Documents on the Web are available at: http://france.usembassy.gov/web-alert.html
The opinions expressed in these publications do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Government
National Cybersecurity Strategy: Key Improvements Are Needed to Strengthen the Nation's Posture
David Powner, Director, Information Technology Management Issues. Government Accountability Office (GAO). Testimony before the Subcommittee on Emerging Threats, Cybersecurity, and Science and Technology, Committee on Homeland Security, U.S. House of Representatives. March 10, 2009. 18 pages.
Pervasive and sustained computer-based attacks against federal and private-sector infrastructures pose a potentially devastating impact to systems and operations and the critical infrastructures that they support. To address these threats, President Bush issued a 2003 national strategy and related policy directives aimed at improving cybersecurity nationwide. Congress and the Executive Branch, including the new administration, have subsequently taken actions to examine the adequacy of the strategy and identify areas for improvement. GAO has, nevertheless, identified this area as high risk and has reported on needed improvements in implementing the national cybersecurity strategy. In this testimony, GAO summarizes key reports and recommendations on the national cybersecurity strategy and the views of experts on how to strengthen the strategy.
Comprehensive National Cybersecurity Initiative: Legal Authorities and Policy Considerations
John Rollins. Congressional Research Service (CRS). March 10, 2009. 21 pages.
Federal agencies report increasing cyber-intrusions into government computer networks, perpetrated by a range of known and unknown actors. In response, the President, legislators, experts, and others have characterized cybersecurity as a pressing national security issue. Like other national security challenges in the post-9/11 era, the cyber threat is multi-faceted and lacks clearly delineated boundaries. Some cyber attackers operate through foreign nations’ military or intelligence-gathering operations, whereas others have connections to terrorist groups or operate as individuals. Some cyber threats might be viewed as international or domestic criminal enterprises. This report discusses the legal issues and addresses policy considerations related to the Comprehensive National Cybersecurity Initiative (CNCI).
Broadband Internet Access and the Digital Divide: Federal Assistance Programs
Lennard G. Kruger and Angele A. Gilroy. Congressional Research Service (CRS). February 20, 2009. 30 pages.
Economic stimulus legislation enacted by the 111th Congress includes provisions that provide federal financial assistance for broadband deployment. On February 17, 2009, President Obama signed P.L. 111-5, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The ARRA provides a total of $7.2 billion for broadband, consisting of $4.7 billion to NTIA/DOC for a newly established Broadband Technology Opportunities Program and $2.5 billion to existing RUS/USDA broadband programs. It is expected that the Obama Administration will ultimately develop a national broadband policy or strategy that will seek to reduce or eliminate the “digital divide” with respect to broadband. It is likely that elements of a national broadband policy, in tandem with broadband investment measures in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, will significantly shape and expand federal policies and programs to promote broadband deployment and adoption. A key issue is how to strike a balance between providing federal assistance for unserved and underserved areas where the private sector may not be providing acceptable levels of broadband service, while at the same time minimizing any deleterious effects that government intervention in the marketplace may have on competition and private sector investment.
The Evolving Broadband Infrastructure: Expansion, Applications, and Regulation
Patricia Moloney Figliola, Angele A. Gilroy and Lennard G. Kruger. Congressional Research Service (CRS). February 19, 2009. 28 pages.
Over the past decade, the telecommunications sector has undergone a vast transformation fueled by rapid technological growth and subsequent evolution of the marketplace. Much of the U.S. policy debate over the evolving telecommunications infrastructure is framed within the context of a “national broadband policy.” The way a national broadband policy is defined, and the particular elements that might constitute that policy, determine how and whether various stakeholders might support or oppose a national broadband initiative. The issue for policymakers is how to craft a comprehensive broadband strategy that not only addresses broadband availability and adoption problems, but also addresses the long term implications of next-generation networks on consumer use of the Internet and the implications for a regulatory framework that must keep pace with evolving telecommunications technology.
Self-Regulatory Principles For Online Behavioral Advertising
Federal Trade Commission (FTC). February 2009. 55 pages.
Since the emergence of “e-commerce” in the mid-1990s, the online marketplace has continued to expand and evolve, creating new business models that allow greater interactivity between consumers and online companies. This expanding marketplace has provided many benefits to consumers, including free access to rich sources of information and the convenience of shopping for goods and services from home. At the same time, the ease with which companies can collect and combine information from consumers online has raised questions and concerns about consumer privacy. This Report constitutes the next step in an ongoing process to examine behavioral advertising that involves the FTC, industry, consumer and privacy organizations, and individual consumers. Some companies and industry groups have begun to develop new privacy policies and self-regulatory approaches, but more needs to be done to educate consumers about online behavioral advertising and provide effective protections for consumers’ privacy.
Infrastructure Programs: What's Different About Broadband?
