FCC’s Call to Clarify Broadband Issues Will Move Build-out Forward
The Federal Communications Commission has productively pushed for a resolution of the confused "net neutrality" debate which has stalled our national build-out and caused the digital divide to deepen. The United States must catch up with the rest of the world in terms of broadband build-out and access to 21st century communications. Take action on this issue at http://action.cwa-union.org/action/bring-broadband-home
Just What the Doctor Ordered: Expanded Rural Broadband
A recent story from NPR put a human face on the Federal Communications Commission's rural broadband healthcare initiative and underlines why universal high-speed Internet is an important FCC priority.
We have just released the 2010 edition of the Benefits of Broadband--a compilation of fact sheets that details the benefits of affordable, high-speed Internet for all Americans.
The FCC is currently reviewing ways to strengthen the E-rate program, a highly successful program that provides subsidies to schools and libraries for Internet connectivity. In this era of state and local budget crises, it is more important than ever to maintain and expand this program as a critical component of the FCC's National Broadband Plan to provide a gigabyte of connectivity to every community anchor institution.
Civil rights leader calls on FCC to put jobs, investment first
Julius Hollis, the Chairman of Speed Matters partner the Alliance for Digital Equality, wrote on the Huffington Post that the FCC's proposed "Third Way" regulatory approach may keep millions of disadvantaged Americans from accessing the economic and educational benefits of the Internet.
Statement by CWA on the proposed Verizon/Google agreement and legislative framework
On August 9, Verizon and Google proposed a legislative framework for preserving an open Internet. The Communications Workers of America supports all efforts to move forward to protect an open Internet and build out a high speed 21st century broadband network.
The broadband gap in the United States is still very real--contentions that it has been closed were disproved by the FCC's Sixth Broadband Penetration Report, released last month.
CWA and Sierra Club Join Forces on Broadband Expansion
Margrete Strand, the Sierra Club's Director of Responsible Trade, praised a collaborative effort between the Communications Workers of America and the Sierra Club to promote the expansion of broadband Internet at the 72nd CWA Convention and Legislative-Political Conference in July.
Areas Without Broadband Predominately Rural and Poor
The FCC's recently released Sixth Broadband Deployment Report points out that between 14 and 24 million Americans are living without access to broadband Internet.
FCC Chairman Addresses 72nd Communications Workers of America Convention
FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski delivered a message of support and solidarity for the assembled members at the 72nd Communications Workers of America convention yesterday - July 26. Watch the video of his speech.
The FCC Celebrates the 20th Anniversary of the ADA
Chairman Julius Genachowski touted the FCC's work implementing the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and pointed to the commission's current efforts to tear down barriers to digital accessibility, at an event celebrating the 20th anniversary of the historic legislation.
Minority Groups Urge Congressional Action on Broadband Regulation
A broad coalition of minority and community groups have sent a letter to Capitol Hill leadership supporting congressional action to clarify the FCC's regulatory authority over broadband.
FCC: Up to 24 Million Americans Don’t Have Broadband Access
In its Sixth Broadband Deployment Report, the FCC painted a decidedly grim picture of the state of universal broadband access in the United States. The Commission estimates that between 14 and 24 million Americans still lack access to broadband Internet. As a result, the Commission concluded — for the first time — that broadband is not "being deployed to all Americans in a reasonable and timely fashion," as directed by Congres.
According to a recent opinion piece in the Washington Post, e-learning has the potential to revolutionize the way American students learn inside and outside of the classroom.
Senate committee approves new technology accessibility standards
The Senate Commerce Committee approved legislation that would require electronics companies to make their products more accessible to the hearing and vision impaired, extending the promise of cutting-edge technologies to millions of disabled Americans.
CWA Says Congress Must Act Now to Affirm FCC Authority to Protect Internet Consumers
The Communications Workers of America (CWA) has filed comments in response to the FCC’s Title I/Title II Notice of Inquiry to “identify the legal approach that will best support its efforts to ensure universal access to affordable, high-quality broadband services.”
FCC Commits More Funds To Connect Rural Health Providers
The FCC is aiming to close the digital divide in healthcare with an ambitious retooling of the Rural Health Care Support Mechanism, one of four programs funded by the Universal Service Fund.
