City Council tries to halt new technology that could close the digital divide. Community advocates react.
Advocates for closing the digital divide condemned a City Council resolution urging the Federal Communications Commission to delay a decision concerning the unused part of the airwaves known as “white spaces.” The FCC has announced its intention to issue a ruling at a November 4 meeting.
New York - People's Production House and Common Cause/New York called on the New York State Public Service Commission yesterday to reject a “Network Review Plan” proposed by Verizon, barring significant changes to the plan. Verizon’s review plan was submitted July 16, on the eve of the PSC's review of the Verizon cable franchise for New York City. It is intended to remedy the high proportion of Verizon's FiOS installations that do not comply with the National Electric Code or Verizon’s own Methods & Procedures.
PPH is participating at a conference on the DTV transition from 10am-1pm on Wednesday, September 17th. The conference is being held at the Adam Clayton Powell State Office building at 163 West 125th Street and is hosted by the Harlem Consumer Education Council, the Federal Communication Commission and National Telecommunication and Information Administration. PPH's Joshua Breitbart and representatives from each organization will be there to talk about the upcoming transition in February. There will also be free demonstrations on how to set up your Digital Television converter and an opportunity to pick up government coupons that can be used towards the purchase of a new DTV converter box.
Google, in coalition with public interest groups, is trying to draw support for the opening of the unused television airwaves with it's Free the Airwaves project. The unused airwaves, known as "white spaces," are open spaces between digital TV channels. If the FCC allows for open access to the airwaves, there is potential for the development of new technology that will make it possible to provide wireless broadband Internet access over the signal, potentially making it possible to allow for universal access to the Internet.
Deepa Fernandes appeared on the August 8th Media Minutes to discuss PPH's work in training community journalist and media policy education. Listen to the show here.
Media Minutes is a nationally syndicated radio program that focuses on media policy and reform.
Joshua Breitbart and I just published an article on Gotham Gazette titled "Lost in the PDFs: Getting City Data." The article is about how New York City's government uses (or doesn't use) technology to share information with the public.
The FCC will be holding a hearing on Tuesday, July 29 to to assess the barriers to communications financing and the ways it specifically relates to ownership diversity. All five commissioners will be present at the meeting. There will be a breakout session following the hearing that will address current ownership diversity in communications and how the FCC can facilitate new financing opportunities for people of color and women.
The hearing will take place from 1pm until 5pm on Tuesday, July 29th in the Langston Hughes Auditorium at the Schoumburg Center for Research in Black Culture at 515 Malcolm X Blvd.
Wednesday, July 30th at 11:00am there will be a briefing from the Mayor's Office and Diamond Consultants for the Broadband Advisory Committee regarding the Bloomberg Administration's plans for bridging the digital divide in New York City. The meeting is open to the public and will take place in the Committee of the Whole Room, City Hall, New York, NY.
People's Production House joins with 17 leading "digital inclusion" groups in endorsing the Internet for Everyone Campaign today.
PPH joines good government groups and consumer advocates in responding to today's NYS PSC approval of the Verizon-NYC Cable Franchise agreement.
On Wednesday, July 16, the New York State Public Service Commission (PSC) will consider a petition from Verizon to waive certain rules and confirm its franchise agreement with the City of New York. Verizon is asking to be exempted from the 5 year build-out requirement and the first-day PEG provision requirement in its bid to offer cable TV service over a citywide fiber optic network.
