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Morning Broadband Bytes

Around the Industry:

AT&T agrees to go nekid and keep the Net neutral for 30 months to get BellSouth -- so it seems
AOL first in top 22 U.S. ISPs by subscriber for Q3 2006
Verizon plans improved Pacific network after quake
Rumor Mill Alert: Yahoo and AOL to merge? Or will both be eaten by MS or Google?
WiFi chip makers vs Open Source software
IWF reforms could pave way for UK net censorship

SecurityBits:

Newsflash! Can-Spam was never meant to stop spam
Kaspersky adds Vista support to consumer AV

TidBytes:

Microsoft's Laptop Giveaway Rubs Some the Wrong Way
Judge dismisses patent lawsuit against Google's search tool bar
Congressional aide fired after trying to hire hackers
No Rush to Adopt Vista
Red Hat's next Linux due before March

More broadband bytes inside...

Around The Industry:

AT&T agrees to go nekid and keep the Net neutral for 30 months to get BellSouth... so it seems:

AT&T has apparently told the FCC that it will commit to adhere to network neutrality rules while guaranteeing low-cost DSL access for at least 30 months after the merger. Among the surprises: the cheap DSL would be naked DSL for $19.95. That certainly beats their old offering that made naked DSL just as expensive as if you bundled a useless phone line, around $45. However, the fine print tells another story. While they agree not to remove network neutrality from their standard network, hidden in the middle of a later paragraph is this sentence: "This commitment also does not apply to AT&T/BellSouth's Internet Protocol television (IPTV) service." At first that might seem innocuous, but AT&T's always planned on using the IPTV network as that high-speed toll lane it wants Google, Vonage and others to pay extra for. AT&T isn't even set up to put QoS on their existing network, so the agreement not to violate network neutrality on that network is effectively meaningless. The naked DSL they're promising is limited to only 768k down, and they don't state any upload speed at all.

AOL first in top 22 U.S. ISPs by subscriber for Q3 2006:

Using numbers from Jupiter Research, ISP-Planet lists the top US ISPs. AOL topped the list with 15.2 million, followed by Comcast (11 million), SBC/ATT (8.1million), Road Runner (6.6 million) and Verizon (6.6 million) to round out the top 5. Of the other notable ISPs, EarthLink came in 6th; BellSouth (DSL only) at 7; Charter at 9; and Cablevision finished in 11th place. Jupiter Research estimates the total number of subscribers in the United States to be 84.3 million subscribers at the end of Q3. ISP-Planet states they removed RCN and Cox from the list for failing to report subscriber numbers.

Verizon plans improved Pacific network after quake:

Verizon said it will build a multiroute network across the Pacific Ocean after an earthquake in Asia disrupted service and highlighted the need for a more robust system. The company said it would use the Transpacific Express cable to launch a mesh communications network to ensure uninterrupted voice and Internet service in case of a disruption by rerouting traffic on alternate lines. Verizon will form the mesh by connecting the consortium's cable with existing fiber lines in which it holds a stake. "This earthquake underscores that it is important, because of the seismic activity, to have multiple diverse routes to which you can seamlessly reroute traffic," a Verizon spokesman said.

Rumor Mill Alert: Yahoo and AOL to merge? Or will both be eaten by MS or Google?:

The rumor rounding the Internet is that Yahoo! is going to merge with AOL's American Internet portal baggies next year (2007). But another report by imediaconnection is speculating that both AOL and Yahoo! will be acquired by some other company, most probably our software giant from Redmond. With Time Warner considering selling AOL, no one is sure about the future of AOL. A Merrill Lynch analyst report came out in which they speculate that both AOL and Yahoo! are ready for a "transformation transaction in the coming 12 to 24 months." After Google bought Youtube, Fortune magazine mentioned this rumor back in October describing the merger of AOL with Yahoo! to impress the Wall Street.

WiFi chip makers vs Open Source software:

Have you ever wondered why it is hard to get wireless networking right on alternative operating systems such as Linux and OpenBSD? It appears the blame for this situation lies with chip makers including the likes of Broadcom, Intel, Marvell and scores of other companies. These are the findings of Jem Matzan, who writes The Jem Report. Matzan’s investigation shows that open source software coders are getting stymied by the chip makers. A major reason for the problems is that most companies are using proprietary firmware which eithter cannot be redistributed or has substantial restrictions.

