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from: Media Intell

Friday, September 14, 2007
How Did It Come to This?: The Origins of the Telephone-Cable War over the Internet

The reality that competition over the internet is evolving into two opposing camps is now well established. On the one side are “former” telephone companies, including AT&T, Verizon, and Qwest, the successors and beneficiaries of the Bell System break-up in 1984. Opposing them are “former” cable television operators, including Time Warner, Comcast, Cox, and Charter Communications, the successors and beneficiaries of mergers, acquisitions, and favorable legislation in the 1990’s. (The quotation marks indicate that these “former” companies are no longer just telephone or cable operators, but a new breed that is increasingly vertically integrated, that is, diversified into several different markets, More on this later.)

from: Office of Ed Markey

Markey Calls on FCC to Investigate Intelligence Agencies’ Alleged Circumvention of Telecom Privacy Laws

From Office of Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), September 12, 2007
By Rep. Ed Markey

Representative Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet, today again asked the Chairman of the Federal Communications Committee (FCC) to investigate widespread and serious allegations of telecommunications privacy laws violations by the National Security Agency (NSA) and other entities. Rep. Markey first asked FCC Chairman Kevin J. Martin to investigate these allegations in May of 2006.

from: Ars Technica

FBI accused of using illegal letters for illegal information requests

By Timothy B. Lee | Published: September 13, 2007

Another apparent violation of the law by Bush administration officials came to light this week, as a Freedom of Information Act request by the Electronic Frontier Foundation revealed that the FBI had sent letters to telecommunications providers requesting that they "provide a community of interest" for telephone numbers the FBI was investigating. The documents were among the so-called exigent letters that the FBI has admitted were "improper" (read: illegal). But in a Monday blog post, EFF's Kurt Opsahl charged that the "community of interest" requests were fresh evidence that the FBI had broken the law.

From New York Times

August 24, 2007
Role of Telecom Firms in Wiretaps Is Confirmed
By ERIC LICHTBLAU

WASHINGTON, Aug. 23 — The Bush administration has confirmed for the first time that American telecommunications companies played a crucial role in the National Security Agency’s domestic eavesdropping program after asserting for more than a year that any role played by them was a “state secret.”

from: CNET

White-space spectrum debate rages

By Marguerite Reardon

Thu Aug 16 04:00:02 PDT 2007

Technology companies are putting pressure on the Federal Communications Commission to open up unused wireless spectrum between TV channels for use with unlicensed devices, but the TV broadcasters say there are still too many interference issues.

Note: The word "exaflood" is worth watching and should be associated with the elimination of net neutrality since many of those engaged in this creative writing have that intention. Also, watch the Internet Innovation Alliance and their member orgs carefully.

from: Tech Policy Summit Blog

Harold has been on a roll lately and on target as usual - it's worth following his site regularly. It seems that once again the telcos are considered integral parts of the military industrial complex and as such have privileged military contractor status. With Bush involved, the 700 MhZ auction could become yet another rigged state secret.If the telcos seize this spectrum, they will cinch their roll-out efforts for triple/quadruple play that will leave cable, PEG and the cities in much the same situation as so many Iraqi towns.

from: Wet Machine
by Harold Feld

700 MHz Endgame: Has AT&T Asked Bush to Put Thumb On Scale?