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News
March
Cisco sets out its vision for the 'next phase' of the Internet
AT&T completes 100-Gbps backbone trial using network giant's new high-speed router.
Following a steady build-up of industry hype, Cisco on Tuesday unveiled a faster, higher-capacity router which the network giant is pitching as the foundation for the next generation of the Internet.
"The Cisco CRS-3 has 12 times the capacity of our nearest competitor," said John Chambers, CEO of Cisco, during a Webcast.
The new router has a maximum capacity of 322 Terabits per seconds, which is enough for the entire population of China to make simultaneous video calls, or to stream every film ever made in four minutes.
"The Internet is moving from a messaging platform to a rich media experience," said Chambers, who commented that Cisco sees "video as the killer app, delivered to any device over any combination of networks."
Total Telecom , March 09, 2010
Worldwide poll: 4 of 5 call Internet access a basic human right
Nearly four out of five people around the world believe that Internet access is a fundamental human right, according to a BBC World Service study released this week.
The international broadcaster polled more than 27,000 adults in 26 countries and found that 50% "strongly agree" and 30% "somewhat agree" that access to the Internet should be a fundamental right.
BBC World Service commissioned GlobeScan Inc., a Canadian research and consulting company, to conduct the study.
"The right to communicate cannot be ignored," Hamadoun Toure, secretary-general of the International Telecommunication Union, told BBC News. "We have entered the knowledge society and everyone must have access to participate."
The study showed that respondents in South Korea, Mexico, Brazil and Turkey most strongly support the idea of Internet access as a right, according to the BBC. South Korea, which has widespread high-speed Internet access, showed the largest majority of people (96%) who believed that net access was a fundamental right. More than 90% of those surveyed in Turkey agreed, giving it the highest percentage among European countries.
ComputerWorld , March 09, 2010
FCC officials outline proposed Universal Service reforms
The National Broadband Plan, due next week, will propose that today´s voice-centric Universal Service Fund transition to a broadband fund within seven to 10 years, Federal Communications Commission officials told reporters in a briefing on Friday. The officials also outlined plans to fund no more than one wireline and one wireless carrier per geographic area and to eliminate per-minute access charges.
"We believe—and we think Congress believes—that it´s time to migrate the twentieth century program for voice telephone service to a program that helps deliver broadband," Executive Director of the Omnibus Broadband Initiative (OBI) Blair Levin said.
Although Levin did not specify broadband speeds, he said the goal would be to make broadband available to more than 99% of Americans without any additional Congressional appropriations within 10 years. The NBP will state, however, that broadband goals will be achievable more quickly if Congress were willing to provide an additional $9 billion in three $3 billion increments over three years, Levin said.
Connected Planet , March 09, 2010
The fastest broadband counties in the U.S.
Late last week, data provider ID Insight published a list of what it called the "Top 25 Fastest Broadband Counties" – a list it claims is based on actual Internet access speeds. Those speeds, collected in database it calls Broadband Scout, includes data about users´ types of connection, speed, the carrier they use and more. ID Insight developed Broadband Scout as part of its work with service providers applying for federal stimulus funding.
Of course a Top 25 list without broadband speeds attached is less than interesting. To get some feel for the range of speeds, the number on county on the list, Nassau County in New York, boasts a median download speed of 15.0 megabits per second and a median upload speed of 4.4 megabits per second. The number 25 county, Howard County in Maryland, had speeds of 10.7 megabits down and 2.8 megabits up, according to Craig Settles, a broadband consultant who works with local communities on broadband projects and who is a business partner with ID Insight on the Broadband Scout project.
Connected Planet , March 09, 2010
ValleyNet to Focus on Universal Broadband Advocacy
ValleyNet, a non-profit dedicated to internet advocacy, today announced that it was streamlining its mission to focus primarily on broadband advocacy, as well as the further development of its listservs in Upper Valley communities. "Because the internet is evolving so quickly, we find it necessary every so often to refocus on newer, more relevant initiatives and divest ourselves of older businesses in order to continue to provide the most innovative internet services to the Upper Valley,," said Stan Williams, board chair.
"This has been a difficult decision for the ValleyNet board of directors to make. But in order to maximize the impact of ValleyNet´s activities, the board has made the judgment to transfer less-important services and lay off employees associated with those services, in order to keep our broadband advocacy and listservs in place," stated Williams.
Valley.net , March 08, 2010
Moody's downgrades Burlington's credit rating
Moody's Investors Service has downgraded Burlington's credit rating, presumably because of the city's financial situation regarding beleaguered Burlington Telecom and related debt.
The city released the following statement at 7:30 p.m. Monday:Moody´s Investors Services announced today that it has downgraded the City of Burlington´s general obligation credit rating two notches from Aa3 to A2, and placed the City on negative credit watch, an indication that Moody´s will again review the City´s credit within the next 90 days.
A report and analysis relative to the downgrade will be issued by Moody´s tomorrow. However, the understanding of City officials is that the downgrade resulted from uncertainty around Burlington Telecom´s outstanding $16.9M debit to the City´s pooled cash account. The ability of BT to repay the debit is at risk due to BT´s current financial status. If BT cannot repay the $16.9M, then the City may face longer term cash flow challenges. This potential cash flow issue prompted Moody´s to downgrade the City´s credit rating and institute the 90-day negative watch period.
Burlington Free Press , March 08, 2010
Telecom veteran Evslin readies Vermont for Round 2 -- and Google
Along with his wife Mary, Tom Evslin started wholesale long distance carrier ITXC back in 1997 (which they eventually sold off). Evslin subsequently launched AT&T WorldNet, one of the first ISPs, among other ventures. Now mostly retired and living in Vermont, Evslin has been working in various capacities (currently as state chief technology officer), to bring broadband to the small, northeastern state. That effort -- not to mention his deep industry experience -- has put him at the center of numerous efforts to help seed and speed that broadband deployment, including applying for funding via the federal broadband stimulus program, for similar federal funding in the area of smart grids, and even making an application to Google's closely-watched Fiber for Communities project.
Connected Planet , March 08, 2010
Jonathan Leopold: VBM article contained inaccuracies
Jonathan Leopold, the Chief Administrative Office for the City of Burlington, has sent a Letter to the Editor of Vermont Business Magazine, saying that some statements made in a February 2010 article on Burlington Telecom were inaccurate. He begins by saying, "The story 'City Council Probes Burlington Telecom' in the February issue of VBM was a disservice to your readers and the City of Burlington. The former General Manager of BT, Mr. Tim Nulty, made numerous inaccurate statements and allegations about the finances of Burlington Telecom."
Following is the entire letter sent from Jonathan Leopold to Vermont Business Magazine in response to VBM's article published first in the February issue and then re-published on line.
Vermontbiz.com , March 08, 2010
ECFiber Seeks Private Sector Funding
In response to the notice of the USDA´s Rural Utility Service decision not to provide a loan to fund ECFiber´s project, ECFiber is re-activating its public offering of Certificates of Participation (COPs) in a capital lease.
"Of course we are somewhat disappointed, but are pleased that the Municipal Capital Lease markets have come back," says Loredo Sola, ECFiber´s Governing Board Chair. "This could be a blessing in disguise. The limitations associated with the RUS money complicated the picture quite a bit, and the sales cycle for COPs is considerably faster than the RUS funding cycle."
After the economic downturn, the municipal capital market essentially went away, so ECFiber applied for a loan through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, administered by the RUS. ECFiber´s reading of the guidelines suggested that their project fit perfectly into the mission of the ARRA´s broadband program. RUS awards, however, appeared to favor incumbent telecommunications companies and previous RUS borrowers.
ECFiber.com , March 08, 2010
Wireless in Vermont, Part Five
More Vermonters are using wireless communication than ever before for convenience, safety, business and just to stay "connected."
The increased usage is reflected in the push for more towers, the call for town ordinances and the concern over driver distraction.
In the conclusion to our series "Wireless in Vermont," VPR's John Van Hoesen finds that cell phones are part of the cultural landscape. (Van Hoesen) It's lunchtime in downtown Burlington, and Scott Gauthier is taking a call on his cell phone. The 39-year old contractor says it's a key part of his business and personal life. He says that having the technology once might have been trendy, but now it's almost a necessity:
(Gauthier) "I give it out for a business phone, I also use it for family and friends.... Since I got one, it seems I can't leave my house without it... convenience, convenience, strictly convenience. It's just so much easier. And I feel like people can contact me, my family...."
(Van Hoesen) And it's more than that. For Gauthier, it's the idea that he can be in touch whenever he wants:
(Gauthier) "I love being connected...."
VerMont Public Radio , March 07, 2010
Mayor Says He’s Confident Burlington Telecom Can Be Saved
Burlington Telecom is a publicly-owned cable, Internet and phone utility that's significantly in debt, and some city residents are worried they're going to wind up paying.
But Mayor Bob Kiss says he's confident the company can be saved.
VPR's Jane Lindholm has more.
(Lindholm) Beginning in 2008, Burlington's Chief Administration Officer, Jonathan Leopold, transferred $17 million in city loans to Burlington Telecom to cover rising debts. The City Council says it wasn't formally briefed on these transfers until the spring of 2009.
Speaking Thursday on Vermont Edition, Mayor Kiss said he knew the city was using pooled cash to bail out BT, but he didn't realize that the Certificate of Public Good required speedy payback.
(Kiss) "It was only later that I came to understand, that I read the CPG and saw that we had to pay money within 60 days and in the broader picture defined by money that was potentially available to us."
Vermont Public Radio , March 05, 2010
VTEL takes on Comcast
The Vermont Telephone Company's President and CEO, Michel Guité, proudly shows one of the company's latest television advertisements. The ad boasts the speed of service that VTEL offers its subscribers.
"The customers seemed to like it. It was on the Super Bowl so it was a lot of fun, we were very pleased with it," Guité said. "But one unexpected reaction was that it caught the attention of Comcast."
The Springfield-based company got the attention of the cable giant Comcast with the line "VTEL's service is 20 times faster than cable."
In a written statement mailed to VTEL, Comcast senior counsel Alycia Horn states that VTEL is making "false and misleading claims regarding its high-speed internet service."
But Guité does not seem to be intimated by Comcast's letter.
"It brightened up my day because there is always a concern that gosh, maybe nobody is seeing my ad," he said. "And so an ad that gets all the way to Comcast at their head office at their giant skyscraper in Philadelphia is a good ad."
WCAX TV , March 04, 2010
Vermont Adopts Open Source Software Policy
"Vermont has become the latest government to enact an open source software policy, after Secretary of Administration Neale F. Lunderville recently signed a policy developed under state CIO David Tucker's leadership.
"The policy says the Vermont Department of Information and Innovation and other departments should look at open source solutions as part of the procurement process, and are directed to calculate the total cost of ownership for an open source system, including "fixed costs (direct purchases and licensing) and operational costs for support, testing, upgrades, maintenance and training," as part of the procurement process.
"Tucker told Government Technology that the idea for a policy began last summer, when as deputy CIO he originated a process for examining open source because there weren't any existing guidelines. So when Tucker became CIO late last year, he convened a council that met several times and gave input on the new policy."
LinuxToday.com , March 04, 2010
FCC announces 16 new rural health care pilot projects
The FCC´s Rural Health Care Pilot Program announced the funding of an additional 16 broadband telehealth networks that will link hundreds of hospitals regionally in Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin. The 16 projects are eligible to receive up to a combined $145 million in reimbursement for deployment of regional telehealth networks that will provide critical, high-speed information links that can save lives and reduce the cost of health care in their rural communities:
WirelessMedicalCare.com , March 03, 2010
Topeka unofficially rechristens itself 'Google'
There's a "Wizard of Oz" joke to be made here: The city of Topeka, Kansas has unofficially changed its name to "Google" in an attempt to get on the Mountain View tech giant's radar as a test bed for new fiber-optic technology that would bring it Internet connections at top speed.
The Topeka Capital-Journal wrote that Mayor Bill Bunten signed a proclamation Monday that designates the town as "Google" for the duration of March, in an attempt to make it a more palatable choice for a test market than some of the other cities in the running--like Grand Rapids, Mich., and Baton Rouge, La.
CNET , March 03, 2010
On quarter of Americans get their news via mobile
Twenty-six percent of American adults now read news on their mobile handsets according to a new survey published by the Pew Research Center. Among users who turn to the mobile web for information, 72 percent check weather reports, 68 percent browse headlines and current events, 44 percent target sports scores and related news, 35 percent scope out traffic information and 32 percent seek financial information and updates. In addition, Pew Research reports that 49 percent of mobile news consumers have downloaded a mobile application that allows them to access headlines, weather, sports or other information, and 31 percent receive news alerts sent by text or email.
