Tag Archive for Comcast

| June 28, 2012
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UN Internet Takeover

Network neutralityNetwork neutrality. The idea is that an ISP can’t discriminate against the traffic traveling over its network. Network neutrality is an enshrined legal right in some areas and a hotly contested regulatory fight in others. Stacey Higginbotham over at GigaOm points us over to a post over at TechDirt that details the UNs efforts to undermine network neutrality. The articles say the International Telecommunications Union is trying to dictate terms that will affect how traffic flows on the Internet.

UN Internet power grab

UN Internet TakeoverNetwork neutrality opposition at the United Nations arose earlier this month. The power grab started with proposed rules from the European Telecommunications Network Operators Association (ETNO). The article says ETNO wants to gut network neutrality. Glyn Moody at TechDirt has read those documents. He clipped the relevant segments to argue that these proposals would effectively make network neutrality illegal. As he writes at TechDirt:

“That may sound innocuous enough, but “supporting innovation to provide a value-added service” is a coded way of saying that the telcos should be allowed to abandon net neutrality, something confirmed in one of the accompanying proposals… “

The author says the key sentence in this proposal is “Nothing shall preclude commercial agreements with differentiated quality of service delivery to develop.”

Comcast network neutrality power grab

Net Neutraility RIPGigaOm says that here in the US Comcast (CMCSA) has created a value-added service. Comcast decided to exempt Xfinity traffic delivered via the Microsoft (MSFT) Xbox from its 250 GBPS/month broadband cap. The U.S. version of network neutrality regulations allows Comcast to exempt that traffic. The loophole is the Xbox traffic doesn’t travel over the public Internet. The anti-net neutrality loophole exists because the FCC didn’t want to deal with the concept of value-added services on an ISP’s network when it made its network neutrality regulations.

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GigaOm calls on the UN and the ITU to open up its process. Maybe then UN member countries will think twice about the types of rules they want to enshrine. Or maybe they’ll keep listening to the people who run the networks instead of the people who use them and depend on them for their businesses.

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Ralph Bach has been in IT long enough to know better and has blogged from his Bach Seat about IT, careers, and anything else that catches his attention since 2005. You can follow him on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Email the Bach Seat here.

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| March 22, 2012
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Flip the Switch on IPv6

Flip the Switch on IPv6World IPv6 day (Which I reported on here) took place in June 2011. Google (GOOG), Facebook, Yahoo (YHOO), and Akamai (AKAM) were among the participants in last year’s new networking dress rehearsal. apparently, everything went well last June.

Internet SocietyNathan Ingraham at The Verge recently noted that IPv6 is now ready for prime-time. The Internet Society announced that the IPv6 switch will be permanently flipped on June 6th, 2012.

The article says a number of major ISPs, networking hardware manufacturers, and web companies pledged support from day one. For starters, four of the biggest web properties will all enable IPv6 permanently:

Cisco logoFrom a hardware perspective, Cisco (CSCO) and D-Link (2332) both committed to enabling IPv6 across their range of home products by June.

GigaOM reports that Akamai (AKAM) and Limelight (LLNW) will also recruit other websites to join the initiative, by implementing IPv6 throughout their content delivery networks.

Several leading ISP’s will enable IPv6 to enough of their customer base that at least one percent of their residential subscribers who visit IPv6 enabled websites;

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The internet is quickly running out of IP addresses, the last addresses in Internet Protocol version 4 were officially distributed early in 2011 Which I wrote about here.

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Ralph Bach has been in IT long enough to know better and has blogged from his Bach Seat about IT, careers, and anything else that catches his attention since 2005. You can follow him on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Email the Bach Seat here.

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| September 20, 2011
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Super-Fi OK’d by IEEE

Super-Fi OK'd by IEEEI usually don’t have a problem getting a wireless signal where in my Bach Seat. However, there are some areas where I coordinate technical services that don’t get wired or wireless Internet. In these rural areas, where AT&T (T), Verizon (VZ), Sprint Nextel (S), and Comcast (CMCSA) and their fellow travelers fear to tread because they can’t make a buck in these areas, some help may be on the way from the IEEE.

IEEE logoIn 2009, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) started the development of IEEE standard 802.22, which addressed the need for broadband wireless access in rural areas, those where it is not economical to deploy a wired infrastructure. In July 2011, the IEEE announced that it has published the standard titled: “IEEE 802.22-2011 Standard for Wireless Regional Area Networks in TV Whitespaces” (PDF).

