This week’s 4cast:
1. ‘Net Neutrality Remains in Neutral (For Now)
The debate over net neutrality continues. While proponents believe that a neutral, non-tiered Internet allows the public to shape and control what happens online, telecommunications companies argue that increasing bandwidth demands justify their wanting to prioritize the traffic they deliver. On their side, the entertainment industry sees greater control by ISPs as a way to fight copyright infringement. It’s unclear how the government really feels about it.
- A neutral ‘Net needs up to twice the bandwidth of a tiered network (Ars Technica)
- MPAA to FCC: Net neutrality could kill a cornucopia of content (Ars Technica)
- FTC Net Neutrality Report Tortures Logic to Reach a Twisted Conclusion (Public Knowledge)
- WiLS World – Net Neutrality (Thoughts from a Library Administrator)
2. Google & Telcos Fighting for Air
The fight over what will become of the 700-MHz broadcast spectrum (see 4cast #60, item 4) is intensifying. Google would like to see it turned into a national wireless network that allows anyone to use any mobile device to access it (probably because they’ll be selling one). But the major telcos don’t want to lose control over how their wireless devices are used. The FCC is due to set some ground rules today.
- Google Goes for Wireless (LISNews)
- The FCC Needs To Listen To Google (TechCrunch)
- FCC: Nice Ideas, Google — But We Don’t Like All Of Them (Search Engine Land)
- FCC to Rule on Wireless Auction (The Washington Post)
3. We’re the Government & We’re Here to Parent You
The U.S. Senate held hearings last week about children’s online safety, and while some commenters have jumped all over their bipartisan call for universal Internet filtering, others suggest that it was only one part of a more nuanced discussion about information literacy.
- US Senators call for universal Internet filtering (Press Esc)
- U.S. Senators Announce ‘No Internet Filter Left Behind’ Campaign (Digital Daily)
- Senate Hearing on Online Safety: More Emphasis on Educating Kids (PBS: learning.now)
- The New Nanny State (LibraryPlanet.com)
4. The Kids Are All Wired
Meanwhile, all evidence suggests that when it comes to the Internet and technology in general, the kids are many, many bytes ahead of the grown-ups.
- New study about youth and tech assumptions (It’s all good)
- Guest Blog: Teens Weigh in on Changes in Publishing, Media (O’Reilly Radar)
- Kids say e-mail is, like, soooo dead (CNET)
- Chart: Who Participates And What People Are Doing Online (BusinessWeek)