Pew Research finds that mobile subscribers under the age of 50 are almost three times as likely as older consumers to access news on their phones. The average mobile news consumer is a white male, age 34, with a college degree and a full-time job--40 percent of mobile news consumers are parents of young children (compared with 30 percent of the general adult population), and 32 percent have never been married. Thirty-two percent live in households with incomes of $75,000 or more. Fifty-five percent turn to at least four different news platforms on a typical day, and are 50 percent more likely than other adults to read the print version of a national newspaper.
Fierce Mobile , March 01, 2010
February
Burlington apples to become Google test site
Vermont's largest city is looking at a potential partnership with Internet search giant Google to become a test site for a new super-high-speed fiber optic communications network.
Google is looking for communities to act as test sites for a new fiber network that would provide Internet connectivity at more than 100 times the speeds most Americans have today.
Mayor Bob Kiss says the city may be a good candidate since it already has a fiber-optic network installed by Burlington Telecom.
The city is planning a public meeting on its application to Google.
Times Argus , February 28, 2010
Setback for ECFiber project
A setback for a community telecom project in Vermont.
ECFiber is a group of 22 towns in Central Vermont looking to build a cable, broadband and phone system, similar to Burlington Telecom.
The group was counting on $65 million in low-interest loans through the federal stimulus program, but ECFiber did not get the money.
"It's a disappointment, but so are a lot of people in the U.S. that haven't gone forward in the last couple of years. I think we have demonstrated we have the gumption to carry this through and we shall," said Jim Masland of ECFiber.
ECFiber officials say they are seeking other sources of financing through the municipal lease market and they still hope to start hanging fiber later this year.
WCAX TV , February 27, 2010
Stimulus Money To Fund Broadband Internet Access
It's on to the Vermont House for a Senate-passed economic development package that includes money for expanding broadband Internet access and helping farmers stay in business.
With money from the federal stimulus package and two years of appropriations by the Vermont Legislature, the bill calls for spending more than $26 million to kick-start the Vermont economy.
Programs range from more than $5 million in seed capital for business startups, nearly $9 million for broadband expansion, and nearly $3 million for job training.
WPTZ.com , February 26, 2010
Vermont's economy second-fastest growing in nation
In the third quarter of 2009, Vermont's gross state product went up 5.3 percent over the previous quarter. This increase ties Vermont with Washington, DC, at second place nationwide in terms of growth. New Hampshire saw a 3.8 percent climb this quarter, and sits at ninth place. The US average was 2.2 percent.
Vermont's quarterly real gross state product in this quarter, seasonally adjusted, was $23.8 billion at constant 2005 prices. In the second quarter, the state's GSP was $23.5 billion. Vermont's GSP dropped by a 0.1 percent annual rate in the third quarter from the same quarter a year ago.
Vermont Business Magazine , February 26, 2010
Vermont Senate Passes New Stimulus Bill
In Montpelier Thursday, the Senate passed a new jobs bill intended to give the struggling economy a quick boost.
A nearly $9 million package of stimulus has taken a lot longer than the governor wanted.
There's cash to finish building the broadband network in the most rural areas -- the so-called last mile.
There is also seed capital for entrepreneurs -- money to help farms get crops planted in spring, and for small-business loans.
WPTZ.com , February 26, 2010
TV stations asked to yield 500MHz of spectrum for broadband
The Chair of the Federal Communications Commission unveiled a key component of the agency's impending National Broadband Plan on Wednesday: a program to free up 500MHz of spectrum over the next decade for the mobile wireless industry. The agency will propose a "Mobile Future Auction" that will allow television broadcasters in "spectrum starved" markets to "voluntarily relinquish" licenses in exchange for a cut of the auction proceeds.
Speaking at the New America Foundation, FCC chief Julius Genachowski gave yet another "looming spectrum crisis" speech, warning that mobile high speed Internet—which the government has clearly made the centerpiece of broadband development—must have more licenses to meet exploding demand. He cited figures from Cisco that by 2014, North American wireless networks will carry 740 petabytes of data per month.
ArsTechnica , February 26, 2010
FCC provides additional broadband plan details
The Federal Communications Commission late last week provided some additional details about the National Broadband Plan it is scheduled to deliver in mid-March. Several components should be of interest to service providers, including a plan to enable the construction and operation of an interoperable nationwide broadband wireless public safety network—an idea that was part of the 700 MHz spectrum auction in 2008 but did not garner sufficient commercial support.
Connected Planet , February 24, 2010
E-rate Program can now help support public Internet access
The Federal Communications Commission has adopted an order aimed at maximizing the value of Internet access deployed to schools and supported through the Universal Service Fund´s $2.25 billion E-rate program. Schools now will have the option of allowing the general public to use USF-funded Internet connectivity after regular school hours and during times when school is not in session.
Previously, FCC rules required schools to certify that E-rate funded services would be used strictly for "educational purposes."
Connected Planet , February 24, 2010
Burlington Telecom: 'A colossal mess' for biz leaders
Burlington Telecom's financial problems, revealed slowly over a period of months, have some in the local business community upset by the processes of city government and possible spillover of BT debt into higher tax rates.
Mike Seaver, president of Chittenden Bank, calls the multiple issues embroiling the municipally owned telecommunications company "a colossal mess." And he's disappointed, he said, that he has not "heard anyone in this administration take responsibility." Seaver emphasized he was speaking for himself and not for Chittenden Bank.
Mayor Bob Kiss said "people have been informed (about BT) through the budget process through the building process of BT as it became an entity that provided quality services through triple play."
Burlington Free Press , February 23, 2010
Sovernet acquires Power Shift's broadband services division
In a joint statement, Sovernet Communications of Bellows Falls, Vermont and Power Shift of Stowe, Vermont, announced today that Sovernet is acquiring the broadband services division of Power Shift. The move promises to deliver seamless Internet access to Power Shift customers. Current Power Shift DSL customers will not see service interruptions and Power Shift customer service will continue to provide support throughout the transition.
"We are excited to welcome Power Shift´s broadband customers and look forward to building long term relationships with our neighbors in the Stowe, Morrisville and Hardwick areas," notes Richard Kendall, president of Sovernet Communications. "This acquisition furthers our commitment and investment into the expansion of both our voice and data services throughout Northern New England."
Vermont Business Magazine , February 23, 2010
Letter cited in Burlington Telecom review
he Public Service Department referred the Burlington Telecom matter to the attorney general for criminal investigation at least in part because of an August 2007 letter from a former city attorney that accompanied BT's application for a $33.5 million loan from CitiCapital, Vermont Public Service Commissioner David O'Brien said Monday.
In that letter, which O'Brien termed a "comfort letter" for CitiCapital, lawyer Joseph McNeil explained the City Charter prohibition on possible BT losses being borne by taxpayers, but he added, "There is no prohibition of utilizing general fund revenues of the city for telecommunications activities."
The letter did not mention the requirement in the telecommunications company's Certificate of Public Good that any city money BT uses be repaid within two months.
Burlington Free Press , February 23, 2010
FCC survey shows need to teach broadband basics
The government's plan to provide fast Internet connections to all Americans will have to include some basic instruction in Web 101, according to a new survey of Internet users and non-users.
The Federal Communications Commission's first-ever survey on Internet usage and attitudes concludes that those who aren't connected today need to be taught how to navigate the Web, find online information that is valuable to them and avoid hazards such as Internet scams.
The study, being released Tuesday, comes less than a month before the FCC is due to hand Congress policy recommendations on how to make affordable, high-speed Internet access a reality for everyone. The findings are certain to shape the policy recommendations in that plan, which was mandated by last year's stimulus bill.
WCAX TV , February 23, 2010
Google Fiber for Communities
Google is planning to launch an experiment that we hope will make Internet access better and faster for
everyone. We plan to test ultra-high speed broadband networks in one or more trial locations across the
country. Our networks will deliver Internet speeds more than 100 times faster than what most Americans
have access to today over 1 gigabit per second, fiber-to-the-home connections. We'll offer service at a
competitive price to at least 50,000 and potentially up to 500,000 people.
From now until March 26th, we're asking interested municipalities to provide us with information about
their communities through a Request for Information (RFI), which we'll use to determine where to build
our network.
Scribd.com , February 22, 2010
Group offers Burlington Telecom rescue
A group of local business people is offering a plan to rescue Burlington Telecom. The city-owned utility owes more than $50 million and is technically in default.
Burlington Telecom is living not only on borrowed money but borrowed time -- and time is running out now that the city-owned fiber optic system has missed a debt payment of $386,000. Former City Councilor Andy Montroll told Channel 3 there isn't much time. "The finance company can come in any time they want and scoop it up," he said.
Montroll is a lawyer with expertise in telecom, and now he heads a group with similar knowledge that's offering to rescue BT. In a letter to the mayor and city council, the group outlines its offer to restructure the operation and its debt, build its customer base and turn what now looks like a disaster into a long-term asset. One caveat, he said, is that the group would have to be given complete control. Montroll said BT would remain a city owned operation in the short term but could be converted into a community-based non-profit or some other form at a later time.
WCAX TV , February 21, 2010
Criminal review ordered in city's handling of BT case
The Burlington Telecom case, involving claims that city officials misled regulators about the utility´s financial condition, has become the subject of a criminal review.
The review will be conducted by Orleans County State´s Attorney Keith Flynn at the request of Attorney General William Sorrell. The review follows a request from the state Public Service Department.
"We are doing a criminal review based on a ... referral," Flynn said.
A criminal review would determine whether any wrongdoing has occurred that warrants prosecution.
Burlington Free Press , February 20, 2010
Google gets US approval to buy and sell energy
Google has received federal approval to buy and sell energy on the open market, giving it more options for the way it powers its data centers and opening the door to a potential move into the energy-trading business.
Google applied for the authorization last December through a wholly owned subsidiary called Google Energy. The U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approved its application Thursday, granting Google "market-based rate authorization," or the authority to buy and sell energy on a wholesale basis.
"We made this filing so we can have more flexibility in procuring power for Google's own operations, including our data centers," Google spokeswoman Niki Fenwick said via e-mail.
InfoWorld , February 20, 2010
Operators coming round to VoIP as Skype ships on Verizon phones
Verizon Wireless and Skype this week announced a partnership that will see the latter's VoIP client ship on the U.S. operator's smartphones – a move that one analyst said is symptomatic of a change in attitude on the part of telcos.
"The Skype/Verizon announcement demonstrates that mobile operators are beginning to change their attitude towards VoIP providers," said Dario Talmesio, senior analyst at Informa Telecoms & Media, in a research note.
"They have gone from blocking to managing what they consider to be an issue."
"Credit to Verizon, they understand [Skype], and they get it," said Russ Shaw, vice president and general manager of Skype's mobile activities in EMEA.
Total Telecom , February 20, 2010
Vermont Wins $12 Million for High-Tech Medical Records System
Almost $12 million was awarded today to help Vermont doctors and hospitals move from paper records to state-of-the-art computerized medical records. Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) said the funds will help state agencies, hospitals and doctors' offices develop a standardized system that will improve patient care and maintain the confidentiality and security of patient records.
Gov. Jim Douglas said Vermont has led the nation in innovative efforts to improve the quality of health care and slow the growth in costs. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services awarded the Vermont Department of Human Services more than $5 million. Another $6.8 million will go to Vermont Information Technology Leaders, Inc. The Montpelier-based nonprofit is one of 32 organizations nationwide that will develop regional centers to coordinate health information technology.
TMCnet.com , February 20, 2010
Broadband Stymied
Unfortunately, no matter what else the stimulus bill may or may not have done, it's slowed down the rate of broadband deployment in the US over the last year. The Rural Utility Service (part of the US Agriculture Department) and NTIA (part of the US Commerce Department) have awarded only 15% of the first round money they promised to make available. To be blunt, they failed in their mission. They are now poised to compound that failure with an absurd deadline of March 15 for second round applications prior to availability of first round results.
Telecom providers and community projects alike concentrated on their stimulus applications from passage of the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) in February of 2009 until the application deadline in midAugust of last year. Money was (and is) hard to get, so looking for a share of the promised $7.2 billion of ARRA money seemed like a good idea even though the odds were long.
Fractals of Change , February 19, 2010
Google Broadband: company to build "ultra high-speed" network
In a move that could alter the broadband business and continues its advance into telecom, Google announced plans Wednesday to build an "ultra high-speed," fiber-optics network for as many as 500,000 people.
The Mountain View, Calif., company, which already provides free wi-fi in its hometown, said it will offer connections with speeds of 1 gigabit per second – that´s about 100 times faster than most home connections. It also plans on opening its fiber-optic network to third-party providers, potentially giving users multiple choices for their ISP, or Internet service provider, and increasing competition for broadband service.
Network will start in rural communities
Google is starting small – it´s asking interested communities in the US to apply now. It has suggested on its official blog that it may focus on rural communities, which would fit with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) plan to expand Internet access in under-served areas.
