Author Archives: Jon Brodkin

Republicans’ “Internet Freedom Act” would wipe out net neutrality

US Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) this week filed legislation she calls the “Internet Freedom Act” to overturn the Federal Communications Commission’s new network neutrality rules.

The FCC’s neutrality rules prohibit Internet service providers from blocking or throttling Internet traffic, prohibit prioritization of traffic in exchange for payment, and require the ISPs to disclose network management practices.

These rules “shall have no force or effect, and the Commission may not reissue such rule in substantially the same form, or issue a new rule that is substantially the same as such rule, unless the reissued or new rule is specifically authorized by a law enacted after the date of the enactment of this Act,” the Internet Freedom Act states.

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Netflix opposes data cap exemptions, except when it benefits from them

Netflix CEO Reed Hastings in 2012 accused Comcast of “no longer following net neutrality principles” by exempting its own online video service from data caps. “Comcast should apply caps equally, or not at all,” Hastings argued.

But now Netflix has a chance to benefit from such differential treatment, and it’s not turning the opportunity down. Netflix is launching its streaming video service in Australia on March 24, and its content will not count against data caps enforced by iiNet, a large Internet service provider there.

Customers “will have access to as much Netflix content as they like, without it counting against their monthly quota,” iiNet announced yesterday.

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Tech support scammer threatened to kill man when scam call backfired

Tech support scammers should probably just hang up the phone when a scam call goes wrong.

But one scammer took things to a new level by threatening to kill a man who pointed out that the scammer was trying to steal money.

As we’ve reported numerous times, scammers pretending to work for Microsoft tech support call potential victims, tell them their computers are infected, convince them to provide remote access, and then charge them hundreds of dollars to fix imaginary problems.

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FCC chair: New Internet service rules not even close to utility regulation

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler today defended the FCC’s new rules for Internet service providers, saying they are “about as far from the old-style monopoly regulation as you can get.”

While cable companies and telecommunications providers have threatened lawsuits, claiming the “utility” rules will hurt consumers and impede investment, Wheeler talked about how lenient the regulations are in a public Q&A session at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Led by Wheeler, the FCC last week reclassified fixed and mobile broadband providers in the US as common carriers under Title II of the Communications Act, allowing the commission to enforce network neutrality rules and other standards.

This is the same statute that applies to the old telephone monopolies, but not all of the same rules will apply.

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FAA’s Proposed Drone Rules to Impose Heavy Limits on Commercial Use

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is expected to impose strict limits on the commercial use of drones, requiring flights to occur within daylight hours, rise no higher than 400 feet above the ground, and to remain within the sight of the person controlling the drone, The Wall Street Journal reported last night. Commercial drone operators would be required to have a license and be trained to fly manned aircraft, even though drones are operated remotely.

The Journal reported that people familiar with the matter suggested that, “While the FAA wants to open the skies to unmanned commercial flights, the expected rules are more restrictive than drone supporters sought and wouldn’t address privacy concerns over the use of drones.”

FAA policies currently allow hobbyist or recreational use of drones, but not commercial use. A federal judge’s ruling in March this year said the FAA issued its ban on commercial drone use illegally because it did not seek public input before adopting them; this forced the agency to begin a new rulemaking process. The proposal described in yesterday’s report could rule out the use of these devices by companies such as Amazon, which wants to eventually deliver packages via drones. Drones could also find uses in the farming, filmmaking, and construction industries.

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Europe’s Parliament “Poised to Call for a Break-up of Google”

“The European parliament is poised to call for a break-up of Google” in a vote next week, the Financial Times reported today. The resolution would be nonbinding, because any final action would have to be taken by the European Commission, the executive branch of the European Union.

“A draft motion seen by the Financial Times says that ‘unbundling [of] search engines from other commercial services’ should be considered as a potential solution to Google’s dominance,” the paper wrote. “It has the backing of the parliament’s two main political blocs, the European People’s Party and the Socialists.”

While the parliament itself “has no formal power to split up companies,” it does have “increasing influence on the [European] Commission, which initiates all EU legislation,” the report said. “The commission has been investigating concerns over Google’s dominance of online search for five years, with critics arguing that the company’s rankings favor its own services, hitting its rivals’ profits.”

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“We Are Going to be Sued.” FCC Chairman Speaks on Net Neutrality

It won’t be a surprise if the Federal Communications Commission gets sued when it issues net neutrality rules. In fact, FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler expects it.

