Survey Says Internet Access is a ‘Fundamental Right’
Posted by Jesse Ward on Wednesday, March 10, 2010 · 
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Four in five adults in more than 26 different countries believe that Internet access is a fundamental right, this according to a new poll sponsored by the BBC World Service.
The poll asked more than 27,000 adults about their attitudes towards the Internet, and found that 87% of those who regularly use the Internet believe that access should be “the fundamental right of all people.” More than 71% of non-Internet users also felt that they should have the right to access the global network. Read more
Cablevision and Disney Reach Tentative Agreement
Posted by Jesse Ward on Monday, March 8, 2010 · ·
Cablevision and the Walt Disney Co. engaged in a very public battle this past weekend over retransmission fees. The two media giants reached a tentative truce yesterday evening, just after the start of the Oscars.
Early Sunday morning, Disney pulled its ABC station from Cablevision, a hard-line tactic intended to force Cablevision to negotiate and settle the contract dispute or risk stranding its three million cable customers in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut without access to the Academy Awards.
The two companies finally found some common ground at 8:44 p.m. Eastern time, the same time that the signal for the local ABC station was restored to Cablevision’s customers. The companies did not disclose the terms of the deal, although people familiar with the matter said the terms were still quite tentative.
Raleigh, N.C. is the ‘Most Wired City’
Posted by Jesse Ward on Monday, March 8, 2010 · (1) ·
Raleigh, N.C., surpassed its flashier rivals to grab the number 1 spot on Forbes’ 2010 Most Wired Cities list.
The North Carolina capital ranks higher overall than any other U.S. city in three measures: broadband penetration, broadband access and plentiful WiFi hot spots. The city’s populace readily uses broadband both inside and outside the home.
Forbes points out that with the National Broadband Plan on the horizon, Raleigh and other top-ranking wired cities could serve as models for change. Read more
FCC to Propose USF for Broadband
Posted by Jesse Ward on Monday, March 8, 2010 · ·
The FCC spoke with reporters last Friday and revealed another glimpse into its forthcoming National Broadband Plan, set to be presented to Congress on March 16, one day earlier than previously anticipated.
The commission will propose transitioning universal service support, currently used for universal phone service, to enable universal broadband. The transition will take place in three stages, with the end goal to have more than 99% of Americans connected by 2020.
The commission will propose creating two funds: a Connect America fund that the high-cost fund will morph into overtime, and a mobility fund to extend 3G wireless broadband coverage in areas lagging behind the national average. Read more
NTIA Awards $160 Million to 23 Stimulus Projects
Posted by Jesse Ward on Monday, March 8, 2010 · ·
On March 2, the NTIA announced 23 new American Recovery and Reinvestment Act investments to help bridge the technological divide, boost economic growth, create jobs and improve education and healthcare cross the country.
The grants, totaling more than $160 million, were awarded to projects in California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, North Carolina, New Mexico, Ohio, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Tennessee, Texas, Wisconsin, and West Virginia.
The awards includes 10 broadband infrastructure projects, six public computing center initiatives and two sustainable adoption projects.
Of particular note, Level 3 Communications won a total of $14 million in grants to add 47 new access points to its existing broadband network in six states, including California, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Tennessee and Texas. Those access points will be open to local Internet service providers at speeds of 50 Mbps – 40 Gbps.
The nine additional broadband infrastructure award recipients included: Read more