Benjamin Lennett: All Related Content

The Commission proposes to extend outage reporting requirements to interconnected Voice over Internet Protocol (“VoIP”) service providers and broadband Internet Service Providers (“ISPs”) to ensure that 9-1-1 emergency systems work well and are reliable. The National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors (“NATOA”) and the National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates (“NASUCA”) submitted comments in support of the proposed outage reporting requirements.

Yesterday, Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Al Franken (D-MN) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) introduced a companion bill to the "Next Generation Wireless Disclosure Act," which was introduced in the U.S. House by Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-CA). Benjamin Lennett, Policy Director for the New America Foundation's Open Technology Initiative (OTI), issued the following statement: 

As the Commission draws closer to a decision on updates and changes to the Lifeline and Link-Up programs, the Public Interest Commenters encourage the Commission to think broadly and creatively with respect to potential pilot projects. The Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) and Broadband Initiatives Program (BIP) have demonstrated that communities that are given the flexibility to design their own broadband deployment and adoption projects will be more engaged in the process which will lead to a better outcome for Lifeline and Link Up reform.

Commenters urge the Commission to oppose the ABC joint framework proposed by various industry groups, include broad interconnection obligations on Connect America Fund recipients, and include in the fund an adequate amount of support for a broadband pilot program supporting local self-provisioning of broadband infrastructure in the highest cost areas of the country.

Today, the Department of Justice took action to block AT&T’s acquisition of T-Mobile. Benjamin Lennett, Policy Director, New America Foundation's Open Technology Initiative issued the following statement:

“OTI commends the Department of Justice for siding with public interest and consumer groups and moving to block the AT&T/T-Mobile merger. The deal will inevitably lead to higher prices and less choice for consumers while costing thousands of jobs at a time when the nation's economy can least afford it.

... wireline and television services and what they want is to encourage users to keep using all three services, not to replace one for the other,” Benjamin Lennett, a senior technology policy analyst at the New America Foundation, told the Washington Post.

... “In many cases these wireless carriers also have wireline and television services and what they want is to encourage users to keep using all three services, not to replace one for the other,” said Benjamin Lennett, a senior technology policy analyst at the New America Foundation.

Original article

Today, Rep. Anna G. Eshoo (D-CA) introduced the Next Generation Wireless Disclosure Act. This legislation works to help give consumers complete and accurate information about the speed of 4G service before committing to a service provider. The bill also helps consumers understand network reliability, coverage and pricing.

The Obama administration is funding so-called "shadow" internet and mobile phone networks, which allow activists to operate independently of government controls.

The "shadow" networks are portable kits that fit in suitcases, which could maintain ad-hoc computer networks useful to activists in places where internet is either inaccessible or being monitored.

One team of technologists in Washington has received a government grant to build a portable network.

Original article

... "We think that with a few vital improvements, the map could easily become an exemplar of government data transparency as well as an incredibly useful tool for US residents and policymakers," write Benjamin Lennett and Sascha Meinrath on Slate. "But without these improvements, the National Broadband Map runs the risk of becoming a $350 million boondoggle—a map to nowhere filled with inaccurate and useless information." ...

The New America Foundation's Open Technology Initiative today commended Reps. John Conyers (D-MI), ranking member of the House Committee of Judiciary, and Edward Markey (D-MA), ranking member of the Committee on Natural Resources, for standing against the AT&T and T-Mobile merger. During a Capitol Hill press conference today, Markey warned that such a consolidation "threatens to put the wireless market in a way back time machine to the days of old Ma Bell."

Why is it so incredibly difficult to figure out how much of the nation has access to affordable broadband? For the past 15 years, the Federal Communications Commission has been required by law to collect data on high-speed Internet access. For the most part that information has been fairly useless for the public or even for policy types. Up until recently, for example, a telecom company only needed to serve one customer in a ZIP code to get credit for serving everyone.