Charter Communications Wants To Be The New Comcast

News reports indicate since federal regulators shot down Comcast’s bid to takeover Time Warner Cable Charter Communications has made a renewed attempt to buyout TWC. Charter is also seeking permission to buy Bright House Networks another cable company making New Charter the second biggest cable company y behind Comcast. This three way merger has its own risks for consumers and competition. Charter in an attempt to win favor with regulators is spinning itself as the anti Comcast and promising to not engage in any ISP discrimination for at least three years if the deals are approved. One acquisition may be plausible but acquiring both seems impractical and regulators should be skeptical of approving this three way merger as is. They should either allow one of the deals and block the other one with conditions, block both outright or even if they do consent to both only do so with stringent conditions attached.

Charter expects government review of the deals to conclude by winter and with approval to complete the merger by year end. It will be a waiting game to see what happens. Public comments are now being taken on this deal so anyone with concerns should make their voices heard now.

Why Microsoft is Terrifying Windows Developers Over Coding

Microsoft’s Windows 8 Metro interface sure looks pretty with its tiled background but news that the operating system will require new APIs for applications that run in this new environment has at least some developers on edge. According to Microsoft applications in its new finger friendly operating system will have to be optimized for touch screen use to work within the Metro environment. A major part of Windows 8’s new look and feel and the software giant’s attempt to make it a viable tablet operating system are new full screen immersive applications. Windows 8 will include new APIs for developing these applications. Now having new APIs is not what’s spooking developers the issue is there have never been apps like this before on Windows so the old APIs won’t work. Windows developers have developed a lot of time, money and effort into the platform. Over the years they’ve learned Win32, COM, MFC, ATL, Visual Basic 6, .NET, WinForms, Silverlight and in Windows 7 WPF. All of these technologies at one time or another were needed to create desktop applications for Windows. With the exception of Visual Basic 6, all of them are still more or less supported on Windows today, and none of them can do it all; all except Visual Basic 6 and WinForms have a role to play in modern Windows development.

So for these developers to learn Windows 8 will use HTML 5 and JavaScript for its new immersive applications was more than a little disturbing. After all such a switch requires discarding two decades of knowledge and expertise in Windows development. This just goes to show how untrustworthy Microsoft can be. For consumers the fact that Windows RT which runs on the same ARM architecture as Apple’s iOS making it incompatible with x86 based Wintel programs cannot run alternative web browsers is also a raw deal.

Frankly, whether or not Microsoft is investigated over Windows RT anti competitive behavior consumers in the mobile device business can vote with their wallets and have real choices. Remember, Microsoft has been a monopolist in the past and has attempted to use their monopoly position to illegally thwart competition. It’s one thing to want to outperform your competitor it’s another to want to kill it entirely. The good news for anyone but Microsoft is with the software giant facing real competition Windows 8 adoption remains flat. Few consumers are willing to upgrade their PCs to Windows 8 and to try and entice people the Redmond software giant is offering Windows 8 coupons to Windows 7 PC buyers to upgrade their computer for free. My biggest complaint with Microsoft has always been the Windows Tax that has to be paid even when buying a PC without Windows the good news is Microsoft can’t bully their way to dominance in the smartphone and tablet market.

AT&T Stockpiling More 700 MHz Spectrum Threatens Interoperability

AT&T Mobility since its T-Mobile merger was shot down is attempting smaller spectrum acquisition deals like the one they had with Qualcomm that was approved. Despite AT&T losing some AWS spectrum to T-Mobile as part of the breakup agreement they gained some licenses to 700 MHz airwaves from Qualcomm and now want more from 700 MHz LLC even if threatens any future hope of 4G LTE Interoperability (700 MHz Interoperability 12-69). To submit non-docketed comments/pleadings or confidential pleadings to the FCC regarding this application groups or individuals participating must have registered with the FCC to participate in Universal Licensing System proceedings. Once logged in a pleading for ULS File Number 0005262760 which is the file number associated with this application can be submitted. Petitions to Deny this application are due by July 25th, 2012 with Oppositions due August 6th, 2012 and Replies due August 13th, 2012. I have already participated in this proceeding myself submitting my concerns stating why the deal should either be conditionally approved or denied. As it is much smaller than AT&T T-Mobile merger and is purely a spectrum swap there are less competitive concerns than there were for that proposed merger but some concerns do exist that need addressing.

