Category: Internet access

The Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy today announced fundamental reforms to existing telecommunications regulations in the interests of Australian consumers and businesses.

These reforms will drive future growth, productivity …

By John Cox / Sep. 11, 2009 / Computerworld: The IEEE has finally approved the 802.11n high-throughput wireless LAN standard.

There’s been no public announcement yet by IEEE. But Bruce Kraemer, the long-time chairman of the 802.11n Task Group …

WASHINGTON, August 27, 2009 – … NTIA and RUS …  announced today that they received almost 2,200 applications requesting nearly $28 billion in funding for proposed broadband projects reaching all 50 U.S. states and territories and the District of Columbia. This is the first round of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding …  with $4 billion available through loans, grants, and loan/grant combinations.

The NTIA/RUS news release here

A good description of the broadband stimulus program and current status from eSchool News:

Aug 6, 2009 | FCC Headquarters, DC |FCC NATIONAL BROADBAND PLAN WORKSHOP | OPEN GOVERNMENT & CIVIC ENGAGEMENT:

Recorded webcast:  http://www.fcc.gov/realaudio/mt080609.ram

Related documents:  http://www.broadband.gov/ws_egov.html#reldocs

Agenda:

9:30 am       Opening by FCC Chairman Genachowski

9:35 am       Workshop Introduction, Eugene Huang, Moderator

9:40 am Panel …

 
July 29, 2009: At Congressional hearing by the House Committee on Overshght and Government Reform, the Chairman made a strong statement about banning P2P software from government and contractor computers (link to statement below). Testimony again reported that critical U.S. information had been leaked through a LimeWire P2P file-sharing network installed without aurhorization on personal computers in government facilities.  It was reported that secret information such as a list of all government nuclear facilities, the emergency escape route and safe house location of the First Lady had leaked and are widely available on foreign web site.  This is now reported as inaccurate, see link below to Washington Post story.

 
July 22, 2009 | Pew Internet & American Life Project:  2 reports released.

ITIF Response to FCC National Broadband Strategy NOI (Notice of Inquiry)

July 22, 2009: As the FCC develops America’s first national broadband strategy it will be important to focus on both broadband supply and demand as well as the presence of market failures within the broadband marketplace. Relying on markets alone will not meet our country’s future broadband needs. Instead, to meet the goals for broadband coverage outlined by the FCC, targeted subsidies should be used to expand coverage and adoption beyond what the market will provide. In this FCC filing, ITIF discusses the policy and non-policy factors that affect broadband deployment and outlines an appropriate policy framework for a successful national broadband strategy.