Roy Mark

DSL lines in service in North America totaled 6.2 million at the end of the first quarter, according to new statistics published by TeleChoice, Inc.. The U.S. had 4.8 million subscribers while Canada had 1.4 million. The U.S. saw a 12 per cent growth in DSL lines during the quarter, with incumbents (ILECs) accounting for […]

Through a new blanket purchase agreement, SBC Global Services, Inc. will provide the U.S. Department of the Treasury and its bureaus with advanced business telephony solutions from products to implementation. The nationwide award, called the Treasury Telecommunications Solutions Blanket Purchase Agreement, was issued without a value cap and covers a 4.5-year term. The agreement is […]

For Alan Davidson, the associate director of the Center for Democracy and Technology, the greater issue involving H.R. 3482 — the Cyber Security Enhancement Act of 2001 — is not increased surveillance of Internet users by Internet service providers (ISPs), but, rather, giving greater police powers to law enforcement agencies. The bill passed the House […]

The House Judiciary Committee passed a bill Wednesday that would subject Internet users to greater surveillance by Internet service providers (ISPs) and stiffen penalties for cyber crimes. Under current law, ISPs can face civil damages for disclosing user activity unless that activity presents an immediate risk of death or injury. Under H.R. 3482, the Cyber […]

Arbitron Inc. and comScore Networks, Inc., of Reston, Va., are collaborating in an effort to develop Internet measurement services for local media. localScore is a new service developed by comScore to measure audiences of local media Web sites in 78 Designated Market Areas (DMA(R)) representing the majority of the U.S. population. localScore also correlates consumer […]

The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Maryland Tuesday confirmed USi’s reorganization plan and the Annapolis, Md.-based application service provider anticipates exit from Chapter 11 court protection during the week of May 20. USi’s creditors voted in support of the plan. Confirmation of the reorganization plan satisfies the primary condition required for closing of […]

Momentum to delay, or altogether eliminate, the June 19 spectrum auction by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) continued to build Tuesday as the House approved on a voice vote, H.R. 4560, the “Auction Reform Act of 2002.” The legislation eliminates statutory deadlines for auctions of spectrum in the 700 MHz band, airwaves currently being used […]

The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) is blasting last week’s court decision ordering SonicBlue to develop and install new software in consumers’ personal video recorders (PVRs) that would collect all information about what shows the users watch, record or send to a select and limited group. SonicBlue would then be forced to provide the information to […]

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia handed the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) its second defeat in three years over its revised rules on how telecom carriers are paid for handling dial-up Internet calls. The court ruled Friday that the FCC was wrong in an April 2001 ruling that excluded calls to […]

Just hours after a bill designed to postpone the June 19 sale of airwaves was pushed out of a House committee, companion legislation was introduced in Senate by John Ensign (R.-Nev.) and John Kerry (D.-Mass.). Both bills seek to stop the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) from holding an auction on parts of the 700 MHz […]

Bowing to pressure from the wireless industry, the U.S. Energy and Commerce Committee voted Thursday morning to approve a bill that would delay the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) June 19 spectrum auction of airwaves currently being used by television broadcasters. The legislation now moves to the House floor for consideration. The FCC has already delayed […]

U.S. Senators John Breaux (D.-La.) and Don Nickles (R.-Okla.) introduced legislation Tuesday afternoon that would “ensure regulatory parity” among all providers of high-speed Internet access and services. Called the “Broadband Regulatory Parity Act of 2002,” the bill would subject providers of broadband services and broadband access services to the same regulatory requirements as all other […]