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We’re Back! Here’s What We Missed

The site’s been stagnant for over a week now, an unfortunate side effect of a sole contributor who has a pesky thing like a day job.

Fortunately, the past week has been kinda slow. John McCain, of all people, introduced a bill to block net neutrality. If you haven’t seen it, here’s John Stewart’s take on it:

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart
Mon – Thurs 11p / 10c

From Here to Neutrality

www.thedailyshow.com

Daily Show

Continue reading We’re Back! Here’s What We Missed

With Neutrality Looming, ISPs Eye Metered Internet

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The Wall Street Journal reports that ISPs are looking at metered internet connections in response to calls for net neutrality.

"This could come down to carriers saying, ‘If you don’t allow us to manage our networks the way we see fit, then we will just have to cap everything,’ " says Phillip Dampier, a consumer advocate focusing on technology issues in Rochester, N.Y. "They’ll make it an either/or thing: give them more control over their network or expect metered broadband."

Dampier helped force the end of Time Warner

Continue reading With Neutrality Looming, ISPs Eye Metered Internet

FCC to Wireless Carriers: You Must Produce Additional Towers

133425430_b51beba0ce Federal Communications Commission chair Julius Genachowski unveiled his MBA (Mobile Broadband Agenda) today at the CTIA wireless conference in San Diego.

"I believe that the biggest threat to the future of mobile in America is the looming spectrum crisis," Genachowski said.

Plans for the MBA include loosening regulations to ensure faster cell tower construction, freeing up more of the radio spectrum for wireless data, fact-based decision making, and applying net neutrality regulations to wireless carriers.

And if Genachowski’s prediction of

Continue reading FCC to Wireless Carriers: You Must Produce Additional Towers

AT&T, Under FCC Pressure, Now Allowing VoIP Over 3G for iPhone

att-logo Today AT&T, in a surprise announcement, said it will begin allowing VoIP applications to utilize its 3G network. Before now, VoIP apps such as Vonage and Skype were allowed on Apple’s iPhone, under the condition that they be restricted to Wi-Fi or traditional telephone airtime.

Back in August AT&T admitted, in a letter to the FCC (PDF), to having an agreement with Apple to not create applications that would use their 3G network for VoIP.

It seems odd that

Continue reading AT&T, Under FCC Pressure, Now Allowing VoIP Over 3G for iPhone

Study: Universal, Neutral Broadband Access Vital

The Knight Commission strongly encourages public support of broadband and net neutrality.

The Knight Commission strongly encourages public support of broadband and net neutrality.

The U.S. Government should invest in widespread broadband availability, according to a study published Friday by the Knight Commission on the Information Needs of Communities in a Democracy.

All Americans should have access to high-speed Internet service wherever and whenever they need it…The Commission thus encourages public support for the development of applications that will make broadband service more attractive,” stated the commission, composed of “17 media, policy and community leaders”, including Google’s Marissa

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Just What is Net Neutrality, Anyway?

For the uninitiated: Net neutrality is gearing up to be a hot-button topic in the mainstream media, and you’ll definitely be hearing about it here on Teknocratix. But what it is?

From Wikipedia:

A neutral broadband network is one that is free of restrictions on content, sites, or platforms, on the kinds of equipment that may be attached, and on the modes of communication allowed, as well as one where communication is not unreasonably degraded by other communication streams.

Let’s put that into real world terms. Chances are, the internet as you know it now is pretty universal. For a flat monthly rate, you get access to any site on the internet,

Continue reading Just What is Net Neutrality, Anyway?