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Linkpost | 12.30.2008
TechBlog —
... December 30, 2008 Linkpost | 12.30.2008 [ I'm on vacation until the end of the year. I'll blog occasionally and keep up with the daily Linkposts, though they may get posted later in the day than usual. ] Updated 8:15 a.m. • Martin drops porn filtering from FCC free wireless broadband plan - But does it have the votes to pass the full commission? • ...
FCC Chief Deletes Adult Content Filtering from Wireless Plan
Phone Scoop - Latest News —
... they would support this, but were concerned about the filter. Well, now there's an item in front of the Commissioners and it no longer has the filter. And I've already voted for it without the filter now." In order to become a reality, the other commissioners at the FCC would need to approve the revised proposal and then send it to congress. Martin wants to auction off a wide swath of spectrum and require that the winners provide free access to wireless broadband (768Kbps) Internet. more info at Ars Technica ...
First Bytes: Here Come the Web Slump
Tech Observer —
Content sites bracing for 50 percent revenue slowdown [TechCrunch]
Cisco's misguided foray into the living room [GigaOM]
Internet providers join broadband push [Wall Street Journal]
How long can Wikipedia sustain its ambitions? [Wall Street Journal]
Martin drops porn filtering from F.C.C. free wireless broadband plan [ArsTechnica]
AMD takes bigger hit on more job cuts [Silicon Valley Business Journal]Related Links First Bytes: Pandora, U2, F.C.C., TechCrunch vs. Demo ...
FCC's Martin Reportedly Ditches Plans for Smut-Free Broadband
AppScout —
... FCC Chairman Kevin Martin is reportedly dropping plans for free, national broadband service that would block access to porn. He told Ars Technica that he has circulated an order that would move forward on plans for a free wireless broadband network, but would strip provisions calling for a pornography filter. ...
FCC’s Free Wireless Broadband Plan Now Unfiltered to Protect Free Speech and Pornographers
Digital Daily —
... Now Martin has circled back with a new version of his wireless broadband plan, one free of the content-filtering requirements that had made it so controversial. “[If filtering] is a problem for people, let’s take it away,” Martin told Ars Technica. “A lot of public interest advocates have said they would support this, but [they were] concerned about the filter. Well, now there’s an item in front of the Commissioners and it no longer has the filter. And I’ve already voted for it without the filter now. So it’s already got one vote.” ...
FCC Boss Says Free Internet Service Can Have Porn After All
Silicon Alley Insider —
... Ars Technica: "I'm saying if this is a problem for people, let's take it away," Martin said. "A lot of public interest advocates have said they would support this, but we're concerned about the filter. Well, now there's an item in front of the Commissioners and it no longer has the filter. And I've already voted for it without the filter now. So it's already got one vote." ...
Martin Changes Tune On Broadband Smut-Filter
WebProNews Feed —
... plan, Martin has placed a new proposal, sans smut-filter, on the table for review at the next and final FCC meeting on January 15. Perhaps it s an attempt to end his tenure on a high note by doing something very positive for the nation auctioning off spectrum to a wireless provider that can serve up wireless broadband to 95 percent of the country. In a further twist, Martin didn t call the Wall Street Journal or another paper of record to announce the plan. He called tech website Ars Technica to say he had drafted the new proposal. From the article: "I'm saying if this is ...
FCC Could Drop Filtering For Free Internet Plan
InformationWeek - All Stories And Blogs —
... Wireless Services-3 band with the winner having to dedicate 25% of the spectrum to provide free Internet access. Much to the chagrin of civil liberties groups, Martin's plan required the winner to provide a filter for pornographic or other inappropriate material. The chairman has retooled the plan, though, and said he's dropping the filtering requirement. "A lot of public-interest advocates have said they would support this, but we're concerned about the filter," Martin told Ars Technica . "Well, now there's an item in front of the commissioners and it no longer has the ...