As noted above the transaction(s) at issue here could further derail or threaten any future hope for 4G LTE device carrier interoperability among carriers offering 4G LTE services and as such the FCC should carefully review and evaluate all the evidence submitted for or against the transaction(s) at issue here. The FCC as I will explain in an upcoming article should implement and enforce 700 MHz interoperability rules which will benefit smaller carriers and foster greater competition. This is because the Big 2 carriers AT&T and Verizon have benefited from a non interoperable wireless market even making devices on their own networks incompatible with each other’s network. So not only are devices on AT&T’s network incompatible with those pof smaller carriers including Sprint Nextel, T-Mobile USA, MetroPCS, Leap Wireless (Cricket), U.S. Cellular, C-Spire (Cellular South) etc but devices on AT&T’s network are also incompatible with those on Verizon’s network and vice versa.

Related articles

• C Spire can’t find devices for its 700 MHz band class (nfcdata.com)
• U.S. Cellular interested in buying Verizon’s 700 MHz spectrum (fiercewireless.com)
• RCA abandons handset exclusivity fight in favor of 700 MHz interoperability (fiercewireless.com)
• AT&T interested in Verizon’s 700 MHz Lower A and B Block spectrum (fiercewireless.com)
• Regional Carriers Debunk AT&T’s 700MHz Interference Claims (phonescoop.com)

Verizon T-Mobile Deal Appeasing FCC To Allow SpectrumCo Swap

According to the rumor mill Verizon’s proposed AWS spectrum swap with T-Mobile and their 700 MHz divestitures are appeasing the FCC into accepting the SpectrumCo swap but the DOJ is still worried about the JOE with the cable companies. Whether the FCC is intent on approving it its reported they won’t do so without DOJ support as well. This is good news for consumers and competition especially if reports are accurate that the DOJ might oppose these sweetheart deals.

Opposition to Verizon’s cable deals continue from public interest groups and consumers wanting to ensure sufficient broadband and mobile broadband competition continue despite the agency resale and joint operating entity agreements
between these companies. Since a Comcast executive has admitted this is an integrated transaction both the DOJ and FCC should be examining both aspects in combination. The fact is as bad as both the license transfer and JOE are individually they are far worse together for consumers. The Consumers Federation of America has even spoken out that the JOE ends the 1996 Telecommunications Act’s competitive promise for consumers by turning competitors into partners so they can divy up the spoils of the Internet market by dividing the Internet amongst themselves. These deals must not be allowed to proceed at least not with the JOE. The license transfer must either be conditionally approved and the JOE denied or both rightly denied.

Related articles

• Verizon’s cable deals reportedly get FCC approval, but DoJ remains unconvinced (fiercewireless.com)
• MetroPCS, RCA favor Verizon/T-Mobile AWS spectrum swap, but say it’s not enough (fiercewireless.com)
• Lawmakers Object to Verizon Spectrum Deal, FCC Declines Delay (pcmag.com)
• Verizon’s cable deals reportedly get FCC approval, but DoJ remains unconvinced (nfcdata.com)
• Why Verizon Wireless helped T-Mobile: To appease the FCC (zdnet.com)
• Broadband competition fears may lead DOJ to block Verizon spectrum deal (arstechnica.com)
• AT&T interested in Verizon’s 700 MHz Lower A and B Block spectrum (fiercewireless.com)

U.S. Copyright Office To Decide Fate Of Phone, Tablet Jail Breaking

The Librarian of Congress must issue a ruling this year on whether the U.S. Copyright Office‘s existing DMCA exemptions for legally jail-breaking smartphones will be renewed and/or extended to cover tablets or not. I support the jail-breaking exemptions and am hopeful they will be renewed and extended. Another DMCA exemption to cover general purpose computer operating systems on desktop and laptop computers should be granted. After soliciting comments from individuals including myself on these matters the Copyright Office is now holding hearings where representatives of public interest groups like the Electronic Frontier Foundation are testifying in support of the exemptions and opponents able to testify are likely testifying in opposition.

