Broadband

Dissent in FCC over broadband rules

FCC Chairman Michael Powell is trying to revive rules that helped lower broadband prices from small competitors like Covad, according to USA Today. The issue is "line sharing," which forced the big phone companies to let the Covads of the world use customers' existing phone lines to offer DSL (the same way SBC or Verizon would) instead of buying an expensive extra line.

The FCC phased this out as part of its sweeping Triennial Review last year. That massive ruling was deeply contentious even within the regulatory body itself. Congress is looking at reopening telecommunications regulations next year, … Read more

RCN cable testing 7mbps

It looks like RCN is beta testing higher speeds for its cable broadband service, bumping some Boston subscribers up to 7 mbps downloads. A tech explains the service over in the forums at Broadband Reports.

Feds want wiretap access for VoIP, broadband

Don't trust that DSL, Tony Soprano. The Federal Communications Commission voted 5-0 today that broadband networks and Internet voice calls should be subject to federal wiretapping provisions. That will mean that cops can ask companies like Vonage to listen in on phone calls the same way they do with ordinary phone lines. The provisions won't apply to instant messaging or services that never actually use the public phone network, however.

Stacked panel on municipal broadband?

Cox and BellSouth (and other big network companies) hate the idea that local governments or utilities ?? say, in Lafayette, La. -- might set up shop to offer their own fiber networks to local residents. No surprise in that. The two companies invited a panel of experts to Lafayette this week to opine on the local utility district's plans to enter the high-speed network and ?? again, big shocker ?? all three experts said it wasn't a good idea .

We've written a bit about this, and think municipal districts are a good idea. They may not be perfect, but the … Read more

Like the Net too much? No Army for you

The Finnish Army is sending recruits home for being addicted to the Internet. I guess all those online shooter games aren't as good at making people violent killers as some people think.

According to Reuters: "For people who play (Internet) games all night and don't have any friends, don't have any hobbies, to come into the army is a very big shock," said Commander-Captain Jyrki Kivela at the military conscription unit. "They get sent home for three years and after that they have to come back and we ask if they are OK. They … Read more

Doom, and the difference a decade makes

Doom 3 came out today, and was immediately purchased by everyone who hadn't already downloaded it from one of the myriad Bittorrent feeds that had it available all weekend. I checked last night, and there were about 5000 people at once downloading the game (a 1.7 gig file, I think) just in the one place I was looking.

It's different, but not that different from a decade ago. I co-wrote a book last year looking at the history of video games, and we started one chapter talking about the huge traffic jam of people in 1993 waiting … Read more

Home theater sound, online in Sweden

Turns out that Swedish Radio is ahead of everybody on broadband digital audio. Who knew? DTS, the same company that does audio for theaters and high-end home audio, has been helping the station put 5.1 surround sound downloads of broadcasts on its Web site for a while. Now the two have paired to do high-quality 5.1 sound over a streamed Internet connection.

It takes a 1.5 mbps connection, but it sounds like the video on DVDs, they say. That might be tough with the average DSL connection in the U.S, but might just squeak in over … Read more

The wireless broadband wars

Eurotel Praha in the Czech Republic is the latest carrier to jump on the "3G" wireless bandwagon. The launch of the new service is Europe's first real "3G" deployment using the EV-DO (Evolution Data Optimized) standard. Verizon and Sprint have already poured billions of bucks into building these networks here in the U.S.

EV-DO was developed to provide broadband connection rates to cell phone and wireless users so they can send e-mail and surf the Web on mobile devices. Now that the technology is finally gaining steam, what's it mean for other wireless … Read more

Where did all the subscribers go?

Microsoft was mysteriously silent about the performance of its MLB.com deal. In my first blog entry I pegged the MLB deal as a hallmark in online sports programming, despite its $40 million price tag over two seasons. Might I have to eat crow?

During a presentation to analysts in its Redmond-Wa. headquarters, MSN Chief Yusuf Mehdi last week remained mum about it??s the division's subscription businesses. Instead, the veteran of Microsoft's many Internet campaigns focused his presentation on search. Knowing Microsoft, any significant uptick in broadband subscriptions would make top billing to investors.

I don't … Read more