Charles B. Goldfarb and Lennard G. Kruger. Congressional Research Service (CRS). January 22, 2009. 25 pages.
Broadband network deployment projects represent large scale, long term investments that affect the overall productivity of economic activity in the geographic areas in which they are built, and thus fit the conventional definition of infrastructure. But they also have several characteristics that distinguish them from traditional infrastructure projects. The leadership in both houses of Congress as well as the Obama administration have announced plans to include a broadband component in the infrastructure portion of any economic stimulus package. At the least, the unique characteristics of broadband infrastructure impose very complex policy objectives for any broadband infrastructure program -- to foster infrastructure investment that would not otherwise be made and to create additional jobs and spending, without distorting competition among the different broadband network technologies, without discouraging investment and innovation by independent applications providers that need access to broadband networks, and without subsidizing multiple inefficient providers unnecessarily.
Privacy Law and Online Advertising: Legal Analysis of Data Gathering By Online Advertisers Such As Double Click and Nebu-Ad
Kathleen Ann Ruane. Congressional Research Service (CRS). January 16, 2009. 14 pages.
To produce revenue, websites have placed advertisements on their sites. Advertisers will pay a premium for greater assurance that the advertisement they are purchasing will be seen by users that are most likely to be interested in the product or service offered. As a result, technology has been developed which enables online advertisements to be targeted directly at individual users based on their web surfing activity. This practice is widely known as “behavioral” or “e-havioral” advertising. This individual behavioral targeting has raised a number of privacy concerns. There are no current federal regulations specific to online behavioral advertising. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has put forth a number of guiding principles intended to aid the industry in creating self-regulatory principles. The FTC maintains that self-regulation is preferable to government intervention in this case. The 110th Congress has expressed interest in this issue.
Health Information Technology: Federal Agencies' Experiences Demonstrate Challenges to Successful Implementation
Valerie C. Melvin, Director, Human Capital and Management Information Systems Issues. Government Accountability Office (GAO). Testimony before the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, U.S. Senate. January 15, 2009. 25 pages.
As GAO and others have reported, the use of information technology (IT) has enormous potential to help improve the quality of health care and is important for improving the performance of the U.S. health care system. Given its role in providing health care, the federal government has been urged to take a leadership role to improve the quality and effectiveness of health care, and it has been working to promote the nationwide use of health IT for a number of years. Achieving widespread adoption and implementation of health IT, however, has proven challenging, and the best way to accomplish this transition remains subject to much debate. At the committee's request, this testimony discusses important issues identified by GAO that have broad relevance to the successful implementation of health IT to improve the quality of health care.
THINK TANKS AND RESEARCH CENTERS:
Measuring the Effectiveness of the Broadband Stimulus Plan
Scott Wallsten. Technology Policy Institute. March 17, 2009. 6 pages.
The newly enacted economic stimulus package includes $7.2 billion in grants, loans, and loan guarantees to bring broadband to rural areas lacking high-speed Internet services. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 charges government agencies not only with choosing grant recipients and setting performance benchmarks, but also with measuring results. Only a carefully preplanned evaluation strategy will enable them to accurately assess the effectiveness of the broadband stimulus.
Using Competitive Bidding to Reform the Universal Service High Cost Fund
Scott Wallsten. Technology Policy Institute. Testimony before the Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, and the Internet, Committee on Energy and Commerce, U.S. House of Representatives. March 12, 2009. 4 pages.
According to the author, the current universal service program high cost fund is inefficient, inequitable, and growing at an alarming rate, having increased from $1.7 billion in 1999 to $4.2 billion in 2007. Especially because the program is funded by taxes on telecommunications services paid by all users, including low-income people, the program is in urgent need of reform. The current high-cost mechanism is not only expensive, but also discourages competition and does little to benefit consumers. In order to increase buildout, increase penetration, and reduce costs, he adds, one must eliminate the current system and replace it with competitive procurement.
The Need for Speed: The Importance of Next-Generation Broadband Networks
Rob Atkinson, Stephen Ezell, Daniel Castro and George Ou. The Information Technology & Innovation Foundation (ITIF). March 5, 2009. 38 pages.
This report argues that supporting the deployment of faster broadband networks will be crucial to enabling next-generation Web-based applications and services that will play important roles in improving quality of life and boosting economic growth. While getting broadband service to the Americans who lack it is an important policy target, next-generation broadband will deliver a wave of new benefits to consumers, society, businesses, and the economy.
Promoting Platform Parity: Equal Pay for Equal Music
Daniel Castro. The Information Technology & Innovation Foundation (ITIF). WebMemo. March 4, 2009. 3 pages.
This WebMemo argues that Congress should promote technology neutral policies that do not unfairly advantage or disadvantage any particular technology or business model. Moreover, Congress should ensure that the rules and regulations governing the royalty rate setting process are fair and reasonable for all broadcast platforms. As Congress considers “The Performance Rights Act,” a bill to eliminate the exemption on performance royalties that terrestrial radio has enjoyed for years, it should keep these principles in mind.