The IEEE press release states: “This new standard for Wireless Regional Area Networks (WRANs) takes advantage of the favorable transmission characteristics of the VHF and UHF TV bands to provide broadband wireless access over a large area up to 100 km (60 miles) from the transmitter. Each WRAN will deliver up to 22 Mbps per channel without interfering with reception of existing TV broadcast stations, using the so-called white spaces between the occupied TV channels.”That part of the spectrum, known as white spaces, sits between broadcast TV channels and will become available when broadcast TV stations switch from analog to digital in 2009.

VHF and UHF TV bands to provide broadband wireless accessThe White Space Coalition led by Microsoft (MSFT), Google (GOOG), Dell (DELL), and other tech titans strongly support the use of the white spaces in the U.S., going up against strong opposition lead by Michigan’s own John Dingell and big media like the NFL, MLB, NASCAR, NBA, NHL, NCAA, PGA Tour and ESPN who say unlicensed devices in the TV bands would interfere with their signals.IEEE 802.22 reportedly will not interfere with TV broadcasts, because it incorporates advanced cognitive radio capabilities including:

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I met Mr. Dingell about a dozen years ago, at a school to encourage the politician to support schools when the USF started the eRate program for schools. I recall Mr. Dingell telling me he could not support eRate because he did not trust the FCC to get it right. At least he is consistent.

I believe there is a very good chance this technology will never be a commercial success. The wireless carriers will squash this technology like they have squashed municipal wi-fi and community fiber networks. The improved speeds and coverage areas are a threat to their limited 4G coverage and they would lose out on their monthly pound of flesh capped rate-limited data plan.

It will be up to us in the public sector to implement this technology for our clients.

What do you think?

Will Super-Fi ever see the light of day?

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Ralph Bach has been in IT long enough to know better and has blogged from his Bach Seat about IT, careers, and anything else that catches his attention since 2005. You can follow him on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Email the Bach Seat here.

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| May 18, 2011
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Tech Regulatory Capture

Tech Regulatory CaptureRegulatory capture occurs when governmental bodies created to act in the public interest instead advances the commercial or special interests that dominate the industry or sector it is charged with regulating. Regulatory capture is a form of government failure, as it can encourage large firms to exploit the public.

Sunlight: Congress’ Revolving Door to Telecom, Cable Firms

Congress' Revolving Door to Telecom, Cable FirmsAccording to a 2010 Washington Post article, broadband providers including Comcast, Time Warner Cable, AT&T and Verizon Communications have amassed armies of former government officials to lobby against net neutrality and other regulations at the Federal Communications Commission, according to a report by the Sunlight Foundation. The nonprofit public interest organization said those firms hired 276 former government officials, including 18 former members of Congress, to fight against rules that would require them to treat all Web sites and content equally on their networks.

AT&T (T) has hired Republicans and Democrats from the US House and Senate to lobby for them including:

  • Jim Davis former Democratic congressman from Florida;
  • Trent Lott former Republican senator from Mississippi;
  • Vic Fazio former Democratic representative from California;
  • John Breaux former Republican senator from Louisiana;
  • J.C. Watts former Republican representative from Oklahoma.

Comcast (CMCSA) has also hired former politicians like:

Verizon (VZ) hired Republican representative Jack Fields from Texas.

The cable industry trade group National Cable & Telecommunications Association, hired Chip Pickering, a former Republican congressman from Mississippi.

The US Telecom Association, the Broadband Association hired Al Wynn former Democratic representative from Maryland.

Revolution LLC.

Revolution LLC.Ron Klain is General Counsel of former AOL CEO Steve Case’s Revolution LLC. Prior to joining Mr. Case’s firm Mr. Klain has extensive public service, most recently as a senior White House aide to President Obama, and Chief of Staff to Vice President Biden. He has also served as Chief of Staff or Staff Director for Vice President Al Gore, Attorney General Janet Reno, the Senate Democratic Leadership Committee, and the Senate Judiciary Committee. Mr. Klain was also Associate Counsel to President Clinton and a law clerk to Supreme Court Justice Byron White. He has served as a top debate preparation advisor to Presidents Obama and Clinton, and Democratic Presidential nominees Al Gore and John Kerry.

