Archive for the 'Telecom' Category


FCC Comments on Net Neutrality Close January 14th 0

Greetings-

This Thursday, January 14th, is the closing of the FCC’s comment period on Net Neutrality. Their decision will have long term and far reaching effects on both the cost of and the way information is distributed over the Internet. Pressure from large telecommunications providers for the ability to limit or degrade connectivity of rivals inside their respective networks, which some have likened to censorship, to gain competitive edge for their own product offerings has been immense and well funded. Such a scenario does little, if anything, for the consumer and ultimately stifles the innovation allowed under the current ‘open’ paradigm. Here is an illustration of one possible scenario:
The Walled Garden

If you enjoy the Internet as it exists today, accessible and indiscriminate, I would encourage you to submit your thoughts to the FCC concerning this vital issue if you have not done so already. You may do so electronically through the Free Press website: http://www.savetheinternet.com/fcc-comments

Former FCC and ICTC Commissioner Nicholas Johnson has already done so himself, you may read his comments on his website: http://fromdc2iowa.blogspot.com/2010/01/48-hours-to-save-internet.html My own comments are included at the bottom of this post.

Thank you for your attention and your contribution to this extremely important issue. Please feel free to distribute this call for comments as widely as possible.

Sincerely,
Hans Hoerschelman

+++
Honorable Members of the Federal Communications Commission,

I write you today to express my personal support for a strong policy of Network Neutrality. The preservation of the principle of open connectivity is the driving force behind the innovation and entrepreneurship that has made the Internet the interesting, informative and expansive tool that it is today. We must have specific and strong prohibitions against the ‘walled garden’ or degraded service approach that could be instituted by those who would wish to undermine rivals or stifle competing viewpoints and technologies in favor of profits and control, for the segmentation of our national communication would serve to do nothing but create an information oligarchy. The free exchange of information and ideas is essential to our democracy and must be maintained.

Please think of the consumers, the citizens and businesses, not just the moneyed interests of the telecommunications industry, when creating what will become essentially the rules of digital speech. It is the current open access that has brought us the success of the present, and it will be the same open access that will allow us to explore and innovate towards the successes of the future.

Sincerely,
Hans Hoerschelman
Chair, Iowa City Telecommunications Commission
Owner, 460 Website Design
Concerned Citizen

Wishing for 3G 0

US Cellular still does not have 3G. They tell me it’ll be soon. Until then, here’s what I get…

UPDATE – Roaming around the web, found this tidbit:

Oct 28th – Launch EVDO (aka “Mobile Broadband”) in the following markets…..drum roll please…

Chicago
Madison
Tulsa
Des Moines

Early 2009:
Remainder of Iowa (except IA16)
ETN/WNC markets
(Including TN3 & NC1)

State of the Internets 0

In terms of Latency:

Internet Health Report

Thanks mialber.

Why Is Your Wireless So Expensive, Yet So Crappy? 0

Broadband Reports takes a look, and, via GigaOm, finds the correct answer:

The real reason carriers are limiting services and charging more is to maintain control of what people can do on their networks.

That was easy. Changing that? Well…

Telecom and Pandemics 0

Past, present and future, reality is shaped by our ability to communicate with each other. While in the past our national (and international) infrastructure has been built to withstand or recover from some harsh and unexpected events, such as natural disasters, there is a significant weakness in our system of thought on these matters: pandemics. So the FCC and Big Telco had a little talk about just that.

I want to write/think more on this, but workload doesn’t really permit currently. I’d love to hear other’s thoughts.

Because It Can’t Be Repeated Too Many Times 0

Read this whole thing if you need to start understanding what’s happening in the financial markets and another reason to be anti-McCain.

Just read below if you want the kicked-in-the-genitals part:

How big did this market become? Here’s business correspondent Bob Moon and host Kai Ryssdal on American Public Media’s Marketplace from back in the spring.

BOB MOON: OK, I’m about to unload some numbers on you here, so I’ll speak slowly so you can follow this.

The value of the entire U.S. Treasuries market: $4.5 trillion.

The value of the entire mortgage market: $7 trillion.

The size of the U.S. stock market: $22 trillion.

OK, you ready?

The size of the credit default swap market last year: $45 trillion.

KAI RYSSDAL: That’s a lot of money, Bob.

As in three times the whole US gross domestic product, Bob. And the truth is that Moon probably underestimated. The unregulated and poorly reported credit default swaps may have actually passed $70 trillion last year, or about $5 trillion more than the GDP of the entire world.

How the ‘Net Works 0

Strangely relevant to a conversation I was having over lunch with the Lovely One. I bring you, via Ars Technica, the following informational article:

How the ‘Net works: an introduction to peering and transit By Rudolph van der Berg

I heavily suggest your perusal.

Cable Box as Carterphone? 0

Excellent thoughts on the developing lawsuit in Kansas over digital cable boxes and the rent-only option:

http://blogs.kansascity.com/tvbarn/2008/08/the-time-warner.html

ACM-Midwest Conference Highlight Reel 0

ACM = Alliance for Community Media

In my capacity of general community media support and a bit of Telecommunications Commissioner, I was in attendance at the ACM-Midwest’s annual conference held at the lovely Columbia College in Chicago.

I’m in the video below (web video guy).



I got to talking a little fast. Sorry.

The powerpoint I talk about is here.

FISA 0

Now they’re not even pretending you have privacy or 4th Amendment protections. If the president says…

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