ICANN AT A CROSSROADS: A PROPOSAL FOR BETTER GOVERNANCE AND PERFORMANCE
Thomas M. Lenard and Lawrence J. White. Technology Policy Institute. March 2009. 53 pages.
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has operated under a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) since 1998. The MOU was replaced in September 2006 by the Joint Project Agreement (JPA) between ICANN and the DOC, which expires in August 2009. At that time, a decision needs to be made about ICANN’s future. Should the JPA tie with the U.S. Government be retained? Or should the link be wholly severed, as ICANN advocates? And, in either case, what governance structure would best promote Internet efficiency and innovation? This paper evaluates the structure and governance of ICANN to help inform the upcoming decision. In particular, it reviews ICANN’s structure and functions, and also the structures of a number of other organizations that perform a roughly comparable range of private-sector and quasi-governmental coordination and standard-setting functions, to explore what might be applicable to ICANN.
Twenty Most Important Controls and Metrics for Effective Cyber Defense and Continuous FISMA Compliance
John Gilligan. Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS). Draft 1.0. February 23, 2009. 40 pages.
Securing our Nation against cyber attacks has become one of the Nation’s highest priorities. To achieve this objective, networks, systems, and the operations teams that support them must vigorously defend against external attacks. Furthermore, for those external attacks that are successful, defenses must be capable of thwarting, detecting, and responding to follow‐on attacks on internal networks as attackers spread inside a compromised network. A central tenet of the US Comprehensive National Cybersecurity Initiative (CNCI) is that ‘offense must inform defense’. In other words, knowledge of actual attacks that have compromised systems provides the essential foundation on which to construct effective defenses.
Losing Our Technology Advantage
Darrell M. West. Brookings Institution. StateTech Magazine. February 17, 2009.
Once on the cutting edge of technological innovation and access, U.S. high-tech now lags behind. The erosion of high-tech leadership has serious consequences for commerce, politics and entertainment. The slow speed on America’s information superhighways means many Americans are not able to take full advantage of advanced media applications such as the downloading of film and video for entertainment. At the same time, government agencies are not able to guarantee confidentiality of medical records, employment data or official transactions. Schools are not able to take advantage of online instructional material requiring fast download speeds. And businesses do not have the infrastructure required to develop new jobs. Striving to stay competitive, the United States must invest more in its technology infrastructure. This includes tax credits for private-sector research and development, greater support for higher education, and adult training programs that help workers transition to a 21st century economy.
Twitter and status updating
Amanda Lenhart and Susannah Fox. The Pew Internet & American Life Project. Data Memo. February 12, 2009. 6 pages.
In the past three years, developments in social networking and Internet applications have begun providing Internet users with more opportunities for sharing short updates about themselves, their lives, and their whereabouts online. Users may post messages about their status, their moods, their location and other tidbits on social networks and blogging sites, or on applications for sending out short messages to networks of friends like Twitter, Yammer and others. As of December 2008, 11% of online American adults said they used a service like Twitter or another service that allowed them to share updates about themselves or to see the updates of others.
The Next Wave of E-Government
Daniel Castro and Robert Atkinson. The Information Technology & Innovation Foundation (ITIF). StateTech Magazine. February 2, 2009.
The first two waves of the IT revolution offered state and local IT leaders amazing opportunities to make government more efficient, improve services and increase transparency. Today, an emerging third wave is making it possible for governments to solve pressing public problems in fundamentally new ways.
The Digital Economy Fact Book, Tenth Edition
Grant Eskelsen, Adam Marcus and W. Kenneth Ferree. The Progress & Freedom Foundation (PFF). February 2009. 192 pages.
Events in the past year have illustrated how business models continue to change and evolve in response to the widespread use of the Internet and other digital technologies. Communications network policies have dominated policy discussions in Washington, including network management practices and network access policies. Debates on how to best update public safety communication networks for first responders continue in light of the failed public private spectrum proposal. New online advertising models have opened new revenue streams but have also raised privacy and market power concerns. The entertainment and media sectors continue to seek a balance between fully exploiting online avenues of distribution and copyright protection. The fallout from these events is sure to shape the evolution of e-commerce for years to come. The new administration is expected to drive public policy concerning the tech and telecom industries in a new direction. In the long term, it may be the administrations’ positions on macro issues relating to free trade, liberal movement of capital and labor, and education policy that will have the greatest impact on the communications and technology sectors over the next several years.
The Internet and Local Wages: Convergence or Divergence?
Chris Forman, Avi Goldfarb and Shane Greenstein. National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER). Working Paper No. 14750. February 2009. 51 pages.
