Open DNS

Free yourself of DNS-related Internet outages with our zero-downtime global network. Eliminate DNS as a problem source on your
network. Using OpenDNS means fewer support calls and headaches, letting you focus on more important issues.

Verizon cuts Copper-line when Installing Fiber

When Verizon installs the fiber-optic connection to your home, the technicians cut down the old, copper-line connection to the telephone network and will not replace it if you later decide to cancel.

White Spaces Coalition

The White Spaces Coalition consists of eight large technology companies that plan on delivering high speed (broadband) internet access to consumers via existing 'white space' in unused analog television frequencies. The coalition claims that broadband access is expected to be available at speeds of 10 Mbyte/s and above, and for white space short-range networking to reach 50 to 100 Mbyte/s.^[1] The group includes Microsoft, Google, Dell, HP, Intel, Philips, Earthlink, and Samsung Electro-Mechanics.

EFF sues the DOJ for withholding records of telecom surveillance immunity lobbying

By Ryan Paul
Published: September 28, 2007 - 09:43AM CT

The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has filed a lawsuit against the US Department of Justice (DOJ) in an effort to obtain records that could shed light on telecommunication industry lobbying activities. The EFF suspects that major telecommunications companies like AT&T have attempted to use political leverage to compel lawmakers to support legislation that would grant the companies legal immunity for their involvement in the federal government's extralegal electronic surveillance program.

The EFF requested records under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) last month from the Department of Justice and Office of Legislative Affairs. The records sought by the EFF include documentation of interaction pertaining to FISA amendments and surveillance immunity between Department of Justice officials, representatives of the telecommunications companies, and members of the Senate or House of representatives. The government has failed to process the FOIA request within the 20-day maximum waiting period stipulated by law, so the EFF has followed up its request with a lawsuit (PDF) demanding swift compliance.

Recent reports have revealed evidence that the telecommunications companies have been heavily lobbying for immunity in order to avoid potentially costly and embarrassing litigation.

Related Stories

Bush administration proposes retroactive immunity for phone companies

Censorship

[Editor's Note: Craig Murray, former United Kingdom Ambassador to Uzbekistan, author of the book, Murder in Samarkand: A British Ambassador's Controversial Defiance of Tyranny in the War on Terror, and contributor to Atlantic Free Press
has recently had his personal blogging site - as well as a number of sites not owned by him and on the same server, taken down by his U.K. hosting company due to pressure from Schillings, a high-powered London Law firm, on behalf of Uzbeki Alisher Usmanov
- the latest Russian billionaire to move to the United Kingdom.
Usmanov's lawyers have gone after the host of Murray's site rather than Craig Murray himself. It seems they would prefer not to have Murray on the stand in a courtroom. Usmanov is allegedly livid - as it has been leaked that he was not a political prisoner at all, but rather a hard-nosed criminal.

Other Links:

U.S. lags behind other nations in broadband speeds

By Linda Rosencrance, Computerworld
June 25, 2007
The report, based on aggregated data from nearly
80,000 broadband users, found that the median real-time download speed in the U.S. is 1.9 Mbps, compared with 61Mbps in Japan, 45Mbps in South Korea, 17Mbps in France, and 7Mbps in Canada.

Home broadband customers are crippled, Vint Cerf reckons

By Fernando Cassia in Argentina: Tuesday 28 August 2007, 09:59 THE CO-FATHER of the TCP/IP protocol and so-called "father of the Internet" as well told a packed auditorium at the University of Buenos Aires last week that all internet links should be symmetric.

AT&T Censors Eddie Vedder

FCC Commissioner: Pearl Jam censorship linked to net neutrality fight

"Events like this are connected to the larger issue of network neutrality, so it is very very important," Copps said in response to a question about whether or not AT&T's censorship of Vedder has any implications for network neutrality. He went on to say, "So when something like the episode occurs with Pearl Jam that you're referencing that ought to concern all of us... because if you can do it for one group, you can do it to any group and say 'Well, it's not intentional,' and things like that. But nobody should have that power to do that and then be able to exercise distributive control over the distribution and control over the content too.

Copowi

Meet Copowi, the world's first ISP to guarantee network neutrality: Page 1

In the US, the battle over network neutrality has captured the public imagination in a way that it has yet to do in Europe or Australia. Debates over network neutrality occur in the media and in Washington, but new ISP Copowi wants to give customers a way to vote with their dollars as well. When it opened its doors for business two weeks ago, Copowi billed itself as the country's first ISP to guarantee network neutrality, and it now hopes to prove to other ISPs that the issue matters enough to consumers to provide a competitive advantage, even if prices are higher (and they are).

700Mhz: Devil In the Details

After the FCC released their 700Mhz broadband spectrum auction rules (pdf) a few weeks ago, there was ample applause that the Commission at least met Google's demands half-way. People assumed that while the FCC wasn't going to force true
open access, they'd at least force auction winners to offer unlocked devices and unimpeded access to content.

We assumed there were loopholes that would allow AT&T and Verizon lawyers to wiggle around the conditions should they win the spectrum, or else those operators
wouldn't have been quite so enthusiastic about the rules. Attorney, ICANN board member and law professor Susan Crawford has had some time to digest the rules and says that yes, the devil is in the details:
Related:

1. Martin Wants 'Open Access' 700Mhz
2. 700Mhz & 'The Highest of Theater'
3. FCC 700Mhz Vote Tomorrow
4. FCC Auction Rules As Expected
5. White Space Broadband: Back To The Drawing Board
6. The Google Phone Is Coming
7. Broadcasters Attack 'White Space' Broadband
8. Frontline Asks FCC to Ban Verizon from Spectrum Auction