Open Networks: Publications, Events and More

Reply Comments on Broadband Consumer Information

Wireless Future — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:27:00 -0500

In the present Notice of Inquiry, the Commission seeks comment on the clarity, accuracy and thoroughness of information available to consumers when they choose a communications service provider; choose a service plan; manage the use of their service plan; and decide to switch providers or plans. The Notice of Inquiry properly expands on past investigations, raising questions about not just billing practices but also sales practices more broadly, including point-of- sale disclosures that drive consumer purchase decisions.

PISC Reply Comments on Competitive Market Conditions in Mobile Wireles

Wireless Future — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:13:00 -0500

The Consumer Federation of America, Consumers Union, Free Press, Media Access Project, the New America Foundation, and Public Knowledge (together, the "Public Interest Commenters") respectfully submit this reply to initial comments filed in the above-captioned docket1 in response to the Commission's Notice of Inquiry (the "Notice"). The majority of those initial comments confirmed the Public Interest Commenters' conclusion that the mobile wireless ecosystem, including the commercial mobile services market itself and a range of upstream and

PISC Comments on Competitive Market Conditions in Mobile Wireless

Wireless Future — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 07:29:00 -0400

The mobile wireless marketplace is not effectively competitive. Public interest groups Consumer Federation of America, Consumers Union, Free Press, Media Access Project, New America Foundation, and Public Knowledge (together, the "Public Interest Commenters"), demonstrated the lack of effective competition in that marketplace earlier this year when the Commission sought comment for the preparation of its annual CMRS report. The Commission now seeks to expand the scope of its review to account for the dynamic operation of the entire

Reply Comments on the State of Competition in CMRS Market

Wireless Future — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 14:01:00 -0400

New Online Services Face Threat from ISPs, CRTC Told | Canadian Broadcasting Corporation

Cecille Isidro — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 16:42:00 -0400

...Markham Erickson, Jacob Glick, Marvin Ammori and Robb Topolski of the Open Internet Coalition argued that innovation could be stifled by practices such as throttling...

Groups Ask FCC for Changes in 'Special Access' Fees | PC World

Cecille Isidro — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 17:34:00 -0400

The new NoChokePoints coalition, launched Monday, has nearly 20 members, including Public Knowledge, Sprint Nextel, TW Telecom and the New America Foundation. The groups called on the US Federal Communications Commission to reform the fee structure for ...

Comments of The Public Interest Spectrum Coalition on BTOP Grant Criteria

Wireless Future — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 05:53:00 -0400

Executive Summary

Recommendations to Commission's Rural Broadband Strategy

Wireless Future — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 22:48:00 -0400

March 25, 2009

Via Electronic Mail

Marlene H. Dortch
Office of the Secretary
Federal Communications Commission
445 12th Street, SW
Washington, DC 20554

Re: Rural Broadband Strategy (GN Docket No. 09-29)

Dear Ms. Dortch:

Setting the iPhone Free from AT&T | BusinessWeek

Cecille Isidro — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 01:16:00 -0500

"It is unthinkable that you could only use a Macintosh on an AT&T connection," says Michael Calabrese, vice-president at the New America Foundation, which is chaired by Google Chief Executive Officer Eric Schmidt. Google (GOOG) has helped develop phone ...

Reply Comments Re: Exclusive Handset Agreements

Wireless Future — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 12:47:00 -0500

In the Matter of
RURAL CELLULAR ASSOCIATION
RM-11497

Petition for Rulemaking Regarding Exclusivity
Arrangements Between Commercial Wireless
Carriers and Handset Manufacturers

REPLY COMMENTS
of the
Ad Hoc PUBLIC INTEREST SPECTRUM COALITION

The Rise of the Intranet Era

Wireless Future — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 12:55:00 -0500

No starter pistol announces the beginning of a new technological era.^[1] There are no cannon blasts or tower bells ringing forth the end of the old and dawn of the new.

...and Communications for All?

Cecille Isidro — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 13:00:00 -0500

A New America Event
01/26/2009 - 10:00am

Statement of Public Interest Groups on Potential Broadband Stimulus

Wireless Future — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 12:25:00 -0500

Statement of Public Interest Groups on Proposed Broadband Principles in Upcoming Economic Stimulus Package

Local and National Groups urge the Obama-Biden Administration and Congress to focus on Accountability, Local Approaches, Access and Adoption, Internet Freedom and a Coherent National Broadband Policy

Homes With Tails

Wireless Future — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 19:07:00 -0500

America’s communications infrastructure is stuck at a copper wall. For the vast majority of homes, copper wires remain the principal means of getting broadband services. The deployment of fiber optic connections to the home would enable exponentially faster connections, and few dispute that upgrading to more robust infrastructure is essential to America’s economic growth. However, the costs of such an upgrade are daunting for private sector firms and even for governments. These facts add up to a public policy challenge.

Tim Wu in CNET | 'Democratic Win Could Herald Wireless Net Neutrality'

Cecille Isidro — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 15:15:00 -0500

Wireless Net neutrality is not exactly a novel idea. One proposal emerged in the form of a working paper by Columbia University law professor Tim Wu published in February 2007, which says that wireless carriers "should be subject to the same core network neutrality principles."