Since November 10, when President Obama called on the FCC to reclassify Internet service as a utility and impose strict net neutrality rules, the FCC has been urged to act quickly. But it appears the commission won’t issue final rules before the end of 2014. When reporters today asked Wheeler when he’ll act, he said he’s taking his time because he wants to make sure the commission’s net neutrality rules aren’t overturned in court.

“We are going to be sued,” he said in a Q&A after the FCC’s monthly meeting. “That’s the history. Every time in this whole discussion any time the commission has moved to do something, one of the big dogs has gone to sue… We don’t want to ignore history. We want to come out with good rules that accomplish what we need to accomplish, an open Internet, no blocking, no throttling, no fast lanes, no discrimination, and we want those rules to be in place after a court decision. So we want to be sure we’re thoughtful in the way in which we structure them and we’re thoughtful in the way we present what will ultimately be presented to a court.”

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In Detroit and Other Cities, Nearly 40 Percent Go Without Internet

It may be hard to believe, but there are big cities in the US where 30 to 40 percent of residents have no Internet service at all. And among those who are online in America’s worst-connected cities, a sizable percentage get by with only cellular Internet.

That’s according to 2013 census data compiled by Bill Callahan, director of Connect Your Community 2.0, a group promoting Internet access for residents of Cleveland, OH, and Detroit, MI.

Callahan published charts on his blog yesterday showing how many households lack Internet access in the 25 worst connected cities in the US (out of 176 that have at least 50,000 households). In Laredo, TX, 40.2 percent of the 65,685 households have no Internet access, not even mobile broadband on a phone. Detroit was second in this list with 39.9 percent of households lacking Internet. In all 25 cities, at least 29.8 percent lacked Internet access. The 25 cities varied in size from 52,588 households (Kansas City, KS) to 255,322 households (Detroit).

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Verizon: ISPs Will Sue Unless Government Adopts Weaker Net Neutrality Rules

Did somebody say “lawsuit”?

Verizon is gearing up for a fight over the government’s latest net neutrality plan, which could impose stricter rules on Internet service providers than a previous net neutrality order that Verizon also sued over.

Verizon sued to overturn the Federal Communications Commission’s 2010 Open Internet Order, forcing the FCC to try again. The commission tentatively approved rules in May that would prevent Internet service providers from blocking or degrading traffic from third-party Web services while allowing “fast lane” deals in which companies could pay for faster access to consumers.

But after protest from consumer advocates, FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler is reportedly close to proposing rules in which ISPs would be treated as utilities. This wouldn’t outlaw fast lane or “paid prioritization” deals but would make it easier for the government to block arrangements deemed harmful to consumers. In a blog post today, Verizon General Counsel Randal Milch said the plan “fairly guarantees litigation.”

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Comcast’s Net Neutrality Commitments Aren’t Good Enough, Senator Says

Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) today called on Comcast to make a long-term pledge that it won’t charge content providers for faster access to its subscribers.

Comcast already agreed to follow network neutrality provisions until September 2018 as part of its 2011 purchase of NBCUniversal. While the agreement with the US government doesn’t specifically prevent Comcast from signing paid prioritization deals, the company has said it has no plans to do so. Comcast has been touting its net neutrality commitments while making the case that it should be allowed to purchase Time Warner Cable, the second biggest cable company in the US after itself.

Leahy, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, wrote a letter to Comcast Executive VP David Cohen today, saying he worries about “the risk of paid prioritization agreements through which websites could be charged for priority access over the Internet.” Leahy wants “meaningful pledges from our Nation’s broadband providers that they share the American public’s commitment to an Internet that remains open and equally accessible to all.”

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Linksys Wants to Make Network Switches “Cool” and More Expensive

Linksys

Linksys is betting big on its new blue router, a resurrection of the classic WRT54G design with modern components inside. The company (now owned by Belkin) today said it plans a new line of networking peripherals to complement the device, starting with an 8-port Gigabit Ethernet switch.

“It Looks so Cool!” Linksys’s public relations squad informed us in an e-mail, which also said the switch saves space by stacking beneath the $250 WRT1900AC router. And it does look pretty neat. But at $70, it’s a little pricey. The Netgear GS108NA 8-port Gigabit Ethernet switch is smaller than the new Linksys one and can be had for $47. For $80, you could buy a TrendNet 16-port Gigabit switch. You could even buy an 8-Port Gigabit Ethernet Switch for $50 from Linksys. 

But nothing says “cool” like a sweet looking network switch. “With its sleek lines and designed to physically stack below the WRT1900AC, the SE4008 is a perfect match for the iconic WRT1900AC router (sold separately)—allowing users to expand their local area network and connect devices to the Internet without taking up additional shelf space,” Linksys said.

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