[Cybertel-Ann] 10.31.07 :: Ghost of Bell Testifies Before Congress :: Transylvania to Get MuniWifi :: Gates and Ballmer are Actually Kang and Kodos :: FCC Meeting Today ::

Robert Cannon rcannon100 at yahoo.com
Wed Oct 31 03:55:10 PST 2007 

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            CyberTerror News  
      Federal Internet Screams and Ghosts
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New and Slightly Improved Goblins 
http://www.cybertelecom.org/news.htm 
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And the raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still
is sitting
On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber
door;
And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is
dreaming,
And the lamp-light o'er him streaming throws his
shadow on the floor;
And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on
the floor
Shall be lifted - nevermore!
- Edgar Allen Poe

FCC To Ban Exclusive Broadband Deals - New rules to be
handed down on Wednesday
, DSLreports, 10/31/2007 
For months, AT&T and Verizon have been asking the FCC
to ban cable operators from maintaining exclusive
service contracts with the owners of apartment
buildings, developments and MDUs (multiple dwelling
units). When the phone company asks for something, the
FCC delivers:
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/FCC-To-Ban-Exclusive-Broadband-Deals-88914
More Info: http://www.cybertelecom.org/broadband/

Commerce Committee Approves Bill to Make Broadband
Access More Affordable, Senate, 10/31/2007 
No description
http://commerce.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressReleases.Detail&PressRelease_id=248976
More Info: http://www.cybertelecom.org/broadband/

Billions of Reasons Not to Grant Forbearance, PK,
10/31/2007 
How many reasons are there for the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC) to reject the
deregulation petitions Verizon filed for six cities in
the Northeast? How about 2.4 billion? That’s not a
number pulled from the air. A new study, sponsored by
XO, Covad and other of the hardy band of surviving
competitive local exchange carriers (CLECs), found
that if the petitions are granted, consumers and
businesses will pay $2.4 billion more for local phone
service, high-speed Internet service and business
connections.
http://feeds.publicknowledge.org/~r/publicknowledge-main/~3/176867550/1250
More Info:
http://www.cybertelecom.org/broadband/forbearance.htm

Brief Filed Challenging COPA on Free Speech Grounds,
CDT, 10/31/2007 
Today the Center for Democracy & Technology filed a
"friend of the court" brief in federal appeals court
challenging the Child Online Protection Act (COPA) as
a violation of the First Amendment. The amicus brief,
submitted to the Third Circuit on behalf of CDT and 17
other groups, argued that COPA places unconstitutional
burdens on producers and distributors of Web content.
http://www.cdt.org/headlines/1055
More Info: http://www.cybertelecom.org/cda/copa.htm

Roommates.com Motions over Batzel Briefing, Tech &
Marketing Law, 10/31/2007 
Now that the Roommates.com case is pending en banc,
let the games begin! The first round: the...
http://blog.ericgoldman.org/archives/2007/10/roommatescom_mo.htm
More Info:
http://www.cybertelecom.org/cda/samaritan.htm

Net Neutrality’s Second Coming, Save the Internet,
10/31/2007 
Don’t always believe the purveyors of conventional
wisdom in Washington. Some of these DC pundits are so
steeped in their own “knowledge” that they get stuck
spinning their wheels when faced with evidence to the
contrary.
http://www.savetheinternet.com/blog/2007/10/29/net-neutralitys-second-coming/
More Info: http://www.cybertelecom.org/ci/neutral.htm

Senators Raise Concerns about Content Blocking -
Asking for congressional inquiry into regulation,
DSLreports, 10/31/2007 
There has been a lot of news lately about cable and
phone companies stifling (or, um, delaying ) costumer
communication. In addition to the traffic shaping
problem with Comcast, there have been consumer
complaints about AT&T s TOS (now changed) and Verizon
s temporary refusal to allow NARAL communication.
Apparently, this news is getting the attention of
politicians. Two senators have spoken out, asking for
a congressional hearing to investigate these reports.
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Senators-Raise-Concerns-about-Content-Blocking-88895
More Info: http://www.cybertelecom.org/ci/neutral.htm

HR1955 Gets 404 Votes in the House. Is it a Net
Neutrality Threat?, Open Left, 10/31/2007 
"The Internet has aided in facilitating violent
radicalization, ideologically based violence, and the
homegrown terrorism process in the United States by
providing access to broad and constant streams of
terrorist-related propaganda to United States
citizens."
http://www.openleft.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=2138
More Info: http://www.cybertelecom.org/ci/neutral.htm