Utopianet.org , February 19, 2010
100 Squared: FCC’s Broadband Bet
US telecom regulator Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has reportedly unveiled its ambitious plan to catapult domestic broadband speeds over the next ten years. The agency seeks Internet service providers (ISPs) to offer broadband speeds of 100 megabits per second (Mbps) to roughly 100 million US homes by 2020. Existing broadband networks offer speeds in the range of 3-10 Mbps.
Announced by the FCC chairman Julius Genachowski on February 16, 2010, the proposal (called the "100 Squared" initiative) represents a part of FCC´s National Broadband Plan (NBP) which the regulator is expected to submit to the Congress on March 17, 2010. The agency is setting up strategies and an appropriate regulatory framework to promote adoption, affordability and the wider availability of broadband in the US.
Zacks.com , February 19, 2010
FCC’s Genachowski outlines plan for universal 100 Mb/s deployment
As the telecom industry awaits the National Broadband Plan due from the Federal Communications Commission next month, FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski yesterday offered a hint of what the plan might contain—including an ambitious "100 Squared" initiative to achieve 100 Mb/s usage by 100 million households. Based on U.S. Census Data, that´s more than 90% of households in the U.S. today.
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In an address to the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners on Friday, Genachowski did not provide a timeline for meeting this goal but he did call it the FCC´s "2020 vision."
"The National Broadband Plan will set goals that are ambitious but achievable," Genachowski said. "It will describe a 2020 vision for U.S. broadband leadership grounded in two quintessentially American ideas—unsurpassed excellence and unrivaled opportunity."
He also foretold a "once-in-a-generation transformation of the Universal Service Fund—cutting waste, driving efficiencies and converting it over time to broadband support so that all Americans can enjoy the benefits of 21st century communications networks."
Connected Planet , February 18, 2010
Landline-based projects favored in stimulus awards, researchers contend
As applications for funding in Round 2 of the broadband stimulus program begin to hit government agencies tomorrow, only about 15% of the funds allotted for Round 1 have been awarded. The National Telecommunications and Information Agency and the Rural Utilities Service, already on a tight schedule, had hoped to complete that task by today but apparently were delayed by closures of government offices as a result of heavy snowfall last week.
Just four awards (all from the NTIA) were announced in the last two weeks, despite an assertion by RUS Administrator Jonathan Adelstein in late January that the agency was in "high gear" in making its award announcements.
Meanwhile, consulting firm CSMG and professional services firm TMNG shared summary data from the first funding round that reveals administrators´ preference for landline-based projects over wireless ones.
Connected Planet , February 18, 2010
FCC to propose faster broadband speeds
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission unveiled a plan on Tuesday that would require Internet providers to offer minimum home connection speeds by 2020, a proposal that some telecommunications companies panned as unrealistic.
The FCC wants service providers to offer home Internet data transmission speeds of 100 megabits per second (Mbps) to 100 million homes by a decade from now, Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski said.
Industry estimates generally put average U.S. Internet speeds at below 4 Mbps.
The proposal is part of the FCC's National Broadband Plan, due next month. It comes a week after Google Inc rattled Internet service providers with its plan to build a super-fast Internet network.
International Business Times , February 18, 2010
Fiber to the Neighborhood
The Vermont Telecommunications Authority (VTA) has asked the Vermont State Legislature for $5 million dollars of capital for "middle mile" infrastructure; the request was included in Governor Jim Douglas proposed capital budget. If appropriated, this money will be used along with the $40 million in revenue bonding authority the VTA already has to build radio communications sites for cellular service and wireless broadband and to bring fiber connections to Vermont neighborhoods. Most of the cost of this infrastructure will come from the private sector; some may come from stimulus grants; but the capital appropriation is needed to get moving sooner rather than much later. If we wait long enough, private money alone will probably build towers and fiber everywhere. Waiting, however, means not only a lack of economic development in the places where communications are still sub-standard, it also means the whole state loses out on the benefits of 100% connectivity. This post is about the importance of fiber to the neighborhood.
Fractals of Change , February 16, 2010
Burlington Telecom ‘Not Financially Viable,’ Panel Urges Partially-Privatizing Municipally-Owned Fiber Service Provider
Burlington Telecom (BT), the city owned-and-operated fiber-based cable, broadband, and telephone provider is mired in debt and is not financially viable in its current form.
Those are the findings of a "blue ribbon" committee tasked with answering questions about the future of the financially-troubled municipally-owned provider serving 4,600 Burlington customers in Vermont.
In an 11-page public report, the committee recommended the city partner with a commercial entity that would assume a majority interest in BT. As a minority stakeholder, the city could eventually recoup the 17 million dollar investment it has made in the company.
Stopthecap.com , February 16, 2010
Desperate Mobile Carriers Try To Regain Relevance In App Industry
More competition for Apple's iPhone App Store: Some two dozen huge mobile carriers -- including the companies that own the four biggest U.S. carriers -- are ganging up to push their own "open platform that delivers applications to all mobile phone users."
The hope is to regain relevance in the app market -- mostly lost to Apple and other handset makers in the last few years -- by making carrier app store fronts across a variety of app platforms and handset devices.
This is, of course, in competition with the iPhone apps platform, which launched almost 2 years ago and has flipped the mobile industry upside down, making carriers' previous apps strategies irrelevant. It also competes with Google's Android app store, Microsoft's forthcoming Windows Mobile 7 app store, BlackBerry's app store, etc.
BusinessInsider.com , February 16, 2010
Vermont Broadband Map
The Vermont Center for Geographic Information (V.C.G.I.) has been working with money that was granted by the National Telecommunications Information Administration (N.T.I.A.) to map out all of Vermont's Broadband Internet access. N.T.I.A. wanted to find out where citizens of the United States can find high-speed Internet access and gave V.C.G.I. the money needed to map out Vermont.
N.T.I.A. defines broadband service as any data transfer that can download information faster than 768-kilobites per second, and upload faster than 200-kilobites. According to David Brotzman, Executive Director of V.C.G.I., "This information will provide the state a clear picture of what areas in the state have broadband available, and will allow the state and federal government to direct money be spent to create provider solutions for those unserved and underserved areas.
NewsLinc , February 14, 2010
Google makes a push into super-fast broadband access
Google staked a claim on another corner of the technology universe Wednesday, saying it now wants to turbocharge your Internet connection. The company said it will begin in certain test markets to offer broadband service capable of delivering bits and bytes at speeds 100 times what most Americans now receive from their cable and telephone companies.
The announcement is the latest in a recent series of moves by Google that appear calculated to help the Internet juggernaut leapfrog the existing technology establishment to position itself for the future.
As computer users spend more time communicating on social networks such as Facebook, Google this week unveiled Google Buzz, which aspires to knit together a variety of social networks into one grand collective.
Washington Post , February 12, 2010
Despite bankruptcy action, FairPoint service has improved
As FairPoint makes its way through bankruptcy, there are signs its customer service problems have diminished.
The number of New Hampshire residents filing complaints with the state Public Utilities Commission about FairPoint's performance has dropped dramatically over the last year.
After months of poor performance, the troubled telecommunications company entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in October. Company executives have promised to continue broadband and infrastructure improvements in New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont.
Earlier this week, FairPoint reached an agreement with the state attorney general's office, which allows the company to reduce its debt by about $1.8 billion. But the agreement also will preserve FairPoint's 2008 agreement with state regulators, drafted when it purchased the three-state network from Verizon.
Eagle Tribune , February 12, 2010
Bob Kiss team tries to alter Burlington Telecom report
The Burlington Telecom blue-ribbon committee´s report on the troubled local telecommunications company was made public late Wednesday afternoon. It survived an attempt by the administration of Mayor Bob Kiss to change a key provision of its recommendations. Committee member Karen Paul, I-Ward 6, said the proposed change was "significant." She said blue-ribbon committee Chairman David Provost met Tuesday with Mayor Bob Kiss, Chief Administrative Officer Jonathan Leopold and the mayor´s assistant, Joe Reinert.
"The administration wanted an opportunity to look over the report," she said. "It came back with edits directly into the report."
Burlington Free Press , February 12, 2010
As Data Flows In, the Dollars Flow Out
It used to be that a basic $25-a-month phone bill was your main telecommunications expense. But by 2004, the average American spent $770.95 annually on services like cable television, Internet connectivity and video games, according to data from the Census Bureau. By 2008, that number rose to $903, outstripping inflation. By the end of this year, it is expected to have grown to $997.07. Add another $1,000 or more for cellphone service and the average family is spending as much on entertainment over devices as they are on dining out or buying gasoline.
And those government figures do not take into account movies, music and television shows bought through iTunes, or the data plans that are increasingly mandatory for more sophisticated smartphones.
New York Times , February 09, 2010
City Council awaits report on Burlington Telecom
Thursday evening, the Burlington City Council will meet to discuss the report from the Burlington Telecom Blue Ribbon Committee.
The report, in stark contradiction to repeated declarations from Mayor Bob Kiss and Chief Administrative Officer Jonathan Leopold, will tell the council that Burlington Telecom is unable to meet its current expenses and cannot borrow its way into financial health.
The committee of four non-elected individuals with experience in finance or the telecommunications industry, plus three city councilors, will recommend that the municipally-owned company be separated from the city and, with a joint-venture partner, operate as a free-standing corporation, BT Inc.
The telecom is currently in violation of its state license. It is in violation of Condition 17 of its Certificate of Public Good, which required that it complete the building of the BT network in Burlington by September 2008. And it is in violation of Condition 60, which requires that it repay any public money used for its operation within two months. It has used approximately $17 million of money from the city treasury and is currently unable to repay the debt.
Burlington Free Press , February 08, 2010
Mayor Kiss sticks with Burlington Telecom
A day after learning a committee of experts considers Burlington Telecom to be essentially bankrupt, Mayor Bob Kiss refused to give up on the beleaguered operation.
A seven-member committee spent seven weeks scrutinizing BT´s financial data and projections with the help of two independent consultants. The committee will release its report officially next week, but committee members agreed Thursday evening that BT has no reasonable prospect of repaying its current debt of $51 million from its revenues and is in no position to borrow additional money — as proposed by the mayor and Chief Administrative Officer Jonathan Leopold.
Kiss said Friday he is unconvinced by the report and continues to believe it could be possible to refinance BT with additional debt and "give it two or three years either to expand our (subscriber) base (or create) other elements that let us pay our bills in that time."
Burlington Free Press , February 08, 2010
Fairpoint Files Bankruptcy Plan
After announcing their bankruptcy plan last October, Fairpoint Communications has filed their bankruptcy plan. The company has issued a statement saying the plan "protects the commitments FairPoint made in 2008 when it assumed operations from Verizon," including expanding broadband penetration into under-served regions of Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. Fairpoint failed to meet these commitments after purchasing these networks for $2.3 billion in 2007, and ultimately collapsed under $2.7 billion in debt.
BroadBand Reports , February 08, 2010
Committee will find BT unsustainable
A blue-ribbon committee will tell the City Council next week that Burlington Telecom is not sustainable in its present form.
The committee will say the company cannot earn enough under any foreseeable scenario to pay its way from beneath the $51 million debt it carries, committee members said at their meeting Thursday night.
The committee will recommend BT´s debt be restructured and the municipally owned company become a free-standing corporation, BT Inc., operated as a joint venture with a new partner.
The intent, committee members said, would be to recover the $17 million the city has spent to support BT during the past two years in violation of the conditions of the company´s state license.
Burlington Free Press , February 05, 2010
Lawsuit claims AT&T illegally charging tax on Internet service
An AT&T wireless customer has taken the company to court alleging that he and thousands of other Vermont customers have been charged the state's sales tax on their cellular Internet service in violation of federal and state law.
William J. Rogers, a Chittenden County resident, sued AT&T Mobility this week in federal court in Burlington alleging in his class action complaint that the company has levied Vermont's 6 percent sales tax on the data portion of the bill. The data plan allows customers to access the Internet on their smart phones, including the iPhone and Blackberry.
AT&T's monthly data plans are priced at $30 and $45 per month, the lawsuit stated.
The lawsuit is the latest filed in more than a dozen states since last month alleging the company has illegally collected state sales tax.
Rutland Herald , February 05, 2010
FairPoint claims deal with unions
FairPoint Communications Inc. has reached a tentative agreement with its labor unions, a deal both sides say will help the troubled telecommunications company emerge from bankruptcy and improve its services.
The agreement must still be approved by each union´s membership, which could take a couple of weeks. But the deal could be a big step toward righting FairPoint´s finances as it prepares to outline its restructuring plans before a bankruptcy court.
"We all need to work together and come out of this bankruptcy as quickly as possible, for the benefit of the workers, management and the consumer," said Don Trementozzi, president of Communications Workers of America Local 1400, one of four unions that represent a total of roughly 3,000 FairPoint workers. "We think this agreement takes care of that."