Did the diffusion of the Internet lead to convergence or divergence of local wages? The authors examine the relationship between business use of advanced Internet technology and regional variation in US wage growth between 1995 and 2000. They show that business use of advanced Internet technology is associated with wage growth but find no evidence that the Internet contributed to regional wage convergence. Advanced Internet technology is only associated with wage growth in places that were already well off in terms of income, education, population, and industry. Overall, advanced Internet explains one-quarter of the difference in wage growth between these counties and all others.
Generations Online in 2009
Sydney Jones and Susannah Fox. The Pew Internet & American Life Project. Data Memo. January 28, 2009. 9 pages.
Over half of the adult Internet population is between 18 and 44 years old. But larger percentages of older generations are online now than in the past, and they are doing more activities online, according to surveys taken from 2006-2008. Contrary to the image of Generation Y as the "Net Generation," Internet users in their 20s do not dominate every aspect of online life. Generation X is the most likely group to bank, shop, and look for health information online. Boomers are just as likely as Generation Y to make travel reservations online. And even Silent Generation Internet users are competitive when it comes to email.
OBAMA’S ONLINE OPPORTUNITIES II
John B. Horrigan. The Pew Internet & American Life Project. Data Memo. January 21, 2009. 3 pages.
Investment in broadband has become part of the broader discussion about President Obama’s economic stimulus package. Even though the size of the stimulus and the share that might be devoted to broadband are still unspecified, it seems likely that the new Administration will take steps to encourage investment in broadband infrastructure. Although job creation is the main topic in this debate, there are really three policy goals associated with broadband in the stimulus package: creating new jobs, creating new broadband subscribers, and improving the broadband experience for all subscribers through faster networks.
Adults and social network websites
Amanda Lenhart. The Pew Internet & American Life Project, Data Memo. January 14, 2009. 17 pages.
/2009/PIP_Adult_social_networking_data_memo_FINAL.pdf.pdf
The share of adult Internet users who have a profile on an online social network site has more than quadrupled in the past four years -- from 8% in 2005 to 35% in 2009. Still, younger online adults are much more likely than their older counterparts to use social networks, with 75% of adults 18-24 using these networks, compared to just 7% of adults 65 and older. At its core, use of online social networks is still a phenomenon of the young. Overall, personal use of social networks seems to be more prevalent than professional use of networks, both in the orientation of the networks that adults choose to use as well as the reasons they give for using the applications. Most adults, like teens, are using online social networks to connect with people they already know.
Improving Quality of Life Through Telecommuting
Wendell Cox. The Information Technology & Innovation Foundation (ITIF). January 14, 2009. 24 pages.
The number of jobs filled by telecommuters could grow nearly four-fold to 19 million and deliver substantial economic, environmental and quality of life benefits for the United States over the next 12 years. Spurred by advances in IT, especially the spread of broadband, telecommuting is already the fastest growing mode of getting from home to work. Thanks to its potential to cut costs, increase productivity, and expand the universe of potential employees, telecommuting is also emerging as a standard business strategy for a larger number of organizations. This report calls for government to pursue policies to accelerate and maximize telecommuting, including spurring the deployment and adoption of broadband, which is an essential facilitator of telecommuting.
The Digital Road to Recovery: A Stimulus Plan to Create Jobs, Boost Productivity and Revitalize America
Robert Atkinson, Daniel Castro and Stephen Ezell. The Information Technology & Innovation Foundation (ITIF). January 7, 2009. 22 pages.
Investing in new economy digital infrastructures will provide significant opportunities not just for short-term stimulus and job creation, but also longer term economic and social benefits. This report provides a detailed analysis and estimate of the short-term jobs impacts of spurring investment in three critical digital networks: broadband networks, the smart grid (making the electric distribution system intelligent) and health IT, and outlines policy steps to spur this investment. It finds that investments in America’s digital infrastructure will spur significant job creation in the short run. Specifically, it estimates that spurring an additional investment of $30 billion in America’s IT network infrastructure in 2009 will create approximately 949,000 U.S. jobs.
Building a 21st Century Broadband Superhighway: A CONCRETE BUILD-OUT PLAN TO BRING HIGH-SPEED FIBER CONNECTIONS TO EVERY COMMUNITY
Benjamin Lennett and Sascha Meinrath. New America Foundation, Wireless Future Program. Issue Brief #24. January 2009. 6 pages.
Although members of Congress and the incoming Obama administration have all expressed interest in a national effort to promote universal broadband, the discussion thus far has lacked a coherent means to correct the current market failures and keep pace as other nations have raced ahead. Critical questions remain unanswered; namely, what will a government investment look like and how will it create a more open, competitive, affordable, universally accessible high-speed communications network, and avoid reinforcing the deficiencies that have lead to our current woeful international standing?
