- The House Committee on Science and Technology held hearings on methods to stop file sharing in universities. Ars Technica reports:
House Committee members suggested that technological “solutions” should be tested more extensively at schools across the country. Chairman Bart Gordon (D-TN) said that laws will not be enough to curb piracy. “Technology will be the first line of defense,” he said.
Dr. Greg Jackson, CIO of the University of Chicago, was hesitant:
“The only successful, robust way to address problems that involve personal responsibility and behavior is with social rather than technological tools…If we instead try and restrict behavior technologically… the only result will be an arms race that nobody wins.”
-
Harold Feld over at the Media Access Project has a statement on the FCC's Order on Wireless Operation in the 3650-3700 MHz Band:
“Today's Order essentially reconfirms the approach to this band the FCC adopted in 2004, a set of rules that balances the legitimate concerns of licensees with the power of open spectrum to create new broadband providers and opportunities. It opens 50 MHz of spectrum under a “licensing lite” regime that will allow wireless ISPs (WISPs), municipal broadband systems, and community wireless networks to share spectrum outside the currently overcrowded “junk bands” used by commercial wi-fi systems. While important, today's action is only a small step toward addressing our overall need for policies that make open wireless available to everyone.”
-
53% of US households have a broadband connection, accounting for 72% of all Internet subscriptions, according to the Leichtman Research Group. Only 45% of households making under $30,000 have any Internet connection, as compared to 95% of households making about $75,000
-
Millions of new phones containing Qualcomm semiconductors will be blocked from import into the US for violating a patent owned by the chip company Broadcom. Verizon is a major user of Qualcomm chips