Nashua Telegraph , February 03, 2010
Verizon Wireless Supports Vermont Legislation to Ban Texting While Driving
Verizon Wireless Executive Director for State Public Policy, Daniel Mullin, said the company supports efforts by the state of Vermont to ban texting and e-mailing while driving.
Mullin made the following statement today:
"Verizon Wireless commends Governor Douglas and the Vermont General Assembly for supporting a law to not text and drive. With the issue of texting and driving on the minds of many Americans lately, we appreciate the support of the Vermont Legislature on this issue and their efforts in addressing it during this legislative session. As the largest wireless service provider, last year we launched a national ad campaign to bring forth this same message. Drivers must stay focused on the road ahead to ensure safety for others and themselves."
Trading Markets , February 02, 2010
Vermont Is Seeking an “Amazon Tax” of Its Own
Introduced by State Representatives John Rodgers, Megan Smith, and Jeffrey Wilson, Vermont House Bill 661 is just the latest in a spate of "Amazon Tax" bills to sweep the nation – bringing the total to five states within nine days of each other.
This latest bill would take effect July 1, 2010, if passed into law.
Like its recent predecessors in other states, and similar to the New York (what I´ve called the "original Amazon Tax" law), North Carolina, and Rhode Island, this bill creates a rebuttable presumption of nexus when a seller is "soliciting business through an independent contractor, agent, or other representative if the person enters into an agreement with a resident of this state under which the resident, for a commission or other consideration, directly or indirectly refers potential customers, whether by a link on an Internet website or otherwise," and has met a threshold of $10,000 during the preceding tax year.
Seems like the states, one at a time, are lining up to redefine "nexus," particularly against the backdrop of this tough economy.
Salestaxbuzz.com , February 02, 2010
Fairpoint delays filing, again
FairPoint Communications Inc., facing more than $2 billion of debt, delayed filing a bankruptcy reorganization plan again yesterday.
The company, however, said the end of its delay is in sight.
"We are making very good progress in our negotiations, and we will be filing very soon," spokesman Rose Cummings said.
It was the third time the company missed a self-imposed deadline to file a plan with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in New York.
Separately, the company reported assets of $207 million and debts of $2.76 billion in a filing with the Manhattan bankruptcy court.
Most of the debt, $2.09 billion, is held by secured creditors -- banks which lent FairPoint the money 19 months ago when it acquired 1.6 million new customers spread throughout Verizon's telephone landline business in northern New England.
Union Leader , February 02, 2010
Should Vermont Pay for Broadband Deployment?
"Does extending broadband access to the last unserved 5% of Vermonters really stimulate economic development?" one Vermont senator asked.
"Why should the State provide money to make that happen?" asked another senator.
Two good questions at a time when Vermont is struggling to close a $153 million budget gap and will have to stop doing some of the things it has traditionally done. Should we really be doing something new?
It was my job to answer these questions since I was testifying before a senate committee in support of Governor Douglas' proposal to use $3.17 million of federal stimulus money for a program called Backroads Broadband designed to make sure that the hardest to reach last 5% of Vermonters do get broadband access in the near future.
Fractals of Change , February 01, 2010
January
Should Fairpoint Really Be Giving Broadband Advice?
After acquiring Verizon's Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont DSL and landline networks for $2.3 billion, Fairpoint Communications subsequently imploded under the debt load, created a multi-state crisis by bungling 911 service for months, missed all agreed to broadband expansion promises, could barely provide dial tone or broadband service to thousands of customers, couldn't answer the phone when they called, and then stumbled into bankruptcy. The company's CEO then tried to pretend that the real problem was bloggers and perception. As a nice follow up, consumers and Fairpoint business customers saw neither refunds or money owed. Despite bankruptcy and their own incompetence at providing service, Fairpoint still found the time and funds to lobby Maine lawmakers to try and derail a public-private partnership between the University of Maine and Biddleford Internet Corporation (also known as GWI) aimed at trying to shore up broadband coverage gaps across Maine. Despite Maine's abysmal broadband penetration, Fairpoint continues to convince lawmakers they should pass bills that ban this partnership from expanding broadband across the State, according to Bangor Daily News.
DSLreports.com , January 29, 2010
FairPoint hires state official
The financially troubled FairPoint Communications has hired a second Douglas administration official.
Sabina Haskell, the deputy secretary of the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, will become the company's new public relations director on Feb. 8, according to a FairPoint press release issued Thursday afternoon.
Haskell is the second Douglas administration official the company has hired in recent months as it tries to win back its reputation with consumers and emerge from bankruptcy after filing for Chapter 11 late in 2009.
Mike Smith, the former secretary of administration in the Douglas administration, was hired in late December as the company's new Vermont president. That move occurred more than a year after Smith retired from state government in 2008.
Rutland Herald , January 29, 2010
Rural towns push for broadband Internet
Ten years ago, fast Internet access was more luxury than necessity. Web sites were simpler, people purchased music on CDs instead of online, and YouTube didn´t exist. But times have changed.
Internet access is quickly becoming a necessity of modern life. In the more remote areas of Vermont, this has created problems for people like professional data analyst Ed Nelbach.
"I´m miles behind those with broadband access," said Nelbach, a Hancock resident.
Nelbach represents his town on the board of East Central Vermont Fiber Company, or EC Fiber. The company is seeking a loan through a rural utilities investment program funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. With that funding, the company plans to run a fiberoptic line through 22 towns between the Connecticut and White rivers, including Hancock and Granville. After the initial cost, subscribers would collectively own the network, and they would pay for the loans, the interest and the operating costs.
AddisonIndependent.com , January 28, 2010
FCC encourages cooperation between broadband, smart grid
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has taken an active and financial role in plans for both the smart grid and broadband development, and it´s now encouraging the two industries to use one another. Speaking Thursday to attendees of the Cleantech Investor Summit, FCC energy and environmental director Nick Sinai said that the FCC will make specific recommendations on how to bring broadband to the smart grid through the National Broadband plan due to Congress in March.
According to a report from green blog Earth2Tech, the recommendations will center on three areas: how to promote open standards and commercial networks, how policies can encourage utilities to provide their customers with real-time open access to energy data and ways to use federal spectrum bands for utilities´ smart grid deployments.
ConnectedPlanet , January 25, 2010
Green Mountain Sites
After 11 years in Vermont, Tom McLaughlin, Rural Cellular Corporation (RCC) vice president, Atlantic region (www.cellularone-phones.com), has developed an adage: It's easier to teach a Vermonter the wireless business than it is to teach a wireless professional to be a Vermonter.
Indeed, the Green Mountain State has not been a compelling market for major wireless carriers; of the nation's top five carriers, only Verizon Wireless (www.verizonwireless.com) operates in the state. Vermont's infamous barriers include its undulating topography, its citizens' aversion to towers and Act 250, the state legislation regulating land use and development.
"Vermont is without a doubt the toughest state in the country (to site in)," said Richard Ekstrand, RCC CEO. "We would have a different financial situation if all of the states were as tough as Vermont."
ConnectedPlanet , January 22, 2010
RINKERS COMMUNICATIONS announces new tower available for lease on Tug Mountain in Lunenburg, VT.
Tower & building are ready for immediate use by any company that would like to provide communications in the area. Rinkers will be putting a paging transmitter at this location soon.
The mountain location is at 2165' AMSL and the coordinates are 44 degrees, 30.9023 minutes & 071 degrees, 43.769 minutes.
Contact Karl Rinker RINKERS COMMUNICATIONS, 103 South Main Street, Barre, VT 05641 802.479.0121 karl@rinkers.com
Rinkers Communications , January 22, 2010
VT Edition: Broadband Connectivity
Three years ago, Governor Douglas named 2010 as the year in which Vermont would become an e-state, meaning all residents would have access to cell phone and broadband services. We find out how much headway the state has made on the project and whether or not the goal is still in sight. Host Jane Lindholm's guests include the head of the Vermont Telecommunications Authority, Tom Murray, and Vermont's Chief Technology Officer, Tom Evslin.
Vermont Public Radio , January 20, 2010
New round of broadband stimulus funding opens
The Commerce Department´s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and USDA´s Rural Utilities Service (RUS) have announced availability of $4.8 billion in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) grants and loans to expand broadband access and adoption in America.
The agencies plan to accept applications from February 16, 2010, to March 15, 2010, and announce all awards by September 30, 2010.
This is the second funding round for the agencies´ broadband programs. Awards for the first round were announced in December .
The NTIA and RUS also announced the rules for applying in this funding round, which have been modified to make the application process easier for applicants and better target program resources.
"Based on the feedback we received from stakeholders and our own experience in the first funding round, we are making the application process more user-friendly, sharpening our funding focus to make the biggest impact with this investment, and streamlining our review process to increase efficiency," said Lawrence E. Strickling, assistant secretary for communications and information and administrator of NTIA.
Lightwave , January 20, 2010
Will Vermont Reach Its E-State Goal?
Wednesday, 01/20/10 Noon and 7pm
Three years ago, Governor Douglas named 2010 as the year in which Vermont would become an e-state, meaning all residents would have access to cell phone and broadband services. We find out how much headway the state has made on the project and whether or not the goal is still in sight. Our guests include the head of the Vermont Telecommunications Authority, Tom Murray, and Vermont's Chief Recovery Officer, Tom Evslin.
Vermont Public Radio , January 19, 2010
Verizon Wireless Invested Nearly $200 Million into New England Wireless Network in 2009
Verizon (News - Alert) Wireless today announced the completion of $192 million in wireless network enhancements across New England during 2009, increasing the company's regional network investment to $2.6 billion since 2000. 2009 Regional Milestones Activated new voice and 3G high-speed mobile broadband network cell sites across Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont Rebanded many existing cell sites to different cellular frequencies for increased coverage Completed the integration of the non-divested portion of the legacy Unicel wireless network, resulting in an additional 100 3G cell sites in Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts Began construction and deployment of a ´trial' 4G network in Boston consisting of 10 LTE (News - Alert) (Long Term Evolution) 4G cell sites running on the 700 MHz spectrum; the company expects to commercially launch LTE 4G networks in up to 30 markets this year, covering 100 million people.
TMCnet.com , January 18, 2010
Technology on the slopes: the iPhone is turning snowsports enthusiasts into iSkiers
The smartphone has hit the slopes.
Apple's popular iPhone, for instance, is revolutionizing the way skiers and snowboarders act on the snow. What's more, Google joined the smartphone fray a few days ago with its introduction of the Nexus One, an ultra-thin model it says can do even more than the iPhone.
Thanks to the smartphone, things are different for skiers these days, according to the following report from Ski Magazine.
Standing on a high peak in the Wasatch Range, Thomas Cooke wondered if the snow conditions had changed since he embarked on a daylong backcountry ski tour. Obtaining this information, miles from civilization, would have been difficult — if not impossible — just a few years ago. No longer.
NewJerseyNewsRoom.com , January 18, 2010
U.S. Internet connection speeds decline; Delaware nears 100% broadband penetration
The United States made the Top 10 percent - barely - in terms of average Internet connection speeds, ranking 18th out of 203 nations tested, according to Akamai's latest State of the Internet report. The usual suspects, South Korea, Japan and Hong Kong, ranked 1-2-3 respectively in Q3. While each of those three countries saw increase in connectivity speeds in excess of 10 percent Y-o-Y (the average connection speed for them was more than 10 Mbps), the U.S. speeds declined 2.4 percent to 3.9 Mbps.
Akamai said global connection speeds overall increased to 1.7 Mbps, a 13 percent improvement from a year ago.
In the U.S., you've got the best chances for a killer connection if you live in Delaware (7.2 Mbps), New Hampshire (5.9 Mbps), Massachusetts (5.9 Mbps), Vermont (5.7 Mbps), or Rhode Island (5.6 Mbps).
Akamai also reports that the U.S. was home to 119.2 million of the world's 444.1 million unique IP addresses. China was second with 49.11 million.
FierceTelecom.com , January 18, 2010
Small-town broadband project questioned
$75 million proposal to bring high-speed Internet and cable TV to a rural swath of central Vermont might soon move from promise to reality, but some question whether the project is viable.
East Central Vermont Community Fiber Network, familiarly known as EC Fiber or simply ECF, comes with the same promise Burlington Telecom did when it began: that it will provide community-owned, state-of-the-art broadband access at no risk to taxpayers.
Managers of the proposed network — a patchwork of 46,500 people living in 22 towns in four counties — say it will pay off its debt with its subscription revenue. ECF Board Chairman Loredo Sola of Pomfret said the nonprofit network hopes to hear within a few weeks whether it has been chosen from hundreds of applicants nationally for a $69 million federal stimulus loan from the Department of Agriculture´s Rural Utility Service. If that federal money becomes available, work on the "shovel-ready" project can begin quickly, Sola said.
