December 2003

WORLD SUMMIT ON THE INFORMATION SOCIETY
Bug Devices Track Officials at Summit
Local Content Key for Digitally Divided
Africa Wants More than IT Promises

INTERNET
Anti-Spam Act Signed but Some Are Skeptical

MEDIA OWNERSHIP
Central Casting

EDTECH
E-Rate Rule Changes Frustrate Applicants
Scotland Exam Tables Replaced with Website

SPECTRUM
Wireless Traffic Alerts Ahead

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WORLD SUMMIT ON THE INFORMATION SOCIETY

BUG DEVICES TRACK OFFICIALS AT SUMMIT
Researchers say that officials who attended the World Summit on the
Information Society (WSIS) were unknowingly bugged through the use of badges
affixed with radio-frequency identification chips (RFIDs). RFID chips allow
for real-time tracking of a person's movements. The researchers were able to
obtain official badges with fake identification cards. Their report said
that during the registration process, "no public information or privacy
policy was available upon our demands that could indicate the purpose,
processing or retention periods for the data collected. The registration
personnel were obviously not properly informed and trained." The lack of
security procedures is a violation of Swiss federal law. "The big problem is
that system also fails to guarantee the promised high levels of security
while introducing the possibility of constant surveillance of the
representatives of civil society, many of whom are critical of certain
governments and regimes," the report said. Researchers are concerned that
the same database may be used for future events, including the next summit
scheduled for 2005 in Tunisia.
SOURCE: Washington Times; AUTHOR: Audrey Hudson
http://washingtontimes.com/national/20031214-011754-1280r.htm

LOCAL CONTENT KEY FOR DIGITALLY DIVIDED
There exist various barriers to increasing Internet use. Development
activists who attended WSIS say that an important area of focus should be
content. "If a person comes up to the terminal and there is nothing there in
their language that is relevant to their lives, then why should they
bother?" said Peter Armstrong, Director of Oneworld.net, a leading website
for development issues. That is what Oneworld focuses on, allowing people to
input their own local content in their own languages, at no cost, he added.
Oneworld partners with local groups in developing countries and the result
is that many communities can use the Internet for various purposes,
including spreading information about health issues or information for
individuals trying to become self-sufficient. UN Secretary General Kofi Anan
noted at WSIS that 70 percent of all websites are in English, which he says
can crowd local content and views. DireqLearn, a South African organization,
is working to address the content imbalance. DireqLearn customizes
educational tools for hundreds of schools in Namibia, Nigeria and South
Africa. The idea, says DireqLearn's Leonard Tleane, is to give students the
knowledge they want, in a language that they can understand.
SOURCE: BBC; AUTHOR: Clark Boyd
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/3314171.stm

AFRICA WANTS MORE THAN I.T. PROMISES
Developing nations at WSIS wanted the wealthier developed nations to put
into practice their talk about bridging the digital divide. Senegalese
President Abdoulaye Wade pushed for the creation of a special fund dedicated
to closing the digital divide, but he was disappointed by the vague promises
given at the three-day meeting. "Africa's objective of digital solidarity
has largely been achieved," said Wade, but it will difficult to move beyond
solidarity and start to act on the digital divide without funding. The idea
of a digital divide fund for developing nations will now have to be
revisited at the second phase of the summit in Tunisia in 2005. "In reality,
negotiators have found a tenuous compromise between two irreconcilable
positions," said the telecommunications expert heading up the African group
during the talks. One of the ambitious goals of the summit will be to
connect half of the world's six billion people to telephones and Internet by
2015. Critics believe this is a pipe dream, especially if declarations do
not materialize into real work. "My plea is the next time this conference
meets in Tunis we should not be spending time drafting the next declaration
but we should be organized from now so that we can celebrate actual
accomplishments," said Arun Shourie, India's Minister for Information
Technology and Communications.
SOURCE: Mail & Guardian (South Africa)
http://www.mg.co.za/Content/l3.asp?ao=28541

