Telecom Policy Report articles from May 2007

Telecom Policy Report archives from May 2007

Special Feature: The Human Face Of Net Neutrality.
May 14, 2007... When Gary Maricle retired from the broadcast business, he launched a new career selling New Mexico chili over the Internet. Selling online allowed him to compete with bigger outlets, since he couldn't afford to "build brick-and-mortar stores...

Around The States.
May 14, 2007... New Jersey State legislators are pushing a plan to make it illegal to send text messages while driving. The Assembly Consumer Affairs Committee voted unanimously to release the proposal after several legislators admitted frequently...

Colleges, Universities Are Looking Before Taking VoIP Leap.
May 14, 2007... America's colleges and universities, like businesses of all sizes, are dipping their toes into the VoIP waters - and finding them muddied by what the scholastic community thinks is too much hype by Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)...

Hams: Mixed Feelings On FCC's Termination Of Proceedings.
May 14, 2007... The Federal Communications Commission's recent termination of two aging proceedings has some favorable and less-than-favorable implications for amateur radio. As part of a recent effort to clear the decks of languishing proceedings, the...

Nevada ILECs Close To Reduced Regulation.
May 14, 2007... Top management at Nevada's telecommunications providers have gotten most of their wish: The state's Senate and Assembly have recommended passage of a bill that would drop state rate caps on basic phone service. AB518 is an act "relating...

SBA Division Asks FCC For Closer Copper Review.
May 14, 2007... Last week, the Office of Advocacy of the U.S. Small Business Administration wrote a letter to the Federal Communications Commission, asking it to conduct further economic analysis and public review of the retirement of the nation's copper...

OnStar Update: The Court Cases Begin.
May 14, 2007... An unhappy Cadillac owner whose in-car OnStar service will go dead next year as a result of digital upgrades to General Motors Corp.'s "peace-of-mind" roadside-assistance feature, has filed a class-action lawsuit against the automaker but...

Around The States.
May 29, 2007... Maine Presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich told a crowd of nearly 1,000 labor and community activists from New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont that he would intervene to block Verizon's sale of its rural telecom business to FairPoint...

Antitrust Suit Ends With Supreme Court Ruling.
May 29, 2007... Incumbent local exchange carriers (ILECs) are breathing a sigh of relief, now that the U.S. Supreme Court ruled they haven't been playing fast and loose with what some called anti-competitive business practices since the signing of the...

What It Cost BellSouth For Sunshine State TV.
May 29, 2007... News out of Florida says that, in just three months, BellSouth (now AT&T) spent at least $1 million -- an average of $11,460 daily -- to lobby state agencies and lawmakers, making it the biggest spender in Tallahassee. According to...

While Google Ponders 700 MHz Play, Some Question Its Creds.
May 29, 2007... In the ongoing discussion of what really should be done with the 700 MHz spectrum set to be auctioned by the end of the year, search engine Google thinks it has a better idea. With such a large communications player taking an interest in...

Congress Continues To Debate Internet Tax Freedom Extension.
May 29, 2007... In February, Rep. Anna G. Eshoo (D-Calif.) introduced the "Permanent Internet Tax Freedom Act of 2007," seeking to extend the moratorium on Internet access taxes and duplicative taxes on e-commerce permanently. The moratorium applies to a...