Burlington Free Press , January 17, 2010
Verizon Wireless, AT&T lower voice plan prices
The fight for cell phone users heated up Friday, as the country's two largest wireless carriers cut their calling plan prices.
Verizon Wireless, the largest cell phone carrier in the U.S., said early in the day that, starting Monday, it would start charging $70 a month for an unlimited monthly calling plan. The same plan previously cost $100.
This also brings down the monthly cost for users of the company's high-end smart phones like Motorola's Droid, which require a $30 per month unlimited data plan. An unlimited data and voice plan will now cost $100, rather than $130.
Rival AT&T Inc., the nation's second-largest wireless carrier, responded late Friday by announcing some of the same price cuts. Starting Monday, it, too will charge $70 for an unlimited calling plan that had also been $100, and offer a $100 plan with unlimited voice and data for smart phones like Apple Inc.'s popular iPhone (also down from $130).
The latest moves in a long-running pricing competition between the nation's wireless carriers is not just leading to lower prices for some customers: It also shows that data use is becoming an increasingly important service for mobile carriers as they look to new sources of revenue from customers dependent on mobile access to e-mail and the Web.
WCAX TV , January 16, 2010
Year-end Review: Economic Recovery Through Municipal Wireless Networks
The year 2009 started with municipal wireless left for dead by mainstream media, and it ended with billions in stimulus grant monies supporting the expansion of broadband throughout the world. From rural broadband expansion to making utilities smart, there is a brighter future for municipal wireless broadband networks and the applications support them. We have learned from failed municipal wireless models and can now move forward. There is a new direction: combined public-private wireless networks that offer sustainable financial models and create jobs, reduce energy use and health care costs, promote affordable education and improve national security. There are three reasons why these new models will be successful.
MuniWireless , January 14, 2010
Vt. officials to get good news on state income
Vermont´s economy no longer is in the steep decline seen from late 2007 to mid-2009, but faces "a long road back" to good health, two economists said Wednesday as they predicted a slight uptick in state revenues.
"We can do an awful lot of improving before we get back to anything that´s really considered normal," said Jeff Carr of Williston-based Economic & Policy Resources Inc., which provides economic analysis to Gov. Jim Douglas´ administration.
Carr has been working with the Legislature´s consulting economist, Tom Kavet of Williamstown-based Kavet, Rockler and Associates, to come up with agreed-upon revenue forecasts so the governor and the chairs of the legislature´s budget and tax committees know how much money the state is going to have to spend.
On Wednesday, Carr and Kavet agreed that the state´s largest pot of money, the general fund, would grow over estimates they offered in November by $4.7 million for the remainder of this fiscal year, and $4.8 million for fiscal 2011, which begins July 1. That´s a tiny uptick in a fund greater than $1 billion and won´t make a big dent in the $150 million budget gap lawmakers have been grappling with since they returned to Montpelier Jan. 5.
While getting slightly better is an improvement over getting a lot worse -- as the state´s economy had been doing for most of the past two-plus years
bennington Banner , January 14, 2010
Sprint Rumored to be Teaming Up with Walmart for WiMax Build Out
Rumors are hit-and-miss, but this one from AndroidGuys has potential because of its underlying logic. Sprint plans to roll out a new WiMax handset. Neat, except you need a WiMax network, which Sprint, at present, doesn´t really have. To make it nationwide, which is a given in today´s mobile communication market, you have to start construction on towers, and soon. Location is easy, but accessibility and cost are different matters. And if you want it quick, you´re faced with another problem. The solution: make use of something that already exists.
For Sprint, so the rumor goes, the solution is Walmart. Walmart has better than 3,000 stores scattered across the United States, many within 30-50 miles of each other. And each provides an already developed site on which to build--just toss up a tower on the roof and call it good. Better yet, Sprint would only have one landlord to deal with. How simple is that?
MaximumPC , January 14, 2010
Essex seeks voice in siting of towers
When FairPoint Communications proposed building a communications tower on Bixby Hill Road in Essex last year, town officials opposed to the plan had little course of action beside complaining to the state's Public Service Board.
A new section in a draft of the town's zoning regulations would require telecommunications companies to seek Essex's approval before building such structures. The Essex Planning Commission has scheduled a public hearing for 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the town offices on 81 Main St. to discuss amendments to the draft, which the Essex Selectboard will decide later whether to approve.
FairPoint has yet to build the tower on Bixby Hill Road, due to an ongoing dispute with the owner of the proposed site. The disagreement remained unresolved Tuesday, FairPoint spokeswoman Jill Wurm said.
The tower would help FairPoint extend high-speed Internet throughout northern Chittenden County.
Burlington Free Press , January 13, 2010
Burlington Telecom panel to make final report public
Telecom Blue Ribbon Committee, created by the City Council in late December to assess BT´s financial viability, agreed Tuesday that its final report, due this month, will be made public.
The seven-member committee, with four "citizen" members with experience in telecommunications or finance, plus three councilors, previously agreed to hire two consulting firms to assess BT´s financial health and, based on its five-year business plan, its prospects. Tuesday, Chairman David Provost, senior vice president of finance and administration at Champlain College, told the committee that Stratum Broadband of Medway, Mass., has estimated it will charge about $25,000 for its work, and Hiawatha Broadband Communications of Winona, Minn., will charge about $21,000.
Burlington Free Press , January 13, 2010
Time To Close A Telco Tax Loophole?
You may not have heard of a Reverse Morris Trust (RMT) - it's an obscure tax loophole that allows large telecommunications companies to dump assets on smaller weaker companies. In 2007 Verizon took advantage of one, selling off their landline services in Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire to Fairpoint Communications for $2.7 billion and saving $300 million in taxes for themselves. The biggest losers in that deal today are the people of Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire who are now left with deteriorating service after the recent Fairpoint bankruptcy. We've seen similar results in other places - in 2005 Verizon sold off landlines in Hawaii to Hawaii Telcom Communications. Hawaii Telecom also filed for bankruptcy in 2008.
Fast forward to today, the're another big deal in the works with Verizon looking to sell 4.8 million rural landlines in 14 states to Frontier Communications.
ictcenter , January 13, 2010
Verizon Wireless Invests $200 Million into New England Wireless Network in 2009
Verizon Wireless announced the completion of $192 million in wireless network enhancements across New England during 2009, increasing the company's regional network investment to $2.6 billion since 2000. Verizon reported additional operational highlights from 2009 including: -Activated new voice and 3G high-speed mobile broadband network cell sites across Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont -Rebanded many existing cell sites to different cellular frequencies for increased coverage -Completed the integration of the non-divested portion of the legacy Unicel wireless network, resulting in an additional 100 3G cell sites in Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts -Began construction and deployment of a 'trial' 4G network in Boston consisting of 10 LTE (Long Term Evolution) 4G cell sites running on the 700 MHz spectrum...
TMC.net , January 13, 2010
Top utility regulator O'Brien feels some heat
A Senate committee will begin today to consider a bill that would prevent the state's commissioner of public service from working for any state-regulated utilities for five years after he leaves office.
If that seems awfully specific, Public Service Commissioner David O'Brien would agree.
"It's sad," O'Brien said. "It is targeting one particular appointee in state government."
Since the bill, which will begin its journey with a discussion in the Senate Government Operations Committee today, specifies his position alone, "I can only conclude that Sen. Ashe has something against me," O'Brien said.
Not so, said Tim Ashe, a Democrat from Chittenden County. His bill is designed to make sure that there is no potential conflict of interest for the person — whoever it is — occupying the top utility regulation spot in the executive branch. That is particularly important when two major utility issues — FairPoint Communication's operation of the state's telecom infrastructure and a potential continued operating licensee of the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant — are being worked on by regulators, he said.
Times Argus , January 13, 2010
FCC warns of impending wireless spectrum shortage
U.S. Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski said an impending shortage of wireless spectrum in the U.S. will dampen future economic growth unless action is taken to fix the problem.
"Our data shows there's a looming crisis, not tomorrow, not next week, not next year, but at some point in the future," Genachowski told attendees at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas on Friday. "The record is pretty clear that we need to find more spectrum," he said. The FCC has identified the limited supply of wireless spectrum as one of the factors that could limit the growth of broadband Internet services in the U.S., which could result in slower economic growth and job creation.
Wireless spectrum will be addressed, along with other factors affecting broadband access and services, in a national broadband plan that the FCC is now assembling. The plan was originally due to be completed next month, but the FCC received a 30-day extension from the U.S. Congress.
InfoWorld , January 11, 2010
Visitors to Smugglers’ Notch Resort in Vermont to Ride Expanded Verizon Wireless 3G Network
View from Smugglers´ Notch Resort and Verizon Wireless
"Resort guests are thrilled with the availability of the Verizon Wireless network," said Lisa Howe, director of information technology for Smugglers´ Notch Resort. "Many of our visitors come from large metropolitan areas where they are accustomed to wireless voice, multimedia and Internet access, and the expansion of Verizon Wireless service to the Resort and nearby areas gives our guests that familiar convenience."
"Verizon Wireless´ 3G network coverage across New England is unparalleled," said director for Network System Performance for Verizon Wireless, Richard Enright. "We´ve invested billions of dollars into New England believing that even the most sophisticated cell phone is only as good as the network it runs on. Our continued aggressive network investments provide customers with a 3G network advantage at home and on vacation."
Your-Story.org , January 11, 2010
Backroads Broadband
We ARE going to get there from here. The Backroads Broadband Program, which was proposed by Governor Jim Douglas in his State of the State address to the legislature last week, is aimed at making broadband available to the last most-difficult 5% or so of Vermont residences, which are sparsely scattered along remote dirt roads or on the wrong side of signal-blocking hills and mountains. The proposed plan helps the economics of telecom providers that serve the very difficult to serve by accelerating the signup rate so that these providers can get a faster return on their investment than they would otherwise and so Vermonters get the advantage of being online sooner rather than later. We currently estimate that about 85% of Vermont addresses have access to reasonable broadband (satellite doesn't count!). That number could rise to as much 95% assuming that FairPoint and Comcast complete the buildouts they are legally obligated to do and assuming that most of our broadband applications for stimulus money are granted (that's probably optimistic).
Fractals of Change , January 11, 2010
Douglas Unveils Plan For Spending Stimulus Money
Governor Jim Douglas wants the second half of Vermont's federal economic stimulus money to go to job training, new loans, and broadband expansion.
Douglas and a group of state senators have unveiled a plan for spending the over eight million dollars.
$3 million of this year's funds would be spent on increasing broadband internet access in rural Vermont. Douglas says the biggest hurdle to his goal of getting broadband to every home and business has been funding.
(Douglas) "The real reason we've come up a little short on our aggressive time frame is that we've been confronted by this recession and the telecommunications companies have not been able to make the kind of investment that we anticipated when we talked with them several years ago about a partnership."
Vermont Public Radio , January 10, 2010
Lawmakers Aim to Stop Verizon Sale to Frontier
erizon Communication's proposed sell-off of 4.8 million rural phone lines in 14 states to Frontier Communications will saddle the smaller telecom firm with a huge amount of debt and should be rejected by the government, two U.S. lawmakers said Thursday. The US$8.6 billion deal, announced last May, would leave Frontier with $3.3 billion in debt while allowing Verizon to avoid paying about $600 million in taxes, U.S. Representative Paul Hodes, a New Hampshire Democrat, said during a press conference. Hodes plans to introduce legislation to close the tax "loophole" under a so-called Reverse Morris Trust transaction, in which a larger company sells off assets to a smaller company.
The deal is a "tax scam, at its base," added Ben Scott, policy director of Free Press, a media reform group. In a Reverse Morris Trust deal, the selling company can avoid paying taxes on its sold assets as long as its shareholders end up with more than 50 percent of stock of the buying company.
PCWorld , January 08, 2010
Verizon Wireless Invested Nearly $200 Million into New England Wireless Network in 2009
Verizon (News - Alert) Wireless today announced the completion of $192 million in wireless network enhancements across New England during 2009, increasing the company's regional network investment to $2.6 billion since 2000. 2009 Regional Milestones Activated new voice and 3G high-speed mobile broadband network cell sites across Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont Rebanded many existing cell sites to different cellular frequencies for increased coverage Completed the integration of the non-divested portion of the legacy Unicel wireless network, resulting in an additional 100 3G cell sites in Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts Began construction and deployment of a ´trial' 4G network in Boston consisting of 10 LTE (News - Alert) (Long Term Evolution) 4G cell sites running on the 700 MHz spectrum; the company expects to commercially launch LTE 4G networks in up to 30 markets this year, covering 100 million people Recognized for the "Highest Call Quality Performance Among Wireless Cell Phone (News - Alert) Users in New England," in the J.D. Power and Associates' 2009 Wireless Call Quality Performance Study(SM), Vol.2.
