Comcast supports ban on paid prioritization—with an exception
Comcast would support a ban on paid prioritization as long as there is an exception for "specialized services" that benefit consumers, said Comcast senior executive VP David Cohen. Cohen's suggestion of a paid-prioritization ban with an exception for specialized services is similar to an early version of network neutrality rules that was passed in 2010 but thrown out in court in 2014. (The Federal Communications Commission was able to impose stricter net neutrality rules in 2015; that's the set of rules that is being thrown out by the current FCC.) Cohen didn't say exactly what types of future services should be covered by an exemption for specialized services. But the services may come along soon enough, he said. Comcast hasn't implemented paid prioritization yet and has said it has no plans to do so. But the deleting of the "no paid prioritization" statement from its website could help Comcast charge for prioritization without facing punishment from the Federal Trade Commission, which can take action against companies that break promises to consumers. Comcast has previously said that paid prioritization should not be banned entirely but that there should be limits on "anti-competitive paid prioritization.
Democratic Senators Slam Chairman Pai for Proposed Limits to Lifeline Program
A group of Democratic senators slammed Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai over his proposal to cut down on a program that helps make broadband and phone service more affordable for low-income households. Their letter targets a proposal introduced by Chairman Pai in November that would significantly curb the scope of benefits from the Lifeline program, which roughly 6.5 million people in poor communities rely on to get access to high-speed internet. Eight million people are eligible for the subsidy program. “It is your obligation to the American public, as the Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, to improve the Lifeline program and ensure that more Americans can afford access, and have means of access, to broadband and phone service,” the group of Sens wrote, which was spearheaded by Sen Jeff Merkley (D-OR) “Your proposal accomplishes the exact opposite — it takes resources out of the hands of the most vulnerable Americans.” Other signatories to the letter were Sens Kamala Harris (D-CA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Ed Markey (D-MA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Cory Booker (D-NJ).
FCC Authorizes SpaceX to Provide Broadband Satellite Services
The Federal Communications Commission approved an application by Space Exploration Holdings, doing business as SpaceX, to provide broadband services using satellite technology in the United States and around the world. SpaceX proposed a satellite system comprised of 4,425 satellites and was granted authority to use frequencies in the Ka (20/30 GHz) and Ku (11/14 GHz) bands to provide global Internet connectivity. The Memorandum Opinion, Order and Authorization outlines the conditions under which SpaceX is authorized to provide service using its proposed NGSO FSS satellite constellation. Specifically, the Order specifies the conditions to ensure compliance with FCC rules, and to protect other operations in the requested frequency bands.
The internet must remain free and open
[Op-ed] National debates too often miss the reality on the ground in Alaska, and that reality is at the forefront of my mind when I’m considering the current debate about Net Neutrality. I strongly support a free and open internet and agree with those concerned about internet service providers prioritizing one website’s traffic over another’s or throttling access to certain content. I also believe and prefer Congress, not an executive agency like the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), should legislate protections for the internet. However, I am relatively agnostic about how we protect consumer access to the internet. My goal is to protect a free and open internet for all Americans. But my primary concern is what legislation or regulation really means to Alaskans on the ground, especially to those in communities without meaningful access to broadband. I continue to ask how we can protect and prioritize telemedicine and tele-education in broadband constrained communities in rural Alaska if regulation or legislation bans prioritization. A ban on an internet service provider prioritizing one website’s traffic over another may make sense in Anchorage and the Lower 48. But it makes no sense to slow down the connection for a behavioral health specialist doing a consultation or a classroom skyping in a teacher when the bandwidth in a community is limited because all traffic has to be treated equally. We absolutely have to protect the innovation and open environment on the internet that has delivered prosperity and growth across our economy, and I am working with my colleagues to best identify how to do that. But any lasting “fix” must provide for the unique challenges we face in Alaska.
