2000 Archives

So Long Y2K, Hello Y2K1
[December 28, 2000] What mountains of bureaucracy will ISP owners have to climb in the new year? The best way to determine the peaks and valleys of future ISP policy is to take stock of the past.

Defining Open Access
[December 14, 2000] Before open access can become the de facto national policy allowing independent ISPs to offer cable services to consumers, we need to make sure we're all talking about the same thing.

FCC Proposes Perpetual Spectrum Splits
[December 5, 2000]  Regulators reckon opening secondary markets for re-licensing spectrum will resolve current supply-side woes for wireless service providers. Can the government really create an entirely new industry out of thin air?

Sunshine State Casts a Cloud Over Open Access
[November 13, 2000] U.S. District Court Judge's opinion in cable access case likely to produce a new storm of controversy.

High-Speed Internet Service Update [November 2, 2000]
The FCC finds 4.3 million high-speed Internet users in the US (we find more). It's not quite as exciting as Steve Martin's portrayal of Navin R. Johnson in The Jerk when the new phone book arrives, but it's new numbers all the same.

Uh-Oh! Canada [Oct. 31, 2000] 
Customers wonder if Canada can sort out cable service concerns. Is anybody @Home?

Oh! Canada [Oct. 26, 2000] 
Canada's top cable access provider is shoveling its way out from under a landslide of customer complaints.

COPA Commission Swaps Web Cops [Oct. 23, 2000] 
Advisory committee charged with protecting kids from porn ask smut peddlers to regulate their online activities in accordance with the law.

Armey Aims Attack at Carnivore [Oct. 20, 2000] 
Republican House Majority Leader continues to challenge governments use of the Carnivore cyber snooping system developed for the FBI.

ICANN Names Names [Oct. 11, 2000] 
Five new board members have been elected, but voter turnout was low around the world.

FCC Backbones Study Hits the Mark  [Sept. 28, 2000] 
Why nothing is a good thing when it comes to federal regulations that could impact peering and transit agreements with backbone providers.

Possible Way Out Of DSL Hell [Sept. 22, 2000] 
New Edge Networks is touting its solution to installation woes.

Who Needs the Money? [Sept. 20, 2000] 
The former Bell companies complain that reciprocal compensation is costing them billions of dollars per year. There's no right or wrong, just different ends of a copper wire.

The FCC's Insecurity [Sept. 15, 2000] 
Thursday's monthly meeting of the FCC was supposed to include a discussion of the "open access" cable issue. It failed to even open up the debate, let alone deliver a national broadband policy.

mPhase: Where Glass and Copper Meet TV [Sept. 8, 2000] 
Can a company born from Defense Department technology get copper to act like coax even after it passes through glass? If so, it could turn the table on the incumbents and on AOL, by allowing every provider to offer TV over DSL (TVoDSL?).

Legacy of the 106th Congress [Sept. 8, 2000] 
The 106th Congress is nearly finished. Of the laws that Congress has not yet passed, we examine those that would have the greatest effect on the Internet economy.

FCC Opens Spectrum [Sept. 1, 2000] 
The FCC made a major policy shift, allowing hopping channels to span 75 megahertz. Hopping enables data transmission speeds of 10 megabits per second. But some equipment manufacturers, including Cisco, are worried.

SBC Spends $5 Million, Picks Up $1.3 Billion  [Aug. 31, 2000] 
SBC moves into streaming media as it gets paid to outsource the risk and reward associated with building its wireless network.

Fed's Fancy Footwork for Wireless Auctions [Aug. 30, 2000] 
FCC's latest rules invite smaller wireless firms to the big dance but still enforce spectrum caps.

Cisco Delivers [Aug. 29, 2000] 
Cisco allies with major ISP players, including Network Appliance, to move content to the edge of the network, speeding delivery.

SBC Puts DSL Limits on Trial [Aug. 23, 2000] 
Like a good neighbor, the telecom giant shares its groundbreaking DSL tests in "Project Pronto."