TMC.net , January 08, 2010
Comcast Completes Roll Out of Extreme 50 Mbps High-Speed Internet Service Across Massachusetts
Comcast, one of the nation's leading providers of entertainment, information and communications products and services, today announced that it has completed its evolution from broadband to wideband across the Bay State, with the launch of next-generation DOCSIS 3.0 in 11 additional Western Massachusetts communities. With wideband, Comcast is introducing a new echelon of Internet speed tiers, redefining the customer experience online and creating a platform for Internet innovation in the years ahead.
Two new speed tiers are now available to residential homes and businesses in the Western Massachusetts communities of Bernardston, Erving, Gill, Greenfield, Hardwick, Monson, Montague, Northfield, Palmer, Ware and Warren. With these launches, the company now offers wideband in all 238 communities it serves across the Commonwealth.
Comcast offers among the fastest Internet speeds available today with wideband, including the Extreme 50 tier with download speeds of up to 50 Mbps, and the Ultra tier delivering download speeds up to 22 Mbps. Wideband has also enabled Comcast to double speeds for the majority of its existing high-speed Internet customers.
PRnewswire.com , January 06, 2010
VZW, AT&T make final 2009 3G push
Verizon Wireless and AT&T have been busy during the holidays, hurrying to finish 3G network expansions by the end of the year. As both operators prepare for another bout of ad wars attacking each other´s 3G coverage and capacity, they can both claim they enter 2010 with slightly larger footprints.
AT&T was particularly active the week before Christmas, launching high-speed packet access (HSPA) services in smaller markets across the US after focusing on larger cities in the first phases of its nationwide launch. AT&T turned on 3G services in three counties in upstate New York; in Madisonville, Ken.; in Virginia´s Northern Neck; in Birmingham, Ala.; in Monroe, La.; and in Tupelo, Miss. Over the last two weeks, AT&T also announced network coverage and data-speed enhancements in dozens of markets across the US.
Verizon Wireless 3G EV-DO network already covers the vast majority of the US population both rural and urban—a fact it has been pounding home at AT&T in advertising for the last several months—but it found a few spots where it had 1X base stations without the EV-DO upgrade.
Telephony Online , January 06, 2010
Burlington to hire consultants on BT
The seven-member committee created by the Burlington City Council in late December to assess Burlington Telecom's financial health and prospects, held its third meeting Tuesday and voted unanimously to hire two expert consulting companies.
The committee made clear it intends to make arrangements with Stratum Broadband of Medway, Mass., and Hiawatha Broadband Communications of Winona, Minn., to begin their work as soon as possible. The committee, whose recommendations will likely determine BT's future, amended its schedule and, with the consultants settled on, intends to provide the full council with a picture of BT's viability by Jan. 29.
Burlington Free Press , January 06, 2010
FierceTelecom 2010 Prediction: Middle mile march
In bridging the so-called broadband divide, service providers in underserved areas will need competitively priced interconnection and backhaul facilities to major network interconnection points. Enter the middle mile. Like our other predictions this week, the middle mile really is a reinvention of a concept that has already existed--with many telephone cooperatives (Iowa Network Services and Syringa Networks) who pooled resources to provide their members with everything from long-distance voice transport, optical and even video transmission. Now the middle mile has become the center of attention in the Obama administration's broadband stimulus funding grant award process.
Thus far, the NTIA and RUS have awarded four states (Georgia, Maine, New York and South Dakota) funding grants for their middle mile projects. Of course, these projects came with the usual protests from the large cable MSOs and ILECs.
Read more: http://www.fiercetelecom.com/story/fiercetelecom-2010-prediction-middle-mile-march/2010-01-03#ixzz0bfF0y2VW
FierceTelecom.com , January 04, 2010
Sovernet affiliate gets $39.7 million for NY fiber network
ION HoldCo, LLC, a partnership majority owned by Sovernet Communications (a subsidiary of Atlantic Tele-Network, Inc. (NASDAQ: ATNI)) along with twelve independent rural telephone companies in New York, announced it has received a federal broadband stimulus grant of $39.7 million to augment its existing 2200 mile fiber network with 1,300 miles of additional fiber-optic middle-mile broadband network.
The project, the ION Upstate New York Rural Broadband Initiative, will be completed in partnership with the Development Authority of the North Country (DANC) and will enable high speed Internet access to underserved communities throughout upstate New York, along with parts of Vermont and Pennsylvania. An additional $9.9 million will be invested in the project by ION and DANC.
Vermontbiz.com , January 01, 2010
Gates Foundation offers critical partnership for Vermont public libraries
Governor Jim Douglas has announced that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has established a critical grant partnership with the Vermont Department of Libraries and the Vermont Telecommunications Authority (VTA) to help public libraries compete for federal broadband stimulus funds made available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. VTA, in collaboration with the Department of Libraries, plans to submit an application to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration´s (NTIA) Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) in early 2010.
Vermontbiz.com , January 01, 2010
December
VZW, AT&T make final 2009 3G push
Over Christmas both operators launch 3G in new markets and expand capacity in old ones
Verizon Wireless have been busy during the holidays, hurrying to finish 3G network expansions by the end of the year. As both operators prepare for another bout of ad wars attacking each other´s 3G coverage and capacity, they can both claim they enter 2010 with slightly larger footprints.
AT&T was particularly active the week before Christmas, launching high-speed packet access (HSPA) services in smaller markets across the US after focusing on larger cities in the first phases of its nationwide launch. AT&T turned on 3G services in three counties in upstate New York; in Madisonville, Ken.; in Virginia´s Northern Neck; in Birmingham, Ala.; in Monroe, La.; and in Tupelo, Miss. Over the last two weeks, AT&T also announced network coverage and data-speed enhancements in dozens of markets across the US.
Verizon Wireless 3G EV-DO network already covers the vast majority of the US population both rural and urban—a fact it has been pounding home at AT&T in advertising for the last several months—but it found a few spots where it had 1X base stations without the EV-DO upgrade. Most of Verizon´s efforts this week and last were focused in the northeast, adding new cell sites in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and states in New England, but it also added new cellsites or added EV-DO channels to existing cellsites in dozens of markets across the US, ranging from Las Vegas to smaller communities in the Midwest and Southwest.
Telephony Online , December 30, 2009
VT schools switching to electronic report cards
Technology is a buzzword at Vergennes Union School. Students are using PowerPoint and Flip cameras to put together book reports and now parents and teachers are joining in on the technological craze thanks to electronic report cards.
"The idea is that instead of pushing out information to the families, the families can now pull the info from the system any time they want it," explained Bob Owen, the technology coordinator at Vergennes.
Starting next month parents of high school students will be able to go online to view everything from grades and assignments to attendance records and disciplinary problems. The elementary school will soon follow.
"If parents get a weekly report they can see missing assignments and then go to their child and say where's this history exam or this book report," Owen said.
But there is a cost. The district has spent upwards of $30,000 implementing the new system and training teachers. Fortunately for Vergennes the software was free.
WCAX TV , December 29, 2009
Council rejects mayor's plan on BT
City Council votes to halt mayor's negotiations on Burlington Telecom refinancing. The City Council voted 8-6 just before midnight Monday against allowing Mayor Bob Kiss to continue negotiations with investment firm Piper Jaffray on a $61.6 million financing package for Burlington Telecom.
Council members did not begin debating the issue until nearly 10 p.m. A crowd of fewer than 10 onlookers remained in City Hall for the discussion.
The Kiss proposal was rejected when five Democrats joined with the council´s two Republicans and an independent to approve an alternate approach initiated by Ed Adrian, D-Ward 1, that will ask for BT financing proposals from a number of companies, including Piper Jaffray.
Burlington Free Press , December 29, 2009
FairPoint didn’t fare well in 2009
For the region´s telephone system – a term that increasingly sounds out of date – 2009 was a year to forget.
In 2008, North Carolina-based FairPoint Communications bought the landlines in New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine from Verizon, including its phone system, its DSL Internet and the fiber-optic network in Nashua and parts of southern New Hampshire. The unprecedented $2.4 billion purchase of 1.4 million lines increased FairPoint´s size fivefold, raising both hope and worry about the region´s telecommunications future.
Things went well until Jan. 31 of this year, when Verizon transferred roughly 600 computer systems to FairPoint´s roughly 60 systems, most of which handled things such as billing, scheduling of repairs and creating new accounts.
Nashua Telegraph , December 28, 2009
Editorial: BT viability panel off to a rough start
The opening session of a panel set up by the City Council to assess the long-term viability of Burlington Telecom raises one question: Why bother?
The seven committee members -- all with day jobs -- are charged with reporting their findings to the council by Jan. 15. That's a mere 25 days from the first meeting Monday, a period that includes three weekends and the year-end holidays.
Compare that to the months Mayor Bob Kiss kept Burlington Telecom's financial problems and BT's license violations from the City Council, regulators and Burlington residents.
Burlington Free Press , December 28, 2009
Fairpoint hires former Vermont official as state president
FairPoint Communications has named Vermont native Michael K. Smith as Vermont State President. He will be responsible for regulatory matters, governmental relations, and economic development for Vermont.
Smith brings a long and distinguished career with him from U.S. Navy SEAL to the Vermont House of Representatives to Hardwick Town Manager to Secretary of Administration in Vermont state government. He served as Secretary of Administration on two different occasions; first from 2003-2005, and then 2006-2008. He also served as Secretary of Human Services from 2005-2006, and Deputy State Treasurer from 1995-1999. Before he became Secretary of Administration in 2003, Smith was the chief operating officer of Yankee Captive Management, Inc., in Burlington. He also worked as the general manager of the Public Employer Risk Management Association in Albany, New York, and as the vice president of MMA Consulting Group, Inc., in Boston, Massachusetts. He was the town manager of Hardwick in the early 1980s.
Telephony Online , December 22, 2009
What the first broadband stimulus awards tell us about how to win
It´s too soon to say how well the first broadband stimulus fund awards will represent the awards that follow (they represent less than 10% of the first-round funds, and the rules may change for the second round), but given how publicly the White House touted these first picks, it would seem they´re intended to be exemplary, to some degree, of what the administration wants in an applicant.
Assuming that´s true, what do these early winners tell us about how to win broadband stimulus funds? Here are a few rough observations. 1. Middle mile gets money
Middle-mile projects took two thirds of the nearly $183 million in awards announced on Thursday and 70% of the funds devoted to broadband infrastructure. That´s not surprising, since middle-mile networks comport with the project´s "open access" imperatives. For example, the recipient of the biggest single award, the North Georgia Network Cooperative -- a group of electric utilities – plans to sell capacity on its eight-county network to independent telcos interesting in providing their own last-mile services.
Telephony Online , December 21, 2009
Blue Ribbon Committee to Convene on Burlington Telecom
Members of the Blue Ribbon Committee on Burlington Telecom have been named, and the seven-member panel will meet for the first time Monday night to begin its work evaluating the utility's financing options as well as its viability.
The committee — appointed by City Council President Bill Keogh — will meet at 7 p.m. in conference room 12 in Burlington´s City Hall. Hopefully, the committee meetings won't drag on quite as long as recent council meetings related to Burlington Telecom. Those council meetings have gone well past midnight in some instances.
The council created the committee at its December 14 meeting, the same meeting where it scuttled a deal with Piper Jaffray in lieu of seeking bids from other potential financiers. Those requests for proposals were sent to more than a dozen potential bidders this week.
Seven Days , December 19, 2009
ION wins $40M in stimulus to build statewide broadband network
An Albany, N.Y.-based fiber-optic company has won $40 million from the federal stimulus to create an Internet broadband network across upstate.
ION HoldCo LLC, a for-profit firm located in downtown Albany, will build 10 segments of fiber-optic broadband service that will serve 70 rural communities in upstate, as well as sections of Vermont and Pennsylvania.
Vice President Joseph Biden announced the stimulus award on Dec. 17.
ION will receive $39.7 million in stimulus funds, along with an extra $9.9 million in matching funds, for the project.
Albany.bizjournals.com , December 18, 2009
AT&T to Urge Customers to Take Data Traffic Off Wireless Network
A senior AT&T Inc. executive dismissed speculation that the telecommunications carrier is planning to change the way it prices data plans for its wireless customers, but said it will give customers incentives to limit their use of its wireless network for surfing the Internet or downloading mobile applications.
"We have not made any decision to implement tiered pricing," AT&T Mobility Chief Executive Ralph de la Vega said Wednesday, referring to plans that would charge based on how much data a customer uses rather than the unlimited plans that are popular today.
Wall Street Journal , December 18, 2009
$7.4 billion in stimulus projects to extend broadband to poor and rural areas
The Obama administration named 18 projects Thursday that would receive a portion of the $7.4 billion in stimulus funds set aside to bring high-speed Internet to poor and rural areas that have been overlooked by Internet service providers.
