Tech coalition wants to use TV airwaves for broadband

The Washington Post reports Microsoft, Google Dell, Hewlett-Packard, Intel and Philips are pursuing an alternative fixed terrestrial route for wireless broadband using unused TV channels. The companies must first demonstrate the technology is feasible using a prototype device being developed by Microsoft and persuade the Federal Communications Commission the service won't interfere with existing broadcasts, The Post reported.

"Broadband drought" in the land down under

A first step is to build fibre-to-the-node (FTTN), extending optical fibre from telephone exchanges to street-corner nodes from where houses would be served by their telephone connections.

Telstra has offered to invest $4.2 billion in FTTN but has it on hold because the regulatory environment does not suit it.

Meanwhile, it is pursuing persuasion and public relations. "We have a broadband drought in this country, there's no question of that," Dr Burgess says. "This week the Government announced a broadband program at 256 kilobits per second, at almost the same time as Singapore announced a program to bring 100 megabits per second to 95 per cent of its population."

Comcast chief: DSL becoming the new dial up

Comcast Chairman and CEO Brian Roberts told the recent Bear Stearns 20th Annual Media Conference that given cable's broadband speed advantage over DSL, cable is to DSL what DSL is to dial up. Therefore, Roberts declared, DSL is the "new dial up."

Roberts' remarks reported in The Motley Fool would certainly give indigestion to lots of folks in places like El Dorado County who are stuck with dial up, unable to get DSL and often located only a mile or two -- or less -- from existing Comcast cable. Adding insult to injury, Comcast's Web site will inform visitors that cable is available in their ZIP codes when in fact it's not.

Telco/cable duopoly kills proposed legislation requiring disclosure of broadband deployments

This item comes from Art Brodsky of Public Knowledge, reporting on the successful lobbying efforts by the telco/cable duopoly to kill proposed Maryland legislation that would have required broadband providers report to the state on their deployments.

Apparently the telco/cable duopoly fears embarrassment and potential regulatory directives to expand broadband deployments if Maryland residents were able to determine the location of these companies' broadband black holes.

AT&T/Yahoo! High Speed Internet partnership in flux

AT&T is negotiating with Yahoo! over the future of its six-year-old partnership that features Yahoo! Web ads for AT&T's residential DSL service, The Wall Street Journal reports according to this Reuters story today.

One likely reason is AT&T has tapped out the Yahoo! market for its DSL services and lacks the necessary infrastructure to sell additional DSL connections to Yahoo! clickers such as your blogger who are constantly greeted with the message "AT&T Yahoo! High Speed Internet is not yet available" for their home phone number.

Additionally, given AT&T's promo rate of its lowest speed DSL service for $14.99 a month, there may not be enough money in the deal to justify continuing its partnership with Yahoo!

Wireless in America's heartland

Wireless broadband is best suited to America's heartland where line of sight radio signals travel relatively unimpeded over flat terrain. It's a natural interim alternative to more costly fiber wire-line based systems in places like Altus, Oklahoma. The city is entering negotiations for a citywide wireless broadband utility that will bring not only provide high speed Internet, but also bring money into the city's coffers.

Fiber consortium calls for national broadband policy

The Fiber to the Home Council, which describes itself as nonprofit consortium of telecommunications and networking companies as well as utilities and municipalities promoting the deployment of Fiber To The Home (FTTH), is calling on Congress to promulgate a national policy objective of providing next-generation (fiber versus metal wire based) broadband networks to a majority of Americans by 2010 with universal access by 2015. "To ensure that consumers can both receive and transmit video and other high-speed services, applications, and content, these networks should have transmission speeds in excess of 100 Mbps and symmetrical access capabilities," the FTTH Council said.

The FTTH Council is also urging Congress to enact legislation providing tax incentives for next-generation broadband deployment, preempting state laws barring local governments from building broadband infrastructure, reauthorizing the Rural Utility Service Loan Guarantee Program for next-generation broadband networks, permitting the Universal Service Fund to be used for next-generation broadband network deployment and earmarking $500 million in USF funds for broadband deployment in rural areas. In addition, the Federal Communications Commission should be required to issue annual reports on next-generation broadband network deployments and include recommendations on additional policies that would accelerate the deployment of next-generation broadband networks, the FTTH Council said.