EarthLink DSL Grows [Aug. 21, 2000] 
EarthLink added 50,000 new broadband users in less than four months

The Politics of Numbers: Taking a Second
Look at the FCC's Second Broadband Report [Aug 10, 2000] 
On the face of it, the FCC is taking the broadband bull by the horns, collecting vital data that will shape communications policy for decades to come. But a peek below the surface reveals some scary surprises about the accuracy of the info.

Another Free ISP Tops 4 Million Mark [Aug. 8, 2000] 
We examine how subscriber numbers work for a free ISP, and how advertising technology is the most important element of any successful free ISP.

Three's Company [Aug. 4, 2000] 
In three easy pieces, we discuss how Washington, D.C., London, and Beijing principals produce principles for governing the Internet. Three pieces on three issues: police power, incumbent lobbying, and personal privacy.

FCC Delays Auction Again [Aug. 3, 2000] 
Next-generation wireless Internet services delayed again.

Jato Communications: Denver's Best Kept Secret? [Aug. 2, 2000] 
Just south of Denver, you will find a typical small town menagerie featuring the natural splendor of the area. It's just about the last place you would expect to find a national broadband service provider, a mid-sized company looking for ISP partners across the US — especially ISPs with good sales forces.

ISP Profile: 1stUp.com [Aug. 1, 2000] 
CMGI's free ISP is a frugal master of affinity marketing, the prince of tech utilitarianism. For example, everyone knows that ads are key to the free ISP business model. 1stup.com has software that allows advertisers to deliver TV ads through flash over the Web.

Big Pipe, Inc. [July 28, 2000]
Shaw Communications Inc. is building a fibre-optic network across Canada.

AOL, Time Warner Make Merger Case Before FCC [July 27, 2000]
 In today's late-breaking news, Steve Case said that if AOL and Time Warner are allowed to merge, "We will use our leadership to build a better world." The hearing exposed divisions between FCC Chairman William Kennard and Commissioner Harold Furchtgott-Roth.

Has the RIAA Made the Internet Illegal? [July 27, 2000] 
The implications of Judge Patel's Napster ruling may be far wider than you realize. Is file sharing illegal? Are links subject to judicial review? Or will this ruling do what the legislature did to encryption software developers — drive the industry outside the United States?

Protest Planned During AOL Merger Review [July 26, 2000] 
The Consumer Project on Technology argues that cable operators want the freedom to speed up access to affiliated or favored Internet content, while deliberately putting competitors on a slower service.

Group Moves to Crack Instant Messaging Barriers  [July 25, 2000]
Leading technology companies, all of whom have feuded with AOL, Tuesday launched a new coalition to resolve instant messaging interoperability standards.

DSL Providers Get Failing Grade [July 24, 2000] 
International research firm, ATLANTIC-ACM, Monday released a report slamming the customer service record of many of the nation's top DSL providers.

AT&T's Ad-Supported Internet Access Plan [July 21, 2000] 
The telecom giant is offering advertising-subsidized Internet services for less than $5 a month.

The Appetite of Carnivore [July 20, 2000] 
Carnivore is software that is installed by the FBI on ISPs' networks. There are complex legal restrictions on its use, and we examine them in detail. ISPs should know that Carnivore crashed Earthlink's service.

Who Will Guard the Web? [July 14, 2000] 
The American Bar Association discusses how to make laws for the Internet. Although self-regulation is encouraged, basic standards on topics such as privacy are needed. Since most laws are national, but the Internet is international, no single authority can rule the Web. Worldwide cooperation will be necessary.

NTT Extends Deadline of Verio Buyout  [July 14, 2000] 
In exchange for allowing the deal to occur, FTC officials may insist that NTT lower its interconnection rates.

Top 12 ISPs by Subscriber [July 11, 2000]
We rank ISPs by overall subscriber numbers.

Monopoly or Access? [July 8, 2000] 
As the FCC is tapped by the courts to rule on cable access, the US Internet Industry Association (USIIA), a pro-ISP lobbyist, argues that AT&T/Excite@Home and AOL/Time Warner will soon have unstoppable monopolies in place unless the FCC can move faster than government agencies usually do.

Napster May be Shut Down by Injunction [July 6, 2000] 
Napster argued in court that its software increases music industry revenues just as VCR technology has increased the revenues of the movie industry. Napster submitted several other arguments in its favor, including the argument that it should be treated as an ISP.