The Broadband Bonus: Accounting for Broadband Internet’s Impact on U.S. GDP
Shane Greenstein and Ryan C. McDevitt. Technology Policy Institute. January 2009. 64 pages.
How much economic value did the diffusion of broadband create? The authors provide benchmark estimates for 1999 to 2006. They observe $39 billion of total revenue in Internet access in 2006, with broadband accounting for $28 billion of this total. Depending on the estimate, households generated $20 to $22 billion of the broadband revenue. Approximately $8.3 to $10.6 billion was additional revenue created between 1999 and 2006. That replacement is associated with $4.8 to $6.7 billion in consumer surplus, which is not measured via Gross Domestic Product (GDP). An Internet-access Consumer Price Index (CPI) would have to decline by 1.6% to 2.2% per year for it to reflect the creation of value. These estimates both differ substantially from those typically quoted in Washington policy discussions, and they shed light on several broadband policy issues, such as why relying on private investment worked to diffuse broadband in many US urban locations at the start of the millennium.
ENHANCING CHILD SAFETY AND ONLINE TECHNOLOGIES
Final Report of the Internet Safety Technical Task Force to the Multi-State Working Group on Social Networking of State Attorneys General of the United States. December 31, 2008. 278 pages.
Many youth in the United States have fully integrated the Internet into their daily lives. For them, the Internet is a positive and powerful space for socializing, learning, and engaging in public life. Along with the positive aspects of Internet use come risks to safety, including the dangers of sexual solicitation, online harassment, and bullying, and exposure to problematic and illegal content. The Multi-State Working Group on Social Networking, comprising 50 state Attorneys General, asked this Task Force to determine the extent to which today’s technologies could help to address these online safety risks, with a primary focus on social network sites in the United States. To answer this question, the Task Force brought together leaders from Internet service providers, social network sites, academia, education, child safety and public policy advocacy organizations, and technology development.
Simply Green: A Few Steps in the Right Direction toward Integrating Sustainability into Public Sector IT
Center for Digital Government. December 2008. 24 pages.
There may be no single, simple answer to the complex issue of climate change. Yet there are simple steps that the public sector IT community can take in responding to renewed concerns about environmental sustainability while institutionalizing greater efficiencies into its operations.
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mardi 31 mars 2009
vendredi 8 février 2008
USA : INTERNET
SOURCES:
Information Research Center (IRC)
Embassy of the United States of America
RaphaelVF@state.gov
September-October 2007
Critical Infrastructure Protection: Sector-Specific Plans' Coverage of Key Cyber Security Elements Varies
Government Accountability Office (GAO). Report to Congressional Requesters. October 31, 2007. 54 pages.
http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d08113.pdf
The nation's critical infrastructure sectors -- such as public health, energy, water, and transportation -- rely on computerized information and systems to provide services to the public. To fulfill the requirement for a comprehensive plan, including cyber aspects, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a national plan in June 2006 for the sectors to use as a road map to enhance the protection of critical infrastructure. Lead federal agencies, referred to as sector-specific agencies, are responsible for coordinating critical infrastructure protection efforts, such as the development of plans that are specific to each sector. In this context, GAO was asked to determine if these sector-specific plans address key aspects of cyber security, including cyber assets, key vulnerabilities, vulnerability reduction efforts, and recovery plans. To accomplish this, GAO analyzed each sector-specific plan against criteria that were developed on the basis of DHS guidance.
Internet Infrastructure: Challenges in Developing a Public/Private Recovery Plan
Gregory C. Wilshusen. Government Accountability Office (GAO). Testimony before the Subcommittee on Information Policy, Census, and National Archives, House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. October 23, 2007. 20 pages.
http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d08212t.pdf
While the Internet originated as a U.S. government-sponsored research project, the vast majority of its infrastructure is currently owned and operated by the private sector. Federal policy recognizes the need to prepare for debilitating Internet disruptions and tasks the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) with developing an integrated public/private plan for Internet recovery. GAO was asked to summarize its report on plans for recovering the Internet in case of a major disruption and to provide an update on DHS's efforts to implement that report's recommendations. The report identifies examples of major disruptions to the Internet, identifies the primary laws and regulations governing recovery of the Internet in the event of a major disruption, evaluates DHS plans for facilitating recovery from Internet disruptions, and assesses challenges to such efforts.
Critical Infrastructure Protection: Multiple Efforts to Secure Control Systems Are Under Way, but Challenges Remain
Gregory C. Wilshusen. Government Accountability Office (GAO). Testimony before the Subcommittee on Information Policy, Census, and National Archives, House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. October 17, 2007. 15 pages.
http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d08119t.pdf
Control systems -- computer-based systems that monitor and control sensitive processes -- perform vital functions in many of our nation's critical infrastructures such as electric power generation, transmission, and distribution, oil and gas refining, and water treatment and distribution. The disruption of control systems could have a significant impact on public health and safety, which makes securing them a national priority. GAO was asked to testify on portions of its report on control systems security being released today. This testimony summarizes the cyber threats, vulnerabilities, and the potential impact of attacks on control systems, identifies private sector initiatives, and assesses the adequacy of public sector initiatives to strengthen the cyber security of control systems. GAO also compared agency plans to best practices for securing critical infrastructures.