INTERNET

ANTI-SPAM ACT SIGNED BUT SOME ARE SKEPTICAL
Yesterday, President Bush signed the first national anti-spam legislation.
Meanwhile, in the 15 minutes it took to have a signing ceremony in the Oval
Office, about 99.8 million pieces of junk email were delivered to email
in-boxes around the world. Whether the legislation will be effective is a
matter of debate. "You can't just declare victory and go home," said Dave
Baker, vice president of public policy for Earthlink Inc. "We think this a
good piece of legislation...It's one more tool, but the fight continues
every day." The bill aims to deter spammers from faking the originating
addresses of spam and combing Web pages for email addresses to add to
mailing lists. The legislation, which will take effect on January 1, will
also require marketers to give recipients a clear opportunity to cease all
future mailings. Senators Conrad Burns (R-MT) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) wrote a
letter to Federal Trade Commission Chairman Timothy J. Muris encouraging the
agency to bring "a few major, high-profile enforcement cases right away."
They added, "The clear message for big-time spammers would be that their
abusive behavior, which so far has had few if any consequences, now carries
serious risks." Critics argue the bill will be ineffective; furthermore, it
will override tougher state laws against spam.
SOURCE: Washington Post; AUTHOR: Jonathan Krim
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A6455-2003Dec16.html

MEDIA OWNERSHIP

CENTRAL CASTING
News Central, a broadcast news service of Sinclair Broadcasting, uses a
controversial format called central casting in which portions of the news
are local, but the same feed of national and international news is sent to
10 cities across the country. Sinclair says the efficiency gains allow them
to put news on television stations that otherwise would not be able to
operate news. But critics say the broadcasts mislead local viewers, who
don't know most of their news is coming from Baltimore, Maryland, rather
than from their own communities. Another complaint is that the news is
biased. "You're fed a decidedly right-wing commentary over a variety of
markets, and they seem to have even borrowed this notion of saying at the
top of the broadcast that it's fair and balanced," said Marty Haag,
Broadcast Executive-in-Residence at the Southern Methodist University.
"Well, what about the opportunity of having somebody who represents an
opposing point of view every now and then?" he asked.
SOURCE: PBS Newshour
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/media/july-dec03/newscentral_12-11.html

EDTECH

E-RATE RULE CHANGES FRUSTRATE APPLICANTS
US Schools and libraries have until January 7, 2004 to file their Form 470
applications to be eligible for discounts on telecommunications services,
Internet access, and internal wiring costs through the federal E-Rate
program. But unresolved changes to the program have left many applicants
frustrated and unsure of how to file their 2004 applications. "It's just
devastating. You can't make a decision. You can't file a 470," said Greg
Weisiger, state E-Rate coordinator for the Virginia Department of Education.
The policy changes come from the Federal Communications Commission, which is
expected to resolve the issues. Win Himsworth, president of the consulting
firm E-Rate Central, said he believes the increasing complexity of the
E-Rate is going to "freeze small applicants out of the program." Small
applicants often can't handle the burden of the paperwork, keeping up with
the rule changes, or the cost of hiring a consultant, he added.
SOURCE: Business Week; AUTHOR: Cara Branigan
http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showStory.cfm?ArticleID=4789

SCOTLAND EXAM TABLES REPLACED WITH WEBSITE
A new website has replaced Scotland's league exam table system. This change
is a way of abolishing old performance tables in order to provide parents
with clearer and more relevant information. The site is accessible through
the Scottish Executive's Parent zone page
(http://www.parentzonescotland.gov.uk). The website, launched Monday,
provides a wide variety of information as well as a help-line number for
assistance. It provides statistics on exam performance, but also shows the
proportion of pupils who passed exams. The site also features inspection
reports, free school meals entitlement, leave of absence statistics, and
links to other school websites. Critics argue that the website might not
necessarily make information less confusing for parents, but Judith
Gillespie, development manager for the Scottish Parent Teacher Council,
praised the changes for pulling together several strands of information into
one site. "It is a huge improvement, a massive improvement because it draws
the information together and puts it in context in a much more meaningful
way," she said. SOURCE:BBC
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/3319775.stm

SPECTRUM

IRELESS TRAFFIC ALERTS AHEAD
Federal regulators are scheduled today to set aside a portion of spectrum
for a new wireless technology that allows motorists to get traffic updates,
buy fast food or find a nearby hotel. The technology, using antenna-equipped
computers with small display screens, will operate much like wireless
(Wi-Fi) technology. The Federal Communications Commission will earmark
airwaves in the 5.9 gigahertz band for short-range communications. These new
airwaves would be licensed mainly to state transportation, local police, and
fire agencies. Some commercial services may obtain licenses as well. Some of
the uses for this new technology include intersection collision avoidance
and roadwork warnings that automatically slow your car; traffic and frozen
bridge alerts; capability for emergency vehicles to switch traffic signals
to green; and electronic fast food payments. Officials also hope that within
three years, carmakers will include these displays in most models.
SOURCE: USA Today; AUTHOR: Paul Davidson
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2003-12-16-wireless_x.htm

