Category: telecomm

Much of the industrialized world has much better broadband service to homes and businesses than the US. But providing good broadband service is not necessarily in the interest of the major telecomm companies, like SBC and Comcast. Rolling out high speed lines costs money and requires making long-term investments in the future, rather than reaping…

Media Access Project’s Howard Feld give us his assessment of the so-called “Broadband Investment and Consumer Choice Act” recently introduced into Congress: I’ve just read through the “Broadband Investment and Consumer Choice Act” (72-page pdf available here) introduced by Senator Ensign (R-NV) (and co-sponsored by Senator McCain, to my intense disappointment). In the name of…

It’s official, SBC is buying AT&T for $16 billion. There’s something kind of Oedipal in the spinoff baby bell buying Ma Bell. What’s not to love? 6000 jobs will be lost, customer service will likely tank for all the collected customers, and SBC will control an even greater swath of the US telecommunications infrastructre.

SBC is the Clear Channel of telecomm. Starting out as one of the regional bells after the AT&T breakup, SBC is now one of the predominant telecomm companies in the US, especially after swallowing up Ameritech a few years ago. And SBC is not just Clear Channelish in size, but in tactics, too. Back when…

Sascha very meticulously deconstructs the recent “victory” for the city of Philadelphia to continue with its free municipal wi-fi network, as part of a legislative compromise that still hands over control of future municipal wi-fi to the telcomm industry. After a couple of years, communities in Pennsylvania will be allowed to construct their own wi-fi…

On Monday Powell’s FCC was delivered another legal blow by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, which ruled against that the Commission’s “deregulation” of cable modems. Earlier this year the FCC decided to classify cable modems as different than other Internet telecomm, like telephone-based DSL, thus removing the requirement that cable companies open up access…

News.com is running a weeklong series on Wi-Fi networking, with today’s first article on how cities are implementing wi-fi networks to entice people to be and work in their downtowns. I’ve got wireless at home, and love it. I use a first generation Apple Airport that I bought used and I get good reception throughout…

Or, why it isn’t cheaper. The Mercury News’ Dan Gillmor reports that competition in telecomm, especially broadband internet, hasn’t fully materialized, allowing the incumbent providers — primarily regional Bells — to monopolize and keep rates jacked. He also notes the impending threats — that your broadband provider might more seriously constrict and restrict the content…

New York Times: “The Bush administration’s top official for telecommunications policy let lobbyists for wireless companies help pay for a private reception at her home and 10 days later urged a policy change that benefited their industry, according to documents and interviews. “The official, Nancy Victory, an assistant commerce secretary, said she regarded the lobbyists…

In a rare full commission appearance, all five FCC commissioners appeared before the Senate Commerce Committee under the power-shared chairship of Sen. Fritz Hollings and Sen. John McCain (McCain has not yet been made chair by committee resolution). The topic was primarily competition of telecommunications, and not the media ownership issue. Sen Hollings, in particular,…