Massachussetts Slated for Open Access  [June 30, 2000] 
AT&T will conduct a multiple ISP pilot program in up to three Massachusetts communities, no later than October 31, 2001.

We're American! [June 28, 2000] 
On July Fourth, the United States' ISPs should remember this: Interdependence fosters independence. Broadband service aggregation is possible, and could deliver extraordinary profits for everyone.

AT&T Wins Open Access Battle, Round Two  [June 23, 2000] 
U.S. Court of Appeals rules localities cannot mandate open access to cable networks, but open access advocates foresee further legal hurdles for the telco.

If Congress Endorses E-Signatures, Will Consumers?
[June 21, 2000] Known in short as the E-SIGN bill, [S.761] provides a standardized federal e-signature statute permits e-mail use for contractual communications. We look at one company already working this way.

Fixed Wireless ISP Seeks Wired Partners [June 16, 2000] 
AIR2LAN, a high speed wireless broadband Internet provider, tries to expand its footprint by partnering with local ISPs.

Affinity Maketing [June 13, 2000] 
Affinity marketing is great if you can pitch your deal to key decision-makers and quickly land a referral deal that doesn't cost your ISP. But how do you reach a large group or organization if you don't have inside connections? One company has found a way.

ISP Profile: bedford.net [June 12, 2000] 
bedford.net is a small town ISP that once had the town to itself. But as competition heats up, is finding that challenges only make the company stronger.

Parties Launch Portals [June 12, 2000] 
Both parties go online. The Democrats build a pitched-to-the-proletariat free ISP, and the Republicans an officious .gov portal.

Democrats Launch Free ISP [June 9, 2000] 
The DNC is pitching its free Internet access program as a bridge over the "Digital Divide." The service uses access facilitator MillionEyes.com and its portal is designed by iBelong.com.

Earthlink Buys OneMain.com [June 8, 2000] 
EarthLink will purchase OneMain.com and its 762,000 subscribers through a cash and stock transaction valued at near $308 million.

Cable Failures are DSL's Opportunity [June 6, 2000] 
In rural North Texas, one Internet startup complains of inadequate cable broadband service. Complacent cable companies, unable to provide even the barest minimum of customer service, may be surrendering the market to hungry DSL providers.

Can Open Access Overcome Cable Pain Threshhold?
[June 2, 2000] Why has a White House Memo on Open Access been concealed for a year? The memo is a detailed technological piece that illustrates how complex open access is for both cable companies and independent Internet service providers.

Fighting Incumbents in an Election Year [June 1, 2000] 
While Competitive Local Exchange Carriers (CLECs) such as Covad and Rhythms fight legal battles just to do business, incumbents (ILECs) such as SBC spend billions to change the shape of their networks to render written laws useless, and government agencies require 270 days to act.

Nokia's Wired and Wireless Moves [May 30, 2000] 
Nokia's plans for wireless 3G and pan-European DSL access move forward.

ISPs Help Firefighting Effort [May 12, 2000] 
A group of Internet professionals in New Mexico are providing vital information and keeping the lines open as a wildfire rages in New Mexico.

More Napster News [May 11, 2000] 
The music industry resorts to litigation. Will the music die?

Sprint's Wireless Technolgy Rocks the Monopoly [May 9, 2000] 
Sprint's fixed wireless service overcomes last mile delivery limitations inherent to digital subscriber line distance restrictions and coax-bound high-speed cable services, cutting out the Bells' cable and copper monopolies.

Courting the Great Unwired [May 2, 2000] 
The single biggest source of potential ISP customer growth is Net novices—individuals with no online experience. One company has set out to corner this market.

Must ISPs Help Governments Censor the Net? [April 27, 2000]
The list of governments attempting to control speech on the Internet includes China, Turkey, Singapore, Myanmar. . . and Australia and the United States.

Tax Report is an Insult to Democracy  [April 17, 2000] 
Commissions like the ACEC enable big corporations to legislate. When corporations write laws, the people no longer participate in government, and democracy ceases to exist.