Analysts say the first batch of funds suggests the federal government is targeting "middle mile" projects that may not bring lines directly to the home, but could have even greater impact by connecting entire communities that have been off the Internet grid. Bringing pipes into homes aren't always as helpful, some say, if those homes aren't connected to the Internet pipelines that connect their communities to the rest of the nation.
"Clearly the administration is viewing the middle mile as a way to have a multiplier effect on broadband distribution," said Paul Gallant, an analyst at Concept Capital in the District. "In some cases, that the is biggest choke point preventing broadband deployment to rural areas."
Washington Post , December 18, 2009
McDonald's free Wi-Fi part of growing trend
Everybody wants free Wi-Fi, and McDonald's Corp. is responding to that demand with Wednesday's announcement that more than 11,000 of its U.S. restaurants will have free Wi-Fi in January.
"We've had Wi-Fi working in our restaurants for five years under the pay-to-play model, but now is the time, with the ubiquity of Wi-Fi devices -- including handhelds and laptops -- to extend that offer," McDonald's USA CIO David Grooms said in an interview today.
"We said, let's go with free Wi-Fi.... We talked to customers and asked what they wanted to see, and they really wanted us to go free. You don't need a lot of focus groups to find that out, and we take what customers say seriously."
ComputerWorld , December 17, 2009
Verizon gives 3G data users free Wi-Fi
Verizon today pushed back against AT&T's command of free US Wi-Fi by offering its own Wi-Fi service. The service is considered an extension of the carrier's mobile broadband and gives free Wi-Fi to those who already use a data-only 3G devices such as a modem, a netbook or a MiFi hotspot. Verizon counts "thousands" of hotspots both in the US as well as in Canada and Mexico and considers it a more economical alternative to a roaming plan.
Access should be available effective today and needs the provider's VZAccess Manager 7.2 or better for either Mac OS X or Windows. Customers can subscribe either to a domestic mobile broadband plan or a GlobalAccess plan to qualify, with the most common domestic plan costing $60 per month for 5GB of 3G data.
Electronista.com , December 16, 2009
AT&T Lights Up 3G Network in Vermont
AT&T* today announced an update on the availability of its third generation (3G) mobile broadband network in Vermont.
"Vermonters are keenly aware of the value and importance of having access to high speed voice and data networks within the state and the news of AT&T's introduction of 3G capabilities to their network is welcome, indeed," said Thomas E. Murray, Executive Director of the Vermont Telecommunications Authority. "The VTA values the investments of partners like AT&T in Vermont as the VTA works toward fulfilling its mission to make broadband and wireless coverage available across the state."
AT&T's third generation (3G) mobile broadband network opens the door to a new era of mobile services and feature-rich audio and video content for AT&T customers. As part of AT&T's initial network upgrade plan, 3G will go live on a rolling basis starting in Bennington, Brattleboro, Brownsville, Killington, Vernon, Warren, West Dover and White River Junction sometime this week. By December 31st, 3G will be added in Burlington, Colchester, Essex Junction, Fayston, Hartford, Jamaica, Jeffersonville, Middlebury, Rutland, South Burlington, St. Albans, Stowe, Waitsfield, West Rutland, West Townshend, West Wardsboro, Williston and Winooski.
This year's 3G expansion is the first part of an ongoing network upgrade in Vermont. Additional coverage enhancements, including early first quarter 3G expansions in Barre, Montpelier and Northfield are already planned for 2010.
PRnewswire.com , December 16, 2009
Do Vt. e-tailers click with cyber shoppers?
Dakin Farm will ship as many as 5,000 boxes of cob-smoked bacon, cheddar cheese, and maple syrup every day until Christmas. Many of those orders are being made online.
"It's really our backbone," owner Sam Cutting said of the company's cyber sales. "It's our fastest growing area, and it's the biggest part of our business right now."
In fact, Sunday was the third busiest day the company has ever had online. Cutting says cyber shopping has become so big, Dakin Farm hired 120 seasonal employees to process orders.
"We get a bigger percentage of our orders online during the holidays than at any other time of the year," Cutting said. "People are shopping online constantly right now. They're looking at prices and different companies and they're used to using that shopping cart. Where during the rest of the year it might be easier to pick up the phone and call an 800 number, now they're really dialed into the web."
Between Thanksgiving and Christmas, Dakin Farm will ship 50,000 packages through its warehouse in Ferrisburgh. The web opens up its market much beyond its brick and mortar stores here in Vermont.
WCAX TV , December 15, 2009
Should users finance fiber-to-the-home?
Brigham City, Utah is poised to test out a rare and experimental model for broadband economics: Having end users finance the cost of connecting their homes with fiber.
"I´m not aware of other projects like this," saidPaul Larsen, Brigham´s economic development director.
Under the plan approved by the city council in November – some of the particulars of which were dictated by nuances in the bonding process funding the project – fiber would be connected to end users willing to pay a one-time fee of $3000 for the connection (independent of any subscription fees paid to service providers on the network), which they could pay upfront or in $25 monthly payments over 20 years, backed by a city bond.
Those paying over time would also pay interest above that $3,000 premium, so their total cost could end up north of, say, $5000 after 20 years (the interest rate wasn´t known as this article was written). For users who move during that time, a lien is placed on the property requiring new owners to continue the payments.
Telephony Online , December 15, 2009
US still waiting as first LTE network lands in Sweden
Just a few weeks after Clearwire finished its 2009 WiMax rollout, competing 4G technology long-term evolution (LTE) landed its first network – in Sweden. TeliaSonera launched in two cities – the first LTE launches ever – today, promising wireless download speeds of up to 100 megabits per second. The wireless operator used equipment from Ericsson and Huawei to roll out the service in Stockholm and Olso, respectively.
TeliaSonera said LTE will be rolled out to 25 total cities in Sweden and Norway in 2010, although admitted that 4G-ready mobile phones would probably not be available before 2011. Samsung data cards will be available at launch. The operator is using the network for mobile data, promising speeds up to 10 times faster than today´s turbo 3G. TeliaSonera will also offer subscriptions that "follow the Internet speed price logic from the fixed side," the company said in a release.
Telephony Online , December 15, 2009
TeliaSonera launches world's first commercial LTE network
High-speed network goes live in Norway, Stockholm; operator to extend services to 25 Swedish cities in 2010.
TeliaSonera on Monday launched the world's first commercial LTE networks, capable of delivering up to 100-Mbps connection speeds.
The two networks provide high-speed mobile coverage in Norway's capital Oslo, and Stockholm, Sweden.
The Nordic telco said it plans to extend the reach of its Swedish LTE network to a further 25 cities during 2010 at a cost of around half a billion Swedish crowns (£43.3 million).
"The capex is not that enormous," commented Kenneth Karlberg, president and head of mobility services at TeliaSonera, during a press conference in Stockholm.
The first product being offered to consumers is a high-speed mobile broadband dongle developed by Samsung that will cost SEK599 per month (£52). Karlberg said a provisional fair usage cap of 30 GB won't be applied until the end of July 2010.
Total Telecom , December 14, 2009
Rockefeller, Hutchison Would Expand Lifeline Program to Broadband
The Broadband Opportunity and Affordability Act, which would direct the Federal Communications Commission to expand the Universal Service Fund´s Lifeline program to support broadband service, as well as explore programs to subsidize computer ownership for low-income Americans, was introduced in the Senate late Friday with bipartisan support from members of the Senate Commerce Committee.
The bill would direct the Federal Communications Commission to implement a two year pilot program under which the Universl Service Fund Life Line program would be expanded to pay for broadband services to low-income Americans. The pilot program would be required to be technology neutral and could also require states to pay matching funds in order to participate.
Broadbandbreakfast.com , December 14, 2009
Why We Can Succeed
After Governor Douglas' press conference last week, there was the usual scrum of reporters and administration officials in the hallway of the fifth floor of the Pavilion Building in Montpelier. The Governor had just said that Vermont cannot and must not sit around waiting for another Stimulus Bill (which would be a bad idea nationally) but can and must address its own structural problems in order to succeed in the post-bubble, post-recession (and post-stimulus) economy. In fact, he said, we are working towards a much more effective state government and have seen some early bipartisan support for some of the tough stuff we must do. Vermonters, he said, realize there's a problem, no there's no painless way out, and expect and will support action.
The reporters were, as reporters should be, skeptical. Is this just one more reorganization of government? If so, why do we think that it will be any more helpful than past reorganizations? Anyway, what are the specifics of the things we intend to do? What are these changes? What does a much more effective state government look like?
Fractals of Change , December 14, 2009
Still the forgotten kingdom
A couple of brief items in the news this week might make readers stop and scratch their heads.
One is that the state, more precisely the Vermont Center for Geographic Information, will be receiving $1.2 million in federal grant money to map Internet broadband access in Vermont. The cash is part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
Our first reaction was "huh?" We were under the impression that most people already know where broadband is available, or not. Just call FairPoint, or a local cable provider, and ask. While it´s nice to see stimulus money come to Vermont, and we´re sure there will be jobs created from the cash, somehow we wonder if it´s really necessary to map something that should already be known.
Certainly the state of Vermont, through the Vermont Telecommunications Authority, should know. Isn´t that what they´ve been working on for the past couple of years? The stated mission of the VTA is identifying where broadband is and isn´t in the state, promising to deliver it to 100% of Vermont by 2010.
Deerfield Valley news , December 14, 2009
U.S. Broadband Availability Will Hit 95% in Five Years, But Adoption Will Lag
Though broadband services will be available to almost 95 percent of U.S. households by 2014, many homes will still lack access to low-cost, high-speed options, according to a recent report commissioned by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Despite the projected increase in availability, the study finds that the rate of adoption and the availability of truly high-speed Internet services will be much lower. While upgrades to cable broadband networks and new wireless technologies will help provide new options, government involvement may be the only way to keep U.S. adoption rates competitive with other global markets.
SSTI.org , December 10, 2009
FairPoint delays reorganization
FairPoint Communications will not file its reorganization plan with a New York bankruptcy court as expected today as the troubled company continues negotiating with the entities it owes billions of dollars.
The North Carolina company was scheduled to submit its reorganization plan to the bankruptcy court today, but this week asked for a delay in issuing that plan, which details how the company would emerge from its pile of debt.
FairPoint spokesperson Jill Wurm said Wednesday that the company asked that filing be delayed until Jan. 15, 2010 as they continue working out a deal with their lenders on a reorganization plan.
"FairPoint will use this time to finalize settlements with key constituents which should result in a more expeditious emergence from Chapter 11," Wurm said in a statement.
That date puts the emergence of FairPoint's bankruptcy reorganization plan almost one year from their 2009 cutover – the transition from Verizon's computer system to their own that caused many of the technical and financial problems they face.
Times Argus , December 10, 2009
Perhaps 3G isn’t what it’s cracked up to be
Last week, I wrote a story that compared the 3G networks of AT&T (NYSE:T) and Verizon Wireless (NYSE:VZ, NYSE:VOD) metric-to-metric based on a data collected by an independent wireless performance measurement firm. The data showed that in seven major markets where both AT&T and VZW offer 3G service, AT&T had the superior network in almost all categories. Many of you didn´t like what you read — and I can understand that.
The data, which you can see in detail on the Unfiltered blog, seems to contradict my own and a good deal of the practical experiences of AT&T 3G subscribers — particular iPhone users — across the country. Just take a look at the commentary. While there are a few posting sympathetic to AT&T, most of expressed disbelief in Root´s conclusions. Many related their own bad experiences with the AT&T network — and not just those in areas where AT&T doesn´t offer 3G service. People in Denver, New York and San Francisco — all markets where AT&T´s performance data indicates good coverage and adequate capacity — reported a lack of coverage and capacity. A couple of readers pointed to other user survey studies from Consumer Reports and JD Power & Associates that ranked customer satisfaction with VZW high and AT&T low. Others questioned whether Root had an ax to grind with Verizon or a business relationship with AT&T.
Telephony Online , December 10, 2009
US residents gorging on data bytes: study
If the data devoured in the United States last year were converted to text there would be enough books to bury the country under a pile seven feet (two meters) deep, according to a study released Wednesday.
US residents consumed about 1.3 trillion hours worth of information from radios, televisions, computers, newspapers, mobile telephones, and other sources, according to researchers at the University of California, San Diego. That translated into an average of nearly 12 hours spent daily by each US resident watching television, listening to MP3 players, scouring the Internet or tapped into other sources of data.
The information tally was the equivalent of 3.6 zettabytes of data, or 34 gigabytes per person per day. Thirty-four gigabytes of digital data would fit on about seven standard DVD disks.
Radio and TV remained the dominant sources for data flooding people's lives, accounting for 60 percent of the total hours, according to the study by the university's Global Information Industry Center.