U.S. Internet in the slow lane?, Globe and Mail,
10/31/2007 
The OECD puts the U.S. at 15th place for broadband
lines per person in 2006, down from fourth place in
2001
http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TheGlobeAndMail-Technology/~3/177378259/
More Info:
http://www.cybertelecom.org/data/broadband.htm

Sam Adams Beer Tells Real Sam Adams He Can't Use Sam
Adams In A Domain Name, Techdirt, 10/31/2007 
In Portland, Oregon a man named Sam Adams is running
for mayor, and has a website called mayorsamadams.com.
In Boston the brewers of Sam Adam's beer sent a letter
to the people who registered the site telling them to
knock it off, because they have been using the
trademark 'Sam Adams' since 1984. The candidate fought
back saying that he had been using the name all of his
life.
http://techdirt.com/articles/20071026/180024.shtml
More Info: http://www.cybertelecom.org/dns/acpa.htm

Warning over net address limits, BBC, 10/31/2007 
Internet Service Providers urgently need to roll out
the next generation of net addresses for online
devices, internet pioneer Vint Cerf has said.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7068140.stm
More Info: http://www.cybertelecom.org/dns/ipv6.htm

IPv6 Local Addresses, Potaroo, 10/31/2007 
There are many network operator group meetings being
held these days. Even in the backwater of the South
Pacific where I live there is now AUSNOG, and NZNOG is
just next door in New Zealand. We now have MENOG in
the Middle East and AFNOG in Africa. The original NOG
was the North American Network Operators Group, NANOG,
and they have the T-Shirts to prove it! NANOG meets
three times a year, and I attended NANOG 41 in October
2007. NANOG meetings cover a broad variety of topics,
from operational tools, measurement, and peering
practices through to a commentary on the state of the
Internet industry.
http://www.potaroo.net/ispcol/2007-11/nanog.html
More Info: http://www.cybertelecom.org/dns/ipv6.htm

Commerce’s NTIA Seeks Public Comments Regarding Joint
Project Agreement with ICANN, NTIA, 10/31/2007 
NTIA will consult with interested stakeholders
regarding the mid-term review of the Joint Project
Agreement (JPA) between the Department and the
Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers
(ICANN). NTIA will soon release a Notice of Inquiry
(NOI) requesting comments to be due February 15, 2008.
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/press/2007/PR_ICANNJPA_10292007.html
More Info: http://www.cybertelecom.org/dns/ntia.htm

Whois may be scrapped to break deadlock, Globe and
Mail, 10/31/2007 
Law-enforcement officials, trademark lawyers and
journalists, as well as spammers, also use site
regularly – exactly why privacy advocates want it shut
down
http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TheGlobeAndMail-Technology/~3/176851496/
More Info: http://www.cybertelecom.org/dns/whois.htm

Is it time to get rid of the Whois directory?, CNET,
10/31/2007 
A panel of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names
and Numbers is considering whether to ditch Whois at a
meeting this week in Los Angeles.
http://www.news.com/8301-13578_3-9807356-38.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20
More Info: http://www.cybertelecom.org/dns/whois.htm

Internet Policymakers May Punt on Privacy Issue, Wash
Post, 10/31/2007 
The nonprofit organization that manages the Internet's
domain-name system is set to vote Wednesday on changes
to the Web site registration process that would make
it easier for people to shield their identities online
and, indirectly, cut spammers off from an easy-to-mine
database of legitimate e...
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/30/AR2007103001543.html?nav=rss_technology
More Info: http://www.cybertelecom.org/dns/whois.htm

Getting Rid of Whois, CircleID, 10/31/2007 
The Whois database may disappear... An ICANN committee
is considering a sunset proposal at its meeting this
week in Los Angeles that would effectively scrap the
directory system on privacy grounds. Among those
arguments is that a public-by-default Whois listing
may run afoul of Canadian and European Union privacy
laws
http://www.circleid.com/posts/getting_rid_of_whois/
More Info: http://www.cybertelecom.org/dns/whois.htm

Ban on Net access taxes extended until 2014, CNET,
10/31/2007 
House of Representatives approval means most American
consumers will continue seeing tax-free Internet
connection bills. President Bush is expected to sign
off before current law expires this week.
http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9807418-7.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20
More Info: http://www.cybertelecom.org/ecom/tax.htm

Congress Extends Internet Tax Ban for 7 Years, Senate,
10/31/2007 
No description
http://commerce.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressReleases.Detail&PressRelease_id=248972
More Info: http://www.cybertelecom.org/ecom/tax.htm