IWF reforms could pave way for UK net censorship:

By the end of 2007, the UK Home Office intends that all ISPs "offering broadband internet connectivity to the UK public" will have implemented systems for content blocking, primarily intended to block access to pornographic images of children, which are illegal to view or possess in the UK. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department noted in an answer to a Parliamentary question in June that if the target is not achieved the government might consider legislation. No one in the industry can even guess at how much it will cost ISPs overall, and it is not even entirely clear what's meant by "public." Even the Home Office doesn't seem entirely sure. A spokesman says only: "It's important that we get the definition right."

Russian MP3 site toes (their) party line in response to latest round of lawsuits:

Russian MP3 site Allofmp3.com says legal action by US record firms to shut it down is "unjustified." In a statement on its website, the firm repeated assertions that its service was legal under Russian law. The company says it pays royalties to a Russian licensing body, but record firms say it is not authorized to accept payments. The lawsuit was filed in New York earlier this month on behalf of Arista Records, Warner Bros, Capitol and UMG recordings. Moscow-based Mediaservices, which runs Allofmp3.com and another music site, allTunes.com, said "An attempt by the major record labels to use a US court as part of its campaign against Allofmp3.com is imprudent" and that the suit was "unjustified as Allofmp3.com does not operate in New York." The website is already facing legal action from the British Phonographic Industry, on behalf of UK record labels.

Wireless data services? Hold the phone:

Brand name manufacturers won consumers' hearts with rich and novel features that include everything from three-megapixel cameras and GPS receivers to MP3 and video players. But the phone companies that provide the wireless data service to bring the features to life were playing hard to get. Relatively few people have been willing to pay the telecoms extra monthly fees to realize the full potential of their fashionable devices. Individuals remain reluctant to adopt wireless data features the way they have embraced wireless voice services.

132 million people access Web in China; 52 million on broadband:

China's population of Internet users has risen by 30% over the past year to 132 million, a state news agency said. The figure was up from 123 million at the end of June, the Xinhua News Agency said, citing the government's China Internet Network Information Center. It said the number of Chinese customers with broadband access has grown to 52 million. The rapid rise in Internet use has propelled growth in China's online commerce, advertising and games industries.

Italy follows UK's WiMax lead:

Following the UK's WiMax lead, Italy said it will start selling licences for WiMax-capable frequencies by June 2007. The sale is expected to generate between €100 million and €200 million for the Italian state, far below the billions gained from the sale of 3G mobile phone licences at the peak of the high-tech boom, analysts said. In a statement, the Communications Ministry said it had agreed for the reallocation of frequencies from military to commercial use, adding that the 3.4 - 3.6Ghz spectrum would be allocated for WiMax technology. The government is to sell the frequencies while it will be up to Italy's telecoms regulator AGCom to decide by February how it intends to distribute the them.

SecurityBits:

Newsflash! Can-Spam was never meant to stop spam:

As the federal Can-Spam Act nears its third anniversary, a spam researcher calls it a "big disappointment" and says it hasn't been a deterrent to junk e-mailers, who have stepped up their efforts in the last few months to flood inboxes with an unprecedented volume of spam. To be fair, Scott Chasin, the CTO of MX Logic, says Can-Spam was never meant to stop spam, only regulate it. But even at that job, the law has been a dismal failure. According to MX Logic's data, no more than 7% of all spam was ever compliant with the legislation's requirements. And that was within the act's first year. This year, compliance ran at all-time lows, never once reaching 1%. "It's just another reminder that the legislative leg is not having a lot of impact," Chasin says.

Kaspersky adds Vista support to consumer AV:

Moscow-based Kaspersky Lab updated its consumer security product line with beta support for Windows Vista. Maintenance Pack 2 for both Kaspersky Anti-Virus 6.0 (KAV) and Kaspersky Internet Security (KIS) 6.0 adds Vista support to the pair of programs, which debuted in May 2006. Current users can download the update free of charge. Kaspersky is only the latest security vendor to update its consumer line to account for Vista. Symantec, for example, has had betas of Vista versions of its Norton AntiVirus and Norton Internet Security available for several weeks.

Hardware, Software, and other TidBytes:

Microsoft's Laptop Giveaway Rubs Some the Wrong Way

Judge dismisses patent lawsuit against Google's search tool bar

Congressional aide fired after trying to hire hackers

No Rush to Adopt Vista

Red Hat's next Linux due before March

Mom, Google Ate My GMail!

Japanese Entertainment Group Not Satisfied By YouTube's Japanese Warning

New Archos 604-WiFi multipurpose portable media player is a Hummer

Shrinks: Geeks need video games

Firefox Creator No Longer Trusts Google
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GhostDoggy
join:2005-05-11
Duluth, GA

GhostDoggy

Member

Observe, offer, and lose?