[Sen Lisa Murkowski represents Alaska in the US Senate]
USDA's Rural Utilities Service Takes a New Approach to Broadband Loan Applications
The US Department of Agriculture’s Rural Utilities Service (RUS) has begun accepting RUS broadband loan applications for fiscal year 2018. For years, the program has provided low-interest loans for broadband network construction and is currently operating based on parameters established in the 2014 Farm Bill. There are some changes to the RUS broadband loan application process effective immediately, however. The minimum and maximum loan amounts that applicants can request have been raised to $100,00 and $25 million, respectively. In addition, the RUS has revised the definition of broadband service and broadband lending service. Those definitions are now identical and are set at 25 Mbps downstream and 3 Mbps upstream, which means that applicants will be eligible for funding for areas lacking 25/3 Mbps service and will be required to deploy service at speeds of at least 25/3 Mbps in areas for which they receive funding. Importantly, the RUS is also taking a new approach to the loan application period and to how applications are selected to receive funding. Traditionally, RUS broadband loan applications have been accepted only during specific time windows, but the agency now plans to accept loan applications on a rolling basis through September 30. The changes are aimed at financing improved broadband service in rural areas.
The Public Internet Option: How Local Governments Can Provide Network Neutrality, Privacy, and Access for All
As the Federal Communications Commission in the Trump era dismantles vital rules protecting net neutrality and users’ privacy, Americans need an internet provider that they can trust and is accountable to the public, not profits. Municipal governments can provide this by offering broadband service themselves and implementing the net neutrality and privacy protections that are no longer required of private companies by federal policies. Hundreds of cities, towns, and counties around the country have already turned to community broadband, often providing faster and cheaper service than for-profit telecoms. And, municipally-owned broadband providers can honor net neutrality and privacy values, regardless of what the FCC does or doesn’t do. With these public systems, communities can ensure that internet service is provided in an equitable way. In offering public broadband service, local governments need to make sure that access is consistent with free speech values and respects net neutrality principles. That means enacting strict anti-censorship rules and establishing clear oversight processes to enforce these principles. Municipal systems should be built to serve all residents equally, regardless of a neighborhood’s income or racial make-up. Public Wi-Fi services, which can help increase internet accessibility, should be as open as possible, without requiring accounts, logins, or complex sign-up procedures. Wired customers should also be allowed to run open-access points that anyone can use.
San Francisco Aims to Close the Digital Divide with Citywide Fiber Project
San Francisco (CA) plans to narrow its digital divide with a new network of high-speed fiber connectivity. The city is scheduled to begin the first phase of a three-year buildout in the first quarter of 2020, San Francisco Mayor Mark Farrell said. “We believe this is one of the most important broadband projects in our country today,” said Mayor Farrell, as he reiterated a need to bring affordable high-speed Internet access into every home and business. The service is not expected to cost households more than $60 a month, and for those residents living below the federal poverty line, the service will be free. Internet speeds of at least 1 gigabit is nothing less than a public utility, the mayor said. “It is shameful that in San Francisco we have more than 100,000 San Francisco residents that still do not have Internet access at home,” he added. The mayor also noted that some 15 percent of public school students lack Internet access at home, and 61 percent of students surveyed said they are not completing homework because they lack Internet access. “It is criminal in many regards. How can we expect the students of San Francisco to learn, with their peers, without Internet access in their house?”
Cortez (CO) Council moves forward with broadband pilot
The Cortez (CO) City Council voted unanimously to approve the fees and costs for a broadband pilot program. Through the program, dubbed the Cortez Community Network Pilot, the city will install in-home wireless devices called GigaCenters, and provide fiber to connect some residents with the city’s existing network. Installation will cost $150, and participants in the pilot will pay $60 per month, plus a $10 rental fee for the device, to get internet speeds of up to 100 Mbps. The program is designed to test whether the city can become a long-term internet service provider. Depending on how the program goes, the General Services department might end up building a citywide network. The city already has a fiber network in several areas of town, including some residential areas. According to the resolution that the council approved, the CCN pilot will charge $150 for city staff to install up to 250 feet of additional fiber to connect homes with that network, but residents will be responsible for digging the ditches through which the fiber can run.
LA Councilmember Proposes Municipal Broadband Feasibility Study
Los Angeles Councilmember Paul Krekorian has introduced a motion to study the feasibility of a municipal broadband network that would provide at-cost high-speed Internet to the city's local businesses and residents. The motion calls for a study into the creation of a new public department to oversee what is essentially an effort to improve the city’s broadband capabilities. If successful, the motion would make Los Angeles one of a growing number of state and local governments across the country that is exploring the feasibility of municipal broadband efforts with an eye toward potentially turning high-speed Internet access into a utility akin to electricity, water or gas. Councilmember Krekorian emphasized that providing at-cost access to high-speed Internet was increasingly important, citing developing factors such as a lack of competition among Internet service providers, as well as the Federal Communications Commission’s decision to repeal protections for net neutrality. He also noted that Los Angeles already owns a network of fiber-optic cable that runs through every part of the city, and his intention is to see if the local government can tap this to provide equitable access to fast Internet connections.
