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MARTIN: BROADBAND WIRELESS MUST BE ON 'SAME FOOTING'
[SOURCE: Multichannel News, AUTHOR: Todd Spangler]
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin, speaking at the CTIA Wireless 2007 conference in Orlando, said broadband-wireless services need to be "on the same footing" as wired high-speed-Internet services from cable and telephone companies. "It’s going to be important for consumers to develop that third broadband pipe as a competitor to DSL [digital subscriber line] and cable," he added. Chairman Martin pointed to the FCC’s ruling issued last week, which declared that wireless-broadband Internet-access service will be treated as an information service under the Communications Act of 1934. The ruling, released March 23, means broadband-wireless services will be regulated the same way cable’s high-speed services are, rather than as traditional telecommunications services. Chairman Martin said it was "critical" that broadband-wireless services receive "the same lighter regulatory treatment as other information services. It was important to put broadband wireless on the same footing as cable and DSL." That’s especially key, he added, as the FCC prepares for the auction later this year of a huge chunk of wireless spectrum, reclaimed from TV broadcasters as they move to government-mandated digital transmissions.
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6428126.html?display=Breaking+News

* FCC chief: Wireless key to universal access
Martin wants wireless Internet access to be included in efforts to ensure universal communications for all U.S. residents.
http://www.iphone2die4.com/post/1506/

FCC PROBE: NET NEUTRALITY GOOSE CHASE?
[SOURCE: BusinessWeek, AUTHOR: Catherine Holahan]
After months of vehement debate over the need—or lack thereof—for legislation to preserve competition on the Web, the Federal Communications Commission has decided to investigate whether broadband providers are doing anything to stifle it. As well intentioned as the fact-finding mission may be, the FCC isn't likely to turn up much, say both sides of the debate. Broadband providers have consistently stated that they do not give preferential treatment to some services, nor do they plan to block competing services. Comcast's Vice-President of External Affairs, Joseph Waz Jr., summed up the position at the Broadband Policy Summit in May, 2006, when he said calls for legislation barring preferential pricing were "a solution in search of a problem." Without Net Neutrality, advocates argue, a broadband provider will reserve fastest passage for its own services or those willing to pay a premium for such access, and relegating competing services or small Internet startups to relatively slow connections. The result would be to put those companies at a disadvantage, potentially stifling innovation
http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/mar2007/tc20070327_164895...

See also...
* Why is FCC quiet on AT&T’s Call-Blocking?
Is AT&T’s decision to block some of its customers’ wireless calls a violation of the so-called net neutrality principles? If it is, the FCC isn't saying so yet, at least not publicly. While both sides of the “free-calling” debate expect the commission to weigh in at some point, neither has filed a formal statement there, which may in some part have to do with the FCC’s silence on the matter so far.
http://gigaom.com/2007/03/26/why-is-fcc-silent-on-atts-call-blocking/

MLB: WE'LL MEET FACE-TO-FACE WITH CABLE
[SOURCE: Multichannel News, AUTHOR: Steve Donohue]
Under pressure from Sen. John Kerry (D-MA), Major League Baseball president and chief operating officer Bob DuPuy agreed to meet with In Demand Networks to discuss a possible deal that could provide the cable-backed program supplier with the league’s Extra Innings package. The chances of the league cutting a deal with cable operators before Monday -- opening day of the 2007 season -- are slim. But MLB and DirecTV are facing heat from regulators for their seven-year, $700 million deal that will restrict the league’s Extra Inning’s package to DirecTV customers.
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6428250.html?display=Breaking+News

INTERNET VIDEO STILL FACES BIG REVENUE CHALLENGES
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Ellen Sheng ellen.sheng@dowjones.com]
Online video is getting a lot of hype these days, but it is not clear how companies will make money off such sites, a new study from Convergence Consulting finds. "As it was a decade ago, the Internet is once again being positioned as taking over the content universe ... but there are a number of cold, hard realities" that prevent broadcasters and cable networks from moving away from TV, the report states. One such reality is advertising. Online advertising rates can command high prices, but online viewership is still considerably smaller than TV. Broadcasters that put their TV shows online have seen about 5% of their TV base watching the online streams; cable networks such as MTV see about 15% of their audiences watching shows online. Given the audience size, there is no assurance of similar advertising returns from online video. The report from the Toronto-based research and consulting firm calculates that average U.S. households spend about 20 cents an hour to watch TV, but broadcasters would have to charge a lot per download in order to compensate for what they get in advertising revenue for an average TV episode. For cable networks, there is an added disincentive to move to online distribution because the networks get about half their revenue from carriage deals with cable and satellite companies. One exception -- where online distribution could work better -- is with movie studios. The report points out that selling movies online helps studios save on distribution costs of DVDs. Studios also aren't dependent on advertising the way TV broadcasters and cable networks are.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB117505059839651390.html?mod=todays_us_ma...
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* The Battle for the North American Couch Potato: Bundling, Internet, TV, Telephone, April 2007 Edition
http://www.convergenceonline.com/reportA.html