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WORLD SUMMIT ON THE INFORMATION SOCIETY
WSIS Net Summit Ends but Talks Continue
Bridging the Many Divides
ICTs Give Development Aid a Shot in the Arm
Bloggers Converge on World Summit

TELEVISION
Linking Digital TV Must-Carry To Increased Viewpoint Diversity
Supreme Court Campaign Finance Decision Gives Nod to Broadcasting
Fairness

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WORLD SUMMIT ON THE INFORMATION SOCIETY

WSIS NET SUMMIT ENDS BUT TALKS CONTINUE
Friday evening marked the close of the first World Summit on the Information
Society (WSIS). Some label the summit a success, others a failure, and still
others say it is a combination of both. About 13,000 people participated in
the three-day UN event. The summit resulted in government delegates adopting
two documents, a declaration of principles and an action plan, which is
designed to ensure freedom of speech in the information society, bring
computers and Internet access to remote villages in poor nations. However,
it failed to address important issues such as Internet governance and the
creation of a digital solidarity fund. Swiss President Pascal Couchepin said
the summit was a success because these documents were adopted, and the
variety of participants helped craft them with the quality of their dialog.
Numerous members of civil society, though, were less satisfied with the
results. "We thought we would be able to help formulate public polices on
the Internet," said Adam Peake, a spokesman for the Civil Society caucus on
Internet governance. He say complained that they were only given minutes to
present our positions, then governments hopped right into the policy-making
behind closed-doors. Many participants commented that the second phase of
the summit in 2005 would require many organizational changes.
SOURCE: IDG News Service; AUTHOR: John Blau
http://www.idg.com.hk/cw/readstory.asp?aid=20031215010

BRIDGING THE MANY DIVIDES
UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan spoke last week in Geneva at the opening
plenary session of the World Summit on the Information Society. Annan noted
the extraordinary power of information and communication technologies: "From
trade to telemedicine, from education to environmental protection, we have
in our hands, on our desktops and in the skies above, the ability to improve
standards of living for millions of people on this planet." He also
explained that the digital divide is also several gaps in one, among them a
technological divide, a content divide, gender divide and a commercial
divide. "We cannot assume that such gaps will disappear on their own, over
time, as the diffusion of technology naturally spreads its wealth," he said.
"Let us recognize that we are embarked on an endeavor that transcends
technology. Building an open, empowering information society is a social,
economic and ultimately political challenge."
SOURCE: The Toronto Star
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/A...
le_Type1&c=Article&cid=1071272705385&call_pageid=968256290204&col=9683501167
95
(re-paste URL if link is broken)

ICTS GIVE DEVELOPMENT AID A SHOT IN THE ARM
Experts are hopeful that information and communication technologies (ICTs)
can improve development aid effectiveness. "For the first time, humankind
now has the tools to redress the inequalities that divide us," said Adama
Samassekou, president of the world summit's preparatory process. "ICTs also
vastly increase the potential for learning and production." Opinion is
divided over how best to integrate and apply technology tools. One theory is
that building technical infrastructure that offers access to ICTs will
automatically generate development, but many experts disagree with this
approach. "The other option ... is to concentrate on local needs and
priorities," explained Gerolf Weigel, head of the ICT division at the Swiss
Agency for Development and Cooperation. "This theory is based on the idea
that while ICTs are powerful tools, they are not an end in themselves." The
industrial transformation brought about by ICTs must take into account the
inequalities between North and South in order to continue evolving, says
Bruno Lanvin of the World Bank's Information Development (InfoDev) Program.
SOURCE: swissinfo; AUTHOR: Frederic Burnand
http://www.swissinfo.org/sen/Swissinfo.html?siteSect=105&sid=4475071