3G Americas
Meredith Attwell Baker. Deputy Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information. National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). U.S. Department of Commerce. 3G Americas Keynote Address, Washington, DC. October 17, 2007.
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/speeches/2007/MBaker_3GAmericas_101707.htm
In the past decade, wireless technologies have proliferated at an unimaginable pace across the globe. More so than ever before, the swift delivery of information turns the wheels of commerce. Telecom is 10% of the U.S. economy and is a driver for our overall economic growth. Wireless services are playing an increasingly important role in that regard. Competition in the wireless marketplace has resulted in a vibrant marketplace. The U.S. wireless services market is valued at more than $127 billion, and it is growing at approximately 10% each year. There are 233 million U.S. subscribers that cover 76% of the U.S. population. These figures don’t even factor in the massive growth of Wi-Fi hotspots or the promise of WIMAX technology.
Digital Television Transition: Preliminary Information on Progress of the DTV Transition
Mark L. Goldstein. Government Accountability Office (GAO). Testimony before the House Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet. October 17, 2007. 25 pages.
http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d08191t.pdf
On February 17, 2009, federal law requires all full-power television stations in the United States to cease analog broadcasting, enabling the government to reclaim valuable spectrum that the broadcasters currently use for analog broadcasts. This change, often referred to as the digital television (DTV) transition, requires action by broadcasters and consumers to ensure broadcast television signals are still available and viewable. This testimony provides preliminary information on the progress made by federal entities, and others, to facilitate the transition, the progress in the education of consumers about the transition, the progress made in implementing the converter box subsidy program, technical issues of the transition, and future GAO work on the progress of the DTV transition.
Electronic Rulemaking in the Federal Government
Curtis W. Copeland. Congressional Research Service (CRS). October 16, 2007. 48 pages.
http://www.opencrs.com/rpts/RL34210_20071016.pdf
E-rulemaking is one of about two dozen e-government initiatives launched as part of the George W. Bush Administration’s President’s Management Agenda. In the first phase of the initiative, the Administration established a website through which the public can identify all federal rules that are open for comment and provide comments on those rules. The second phase involves the creation of a government-wide docket system that can allow the public to review rulemaking materials (e.g., agencies’ legal and cost-benefit analyses for their rules) and the comments of others. E-rulemaking has been described as a way to increase democratic legitimacy, improve regulatory policy decisions, decrease administrative costs, and increase regulatory compliance. The implementation of e-rulemaking in the federal government, however, has been controversial.
High-Speed Services for Internet Access: Status as of December 31, 2006
Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Industry Analysis and Technology Division. Wireline Competition Bureau. October 2007. 27 pages.
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-277784A1.pdf
Congress directed the Commission and the states, in section 706 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, to encourage deployment of advanced telecommunications capability in the United States on a reasonable and timely basis. To assist in its evaluation of such deployment, the Commission instituted a formal data collection program to gather standardized information about subscribership to high-speed services, including advanced services, from wireline telephone companies, cable system operators, terrestrial wireless service providers, satellite service providers, and any other facilities-based providers of advanced telecommunications capability. Statistics released in this report reveal that high-speed connection to the Internet increased by 61% in 2006.
Public-Private Partnership for a Public Safety Network: Governance and Policy
Linda K. Moore. Congressional Research Service (CRS). September 28, 2007. 22 pages.
http://www.opencrs.com/rpts/RL34054_20070928.pdf
This report summarizes salient points of the FCC rules regarding the creation of a public-private partnership to build and manage a national communications network for public safety use. The Communications Act of 1934, as amended, empowers the FCC to set rules for auctions and to take steps to ensure the safety of the public. The FCC has used this authority to create a governance structure allowing a Public Safety Broadband Licensee to share spectrum rights with a commercial enterprise and to collaborate in the construction and management of a shared network. The two licensees and the network will operate according to requirements set out by the FCC as part of its rulemaking for the upcoming auction of frequencies within the 700 MHz band. These frequencies are being vacated by television broadcasters in their switch to digital technologies.
Spyware: Background and Policy Issues for Congress
Patricia Moloney Figliola. Congressional Research Service (CRS). September 26, 2007. 12 pages.
http://www.opencrs.com/rpts/RL32706_20070926.pdf
The term "spyware" generally refers to any software that is downloaded onto a computer without the owner's or user's knowledge. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued a consumer alert on spyware in October 2004. It provided a list of warning signs that might indicate that a computer is infected with spyware, and advice on what to do if it is. Several states have passed spyware laws, but there is no specific federal law. Thus far, two bills have been introduced in the House of Representatives (H.R. 964 and H.R. 1525) and one has been introduced in the Senate (S. 1625). Both of the House bills have been reported and referred to the Senate. The Senate bill was referred to committee and no further action has been taken.