Wu argued that the rise of the wireless industry has led to "carriers aggressively controlling product design and innovation in the equipment and application markets, to the detriment of consumers. In the wired world, their policies would, in some cases, be considered simply misguided, and in other cases be considered outrageous and perhaps illegal." LINK

Letter Expressing Concerns Regarding Cable tru2way Technology

Wireless Future — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 10:53:00 -0500

November 3, 2008

Ms. Marlene H. Dortch
Secretary
Federal Communications Commission
445 12th St. SW
Washington, DC 20554

Re: In the Matter of Implementation of Section 304 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, Commercial Availability of Navigation Devices, Compatibility Between Cable Systems and Consumer Electronics Equipment, CS Docket No. 97-80, PP Docket No. 00-67

Dear Ms. Dortch:

Is Success Killing the Internet?

Communications — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 15:30:00 -0500

A New America Event
11/06/2008 - 3:30pm

Is the Internet as we knew it - an open platform for innovation - a victim of its own commercial success? In his important new book, Jonathan Zittrain argues that both the Internet and the PC are on a path to a lockdown, devolving into "tethered appliances" that reduce our freedom to innovate. Zittrain argues that the openness of PCs and the Internet spawned an abundance of connectivity and creativity, but have also brought us a… more

McCain v. Obama: The Technology Policy Smackdown

Communications — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 05:30:00 -0400

A New America Event
10/30/2008 - 12:30pm

NOTE: Due to a last-minute scheduling conflict, Douglas Holtz-Eakin is unable to participate in today's event, and the McCain campaign will not be sending an alternate spokesperson. The event will proceed as scheduled with Reed Hundt representing the Obama campaign.

The next president is going to face a host of pressing questions involving technology:

Why is the United States falling behind the rest of the world in broadband access, and how can we reverse that? What should our immigration policy be for… more

Wireless Future Program in Washington Internet Daily | 'Activists Celebrate Wireless Gains, Relish Prospect of Obama Presidency'

Cecille Isidro — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 09:43:00 -0400

Prospects are bright for building under an Obama White House on successes by supporters of Carterfone, net neutrality rules and open spectrum for wireless broadband, leading activists said. Groundbreaking changes probably will come Nov. 4 with the arrival of a friendly national administration and FCC white- space rules, said President Andrew Schwartzman of the Media Access Project Tuesday at an open-wireless conference of Google and the New America Foundation. "Policy makers are ready to listen," he said: "There's likely to be a very receptive environment going forward."

But the opportunities make it more important than ever for high tech to shed the remnants of its aversion to getting its hands dirty in Washington, Schwartzman said. The industry must "drop its fear of Washington," he said: "It's necessary to engage." Silicon Valley's "libertarian philosophy" overlooks the reality that "government intervention is a tool that can be used to stop innovation, to stall," Schwartzman said: "The government is there, whether we like it or not..."

Columbia University Law Professor Tim Wu looked back with satisfaction on progress since early last year, when he wrote a paper for the New America Foundation in favor of wireless Carterfone. Industry and FCC changes have been "mostly for the better," he said. Wu pointed to Skype's wireless Carterfone petition to the FCC,… more

Ex Parte Letter Re: Prohibit Discrimination in Text Messaging

Wireless Future — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 05:11:00 -0400

Marlene H. Dortch, Secretary
Federal Communications Commission
445 12th Street, SW
Washington, DC 20554

RE: Notice of Ex Parte Filing; WC Docket No. 08-7

Dear Secretary Dortch:

Public Knowledge, Free Press, Consumer Federation of America, Consumers Union, EDUCAUSE, Media Access Project, New America Foundation, U.S. PIRG, Assemblyman Richard L. Brodsky, and CREDO Mobile, Inc. (Public Knowledge et al.) submit this ex parte filing to respond to several recent filings by wireless providers that mischaracterize several aspects of the Petition for Declaratory Ruling to prohibit discrimination in text messaging (“Text Messaging Petition” or “Petition”) filed by Public Knowledge and others earlier this year. As described in our original Petition, wireless carriers offer text messaging services through short codes to the general public as “telecommunications services.” In fact, from the perspective of a consumer, text messaging provided via short codes is no different than “phone to phone” text messaging that uses a longer code. There is no reason to distinguish the regulatory treatment of “short code” text messaging and “phone-to-phone” text messaging simply because of the length of the address used to send the message. Yet, the carriers’ documents confirm that wireless carriers often discriminate against would-be providers of text messaging services via short codes based on the content of the information or the type of services they seek to offer. Indeed the reason for the paucity of news articles on this topic is not because the issue has been resolved – just the opposite. Wireless carriers admit that they pick and choose among providers of short code text messaging services. In fact, as will be described in more detail below, the wireless industry publishes an explicit set of guidelines that gives examples of the type of short code-based campaigns that are and are not “acceptable.” And for those parties that are harmed by carrier discrimination, it is risky to complain because of the very discretion that carriers can currently exercise against them.

Since they admit to engaging in discrimination, wireless providers should bear the burden of demonstrating why such discrimination is just and reasonable. Wireless providers’ principal defense of these discriminatory practices is that they must deny access to short codes to some parties in order to protect consumers from unsolicited e-mail, or “spam.” As we explain below, there is no evidence that applying non-discrimination principles, either through Title II or Title I, would have any effect on the amount of spam received by wireless consumers or the ability of wireless providers to block spam. If this Petition is granted in full, wireless providers would still retain all of their current rights and capabilities to filter and block unsolicited e-mails from reaching consumers who do not wish to receive them.

Furthermore, as we discuss below, several recent developments make it even more important that the Commission grant the Petition as soon as possible. Text messaging via short codes is becoming an increasingly popular and valuable service – one that is quickly becoming a principal means of basic communications. Therefore, the wireless providers’ discriminatory practices are causing even greater harm, and will cause more harm in the future, than when the Petition was first filed. Therefore, Public Knowledge et al. urge the Commission to grant the Petition expeditiously.