BLOGGERS CONVERGE ON WORLD SUMMIT
Last week's World Summit on the Information Society was covered by bloggers
from around the world, using articles and streaming media to capture summit
events. DailySummit.net, an online collaboration of British and Arab
journalists, reported on the ins and outs of the summit almost in real time,
with contributors blogging via Wi-Fi-enabled laptops during events and press
conferences. Student journalists from sub-Saharan Africa, meanwhile,
contributed articles and streaming video as part of the Highway Africa News
Agency, a project of South Africa Broadcasting Corporation and Rhodes
University. Similarly, OneWorld TV featured a team of young journalists from
South America and Asia who created video diaries for distribution over the
Internet. And Communications-Related Headlines' own Andy Carvin offered his
own perspective on his Waste of Bandwidth blog, covering events and speeches
ranging from Stanford University's Lawrence Lessig and Richard Stallman of
the free software movement to Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo and
Iranian President Mohammed Khatami.
Sources: DailySummit, Highway Africa, OneWorld TV, Andy Carvin's Waste of
Bandwidth
http://www.dailysummit.net
http://www.highwayafrica.org.za/hana/
http://tv.oneworld.net/tapestry?cluster=21
http://www.edwebproject.org/andy/blog/

TELEVISION

LINKING DIGITAL TV MUST-CARRY TO INCREASED VIEWPOINT DIVERSITY
In the comments it filed with the Federal Communications Commission, the
Center for Creative Community (CCC) called on the FCC to tie digital TV
must-carry to increased viewpoint diversity. The commission has an
opportunity to lessen today's excessive concentration in television and
improve viewpoint diversity provided it links digital must-carry to a
mandate for more independent viewpoints, voices and sources in program
production, the Center for the Creative Community told the FCC. "Today,
viewpoint diversity in television is on life-support," says Jonathan
Rintels, Executive Director of the CCC, citing grim statistics from the
record in the FCC's 2002 Biennial Media Ownership proceeding. Of the 91
major cable television networks each available in more than 16 million
homes, fully 80 percent -- 73 networks -- are owned or co-owned by just six
media conglomerates. Five of these conglomerates control approximately a 75
percent share of broadcast and cable prime-time viewing.
SOURCE: Center for Creative Community
http://www.creativecommunity.us/page/page/854752.htm
The CCC's filing: http://www.creativecommunity.us/f/CCCDigTVComm121203.PDF

SUPREME COURT CAMPAIGN FINANCE DECISION GIVES NOD TO BROADCASTING FAIRNESS
In a landmark decision last week, the US Supreme Court upheld provisions
requiring broadcasters to maintain public files on candidate requests for
advertising time, and other requests for time for ads about elections or
important public issues. In addition, the court recognized the need for both
regulatory agencies and the public to evaluate broadcasting fairness. "The
Supreme Court's language arguably supports the push to keep a watchful eye
on what broadcasters are doing -- or failing to do -- to serve their local
communities," said Amy Wolverton, Associate Legal Counsel and Media Program
Director of the nonpartisan Campaign Legal Center. "There's a real public
and congressional move afoot to take license renewal hearings seriously, and
the Court seems to support the idea that public interest obligations still
exist."
SOURCE: Campaign Legal Center
http://www.campaignlegalcenter.org/press-961.html

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WORLD SUMMIT ON THE INFORMATION SOCIETY
How Can the Digital Divide be Bridged?
Mugabe Slams 'Global Inequality'
Africans Exhibit at WSIS

COPYRIGHT
Tech Group Aims at Profit-friendly File-sharing

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WORLD SUMMIT ON THE INFORMATION SOCIETY

HOW CAN THE DIGITAL DIVIDE BE BRIDGED?
Technology can improve the lives of millions of the world's poorest people,
Kofi Annan, Secretary General of the UN, said at the opening of the World
Summit on Information Society. Annan was attacking the issue of the digital
divide between rich and poor countries. He also criticized the Internet's
heavy reliance on the English language, commenting that local voices and
needs are being evaded. The BBC poses several questions to readers,
including, "What do you think should be done to bridge the digital divide;
how have computers, the Internet and mobile phones changed your life; and
should information technology be available to all?" The article presents
comments that reflect the balance of views the BBC received on this issue.
Talking Point, a global phone-in program, will discuss the information
society on Sunday, Dec. 14. The program will be joined by Internet pioneer
Vint Cerf and Indian Information Minister, Arun Shourie. To sign up to
participate in this phone discussion, visit the site listed below.
SOURCE: BBC News
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/talking_point/3257256.stm