O posted this in the BellSouth FastAccess forum, but it seems more appropriate here. A section from one news reporting agency:

"observe "network neutrality" principles, an offer of affordable stand-alone digital subscriber line service and a promise to give up some wireless spectrum"

These sound like a hollow concession. Observe principals, but what laws provide assurance they will not observe and deviate? How about we pass a law and take them to court every time the violate it?

Affordable standalone DSL product? The last time AT&T offered a standalone DSL product (in CA?) it was as, or more, expensive than the DSL product bundled with POTS. This examples how AT&T operates it's idea of concessions.

Give up wireless spectrum? They will probably give up portions of the wireless spectrum not needed, like antiquated or redundant in utilization. To me, these three items seems about as weak as one could imagine as concession-offerings.

I see no sincere offering here. Of course, I hadn't expected much more than hollowness in sincerity.

Varlik
Without Honor You Will Never Be Free
Premium Member
join:2002-01-06
Anderson, SC

1 edit

Varlik

Premium Member

Our government for sale.

Did anyone expect anything more then a dog and pony show to happen where the AT&T / BellSouth merger was concerned. When will folks realize that the FCC like the FDA is just another servant for Big Business. Serve the interest of American citizens right, what a laugh.

cATTn
@swbell.net

1 recommendation

cATTn

Anon

Re: Our government for sale.

Today we're getting cable VoIP -- AT&T is finally out of my life! Goodbye you spying lying overcharging SOBs

plk
Premium Member
join:2002-04-20
united state

plk

Premium Member

NO! NO! NO! NO!

This merger should not go through without Net Neutrality forever. I really don't want the Internet looking like a cable provider. These folks will destroy the Internet no if's and But's about it.

If the Bells want to go into the TV business....let them.....and they can use what ever protocol they want. But the sure the Hell are not going to run it over the Internet and block the net or degrade it like they desire.

Net Neutrality is life and death for the Internet.

Looks like we better keep calling and writing congress.

Evergreener
Sent By Grocery Clerks
join:2001-02-20
Evergreen, CO

Evergreener

Member

Re: NO! NO! NO! NO!

Net neutrality should only apply in non-competitive markets.

I'd rather see cable, telco and wireless compete instead of having the government telling them what service they can and cannot offer.

plk
Premium Member
join:2002-04-20
united state

plk

Premium Member

Re: NO! NO! NO! NO!

But isn't that still regulation??? Can you define competitive markets???? That in itself is a regulation nightmare waiting to happen. Not to mention all the lobbing it would cause and money wasted that could go into the network.

The Bells can do just about what ever they want. They can start a new Internet and call it what ever they want and offer what ever they want. They just can't take what is already here and free for the most part and make it their own private toll booth.

The easiest way is what we have now. Net Neutrality...... it just isn't law and it should be.

TechyDad
Premium Member
join:2001-07-13
USA

TechyDad

Premium Member

AOL continues it's decline

From Q2 2006 to Q3 2006, AOL lost 2.5 million subscribers. Over the past year (Q3 2005 to Q3 2006), they've lost 4.9 million. Plus, the number two ISP (Comcast) is now within striking distance of AOL. They went from 8.1 million to 11 million last year, for a gain for 3.1 million. If AOL continues to lose subscribers at this rate, and Comcast continues to gain at that rate, then 2007 will be the year that AOL topples from the top slot.

My predictions:

1. Quarter 2 of 2007 will be the Quarter That AOL Fell. Comcast will take over the top spot. Meanwhile, SBC and RoadRunner will be nipping at AOL's heals.

2. By Quarter 4 of 2007, AOL will be ranked third behind Comcast and SBC and just a hair ahead of RoadRunner. (It might even be fourth if RoadRunner picks up the pace slightly.)

3. AOL's subscriber bleed will accelerate after they aren't number one anymore. However, after awhile, AOL will be left with a core group of AOLers who, for whatever reason, continue to insist on paying AOL for Internet access. That core group won't dissipate easily and AOL's slide will slow down to a trickle. Of course, by that point, AOL won't be in the top 5 ISPs anymore. We'll probably see the "Core group" come into effect sometime in 2008.

wdh280
TWC Extreme
join:2001-10-13
Middletown, OH

wdh280

Member

Naked dsl for all plans

I try to get nakid dsl yesterday here in ohio they told me know because i had the elite package. Said if i wanted it i would have to downgrade...

Fatal Vector
join:2005-11-26

1 edit

Fatal Vector

Member

Re: Naked dsl for all plans


YAWN. And this is news because...? Move on. Nothing new here. Just more Ma Bell. Be afraid. Be VERY afraid.