Facebook’s self-defense plan for the 2018 midterm elections
Facebook has a four-part plan to protect its platform from malicious attacks during the 2018 US midterm elections:
- Fighting foreign interference: Executives pointed to the FBI’s creation of a task force to monitor social media as an important step to identifying election threats in real time.
- Removing fake accounts: Deep-pocketed attackers create thousands of fake Facebook accounts and use them to push divisive narratives inside the countries they target.
- Letting people view every ad on the platform: During previous elections, advertisers were able to create so-called “dark posts” — ads that had no permalink and were only viewable to Facebook users in the News Feed.
- Reducing the spread of false news: Facebook relies heavily on third-party fact checkers to assess the accuracy of viral stories.
US to Seek Social Media Details From All Visa Applicants
The State Department wants to require all US visa applicants to submit their social media usernames, previous email addresses and phone numbers, vastly expanding the Trump Administration's enhanced vetting of potential immigrants and visitors. In documents to be published in March 30's Federal Register, the department said it wants the public to comment on the proposed new requirements, which will affect nearly 15 million foreigners who apply for visas to enter the US each year. Previously, social media, email and phone number histories were only sought from applicants identified for extra scrutiny, such as those who have traveled to areas controlled by terrorist organizations. An estimated 65,000 people per year are in that category. The new rules would apply to virtually all applicants for immigrant and non-immigrant visas. The department estimates it would affect 710,000 immigrant visa applicants and 14 million non-immigrant visa applicants, including those who want to come to the US for business or education, according to the documents.
Cambridge Analytica data on thousands of Facebook users still not deleted
Cambridge Analytica’s US campaign data, which was harvested from Facebook, is still circulating – despite assurances it has been deleted. The cache of campaign data from a Cambridge Analytica source, details 136,000 individuals in the US state of Colorado, along with each person’s personality and psychological profile. The data, which dates from 2014, was used by Cambridge Analytica to target specific messages at residents who would be most susceptible to them.
Facebook, longtime friend of data brokers, becomes their stiffest competition
Facebook was for years a best friend to the data brokers who make hundreds of millions of dollars a year gathering and selling Americans' personal information. Now, the world's largest social network is souring that relationship — a sign that the company believes it has overshadowed their data-gathering machine. Facebook will stop data brokers from helping advertisers target people with ads, severing one of the key methods marketers used to link users' Facebook data about their friends and lifestyle with their offline data about their families, finances and health. The data brokers have for years served a silent but critical role in directing users' attention to Facebook's ads. They also, critics say, stealthily contributed to the seemingly all-knowing creepiness of users seeing ads for things they never mentioned on their Facebook pages. A marketer who wanted to target new mothers, for instance, could use the data brokers' information to send Facebook ads to all women who bought baby formula with a store rewards card.
Apple Revamps Privacy Controls to Comply With New European Law
Apple is revamping privacy controls for its devices and cloud services to comply with strict new European rules as Facebook faces a user privacy backlash. The iPhone maker said it will update its web page for managing Apple IDs in coming months to let users download a copy of all their data stored with the company. The site will also let customers correct personal information, temporarily deactivate their account, and completely delete it. The new privacy controls are designed to comply with the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation, which kicks in May 25.Apple also updated operating systems for iPhones and iPads, Macs and Apple TVs. The new versions have a splash screen detailing Apple’s privacy stance and how data is used in individual applications.
The government’s case against AT&T-Time Warner may hinge on this online survey
Federal officials sought to lay the groundwork March 29 for a key argument in its historic antitrust case against AT&T and Time Warner, attempting to show how the $85 billion megamerger could lead to sharp subscriber declines among AT&T's rivals in the TV business. Cable companies and other TV providers could lose roughly 12 percent of their customer base in the event of a protracted, hypothetical programming dispute with an AT&T-owned Time Warner, said John Hauser, a marketing professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, who appeared in federal court as the Justice Department's expert witness. Hauser's results are based on a series of online surveys of 1,600 people using established research methods developed in the 1960s, he said. The study is critical to the Justice Department's case, because its findings plug directly into the agency's economic models showing that the AT&T merger will lead to higher prices for consumers.
