CyberTelecom News Weekly
Federal Internet Law and Policy :: An Educational Project
There are two major products that came out of Berkeley: LSD and UNIX. We don't believe this to be a coincidence. - Jeremy S. Anderson
AT&T is glad to expand service, but wants pesky FCC regulations dropped, Ars Technica :: Keyword: [Broadband]
On Wednesday, AT&T announced a plan to invest $14 billion in expanding its wireless and U-Verse service around the country. At the same time, the company submitted a petition to the Federal Communications Commission asking for an end to the "conventional public-utility-style regulation."
Shutting Down The Phone System Gets Real: The Implications of AT&T Upgrading To An All IP Network., PK :: Keyword: [Broadband]
I believe AT&T’s announcement last week about its plans to upgrade its network and replace its rural copper lines with wireless is the single most important development in telecom since passage of the Telecommunications Act of 1996. It impacts just about every aspect of wireline and wireless policy.
Rob Frieden, Rationales For and Against Regulatory Involvement in Resolving Internet Interconnection Disputes, Yjolt :: Keyword: [Backbone]
This Article will examine the terms and conditions under which Internet Service Providers (“ISPs”) switch and route traffic for each of several links between a source of content and consumers. The Article concludes that the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) may lack direct statutory authority even to resolve disputes based on its determination that Internet access constitutes an unregulated information service.
Girl looks for cell signal, steps on rattlesnake nest, CNET :: Keyword: [Wireless]
In a rural area outside San Diego, a teenage girl is snakebit just because she wanted to text her boyfriend and call her mom. Life can be cruel.
BITAG Announces Next Technical Topic on Port Blocking, BITAG :: Keyword: [Neutral]
AT&T lifts FaceTime restrictions on Apple iPhones, WAPO :: Keyword: [Neutral]
AT&T said Thursday that it will allow all subscribers to access FaceTime on Apple devices, reversing a controversial policy to block the app for certain data plan customers.
A Few Thoughts on FaceTime, AT&T :: Keyword: [Neutral]
As most observers are aware, Apple’s FaceTime application is currently enabled on AT&T’s popular Mobile Share plan as well as on Wi-Fi, though not at this time on our other billing plans. This approach has raised questions and some concerns. We decided to take this cautious approach for important reasons. AT&T has by far more
AT&T caves, opens FaceTime over cellular for more customers, Gigaom :: Keyword: [Neutral]
AT&T has backed down and agreed to make Apple’s video calling service, FaceTime, available over cellular networks to more of its customers, not just those who subscribed to a certain type of data plan. The service will roll out to customers subscribed to a tiered data plan who own an LTE-capable iPhone running iOS 6 in eight to
OMG! Text messaging in decline for the first time, CNET :: Keyword: [Data]
A wireless industry research report says both messaging revenue and total volume declined in the third quarter in the U.S., a first for both.
2012 ARIN Board and Advisory Council Election Results, ARIN :: Keyword: [RIR]
ARIN XXX Meeting Report Now Available, ARIN :: Keyword: [IP Numbers]
Antitrust in High-Technology Industries, Jnl of Competition Law & Econ :: Keyword: [Antitrust]
One of the most interesting and challenging phenomena of our information age is the rapid and significant change that takes place in high-technology industries. This change is shaking some of our assumptions regarding the role of technology (for example, endogenous
U.S. government sanctions Iran for creating 'electronic curtain', CNET :: Keyword: [Iran]
The U.S. State Department is targeting several Iranian groups and individuals that have been particularly oppressive in restricting Internet freedom.
Remarks of Assistant Secretary Strickling at Internet Governance Forum, NTIA :: Keyword: [ITU]
Today is Election Day in the United States. Through the miracle of the Internet and modern communications, people in every corner of the globe know how partisan and contentious this election has become. Yet, on one issue, all Americans stand shoulder-to-shoulder, and that is, how essential it is that the Internet remain stable, secure and free from governmental control.
The Internet Monopoly, ITU :: Keyword: [Itu]
Companies such as Google, Facebook, Twitter and many of the other national social network and media sites are becoming so large and powerful that they can dictate the use of their services in such a way that people lose control over their own information and their participation in these networks.
ITU Boss Explains Why He Wants The UN To Start Regulating The Internet, Techdirt :: Keyword: [ITU]
We've written a few times about why we should be worried about the ITU (a part of the UN) and its attempts to regulate the internet, to which some have responded by arguing that the ITU/UN doesn't really want to regulate the internet. However, the Secretary-General of the ITU, Hamadoun Toure has now taken to the pages of Wired, to
The ITU WCIT - a Springboard for a Larger Debate on Internet Governance, PK :: Keyword: [ITU]
The World Conference on International Telecommunications will convene this December to revise the International Telecommunication Regulations (ITRs). Certain proposals to revise the ITRs would adversely impact the open Internet. PK and many others believe that any revision of the ITRs should not stray from their basic
The Internet Radio Fairness Act: What It Means for Radio, Musicians, and You, PK :: Keyword: [Copyright]
Last week we broke down the details of the Internet Radio Fairness Act, the recently proposed bill that aims to update the compulsory licenses for online radio services. This week we’ll be delving more into the real world impacts of IRFA.
NAACP calls Pandora-backed legislation unfair, CNET :: Keyword: [Copyright]
In a letter to Congress, the civil rights group asks that lawmakers vote no on legislation designed to cut the rates paid by Pandora and other Webcasters to artists -- some of whom are elderly Motown performers who weren't compensated fairly for their original work.
