwhile, companies are struggling to provide
better service and keep up with exploding demand. "The vast majority of our
customers are just thrilled with it," said Mike McLeland, vice president of
operations at SBC Advanced Solutions, which provides D.S.L. service in 13
states.
[SOURCE: New York Times (E1), AUTHOR: Katie Hafner]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/00/05 /circuits/articles/04dsll.html)
WIRELESS
AETHER, VISA SET DEAL ON WIRELESS BILLING
Issue: WIRELESS
The ongoing effort to allow consumers to shop anywhere, anytime took a great
leap forward yesterday, as Aether Systems Inc. and Visa U.S.A. announced a
joint venture aimed at allowing individuals to make purchases or pay bills
using any hand-held wireless device. The venture will produce products
including an "electronic wallet" that will allow mobile Internet users to
store credit-card numbers and any other information used to make purchases
or pay bills from hand-held devices. David Oros, Aether chairman and chief
executive, said "It will do everything your wallet does, everything your PC
does and everything your bank teller does."
[SOURCE: Washington Post (E5), AUTHOR: Rob Garretson]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A995-2000May3.html)
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