"Despite this, computers have had major effects on some aspects of information consumption," researchers Roger Bohn and James Short concluded.
"Thanks to computers, a full third of words and more than half of bytes are now received interactively."
Breitbart.com , December 10, 2009
Broadband mapping may have just gotten easier
While nothing about the broadband stimulus granting and loan process is easy, one of the most aggravating parts of it is accurate mapping of where broadband access is actually available. The federal government has conducted the process backward by calling for mapping applications and broadband proposals at pretty much the same time. Conventional wisdom says broadband access might not be deployed in the most needy of places if we don't know where it really is in the first place.
And mapping is hard. Two primary methods exist today. Either incumbent telcos and cable companies give away the tightly held information to a company like Connected Nation, which is shrouded in controversy because of its ties with incumbents but nevertheless has garnered some of the broadband mapping money for certain states, or you canvas the streets to poll folks about what broadband service they have--an expensive and tedious task. California, Indiana, North Carolina and Vermont are pretty much taking the polling route. In all, $350 million was set aside for states to do mapping because of the expense of trying to find this valuable data.
Read more: http://www.fiercebroadbandwireless.com/story/broadband-mapping-may-have-just-gotten-easier/2009-12-10#ixzz0ZITieFUY
FierceWireless , December 10, 2009
AT&T moves closer to usage-based fees for data
AT&T is moving even closer to charging special usage fees to heavy data users, including those with iPhones and other smartphones.
Ralph de la Vega, CEO of AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets, today came the closest he has so far in warning about some kind of use-based pricing. He spoke to attendees at a UBS conference in New York.
"The first thing we need to do is educate customers about what represents a megabyte of data and...we're improving systems to give them real-time information about their data usage," he said. "Longer term, there's got to be some sort of pricing scheme that addresses the [heavy] users."
InfoWorld , December 09, 2009
WiMAX™ Accounts for More Than 25 Percent of Last Mile Applications for U.S. Broadband Stimulus Funds
Over 300 WiMAX applications accounted for one-fourth of the total last mile broadband stimulus applications received by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and the Department of Agriculture's RUS fund, according to the WiMAX Forum. In total, WiMAX-related applicants applied for $1.6 billion of the $14.212 billion requested by the 1,130 total applicants for last mile deployments. The turnout shows the strong potential for WiMAX helping to end the digital divide in the U.S. at a significantly lower cost than traditional wireline deployments.
"WiMAX can be deployed over wide areas to serve thousands of consumers cheaper and faster than traditional wireline services," said Ron Resnick, president and chairman of the WiMAX Forum. "For every dollar spent on a new network, a WiMAX operator can cover 10 to 20 times the number of homes and businesses with WiMAX service than they can cover with wireline.
MiamiHerald , December 09, 2009
Usage-based pricing key to AT&T’s iPhone woes, analyst says
By now it´s commonly known that consumer data habits on Apple´s (NASDAQ:AAPL) iPhone haven´t been friendly to AT&T´s (NYSE:T) overloaded 3G network. The average iPhone user consumes five to seven times the monthly bandwidth of an average wireless subscriber, and two times the amount of an average 3G smartphone user, according to Bernstein Research senior analyst Toni Sacconaghi. As smartphone penetration continues to increase, his belief is that usage-based pricing is inevitable in the US.
"We believe that as smartphone democratization occurs and becomes more mass market, lower priced email centric and 2.5G devices will proliferate, with handset OEMs pushing for more metered (and affordable) data plans," Sacconaghi wrote in a research note. "The unavailability of tiered data plans in the US today may be attributable to (1) carriers determining the appropriate way to limit usage of the bandwidth-hungry minority, without adversely impacting the perception of the majority; and (2) fears of disenfranchising Apple."
Telephony Online , December 05, 2009
No Cell Phone, Brain Tumor Link
A very large, 30-year study of just about everyone in Scandinavia shows no link between cell phone use and brain tumors, researchers reported on Thursday.
Even though mobile telephone use soared in the 1990s and afterward, brain tumors did not become any more common during this time, the researchers reported in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Some activist groups and a few researchers have raised concerns about a link between cell phones and several kinds of cancer, including brain tumors, although years of research have failed to establish a connection.
"We did not detect any clear change in the long-term time trends in the incidence of brain tumors from 1998 to 2003 in any subgroup," Isabelle Deltour of the Danish Cancer Society and colleagues wrote.
Health Freedom Alliance , December 05, 2009
GOVERNOR DOUGLAS ANNOUNCES ECONOMIC RELIEF FOR BUSINESS AND FARMERS ACROSS VERMONT
Governor seeks Legislative agreement on Economic Plan to support nearly 1500 existing jobs and create more than 350 new jobs
Montpelier, Vt. – Governor Jim Douglas today announced a comprehensive economic development plan to maximize the use of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) dollars allocated to Vermont through the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund (SFSF). In response to Speaker Smith and Senator Shumlin´s letter today which proposed the use of $1 million to support farms and businesses affected by the recent Champlain Bridge closure, the Governor welcomed the Legislature´s new focus on economic support for our struggling families and urged legislative leaders to take swift action to approve this bold economic relief plan which will create more than 350 new jobs.
Governor.vermont.com , December 05, 2009
FairPoint Asks Court To Put Rebates On Hold
FairPoint Communications has filed a court motion asking that it not be forced to give Maine customers rebates because of its poor service as the company works through bankruptcy.
The company is objecting to the Maine Public Utilities Commission's regulatory order Monday that it pay rebates in the form of $1.72 a line per month for 12 months — a total of more than $8 million.
In an emergency motion filed Thursday in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in New York, FairPoint says the penalties should be stayed while it's going through Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings.
The North Carolina-based FairPoint has been beset by problems since it bought Verizon's land line and Internet operations in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont in 2008.
WBZTV.com , December 03, 2009
Gates Foundation Boosts Library Broadband Efforts
As demand for library Internet access continues to grow, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has announced two plans to help libraries improve broadband connections: one involves state broadband improvement plans; the other offers help with getting federal broadband stimulus funds.
Five states will get a total of nearly $3.4 million in grants to implement local broadband improvement plans, including upgraded connections and increased participation rates in the federal E-rate discount program. Arkansas, Kansas, Massachusetts, New York, and Virginia were selected, the Gates say, because of the large number of libraries needing high-speed Internet access. The state libraries of California and Texas, which also participated in the program, will be eligible for grants in early 2010.
SchoolLibraryJournal.com , December 03, 2009
Vermont businesses look for CyberMonday boost
Nearly 100 million Americans were expected to turn to their computers Monday -- what an industry group has effectively branded "Cyber Monday" -- to search out shopping deals.
According to a survey conducted for the National Retail Federation, 96.5 million Americans planned to shop on Cyber Monday this year, up from 85 million last year.
Vermont businesses are looking for a boost and many were taking advantage of the micro-blogging site Twitter to lure people to spend money at their Web sites.
Small Dog Electronics said it expected about 40 percent more Web traffic than a typical Monday.
"Cyber Monday is under way! Our Web site truly does see a big spike in traffic and sales on this day. Gotta love Google Analytics!" the Vermont-based electronics store posted late Monday morning under the Twitter name, "hellosmalldog."
Burlington Free Press , December 02, 2009
FCC Seeks Revamp of Phone Subsidy
Federal Communications Commission chairman Julius Genachowski said he wants to overhaul a $7 billion federal phone-subsidy program and reallocate more airwaves to wireless carriers as part of a strategy to improve U.S. broadband Internet availability.
Mr. Genachowski's comments Tuesday at a conference here are the latest signals that the FCC chairman is determined to shake up the status quo to make fast Internet service cheaper and more widely available.
The Universal Service Fund is a federal subsidy program funded by consumers through a charge on their phone bills. The fund currently subsidizes phone service in rural areas and for low-income households. FCC officials want to change the plan so it funds new broadband Internet lines in rural areas.
Wall Street Journal , December 02, 2009
Cable Firms: Give Poorer Kids Broadband Discounts
Six states on Monday were awarded more than $11 million in federal stimulus funds, which will be used to gather data for a nationwide broadband mapping initiative.
The cable industry, meanwhile, proposed Tuesday that the government consider devoting some of the funds in its second round of federal broadband grants for a public-private partnership intended to increase broadband adoption among middle-school-aged kids.
The stimulus package passed earlier this year included $7.2 billion for broadband grants. The funds are split between the Department of Agriculture's Rural Utilities Service (RUS) – which gets $2.5 billion – and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) within the Commerce Department, which gets $4.7 billion.
PCmag.com , December 01, 2009
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Announces New Support for Public Libraries to Help Provide Broadband Access for More Americans
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation today committed nearly $3.4 million in grants to bolster Internet connections for libraries in five states. It also announced partnerships with 14 additional states to help public libraries compete for federal broadband stimulus funds. Nationally, libraries report that patron demand for high-speed Internet access is growing faster than their ability to provide increased bandwidth. A recent American Library Association study reports that 60 percent of all libraries say their current Internet speed is insufficient.
State libraries in Arkansas ($735,207), Kansas ($363,099), Massachusetts ($367,789), New York ($947,517), and Virginia ($977,468) received foundation funds to execute statewide plans to improve and maintain Internet connections in local libraries. Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, Idaho, Kentucky, Montana, North Carolina, Nebraska, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Utah, Vermont, and Washington will participate in the foundation's new Opportunity Online broadband grant program, which will help libraries develop proposals for federal broadband stimulus funding from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration's (NTIA) Broadband Technology Opportunities Program established through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
EarthTimes.org , December 01, 2009
FairPoint brings DSL to Stamford residents
STAMFORD -- For many local residents, it´s almost time to cut the cord.
This small Vermont town is poised to lose a last link to Verizon Communications and complete a transition to FairPoint Communications for its phone service. Although the financially troubled FairPoint recently declared bankruptcy, it has vowed to continue to improve services, and when the switch is completed, a new Internet option could be available to most customers.
A $1.25 million project that includes replacing and installing up to 50 utility poles, each 40 feet tall, along Mill, County and Klondike roads is rolling out, FairPoint media spokeswoman Jill Wurm confirmed last week. The job includes installing about 43,000 feet of fiber cable from Readsboro to Stamford, she said.
The catalyst for the project is a need to shift Stamford FairPoint customers´ phone service from Verizon-owned facilities in North Adams, Mass., and link them with FairPoint-owned communications centers in Vermont, Wurm said.
Bennington Banner , December 01, 2009
Comcast program aims to close the "digital divide"
It's a first-of-its-kind program in New England, giving inner-city youth a rigorous 150-hour education in computers and broadband Internet technology. And then sending them out to family and friends as technology evangelists to help close the "digital divide" that keeps so many in lower-income neighborhoods disconnected from the riches and promise of the Internet.
Comcast Corp. executive vice president David Cohen came up from Philadelphia to Springfield Monday to formally launch the Comcast Digital Connectors program at the Springfield office of the Urban League. "We don't call that philanthropy -- we call it community investment,'' Cohen said of the educational effort. "You're going to need broadband to learn, and I say that to our young people, but you're going to need broadband to be able to find a job, to be able to do your job, and to be able to help America compete in the future.''
NECN.com , December 01, 2009
Burlington Telecom Needs to Create New Innovative Services Comcast Doesn’t Provide, Telecom Consultant Says
Burlington Telecom, the municipally owned fiber to the home cable and broadband provider still reeling from a late fall financial scandal, must think outside of the box if it is to survive and grow its business in Vermont´s largest city. That´s the assessment of Steven Shepard, president of Shepard Communications Group, a consulting firm based in Williston.
It comes as both city and state officials continue an investigation into a $17 million loan from city coffers to cushion the provider from substantial losses incurred over the past three years of operations.
Burlington Telecom has been criticized for underestimating the costs of wiring Burlington with fiber optics, something Shepard doesn´t think is unusual.
"I haven´t found one yet that has come it at budget, or even under budget," Shepard told WCAX-TV news.
Stopthecap.com , December 01, 2009
More text, fewer minutes - and cut the cord
A series of recent surveys conducted by J.D. Powers and Associates and the National Center for Health Statistics reveals some interesting changes taking place in consumer use and expectation of cellphones service and features.
Cellphones are replacing traditional landline phone service in the home, and consumers are eschewing high-minute plans in favor of unlimited texting and Internet access.
Traditionally, these studies reveal that consumers are largely concerned with service plan costs and Internet accessibility on their cellphones, the two highest factors weighed by consumers when selecting a new phone or service, but recent studies indicate consumer interest is changing, and the reasons for the change may be more complex than the surveys suggest.
"People try to buy the lowest amount of minutes they can, and the highest amount of text messaging. A lot of customers choose the Boost Mobile so they can use the walkie-talkie feature in place of minutes," says Brandon Good, an associate in the electronics department at the Falmouth Wal-Mart.
Capecodonline.com , December 01, 2009
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