Local News Is Turning Into Trump TV, Even Though Viewers Don’t Want It
Sinclair Broadcast Group — a media company run by a family of multi-millionaire Republican donors — is on the cusp of owning enough local television stations to reach 70 percent of American households. On the day that Donald Trump was elected, it would have been all but impossible for any single broadcaster to claim that large a share of the local TV news market. But Trump’s handpicked Federal Communications Commission chair, Ajit Pai, spent much of 2017 dismantling regulatory obstacles to media ownership consolidation — including two rules that stood in the way of Sinclair’s desired merger with Tribune Media. Sinclair has repaid this favor with interest.
WSJ Employees Say Senior Editor Tried To Pull Story For Political Reasons
Wall Street Journal employees circulated a letter that alleges a “senior editor” at the newspaper attempted to remove an already-published multimedia graphic that the senior editor deemed “not politically palatable.” “This is censorship and it is beneath the standards of the Wall Street Journal. It isn’t the first time, either,” the letter reads. The graphic is not some small piece, but a wide-ranging multimedia effort titled “10 Years After The Crisis,” which takes a look at the uneven economic recovery in the decade since the 2008 financial crisis. Jesse Eisinger, a Pulitzer Prize-winning senior reporter at ProPublica, tweeted that the newspaper’s editor-in-chief Gerard Baker tried to kill the story entirely “because it didn’t conform to his political views."
CBO Scores Office of Government Information Services Empowerment Act
The Office of Government Information Services Empowerment Act (H.R. 5253) would amend the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to permit the Office of Government Information Services (OGIS) to access records it needs from all agencies. (OGIS is part of the National Archives and Records Administration.) The office acts as a FOIA ombudsman, and it reviews FOIA policies and procedures and identifies steps to improve compliance with that act. CBO expects that any budgetary effects from implementing H.R. 5253 would not be significant because the bill would primarily codify existing policies and practices. The OGIS is currently obtaining consent to access the necessary records of all federal agencies. It now has such agreements with many of the largest agencies. Thus, CBO estimates there would be no significant costs or savings from implementing H.R. 5253.
FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn Announces Staff Changes
Federal Communications Commission Commissioner Mignon Clyburn announced the appointments of Neşe Guendelsberger as wireline legal advisor and Michael Scurato as media legal advisor, as well as the departures of J. David Grossman, the Commissioner’s Chief of Staff and Claude Aiken, the Commissioner’s wireline legal advisor. Guendelsberger joins the Commissioner’s staff from her position as Senior Deputy Bureau Chief of the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau. She has held a number of positions in various Bureaus within the Commission, including the Wireline Competition Bureau and the International Bureau, in various capacities in her 18 years with the Agency. Before joining the Commission in 2000, Guendelsberger taught law at the University of Baltimore and the University of Ankara and was a consultant on transnational law matters. She has an LL.M. from the University of Michigan as well as law degrees from the University of Paris I (Pantheon-Sorbonne) and the University of Ankara. Scurato joins the Commissioner’s staff from his position as a Legal Advisor to the Chief of the Enforcement Bureau. Prior to joining the Commission in 2016, Scurato was Vice President of Policy at the National Hispanic Media Coalition. While at NHMC, Scurato served on the Commission’s Consumer Advisory Committee and the American Library Association’s Public Policy Advisory Council. He received his law degree from Georgetown University Law Center, where he was a student in the Institute for Public Representation, a public interest law firm and clinical education program. He has a Bachelor of Arts from New York University.
Benton (www.benton.org) provides the only free, reliable, and non-partisan daily digest that curates and distributes news related to universal broadband, while connecting communications, democracy, and public interest issues. Posted Monday through Friday, this service provides updates on important industry developments, policy issues, and other related news events. While the summaries are factually accurate, their sometimes informal tone may not always represent the tone of the original articles. Headlines are compiled by Kevin Taglang (headlines AT benton DOT org) and Robbie McBeath (rmcbeath AT benton DOT org) -- we welcome your comments.
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