City 'connects' to rural internet service expansion - EMC Frontenac
City 'connects' to rural internet service expansion EMC Frontenac There are fears EORN could break that monopoly and undercut some of Kingston's big contracts once its high speed internet service is up and running. ...
Northeast Gets $42-million-plus for Broadband Expansion American Agriculturist Rural areas are at a competitive disadvantage because access to high-speed Internet service is increasingly essential for businesses, schools and hospitals. ...
Internet proposal creates divide - The Durango Herald
Internet proposal creates divide The Durango Herald But while many observers agree that better infrastructure for high-speed Internet is needed for local students, families and businesses, how to go about ...
The reverse auction conundrum - ConnectedPlanet (blog)
The reverse auction conundrum ConnectedPlanet (blog) When the FCC proposed sweeping reforms to the Universal Service program in the National Broadband Plan, a wide range of questions were raised. For rural...
Global broadband divide revealed BBC News He said broadband would allow people in rural and remote areas to access "state of the art" health facilities and doctors. "You will also be able to ensure ...
City 'connects' to rural internet service expansion - EMC Frontenac
City 'connects' to rural internet service expansion EMC Frontenac However, EORN officials could not provide the city with a firm answer as to exactly how many residents of rural Kingston would benefit from the broadband...
While social media use has grown dramatically across all age groups, older users have been especially enthusiastic over the past year about embracing new networking tools. Social networking use among Internet users ages 50 and older nearly doubled -- from 22% in April 2009 to 42% in May 2010.
The Google-Verizon network neutrality proposal is a compromise between the desire of content providers to ensure that all content streams are treated equally and that of access providers to maintain flexibility to manage their networks.
Al Gore didn't invent the Internet and the telecommunications and cable companies don't own it, but musicians like us use it every day to book tours, sell merchandise and communicate directly with our fans.
Who writes pro-cable Internet legislation? Cable does
North Carolina's "An Act to Ensure That A Local Government That Competes with Private Companies in Providing Communication Services Has The Support Of Its Citizens" was sponsored by a prominent state lawmaker and backed by incumbent Internet service providers, including the cable lobby.
Panel: U.S. lacks legal framework to fight in cyberspace
The United States is hamstrung in defending itself in cyberspace by a lack of policies and legal framework for waging war in the new military domain, a panel of government and private-sector experts said.
Pentagon's cybersecurity plans have a Cold War chill
With little fanfare, the Pentagon is putting the finishing touches on a new strategy that will treat cyberspace as a domain of potential warfare -- and apply instant "active defense" to counter attacks that, in theory, could shut down the nation's transportation and commerce.
The FCC released Omnibus Broadband Initiative Technical Paper No. 5, which describes the methodology and assumptions used in determining the health care broadband connectivity gap in the National Broadband Plan.
Google offered consumers another reason to ditch their traditional landlines by unveiling a service that lets them make free phone calls through its popular e-mail program.
Levin, who directed the creation of the National Broadband Plan while he was at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), said that it is essential to overhaul the Universal Service Fund.
USTelecom: Network neutrality fight distracts from the Broadband Plan
Walter McCormick, president of USTelecom -- the lobbying association for broadband providers -- said that the telecom community should get back to talking about the broadband plan.
Senator Hopes for a Vote on Cybersecurity Measure Before Elections
The Senate is considering attaching cybersecurity legislation to a key defense authorization bill as a way to assure passage this year of the measure to reform the way the government safeguards its computer networks and that of key national IT systems, Sen. Thomas Carper (D-Deleware) said.
Now it is official: The most significant breach of U.S. military computers was caused by a flash drive inserted into a U.S. military laptop on a post in the Middle East in 2008.
As part of the draft of a law governing workplace privacy, the German government on August 25 proposed new restrictions on employers' use of Facebook profiles when recruiting.
Apple is making another push to bring Internet-delivered television to the living room, but Chief Executive Steve Jobs's plan to offer 99-cent TV-show rentals is getting limited support from media companies.