Martin drops porn filtering from broadband proposal
ZDNet Government —
... [image] FCC Chairman Kevin J. Martin has dropped plans for porn filtering from his proposal for free broadband Internet, the chairman told Ars Technica writer Matthew Lasar .“I’m saying if this is a problem for people, let’s take it away,” Martin said. “A lot of public interest advocates have said they would support this, but we’re concerned about the filter. Well, now there’s an item in front of the Commissioners and it no longer has the filter. And I’ve already voted for it without the filter now. So it’s already got one vote.” With Martin’s days as FCC boss numbered, this ...
Will The FCC Provide Us With Free Broadband?
The Blade by Ron Schenone, MVP —
... done for the last few years, saying ‘Here’s what the Commission has been trying to achieve. Here’s where we are’.”
But the Commissioners could give the go-ahead to the re-smuttified free broadband plan at any time—assuming Martin gets at least two more votes for his new proposal, and gets them quick.
What do you think? Is free broadband in our future?
Comments welcome.
Source
Martin Revises Free Internet Proposal
eWeek - RSS Feeds —
... the 2,155 to 2,180MHz advanced wireless services band would be required to provide a free wireless broadband tier to 50 percent of the United States in four years and 95 percent of the country within 10 years. The proposed free broadband network would support itself by advertising and offering faster speeds on pay tiers. Martin's original proposal also included a mandate that the winning bidder make the network family-friendly by filtering out objectionable material, but Martin told Ars Technica Dec. 29 that he is now willing to drop the idea after a number of advocacy groups ...
FCC Pulls Content Filtering From Free Broadband Proposal
Homotron.net —
... having moved forward faster," he said. "Other Commissioners said, 'We're overdue; we've got to do this.' But when an actual item is put forth where you have to make a hard decision, they say, 'Well, I'm not so sure what I want to do anymore'."
That's the first time in recent memory that I recall a bureaucrat attempting to speak transparently about his or her own red-tape process. It's a lovely sound that we'll probably not hear again for quite some time.
Martin drops porn filtering from FCC free wireless broadband plan [Ars Technica]
Kevin Martin Agrees To Drop Filters From Free Wireless Web
Techdirt —
... However, Kevin Martin is making some news today by telling everyone who will listen that he's willing to drop the filters part if he can get the rest approved. This is a little surprising from Martin, as he's been a pretty big anti-smut crusader in his role at the FCC, but perhaps he's looking to leave a legacy beyond "AT&T lackey" now that he's about to leave the FCC. It still doesn't appear that he has the support to push this through, but that could change. Still, it would be good if someone (anyone?) could explain why it makes sense to just give a ...
FCC Removes Porn-Blocking Restriction From Nationwide Free Wi-Fi Proposal [Free Wireless]
Gizmodo —
... The cockamamie plan to devote a chunk of AWS-3 spectrum to free w-fi can eliminate one enemy from its massive cadre of detractors: people who would use the bandwidth for streaming MegaPorn videos at 10kbps. ...
AWS-3 Spectrum Plan Version 2.0: Unfiltered, but Still a Train Wreck
Technology Liberation Front —
The FCC’s much-maligned proposal to create a free, filtered wireless broadband network seemed all but dead earlier this week after FCC Chairman Kevin Martin stated in an interview with Broadcast & Cable that the proposal’s chances of surviving a full FCC vote were “dim.”
Now, Ars reports that Kevin Martin has changed his mind about the filtering requirements, caving in to pressure from an array of interest groups to drop the smut-free provisions from the plan. These “family-friendly” rules, which would have mandated that the network filter any ...
FCC Drops Porn-Blocker From Wireless Broadband Plan; Vote May Be On For Jan. 15
mocoNews —
... Over the holidays, Martin told ArsTechnica, that the decision was simple. "I'm saying if this is a problem for people, let's take it away. A lot of public interest advocates have said they would support this, but were concerned about the filter. Well, now there's an item in front of the Commissioners and it no longer has the filter. And I've already voted for it without the filter now. So it's already got one vote." ...