MUGABE SLAMS 'GLOBAL INEQUALITY'
[Commentary] Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe used his platform at the
WSIS to attack global inequality and what he described as the imperious
attitudes of the United States and Britain. Mr. Mugabe said there could be
no just information society without more social equality. He added that
there was no point in providing poor people with computers unless they were
also given electricity and a phone network to run them. BBC correspondent
Mark Doyle writes that Mr. Mugabe's speech stood out from the "mostly bland
interventions of other world leaders at this Internet summit." They
generalized about the great potential of Internet technology and the need to
spread these advantages to the developing world, Doyle explains. "Opposition
leaders in Zimbabwe may condemn Mr. Mugabe for acting oppressively at home;
but here in Geneva, many delegates - whether they agreed with him or not -
were impressed by a lively speech," he concludes.
SOURCE: BBC News; AUTHOR: Mark Doyle
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3303129.stm

AFRICANS EXHIBIT AT WSIS
The Information Communication Technology for Development (ICT4D) exhibition,
running parallel to the WSIS, is showcasing innovative projects and
technologies in order to document the potential for information
communication technology (ICT) development in Africa. The exhibition has
more than 200 stands representing governments, non-government organizations
and companies from 80 countries worldwide. Countries like South Africa,
Mali, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Egypt, Nigeria, Ghana, Mozambique, Togo, Uganda,
and Tunisia, which will host the second phase of WSIS in 2005, are
represented at the exhibition. The African Media Village, consisting of five
Southern African non-governmental organizations (NGOs), is committed to
spreading ICT knowledge and skills amongst poor people in Southern Africa.
These NGOs have come to the WSIS with an advocacy statement, says Tracey
Naughton, the African Media Village Partnership Manager. "We have recorded
stories of the rural people who have never seen a passport, and we must make
sure that their voices are heard," she says. The overall aim of ICT4D is to
attract interest and sponsorship, thus providing better ICT access.
SOURCE: AllAfrica.com; AUTHOR: Angella Nabwowe, Highway Africa News Agency
http://allafrica.com/stories/200312090820.html

COPYRIGHT

TECH GROUP AIMS AT PROFIT-FRIENDLY FILE SHARING
The Content Reference Forum, which includes companies like Microsoft and
Universal Music, have decided to collaborate to transform Internet file
sharing from a piracy haven to a profit center. The group issued an initial
set of technology specifications for a system in which users would share
customized Internet links, called "content references," instead of swapping
digital content directly. The links could work on existing file-sharing
networks, which are now frequently used for illegal copying, says Michael
Miron, president of the Content Reference Forum. "The vision of the forum is
for consumers to enjoy as well as redistribute content with commercial terms
beneficial to all members of the value chain," he said. Miron adds, "We
expect there may be additional interest from companies in joining the group
and in participating in writing the standards," said Miron.
SOURCE: USA Today; AUTHOR: Sue Zeidler, Reuters
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2003-12-11-peer-to-profit_x.htm

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WORLD SUMMIT ON THE INFORMATION SOCIETY
Broadcasters Feel Left out of Net Summit
IPS Coverage of WSIS

TELECOM
Large Firms Form Cable Phone Team

SPAM
Congress OKs National Anti-spam bill, Overriding Tougher State Laws

BROADBAND
Report: Keep Broadband in Companies' Hands

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WORLD SUMMIT ON THE INFORMATION SOCIETY

BROADCASTERS FEEL LEFT OUT OF NET SUMMIT
International broadcasters are holding a parallel meeting to the World
Summit on Information Society (WSIS), claiming they have been left out.
Organizers of the broadcasters' meeting say the four-day gathering has
turned out to be essential because their concerns, and those of TV viewers
and radio listeners, have been sidelined at the technology-heavy summit.
Broadcasters feel the so-called World Summit on the Information Society will
be like a "conference on agriculture without farmers," says Guillaume
Cheneviere, executive director of the media forum and a former head of
Switzerland's state-owned TSR TV station. Like WSIS, the World Electronic
Media Forum is also sponsored by the United Nations and is being held at the
same Geneva conference center. Although US broadcasting networks are not
taking part, broadcasters from the Canadian-based North American
Broadcasters' Association, WBAI Pacifica Radio, the British Broadcasting
Corp. and state-owned broadcasters from France, Russia and Japan are among
the 360 organizations from 112 countries expected to attend.
SOURCE: USA Today; AUTHOR: Jonathan Fowler, AP
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/world/2003-12-08-un-summit-broadcast-carping_x.
htm