Paul Allen is suing some of Silicon Valley's biggest companies, which he accuses of violating heretofore unheard-of patents on some core Internet technologies.
On September 1, Rep Ed Markey (D-MA) registered his concerns about allowing what he called "discriminatory fast lanes" and said that excluding mobile broadband from an open Internet framework could "widen the digital divide."
In response to the Federal Communications Commission's announcement to seek further comment on network neutrality issues, Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) pushed his agenda on Internet regulation.
Lawmakers frustrated by Internet "kill switch" reports
Lawmakers seeking to craft a comprehensive cybersecurity bill are growing increasingly frustrated with characterizations of their legislative efforts as providing the president with a "kill switch" for the Internet.
BRICs, Indonesia to Double Internet Use, Report Says
Brazil, Russia, India, China and Indonesia will double their Internet users to 1.2 billion by 2015, fueling growth at media companies and phone carriers.
The Federal Communications Commission released translations of the National Broadband Plan's Executive Summary in six Asian and Pacific Islander languages.
Secretary Gary Locke Hosts National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship
The National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship will have its first meeting at the Commerce Department Thursday hosted by Secretary Locke.
White House To Meet With ICANN On Illegal Online Pharmacies
The White House has called a meeting for later this month with the group that manages the Internet's domain name system to discuss ways to crack down on illegal online pharmacies.
Judge Rules News Station Is Immune From 'Cyber Libel' Resulting From Commenters
A federal court has dismissed news anchor Toni Miles' claim that her former employer, Raycom Media's WLOX-TV, committed "cyber libel" by allowing readers to post unfiltered comments about her.
Federal Communications Commission member Michael Copps has managed the art of saying much in a few words. His latest salvo came in a 245-word letter to the editor in the Washington Post, in which he not only savaged yet another misbegotten Washington Post editorial about Internet policy, but also took on the Verizon-Google joint policy "recommendation" and then noted the cruel reality of the agency to which he has devoted almost nine years of his professional career.
When Comcast controls a dominant pipe into the home for all communications - voice, data, entertainment, interaction, you name it - in the areas in which it operates, it will be able to decide what goes quickly, what goes slowly, and how much Comcast gets paid for everything that passes over its lines. That's enormous power.
The Pew Hispanic Center has found that technology use among foreign-born Latinos continues to lag significantly behind that of their U.S.-born counterparts.
Genachowski Criticized for Slow Movement on National Broadband Plan
Critics say that Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski is not moving fast enough on implementing recommendations included in the National Broadband Plan.
RE: OpenSUSE Li-F-E vs. Edubuntu vs. UbuntuHi! As a regular Edubuntu contributor and one of the project leaders I follow this blog via RSS.We've actually had quite some backlash from users for switching to an add-on CD, even though it seems to make more sense technically. I think you hit...
You're not getting broadband...unless something drastic happens
Put your slacks, shirt and tie onand go pitch a proposal to the government! Your ideas will be given more credence if youare dressed the part!And yes, I dredged that up from your previouspost!Qwest FTTN DSL - Up to 40MbpsQwest's telco Fiber-To-The-Node/Neighborhood DSL is up to 40Mbps in some...
'Fastest broadband in EU' in election promise; Open source debated
I'm Canadian, and I'd like ...an open source government.I provide my own high speed internet access.But our current government is as opaque as it gets, so getting a more open and transparent government would be a much higher priority right now.I'm an American...Who doesn't believe broadband is a "right" and...
I think a lot about which companies that I've been covering for zillions of years will be around 10 years from now, as the Internet moves into its next phase of innovation around things like machine to machine communications, which is sort of personified in the smart grid. If you...
If you blog it ...... I'll read it! Might even buy the video ;-)Christopher, I think you have a really good shot at it. Sounds like theperfect community, and, a great blogger already convinced that the cloud is the way, already using Google apps,to blog the whole experience would be...
I know it's a long shot. I can't compete with Topeka and have the town selectmen rename our little town Google. I really can't offer Google much in the way of enticement to bring their broadband experiment out to the sticks of rural New England. But I nominated...