The Transition to Digital Television: Is America Ready?
Lennard G. Kruger. Congressional Research Service (CRS). September 7, 2007. 13 pages.
http://www.opencrs.com/rpts/RL34165_20070907.pdf
The Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (P.L. 109-171) directs that on February 18, 2009, over-the-air television broadcasts will become digital only. Households with over-the-air analog-only televisions will no longer be able to receive television service unless they either: buy a digital-to-analog converter box to hook up to their analog television set; acquire a digital television or an analog television equipped with a digital tuner; or subscribe to cable, satellite, or telephone company television services, which will likely provide for the conversion of digital signals to their analog customers. The preeminent issue for Congress is ensuring that American households are prepared for the February 17, 2009 DTV transition deadline. Specifically, Congress is actively overseeing the activities of federal agencies responsible for the digital transition while assessing whether additional federal efforts are necessary, particularly with respect to public education and outreach.
REFERENCE BOOK of Rates, Price Indices, and Household Expenditures for Telephone Service
Pedro A. Almoguera. Industry Analysis & Technology Division. Wireline Competition Bureau. Federal Communications Commission (FCC). September 2007. 59 pages.
http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-276876A1.pdf
This report presents historical and current information on local and long distance telephone rates paid by residential and business consumers, household expenditures, and telephone price indices. The local rate data compiled for 2005 and 2006 reflect the inclusion of various taxes and surcharges and, as such, provide an estimate of the monthly charges residential and single-line business customers pay for local telephone service provided by wireline telephone companies. This publication focuses on domestic telecommunications.
THINK TANKS AND RESEARCH CENTERS:
The opinions expressed in these publications do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Government
Parent and Teenager Internet Use
Alexandra Rankin Macgill. The Pew Internet & American Life Project. Data Memo. October 24, 2007. 11 pages.
http://www.pewinternet.org/pdfs/PIP_Teen_Parents_data_memo_Oct2007.pdf
Teens are more likely than their parents to say that the Internet and related technology has made their own lives easier. Contrarily, while a majority of parents with online teens still believe the Internet is a beneficial factor in their children’s lives, there has been a decrease since 2004 in the number of parents who believe the Internet is a good thing for their children. At the same time, there has not been a corresponding increase in the percentage of parents who think the Internet has been a bad thing for their children. Instead, more parents are neutral about whether their children have been positively affected by the Internet, saying the Internet has not had an effect on their child one way or another.
Broadband: What's All the Fuss About?
John B. Horrigan. The Pew Internet & American Life Project. Data Memo. October 18, 2007. 3 pages.
http://www.pewinternet.org/pdfs/BroadBand%20Fuss.pdf
With nearly half of all Americans having high-speed internet connections at home, online interactivity means something different for a lot of Americans than it did when it was mainly about e-mail. Many-to-many communication is now buttressed by many-to-many participation in the online world through user-created media. Still, questions remain about the use of advanced communications networks. Among them: Why does access to a high-speed connection at home matter? The fuss about broadband extends beyond access to information to active participation in the online commons as people with shared interests or problems gather at various online forums to chat or collaborate.
Teens and Online Stranger Contact
Aaron Smith. The Pew Internet & American Life Project. Data Memo. October 14, 2007. 4 pages.
http://www.pewinternet.org/pdfs/PIP_Stranger_Contact_Data_Memo.pdf
Fully 32% of online teens have been contacted by someone with no connection to them or any of their friends, and 7% of online teens say they have felt scared or uncomfortable as a result of contact by an online stranger. Several behaviors are associated with high levels of online stranger contact, including using social networking sites (SNS), social networking profile ownership and posting photos online. Although several factors are linked with increased levels of stranger contact in general, gender is the only variable with a consistent association with contact that is scary or uncomfortable -- girls are much more likely to report scary or uncomfortable contact than boys.
E-patients With a Disability or Chronic Disease
Susannah Fox. The Pew Internet & American Life Project. Report. October 8, 2007. 25 pages.
http://www.pewinternet.org/pdfs/EPatients_Chronic_Conditions_2007.pdf
Adults living with a disability or chronic disease are less likely than others to go online, but once online, are avid health consumers. About a fifth of American adults say that a disability, handicap, or chronic disease keeps them from participating fully in work, school, housework, or other activities. Half (51%) of those living with a disability or chronic disease go online, compared to 74% of those who report no chronic conditions. But fully 86% of Internet users living with disability or chronic illness have looked online for information about at least one of 17 health topics, compared with 79% of Internet users with no chronic conditions.