Internet Tax Moratorium gets Lucky Seven, IIA,
10/31/2007 
The US House of Representatives today joined the
Senate and unanimously passed a seven year extension
of the Internet Tax Moratorium.  While it is not the
permanent legislation that many us of hoped and
advocated for, it is a significant improvement over
the three and four year extensions being proposed by
many state and local government officials.  The Bill
next goes to the President for his expected signature.
 Congratulations to all who fought, on a bipartisan
basis, for this important legislation.
http://blog.internetinnovation.org/2007/10/internet-tax-moratorium-gets-l/
More Info: http://www.cybertelecom.org/ecom/tax.htm

Comcast to face lawsuits over BitTorrent filtering,
CNET, 10/31/2007 
Comcast may have shot themselves in the foot. Lawyers
are already circling in the water, and the company
could be looking at a world of pain for its sneaky
BitTorrent filtering.
http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9802410-7.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20
More Info:
http://www.cybertelecom.org/industry/comcast.htm

Comcast Will Fire Employees For Admitting That Comcast
Uses Sandvine?, Techdirt, 10/31/2007 
We still can't figure out why Comcast doesn't just
come right out and admit what it's doing in jamming
certain kinds of traffic. It's not like it's a secret
any more -- and the longer Comcast tries to play dumb
on this, the worse it looks for the company. The
oddest part, though, is that Comcast won't even admit
that it's using Sandvine's traffic shaping equipment
-- even though Sandvine clearly lists Comcast as a
customer and has used them as a reference customer in
news articles.
http://techdirt.com/articles/20071029/020756.shtml
More Info:
http://www.cybertelecom.org/industry/comcast.htm

Covad Bought By Platinum Equity - $304 million deal,
or $1.02 per share
, DSLreports, 10/31/2007 
Earlier this month, a Covad insider tipped us off to
the fact that the CLEC was shopping itself around to
potential sugar daddies, with names like AT&T, Sprint
and even Best Buy being tossed around as acquisition
partners. In the end, however, it appears that Covad
got the best deal from Platinum Equity, who will pay
$304 million (or $1.02 per share) for the CLEC. Covad
CEO Charles Hoffman waxes optimistic in the company
press release:
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Covad-Bought-By-Platinum-Equity-88909
More Info:
http://www.cybertelecom.org/industry/covad.htm

Verizon profit drops one-third, Globe and Mail,
10/31/2007 
Taxes take a bite, while revenue rises
http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TheGlobeAndMail-Technology/~3/176653624/
More Info:
http://www.cybertelecom.org/industry/verizon.htm

Hulu: IPTV Like Advertisers Want It, Internet News,
10/31/2007 
Online video streaming service could lure marketers
with TV-style ads.
http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/InternetnewsRealtimeNewsForItManagers/~3/176917773/3707921
More Info: http://www.cybertelecom.org/media/

A review of Hulu.com, Lost Remote, 10/31/2007 
The NBC-News Corp. video joint venture Hulu.com
launched in private beta, and just I toured the new
site. Out of the gate, the first thing you’ll notice
is the clean, theater-like design. Very sharp
http://www.lostremote.com/2007/10/29/a-review-of-hulucom/
More Info: http://www.cybertelecom.org/media/

FTC: Let us fine spyware operations, already, CNET,
10/31/2007 
Democratic commissioner says agency would be much more
effective in halting deceptive spyware makers if
Congress allowed it to levy hefty monetary penalties.
http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9806565-7.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20
More Info: http://www.cybertelecom.org/privacy/spy.htm

Net Neutrality becomes issue in presidential race,
CNET, 10/31/2007 
Senator Barack Obama will be asked to answer a
question about supporting Net Neutrality in an MTV
interview on Monday.
http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9806431-7.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20
More Info: http://www.cybertelecom.org/vote/

Court Dismisses Lawsuit Filed Against Blogger For
Criticizing Company, Techdirt, 10/31/2007 
We've seen so many cases recently of companies trying
to shut down negative criticism online by suing
critics, it's nice to point out a case where those
cases get shot down by the courts. Eric Goldman has
the details on how a court has thrown out the lawsuit
filed by BidZirk, one of many, many companies that
will sell your stuff on eBay for you, against a
blogger for criticizing BidZirk's service in a blog
post.
http://techdirt.com/articles/20071029/172430.shtml
More Info: http://www.cybertelecom.org/

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