FCC Distributes Y2K E-Rate Funds  [April 14, 2000] 
The Federal government's Internet access assistance program begins to pay dividends for the nation's schools and libraries.

The English Are Different  [April 11, 2000] 
A recent UK libel case highlights some differences between US and UK law — differences that are very significant for ISPs.

Nortel's Broadband Gang [April 6, 2000] 
Who will set the standards for broadband?

Can We Win a War on Spam? [April 4, 2000] 
The House is considering a law that would involve the FCC and the US courts in fighting spam, and allow ISPs to sue spammers. Can they can spam? Can anyone?

AT&T Bares its Teeth  [March 30, 2000] 
AT&T achieves majority control of Excite@Home, but still will not guarantee open access to third party ISPs until the exclusivity agreements expire. And then? There may be "technological barriers."

Internet Taxation Deadline Looms   [March 21, 2000] 
Many assume that Congress will never tax the Internet, but some believe it will — and doing so would kill e-commerce. A storm of lobbyists gathers as an important Congressional advisory commission concludes its hearings today.

Are Privacy Laws Good or Bad for ISPs?   [March 17, 2000] 
The ECPA defines ISPs' rights and obligations concerning privacy issues, the Internet, the Web, and other electronic communications. We provide an overview.

The Napster Nightmare    [March 13, 2000] 
Network admins—especially at universities—are tearing their hair out as this unassuming music-finding tool sucks up bandwidth, bringing networks to their virtual knees.

FCC: Internet Ditch-digger or Puppet to the Powerful?  [March 9, 2000] 
Chairman Wm. Kennard has heralded AOL/Time-Warner's latest position on open cable access "a significant setp in the right direction." But is the commission realy looking out for consumers?

Election 2K Profile: Bill Bradley [March 3, 2000] 
Bradley goes on record as a proponent of high-tech innovation, online privacy, and strong encryption. But don't expect the Internet to remain indefinitely tax-free should Bradley occupy the White House.

The Way the Cookie Crumbles  Patricia Fusco
[February 16, 2000]  When online advertising giant DoubleClick got caught sharing the contents of its cookie jar with a consumer research organization, the crumbs began to fly.

Election 2K Profile: George W. Bush  [January 27, 2000] 
As governor, Bush has cut taxes on Net access. He wants to make the Internet a worldwide duty-free zone.

Election 2K Profile: Orrin Hatch   [January 20, 2000] 
A long-time Net booster, Sen. Hatch supports nurture of Net commerce, and battles cyber-squatters.

Election 2K Candidate Profile: John McCain [January 13, 2000] 
ISP-Planet's exclusive series of presidential candidate profiles—from the Internet industry perspective. Through his legislative efforts Sen. McCain is a major force in shaping US Internet policy.

Election 2K Candidate Profile: Steve Forbes [January 4, 2000] 
The second in a series of profiles of leading presidential candidates—from the Internet industry perspective. Forbes opposes taxing Net commerce, and supports individula privacy.

1999 Archives

Dingell Demands Open Access Deadline   [December 22, 1999] 
Although positive about the principles behind AT&T's recent 'open access' declaration, Rep. John Dingell cites contradictions, demands clarification on multiple issues.

Election 2K Candidate Profile: Al Gore   [December 21, 1999] 
The first in a series of political profiles of leading presidential candidates—from the Internet industry perspective. He's not the father of the Net, but his Internet IQ is high.

IVI Pitches Last Ditch Effort for Leased Access   [December 16, 1999] 
Long-time proponent of leased access to cable, Internet Ventures, launched a final sortie in its ongoing battle for a supportive ruling from federal regulators.

@Home for the Holidays   [December 16, 1999] 
Was AT&T's C. Michael Armstrong playing Santa when he announced the telecom giant's intent to share its cable networks, or the Grinch that stole Open Access?

The British Are Coming!  [November 22, 1999] 
Her Majesty's government has pared security restraints from its Electronic Communications bill, bolstering the position of U.K. e-commerce and cryptography firms.

FCC Decision Bolsters ISPs' DSL Position   [November 18, 1999] 
The Commission yesterday ruled RBOCs out of order in forcing customers to install a second POTS line when getting DSL from competitve carriers.