IPS COVERAGE OF WSIS
The Inter Press Service News Agency (IPS) is offering coverage of the WSIS
from a multi-cultural,
multi-lingual team of reporters in Geneva, with a news focus on the South
and on civil society perspectives. IPS will be producing a daily conference
newspaper entitled TerraViva in Geneva and a virtual edition on the web from
December 9 - 12. Subscription to a daily e-newsletter for the week is
available at the website. TerraViva at the WSIS is produced in partnership
with InfoSud, contributing news in French, and the African Woman and Child
Feature Service, contributing African and gender perspectives.
SOURCE: IPS
http://www.ipsnews.net/focus/tv_society/index_ipsnews.asp

TELECOM

LARGE FIRMS FORM CABLE PHONE TEAM
Time Warner Cable has announced that it will join forces with Sprint and
WorldCom to launch a new telephone service that will be offered to millions
of cable television subscribers across the country in the coming year. The
deal creates a powerful industry alliance, enabling cable and long-distance
companies to bypass vast local networks controlled by companies such as
Verizon Communications and BellSouth. In theory a call could travel over
Time Warner's wires and connect directly to a long distance company,
completely eliminating the local telephone network from the process. In
Portland, Maine, the first market where Time Warner introduced its Internet
telephone service, customers can get local and long-distance telephone
service, high-speed Internet access and hundreds of cable channels for about
$140 a month. Verizon and other local telephone companies argue that the
rise of Internet telephone providers should lead to the deregulation of
traditional networks, which are currently subjected to a host of arcane
rules and government fees. The FCC is drafting a proposal to regulate
Internet telephone calls, but Chairman Michael Powell says he is reluctant
to place heavy regulatory burdens on the new technology.
SOURCE: Washington Post; AUTHOR: Christopher Stern
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A47326-2003Dec8.html

SPAM

CONGRESS OK'S NATIONAL ANTI-SPAM BILL, OVERRIDING TOUGHER STATE LAWS
Yesterday, Congress gave the final approval on the "Can-Spam" bill, which
will take affect on January 1, 2004. This federal legislation will override
all state anti-spam laws, including tougher measures in states like
California. The "Can-Spam" legislation requires unsolicited email to include
an opt-out mechanism allowing recipients to indicate they do not want future
mailings. Computer users are being asked to ignore years of anti-spam
training, which urged them never to respond to unsolicited email. "It will
require a change in behavior," acknowledged Rep. Heather Wilson, (R-NM), one
of the bill's sponsors. The legislation will also prohibit senders of
unsolicited emails from disguising their identities by using fictional email
addresses or misleading subject lines. Senders of unsolicited emails will
also be prohibited from harvesting email addresses off websites. Critics
such as the Coalition Against Unsolicited Commercial E-mails say the bill
doesn't go far enough. "This bill fails the most basic tests for anti-spam
legislation; it doesn't tell anybody not to spam," said the group's
spokesman, John Mozena. This anti-spam bill will mount pressure on the
Federal Trade Commission to create a do-not-spam list of email addresses,
which includes penalties for spammers.
SOURCE: eSchool News; AUTHOR: Gregg W. Downey
http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/ssunreg.cfm?ArticleID=4786&ul=%2Fnews%2F...
Story%2Ecfm%3FArticleID%3D4786

BROADBAND

REPORT: KEEP BROADBAND IN COMPANIES' HANDS
A report from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released last week
concluded that the private sector is doing enough to boost the availability
of broadband and that government subsidies for pushing the industry along
would do more harm than good. While acknowledging that some regions in the
United States still suffer from service glitches or lack of broadband
access, the report said that private-sector providers would eventually find
ways to serve these underrepresented communities. "Many of the problems that
remain, such as uneven distribution and availability of broadband, are a
function of the market's immaturity and not necessarily permanent features,"
the report stated. The CBO concluded that the dominance of broadband service
by cable companies and the Baby Bells does not diminish the overall consumer
benefits. The report also found that broadband providers' investments over
the last five years have helped expand the industry and drive customer
demand, and that bundled offerings and recent digital subscriber line
discounts point to signs of an impending price battle with cable.
SOURCE: CNET News; AUTHOR: Jim Hu
http://news.com.com/2100-1034-5113616.html

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