It is my hope after all the testimony has been given that the Librarian of Congress will grant a renewal of the 2010 DMCA exemption for legally jail-breaking smart-phones and extend it to cover tablets in addition to supporting a DMCA exemption for legally jail-breaking general purpose computer operating systems for desktop and notebook computers. Meanwhile I and others supportive of device carrier interoperability continue to press the FCC to issue a ruling requiring interoperability in the 700 MHz bands. I strongly believe that the Federal Communications Commission should require device carrier interoperability for carriers using 700 MHz spectrum, issue AWS Service Rules and deny the Verizon SpectrumCo and Cox transactions due to the spectrum concentration that would occur and collusive nature of the joint operating entity agreements. Of course I’ve discussed some of these issues in prior posts and am merely stressing the importance of these issues again.

Carterfone & AT&T Breakup Enabled Opening of Equipment Business

In 1984 AT&T in exchange for government permission to enter the computer equipment business agreed to a breakup of its subsidiaries into several Regional Baby Bells. The breakup was very beneficial for consumers and resulted in greater competition. Unfortunately, in the 2000s AT&T Corp., as it came to be known was allowed to re-merge with two of the original Baby Bells from the Ma Bell System: SBC Communications and later Bell South. Another Baby Bell MCI eventually become part of Verizon Communications which is a co-owner of Verizon Wireless.

What some people don’t know is in 1968 the FCC ruled that wire-line telephones had to be made compatible with any telephone company. The Carterfone decision as it was called paved the way for the innovation of the fax machine and allowed innovation in the phone equipment business that the AT&T monopoly otherwise sought to curtail. Today the wireless market for cellular phones and tablets looks a lot unfortunately like the phone equipment market pre Carterfone with wireless carriers allowed to dictate which handsets work with which carriers. It is imperative that this be resolved eventually for the benefit of the consumer.

Right now the Federal Communications Commission is accepting comments on a proceeding regarding interoperability rules for carriers with 700 MHz of wireless spectrum (12-69). They also have an open proceeding on Advanced Wireless Services (AWS) rules for holders of AWS spectrum (12-70). I would encourage anyone who has not had a chance to comment on these proposals to file comments as soon as possible in support of interoperability requirements for carriers using both 700 MHz and AWS spectrum. Furthermore, anyone wanting to contribute their opinion(s) on such rules are certainly welcome in doing so and public input is certainly a good thing. Otherwise the corporations against interoperability and any rules benefiting the public’s interest would be the only ones to speak out. We need to show their is support for pro consumer policies like these that also benefit smaller wireless companies and are thus pro competitive. AT&T Mobility and Verizon Wireless might not like these rules but the proposed rules benefit smaller companies and consumers a like.

I have already commented myself in these proceedings and mentioned having an open equipment market for cellular phones and tablets that can work with the carrier of the individual’s choice and would encourage others to do so as well. Please note that the FCC’s next Open Commission meeting is on Friday April 27th at which time they will vote on some proposed rules in proceedings related to standardized and enhanced disclosure pertaining to broadcaster’s public interest obligations (00-168) that while still open the commenting period for rules has passed, and on a few other proceedings related to USF contributions etc.

T-Mobile Call Center Layoffs Results in AT&T Disingenuous Attack on FCC

A few weeks back it was announced that T-Mobile USA which survived a takeover attempt from AT&T Mobility would layoff several call center workers. AT&T which has also laid off call center workers reacted saying their merger could have saved these jobs. Never mind the fact that many duplicative jobs would have been lost as a result of the merger in retail and engineering and that the takeover was anti-competitive as AT&T believes that it could have saved these jobs had the merger occurred.

AT&T is now publicly criticizing the FCC like a sore loser upset at the denial of their merger. Even though they got a nice consolation prize in the form of 700 MHz of unused wireless spectrum from Qualcomm that regulators allowed AT&T to acquire they want to resort to petty attacks against this agency. The fact is the U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Communications Commission denied the merger because it was found to be anti-competitive and not in the public’s interest to have even fewer choices in the nationwide market for wireless service providers.

Their deceptive attempt to Monopolize Everything using their PR campaign “Mobilize Everything” rightly backfired on them and now they need to just move on. AT&T’s arrogance in assuming the merger was a done deal and suggesting to the public their opinion didn’t matter if they were opposed to the merger helped torpedo the takeover. From the start the “inevitable” merger of AT&T Mobility with T-Mobile USA was rightly under intense government scrutiny as it proposed making an already concentrated wireless market even less competitive. Fortunately, regulators were not willing to allow anymore consolidation on such a massive scale in the U.S. wireless market despite all of AT&T’s lobbying and advertising the merger was killed.

