Roy Mark

High speed lines to home and businesses increased by 55 percent last year, according to data released Tuesday by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Broadband connections increased by 23 percent during the second half of 2002, from 16.2 million to 19.9 million lines, compared to a 27 percent increase, from 12.8 million to 16.2 million […]

Citing concerns about organized crime, the addictive nature of online gambling and a mandate to protect America’s children from the evils of betting, the U.S. House of Representatives overwhelming voted Tuesday evening to support legislation that bans credit card and other electronic payments to offshore casinos. The bill exempts state-sanctioned sites that endorse betting on […]

Defense contractor General Dynamics plans to acquire fellow defense contractor Veridian Corp. in a $1.5 billion cash deal that would expand its government business into information systems and other technology areas. The deal, which has been approved by the boards of directors of both Northern Virginia companies, calls for General Dynamics to pay $35 a […]

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Tom Ridge announced Friday the agency has created the National Cyber Security Division (NCSD) to combat Internet-based attacks against government and critical private sector backbone networks. The new department will be under the DHS’ Information Analysis and Infrastructure Protection Directorate (IAIP), which reports directly to Ridge. Robert Liscouski, the […]

U.S. Rep. Gregory Meeks (D.-N.Y.) Monday urged the federal judge reviewing the WorldCom-MCI settlement with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to overturn the deal in favor of more stringent remedies. Meeks also said he was working on a “legislative solution” before the settlement becomes a classic example of “how crime does pay.” Meeks was […]

The U.S. House of Representatives voted 405-0 Thursday to approve legislation that will allow banks to exchange checks by electronic image. The Senate has already had hearings on the same legislation and it is expected to easily pass as early as this month. The banking industry says the bill will benefit consumers by speeding up […]

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to make available an additional 255 MHz of spectrum for unlicensed use. If ultimately approved by the FCC, the new rules would increase spectrum availability for wireless broadband use by 80 percent. An FCC statement said the agency believes that more spectrum […]

President Bush signed an executive order Thursday instructing the Commerce Department to conduct a year-long review of spectrum use by the government and the private sector. The order requires the Commerce Department to set up a task force with two groups, one to examine to government use of radio airwaves and an another to review […]

Citing an uncertain U.S. legal and political climate, MGM Mirage said Wednesday it will shutter its online casino on June 30. The casino giant said it opened its online operations in September of 2001 to develop an operational model for a regulated Internet gambling industry. MGM Mirage Online is based in the Isle of Man, […]

Verizon will comply with a Wednesday court order and turn over to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) the names of four Internet subscribers accused of illegally downloading copyrighted music. The RIAA has not said what legal action may be taken against the accused pirates. The decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals Wednesday […]

The U.S. Court of Appeals Wednesday afternoon rejected Verizon’s for request for a stay in earlier court ruling ordering the telecom giant to turn over the names of two subscribers suspected of illegally downloading copyrighted music. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) originally brought suit against Verizon last August using a controversial provision of […]

The General Services Administration (GSA) says there is no evidence that bankrupt and scandal-ridden MCI shouldn’t be awarded government contracts. Despite its bankruptcy, the largest in U.S. history, and admitted $9 billion accounting scandal, the former WorldCom has continued to land lucrative contracts to provide telecom services to the government. Just last month, MCI agreed […]