Porn Protection, Free Speech Don't Mix [November 18, 1999] 
Congress is discovering that trying to regulate children's access to pornography on the Internet is an absurd exercise in lawmaking.

Regional ISP Cable Bid Thwarted [October 26, 1999] 
Southeast ISP Web Shoppe was preparing to launch its first cable-modem product when Paul Allen's Vulcan Ventures entered the picture and the deal dried up.

AT&T, FCC Wheel & Deal [October 14, 1999] 
Recent policy shifts at both the telecommunications behemoth and the top telecom regulating body may add up to an emerging broadband policy, but ISPs are left out in the cold.

AT&T Plays Hardball in Western Colorado [September 28, 1999]
Telecom giant declares that leased cable access policy may cause the company to pick up its marbles and go home—leaving region without broadband access.

E-Legislation: Congress Takes On Spam   [September 8, 1999]
The scourge of unsolicited email has finally registered on Capitol Hill's legislative RADAR screen. What this help, hurt, or just be a ho-hum?

Congress Unleashes E-Legislation   [August 31, 1999] 
Scores of U.S. legislators are busy creating laws that should fill the regulation vacuum that has so far surrounded the Internet.

A Regulatory Fairytale for the 21st Century   [August 19, 1999] 
FCC 'Chancellor' Wm. Kennard, vows to end the plague of Bureaucracy and Govt. Interference, setting US citizens—and their telecom providers—free.

FIDNET: Will Big Brother Be Watching You?   [August 10, 1999] 
In hopes of nabbing network hackers and other computer terrorists, the federal goernment proposes to monitor all networks, public and private.

ISP Peddles Parental Peace of Mind   [July 27, 1999]
New national provider features intelligently filtered Net access, plus family-oriented original content. Can they corner the market serving today's 9 million sub-teenage kids?

Making Cable Work  [July 13,1999]
Recognizing early on that the telco pricing model wouldn't work for cable modem access, CableWeb Systems has built the hardware and software to deliver secure, multi-tiered cable access—now.

Barnyard Socioeconomics of Cable Access [June 29, 1999] 
One outspoken FCC Commissioner favors a classic free-range approach to the cash cow of cable Internet access.

Should ISPs be Content Police?  [June 24, 1999] 
Reccent court rulings in the U.S. and Britain have held ISPs responsible for libelous e-mails and Usenet posts passed on by their servers. Will ISPs have to become censors in self defense?

Cable Access War Rages on Multiple Fronts  [June 18, 1999] 
The escalating struggle between cable TV conglomerates and ISPs hungry for broadband access has spilled over into federal courts, the FCC, and now, the U.S. Congress.

Hope for U.S. Encryption Policy?  [June 14, 1999] 
The German government just came out in favor of privacy rights over the interests of law enforcement. Is it time for our government to revisit and rethink this issue?

Legal Liability Pegged to ISP's Location  [June 11, 1999] 
A recent Federal District Court ruling may force ISPs to move Usenet servers offshore to avoid making their customers liable to prosecution in the U.S.

Federal Court Affirms Open Cable Access  [June 7, 1999] 
In a decision announced Friday, June 4, U. S. District Court Judge Owen Panner upheld an order by local and county governments in Oregon that AT&T open its cable network to ISPs.

Who Killed Reciprocal Compensation in Massechusetts? [May 24, 1999] 
The FCC's recent ruling on the interstate nature of Internet dial-up calls set the stage for this reversal of Massachusetts state policy on recip. comp.—but who is really to blame?

Sects, Lies, and Red Tape
Part 1: Telecommunications Funding Pollutes Public Opinion
Part 2: Protest and Survive
Part 3: The Unregulated Internet Masquerade
Consumer sects, telephone company lies, and legislative red tape are choking the life out of ISPs. The FCC’s disallowance of Internet regulation and Congressional renunciation of any legislative efforts will transform the Internet into a look-alike gateway to a branded worldwide web.

Unbundling Cable   [May 18, 1999]  It's not a matter "if" the FCC will unbundle cable networks. It remains a matter of "when" the federal government will move to legislate.

Back to current features