Access and Digital Divide

1
Access and Digital Divide

• COM 300
• Kathy E. Gill
• 22 February 2007

2
Todays Agenda

• Continue Lecture/Discussion
• Access versus Accesibility
• Video Adding 2nd Track in Audacity
• Open Lab

3
Public Interest Radio Licenses

• Argument against renewal
• Regarding HD radio spectrum
• In this transition from analog to digital
  incumbent broadcasters stand to triple their
  licenses usable spectrum. Indications show that
  the FCC intends to just hand this additional
  spectrum over to the incumbent broadcasters
  without thinking seriously about the long-term
  implications of this transition how this relates
  to media ownership in local markets and how to
  protect the public interest obligations in the
  future. FMC and many public interest groups have
  been urging the FCC to adopt specific public
  interest obligations for HD radio. (cite)

4
Access and Accessibility

• Theres access and then theres accessibility
• Do we have access to a technology
• Does the technology allow everyone access
  (accessibility)
• Whose responsibility is it to help make the
  internet more accessible to all
• Government Industry Us

5
Access Application Neutral (1/2)

• Core Internet Value
• Anyone who slaps a this page is best viewed
  with Browser X label on a Web page appears to be
  yearning for the bad old days before the Web
  when you had very little chance of reading a
  document written on another computer another
  word processor or another network.Tim
  Berners-Lee

6
Access Application Neutral (2/2)

• Competing web technologies
• Windows Media Player Quicktime Real
• Flash as mediator
• Competing cellular technologies
• Verizon v ATT/Cingular
• The Race Is On (July 2006)

7
Access Network Neutrality (1/5)

• In the US network neutrality is hot access
  topic
• Better described as network discrimination
• Compare with telephone networks
• Talk about the last mile

8
Access Network Neutrality (2/5)

• Feb 2006 AOL and Yahoo propose fee to ensure
  e-mail delivery (IHT 6 Feb 2006)
• 0.025 to 0.01 per e-mail
• Will not be subject to existing user spam filters
• A benefit for businesses (Ascribe 2 Feb 2006)
• ATT and others have proposed access-tiering
  (two-tier Internet) (Red Herring 31 Jan 2006)
• Prioritize packets Streaming video is the
  rationale

9
Access Network Neutrality (3/5)

• There is something wrong with network owners
  saying well guarantee fast video service from
  NBC on your broadband account. And there is
  something especially wrong with network owners
  telling content or service providers that they
  cant access a meaningful broadband network
  unless they pay an access tax.
• I dont mean wrong in the sense of immoral or
  even unfair. My argument is not about the social
  justice of Internet access. I mean wrong in the
  sense that such a policy will inevitably weaken
  application competition on the Internet and that
  in turn will weaken Internet growth.
• Testimony Lawrence Lessig Stanford Senate
  Commerce Science and Transportation Committee 7
  February 2006

10
Access Network Neutrality (4/5)

• HR 5252 Communications Opportunity Promotion
  and Enhancement Act of 2006 (COPE)
• Would set up a national franchise for cable
  companies replacing the current system of
  locally negotiated contracts.
• Would preempt state and local consumer protection
  laws preempt local government authority over
  municipal rights of way and preempt state laws
  prohibiting local governments from offering
  certain services to provide Internet access.

11
Access Network Neutrality (5/5)

• Ramblings on Net Neutrality
• Google Statement and Political Action
• SaveTheInternet.com
• ItsOurNet.org

12
Feedback 3x5 Cards

• Feedback on split lecture (lecture Tu/Th)
• Feedback on Tuesday discussion (1-5 think/write
  pair with students who had different questions)

13
Lab

• Video on adding second track to Audacity
• Help with FTP PPT finding sound etc.