An Economic Approach to Evaluating a National Wireless Regulatory Framework
George S. Ford, Thomas M. Koutsky and Lawrence J. Spiwak. Phoenix Center for Advanced Legal and Economic Public Policy Studies. Policy Bulletin No. 19. October 2007. 14 pages.
http://www.phoenix-center.org/PolicyBulletin/PCPB19Final.pdf
In this paper, the authors provide an economic analysis of the welfare effect of state and local regulation on communications services and, in particular, on the wireless segment of the telecommunications industry. They find that when local regulation in one jurisdiction has sufficiently large “extra-jurisdictional” effects in other locations, overall social welfare can be reduced even if state and local governments act as efficient regulators. This finding is important because it shows that the debate over the proper regulatory framework for the wireless industry need not be driven by an assessment of which set of regulators, federal or state, is more competent. Accordingly, their analysis suggests that society is likely better to be off with a single, national regulatory framework for wireless services.
Unplugging Plug-and-Play Regulation
Adam Thierer. The Progress & Freedom Foundation. Progress on Point 14.21. October 2007. 7 pages.
http://pff.org/issues-pubs/pops/pop14.21plugandplaybattle.pdf
Cable operators and some consumer electronics companies are engaged in a heated technical dispute over “digital cable ready” equipment and “plug-and-play” interactive applications. Basically, it’s a fight about how various features or services available on cable systems should work, including electronic programming guides (EPGs), video-on-demand (VOD), pay-per-view (PPV) services, and other interactive television (ITV) capabilities. This battle has grown more intense over the past few months. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has an open proceeding asking what new regulations, if any, it should impose on the industry to facilitate the further development of those services.
Hobbyists online
Maggie Griffith and Susannah Fox. The Pew Internet & American Life Project. Data Memo. September 19, 2007. 8 pages.
http://www.pewinternet.org/pdfs/PIP_Hobbies_2007.pdf
The Internet has become the hobbyist's playground. In a published survey, 83% of online Americans say they have used the Internet to seek information about their hobbies and 29% do so on a typical day. Looking for information about hobbies is among the most popular online activities, on par with shopping, surfing the web for fun, and getting news. The size of the daily online hobbyist population has increased substantially in the past five years. The Internet’s effect on hobbies can range from being an integral research tool for a genealogist, to being a connection and communication tool for collectors, to being the very source of a hobby’s existence, as in the case of online gaming.
Perspectives on U.S. Competitiveness in Science and Technology
Titus Galama and James Hosek. The Rand National Defense Research Institute. September 2007. 162 pages.
http://www.rand.org/pubs/conf_proceedings/2007/RAND_CF235.pdf
Concern has grown that the United States is losing its competitive edge in science and technology (S&T). The factors driving this concern include globalization, the rise of science centers in developing countries such as China and India, the increasing number of foreign-born Ph.D. students in the United States, and claims of a shortage of S&T workers in the United States. A loss of prowess in S&T could hurt U.S. economic competitiveness, standard of living, and national security. The Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness asked the RAND Corporation to convene a meeting in November 2006 to discuss these issues. The papers contained in this report were prepared for the meeting.
The Feasibility of Unlicensed Broadband Devices to Operate on TV Band ‘White Space’ Without Causing Harmful Interference: Myths & Facts
Sascha D. Meinrath and Michael Calabrese. Wireless Future Program. New America Foundation. Policy Brief. September 2007. 4 pages.
http://www.newamerica.net/files/WhiteSpaceDevicesBackgrounder.pdf
White space devices (WSDs) present new opportunities for consumers to efficiently use currently unused spectrum and for America’s technology sector to promote ubiquitous, more affordable broadband deployment -- particularly in underserved rural areas -- as well as stimulate new innovations in consumer products, services, and applications. With the growing use of Wi-Fi and other unlicensed devices in everything from laptops to next-generation PDAs and cell phones, WSDs provide much-needed additional capacity for everything from broadband connectivity to home and community networking. The remaining challenge for the FCC is to define explicit operating rules to govern device certification, so that high-tech industries can embark on the R&D necessary to bring compliant consumer devices to market.
Two Sensible, Education-Based Legislative Approaches to Online Child Safety
Adam Thierer. The Progress & Freedom Foundation. Progress Snapshot 3.10. September 2007. 4 pages.
http://www.pff.org/issues-pubs/ps/2007/ps3.10safetyeducationbills.pdf
In the first week of August, two bills were introduced in the House and Senate seeking to better coordinate and expand federal online safety efforts. Specifically, the bills propose the creation of a nationwide public awareness and educational campaign about online safety, something that is very much needed to supplement ongoing private efforts. These two measures are important because education must serve as the cornerstone of any serious effort to deal with the issue of protecting children from either objectionable content or online cyber-dangers.
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