Pamela Samuelson , Can Online Piracy Be Stopped by Laws?, SSRN :: Keyword: [Copyright]
This article will explain the key features of SOPA, why the entertainment industry believed SOPA was necessary to combat online piracy, and why SOPA came to be perceived as so flawed that numerous sponsors withdrew their support from the bill.
Twitter Improves DMCA Policy: Alerts Public To 'Removed' Tweets, Techdirt :: Keyword: [DMCA]
For years, we've criticized Twitter's DMCA policy, in which it completely disappears tweets that are subject to DMCA takedown notices it receives. The company, as part of its transparency campaign, has now changed its policy slightly, such that it will now replace the taken down tweet with one that indicates the tweet was removed due to
Jury says journalist arrested while videotaping police is not guilty, Ars Technica :: Keyword: [News]
A jury acquitted a Florida photojournalist who was arrested on January 31 while documenting the eviction of Occupy Miami protesters. The police accused Carlos Miller, author of a popular blog about the rights of photojournalists, of disobeying a lawful police order to clear the area. But another journalist testified he had been standing nearby without incident.
Gawker's Anti-SLAPP Victory Could Be Good For The Web - But Judge Refuses To Publish The Ruling, Techdirt :: Keyword: [News]
A few months ago, Eric Goldman wrote about a good ruling by a California court to knock out a bogus defamation claim against blog site Gawker. There were a few interesting elements to the ruling, including that it used California's anti-SLAPP law, and that it was willing to look at the context of the use of certain words like "scam."
Naqeeb Ahmed Kazia , An Overview of Cloud Computing and Its Legal Implications in India, SSRN :: Keyword: [Cloud]
Cloud computing is a growing trend in industry. Organisations these days are switching to virtual workspaces because of flexibility. In this article I define what cloud computing is and deal with the various delivery models and deployment methods.
Jeremy H. Rothstein, Track Me Maybe: The Fourth Amendment and the Use of Cell Phone Tracking to Facilitate Arrest, Fordham L Rev :: Keyword: [4th Amendment]
Susan Freiwald and Sylvain Métille , Reforming Surveillance Law, SSRN :: Keyword: [Surveillance]
As implemented over the past twenty-six years, the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA), which regulates electronic surveillance by law enforcement agents, has become incomplete, confusing, and ineffective. In contrast, a new
Transparency Report: Government requests on the rise, Google :: Keyword: [Big Brother]
We think it’s important to shine a light on how government actions could affect our users. When we first launched the Transparency Report in early 2010, there wasn’t much data out there about how governments sometimes hamper the free flow of information on the web. So we took our first step toward greater transparency by disclosing the number of government requests we received. At the
ICE Releases Documents Detailing Electronic Surveillance Problems . . . and then Demands Them Back a Year Later, EFF :: Keyword: [Surveillance]
This is a first for us in all of EFF's history of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) litigation—Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has demanded we return records it gave us more than a year ago. The release of these documents doesn't endanger national security or create a risk to an ongoing law enforcement
Petraeus Case Shows FBI's Authority To Read Gmail, Huffpo :: Keyword: [Big Brother]
The downfall of CIA Director David Petraeus demonstrates how easy it is for federal law enforcement agents to examine emails and computer records if they believe a crime was committed. With subpoenas and warrants, the FBI and other investigating agencies routinely gain access to electronic inboxes and information about email accounts offered by Google, Yahoo and other Internet providers.
Virus Aimed at Iran Infected Chevron's Network, WSJ :: Keyword: [Cyberwar]
Stuxnet, a computer virus that former U.S. officials say was created by the U.S. and Israel to attack Iran's nuclear-enrichment facilities, also infected Chevron's network in 2010, shortly after it escaped from its intended target.
Cyberwarfare evolves faster than rules of engagement, CW :: Keyword: [Cyberwar]
As the rhetoric heats up over cyberwar -- including warnings that attacks on the U.S. are imminent and alarms that the U.S. has escalated the risk via malware attacks on Iran's nuclear program -- the rules of engagement are missing in action.
How Equinix Data Centers Defied Superstorm Sandy, Equinix :: Keyword: [Hurricanes]
Last week this time Superstorm Sandy wreaked havoc on data centers across America’s northeast coast. You may have seen your favorite sites and web services go down for hours at a time, yet, Equinix data centers remained strong with little or no downtime to customers. Why did Equinix fare differently than others?
Hurricane Sandy Relief Efforts Online, USTelecom :: Keyword: [Hurricanes]
Super-storm Sandy rocked the northeast last week – causing catastrophic destruction and harm to many residents.
Hurricane Sandy Had Surprising Impact on Global Internet Traffic Flow, CircleID :: Keyword: [Hurricanes]
In addition to knocking out power and Internet connectivity in a significant part of the New York metropolitan area, Sandy also had a surprising impact on the world's Internet traffic, traffic that neither originated from nor was destined to areas effected by the storm, Renesys reports. "From locations around the globe as varied as
Sandy’s Lessons About Disaster Recovery, Data Center Knowledge :: Keyword: [Hurricanes]
Were you ready for Sandy? Sure it was downgraded from hurricane to tropical storm, but it still had a devastating effect. For those of use who manage data centers, that impact had many layers. Let me start at the core and work my way out.
Voting technology issues in Virginia on election day, Freedom to tinker :: Keyword: [Vote]
I spent Election Day in one of the command centers for the 866-OUR-VOTE hotline. The command center was accepting calls from New Jersey, Maryland, DC, and Virginia, but 95% of the technology issues were from Virginia. I was the designated “technology guy”, so pretty much everything that came through that center came to
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