State Department’s Katie Stanton Moves to Twitter

State Department's Katie Stanton Moves to TwitterTwitter has captured Katie Stanton, a special adviser at the State Department and former White House staffer. She is heading to Twitter to work on international business strategy according to the Washington Post.  Ms. Stanton tweeted her move to the social information platform’s San Francisco office. The Post says Ms. Stanton will be a vice president driving Twitter’s international business strategy and operations. Ms. Stanton previously worked at Google as a product manager for the search engine’s finance application.

She joined the White House as the director of citizen participation after working on new media strategies for President Obama’s election campaign. Stanton moved to the State Department last year, working with Alec Ross, senior adviser for innovation, on how to use social media tools and technology for diplomatic goals.

Facebook Hires White House Adviser as New VP

Facebook Hires White House Adviser as New VPAppScout reported that Facebook has captured an economic adviser to President Obama to serve as its new vice president of global public policy.  Marne Levine is the special assistant to the president for economic policy and chief of staff for the National Economic Council at the White House.

“With over 70 percent of our users living outside the United States, her unique mix of government and Internet industry experience will be invaluable to help Facebook address some of the most interesting questions at the intersection of technology and public policy,” Elliot Schrage, vice president of global communications at Facebook, said in a statement.

Levine will work out of Facebook’s D.C. office where she will oversee and coördinate interactions with governments and non-governmental organizations, Facebook said. She will also help to build Facebook policy teams in Asia, the Americas, and Europe.

According to the article Ms, Levine helped launch an online peer-to-peer payment platform and helped manage its privacy and compliance issues which are probably why Facebook hired her so she can lobby her former boss on privacy and banking issues.

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Ralph Bach has been in IT long enough to know better and has blogged from his Bach Seat about IT, careers, and anything else that catches his attention since 2005. You can follow him on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Email the Bach Seat here.

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| November 7, 2009
Comments Off on IPv6 Growing Despite Economy

IPv6 Growing Despite Economy

IPv6 Growing Despite EconomyThe American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN) reports that demands for IPv6 address space is growing. According to the 10/19/2009 article, Next-generation Internet defies recession on NetworkWorld, during the first nine months of 2009, ARIN  received 300 requests from carriers for blocks of IPv6 address space. This compares to 250 requests received in all of 2008 and 2007.

“We’re seeing an uptick in IPv6 address space requests; it’s a very significant growth rate,” says John Curran, president, and CEO of ARIN. “We’ve seen a slight slowdown in IPv4 address space requests…It’s probably dropped off 10% or 20% year over year.”

Curran says ARIN is beginning to see ISPs such as Comcast and Verizon Wireless put a great deal of effort into migrating from IPv4-based networks to those built using IPv6. “ISPs are asking for IPv6 addresses so they can make their networks IPv6-enabled so they are ready [for the future],” Curran says. “We give each ISP enough IPv6 addresses to support 4 billion networks, and each network can contain trillions and trillions of hosts.”

ARIN’s Curran says the recession is not hampering carriers’ interest in IPv6. “IPv6 solves a problem that hasn’t happened yet. So seeing any demand is surprising, and it means that organizations are planning ahead,” he says. “The current weakness in the economy…is not dampening down IPv6 demand significantly because IPv6 is right around the corner for ISPs. We may be two years away from the IPv4 free pool of addresses running out, but two years, if you’re an ISP, is enough time to get one network deployed. Two years is within everyone’s planning horizon.”

ARIN plans several policy changes to push carriers towards IPv6 adoption. These include:

  • Allowing ARIN to reduce the size of IPv4 address space allocations to carriers as the industry gets closer to IPv4 address depletion.
  • Increasing access to IPv6 address space by removing the requirement for carriers to first demonstrate that they have hundreds of customers.
  • Allowing carriers to run multiple, discrete IPv6 networks that don’t have to be connected to each other, such as community networks.
  • Reconsideration of a current policy that requires the regional registries including ARIN to evenly divide up any IPv4 space they are able to recover.

This gadget has been developed by Takashi Arano, Intec NetCore

Ralph Bach has been in IT long enough to know better and has blogged from his Bach Seat about IT, careers, and anything else that catches his attention since 2005. You can follow him on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Email the Bach Seat here.

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