Communications & Journalism Lifeblood of Democracy

Google+ icon

Quality journalism is the lifeblood of democracy. There is no doubt that is true as the Founding Fathers believed that if they had to choose between a government without newspapers or newspapers without government they would choose the latter. An informed electorate is important. Communications too are important. Access to communications technologies like broadband, e-mail, SMS and cellular phones that allow us to quickly send/receive messages are crucial to all modern societies. Without a method to communicate to others it becomes harder for individuals to share information with each other. Even in the era of newspapers individuals had the ability to communicate their opinions to others in their community by writing a letter to the editor of their local paper. In a time before e-mail or the Internet such opinion letters had to be mailed to the newspaper’s station.

When an individual’s letter to the editor gets published in the newspaper everyone in a community with a copy of the paper could read the opinion pieces that were published. If someone read an opinion piece printed in the paper they could then reply to the piece and submit their reply for publication in the next issue of the newspaper. Of course individuals could even mail  personal letters to one another. Private letters mailed from one individual to another can still be sent via U.S. Mail today but it was extremely crucial for communicating long distances before the telegraph, telephone, radio, or even the Internet were invented.

The U.S. Postal Service is still important today especially for people lacking broadband access who live in rural and remote areas to communicate messages with others. The mission of the U.S. Postal Service is to provide a universal mail service that no privatized mail carrier does which enables people in rural and remote areas to have mail service. Given the problems the U.S. Postal Service is having lately and the partisan attacks by Republicans in Congress against the Postal Service I intend to discuss what’s wrong with the Postal Service, possible reforms of the Postal Service that can allow it to still carry out its stated mission and save it from privatization in a future article. For now though I close with these words journalism is a public good that also needs defending.

Advancing Broadband Availability Through Digital Literacy

Google+ icon

Access to high-speed Internet services – also known as broadband – has become a basic public necessity like water or electricity. Yet despite its importance, broadband in America is far from universal.  Part of the solution is improving digital literacy for all Americans so they can acquire the skills they need to connect to the Internet. However, that still leaves the competition issues I raised earlier unaddressed that will need addressing to bring down costs, provide consumers more choices and result in better service. It is my hope the competition issues will be addressed at some point in the near future by the FCC.

Now as for digital literacy as I have stated the FCC has proposed using some USF funds to foster greater broadband adoption through investment in digital literacy training. Broadband adoption is important as is broadband deployment and I am glad to see the FCC taking actions to help bridge the digital divide. It is my hope that the FCC’s rulings in broadband matters help the people that need it not cement the power of  the monopoly phone and cable companies. The status quo on broadband is unacceptable.

The future of all media lies in the Internet. Think about that for a moment. This means all information, communication, commerce and entertainment is increasingly going online. Increasingly new technologies and telecommunications services like broadband will play a greater role in our economy. With employers looking for new workers increasingly advertising job openings on the Web job seekers will need both the skills to access the Internet and a broadband connection to apply for positions and remain competitive. That is why broadband competition and digital literacy are so important.

Advancing Broadband Availability Through Competition & Digital Literacy

Google+ icon

We need to decide whether like universal mail service or universal basic telephone service whether to make universal broadband a reality. That being said the decisions we make as a country will determine whether such service will remain a luxury marketed by monopoly cable and phone companies to the few who can afford their exorbitant prices and live in areas where they deploy access to broadband or like any public utility/telecommunications service be made universally available to all.

Part of the solution is improving digital literacy for all Americans so they have the skills they need to access the Internet. Already the National Telecommunications Information Administration in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Commerce has established the website digitalliteracy.gov and institutions of higher learning often conduct digital literacy workshops for their instructors so they can learn how to use new technologies in their classrooms. Digital literacy courses are often provided so students can also learn how to use new technologies.

Now as to whether the FCC has the constitutional authority to provide USF funds for digital literacy training I do believe they have authority and should use it. I encourage the FCC to vote in the affirmative on the proposal for advancing broadband availability through digital literacy training which the FCC is soliciting comments on at this time. In fact, I have provided the FCC my comments on existing digital literacy initiatives launched by educational institutions that have succeeded. Next post will cover the USF Transformation Order  in more detail along with my thoughts on other FCC proposals affecting the future of the Internet.