Note to FCC: To drive broadband adoption, change the way it's marketed
Mobile broadband adoptionMobile broadband adoption is going to be the big challenge. Part of the of problem is that there is not much competition so companies can charge exorbitant prices. The other problem is that that the provicers prohibit and or strongly discourage tethering with cell phones.RE: Note to FCC:...
National Broadband Plan: E-Rate changes are welcome news
Maybe, but...It may happen. There are a number of challenges. The Comission still has to submit the plan for final review. The politics at that juncture could prove ugly....who will pay to keep schools open for the community to access the resourcesThe tax payer of course. But the dumbasses will...
National Broadband Plan: E-Rate changes are welcome news
As more details of the FCC's National Broadband Plan emerge, it looks as though the antiquated E-rate rules that prevent many schools from sharing their Internet access with their communities will be changing. E-Rate, a program that subsidizes large percentages of Internet access for schools and libraries in poor...
100Mbps to the home? How about to schools instead?
Bah, it's popular to talk stuff like thisbut in my neighborhood, all 266 schools in the district have been interconnected with fiber optics, at the rate of 1GBps. That was done five years ago...What the heck are you talking about?How about...Schools buy more books and encourage students to read them.RE:...
At least we have it ntntBetter to skip WiMax and go straight for LTE. ntntRE: WiMax deployments ramp globally, but U.S. lagsWhat does the word 'covered' means? 'In service' only or including 'in deployment / planned'?Reason why the US always gets it last because..Corporations like to milk their customers dry...
Hey, Google! My school will take a bit of that broadband
You might get your wish Christopher. A rural area, and, a blogger onsiteALREADY using Google apps to blog about the whole experience.Google wants rural communities see that they CAN have super high speed broadband, and it costs almost nothing compared to the benefits. Of course the telcos that are...
Hey, Google! My school will take a bit of that broadband
Antitrust and regulatory concerns be damned, I want high-speed Internet. If Google has to provide it since Verizon won't step up to the plate, that's fine by me. However, Google's recent announcement of their plans to deploy gigabit fiber to homes in their broadband "experiment" leaves me hanging....
Valdes and Astronaut putting VA VistA in the cloud
Astronaut VistA and Virtual MachinesI installed a fully self-contained WorldVistA EHR on a Windows box, using virtual machines.The Astronaut system installs the database server separately from the clients (which is the way the VA does it.) I therefore installed the server in a VirtualBox virtual machine running Ubuntu Linux 9.10...
"for both billing and law enforcement purposes"......and one might add: for repressive regimes to keep their thumbs pressed firmly to the backs of their citizens. Or organized crime, unethical politicians pretty much all of them. Or yet another way for companies to deliver me advertising....oh boy.On the issue...
Cybermoor's Broadband Project Connects a Community, Creates Jobs and Increases Property Values by 25 Percent
When it came time for Cybermoor Ltd., a UK market leader in community broadband projects, to upgrade its existing Cybermoor network in the rural town of Alston Moor, Proxim's wireless broadband solutions were able to bridge the divide. Cybermoor needed a more robust wireless system to provide true rural broadband...
As I was driving through the small town in which our district is based yesterday, I was pondering a conversation I'd had with a local fiber company. In middle-of-nowhere Massachusetts, as in much of rural America, broadband is not easy to come by. It's expensive and the kind of...
Verizon Wireless revamps calling plans; Goes for customer grab ahead of 4G
Long overdue revampI'm sure these new ways to overcharge us will be much more exciting than the old methods by which Verizon overcharged us.Still way to expensiveWhile I do miss the Verizon network, I do not miss my Verizon Bill.It's ludicrous that I can get unlimited mobile / text &...
Why 'Free Conference Calls' are like Russian Roulette
When you're calling your important prospect with a free conference call number, you probably don't realize the increasing chances of getting a number unobtainable message like this as digital telco disruption escalates. Conference calls are an vital part of collaboration, with millions participating...
FCC still not looking out for citizens enoughThe FCC still seems to cater to comm companies FAR more than protecting the interests of customers. The fact that they allow cell carriers to charge thousands of dollars per megabyte for text message data rates is one indication. The fact that they...
Broadband News
News feeds
