33 Years of the Digest ... founded August 21, 1981Copyright © 2015 E. William Horne. All Rights Reserved.The Telecom Digest for Jan 9, 2015
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| I'll tell you what's at the bottom of it. If you can convince the lowest white man he's better than the best colored man, he won't notice you're picking his pocket. Hell, give him somebody to look down on, and he'll empty his pockets for you. - Lyndon Baines Johnson |
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| Date: Wed, 7 Jan 2015 20:24:40 -0500 From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com> To: telecomdigestsubmissions.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org. Subject: Why Gadgets Must Adapt to a World Ruled by Software Message-ID: <04BE5D91-4E57-4C3C-9B7A-6C5256CC3ADA@roscom.com> With apps able to act as cameras, media players and so much more, the world of consumer electronics is in turmoil as smartphones supersede all other devices. Technology fanatics descend every January on Las Vegas for the International CES, a colossal gathering of gadgetry and geekery where some of the world's largest companies show off their best ideas for the future. This year, as in every recent year, the show has been burdened by existential angst, with many tech writers saying they planned to skip an event no longer seen as vital. It has been ages since anything momentous was unveiled at CES. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/08/technology/personaltech/why-gadgets-must-adapt-to-a-world-ruled-by-software.html -or- http://goo.gl/nHm4xS ***** Moderator's Note ***** What was that old joke about Philippe Kahn, Steve Jobs, and Bill Gates on the golf course? Something about a fax ... ;-) Bill Horne Moderator |
| Date: Wed, 7 Jan 2015 20:33:05 -0500 From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com> To: telecomdigestsubmissions.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org. Subject: Following T-Mobile, AT&T Allows Some Customers to Roll Over Unused Data Message-ID: <C531AE8E-A6D5-46F8-AD97-102002F5C735@roscom.com> AT&T said on Wednesday that customers that have subscribed to its shared data plans would be able to roll over unused data from month to month. T-Mobile USA is the small fry among the big American phone carriers, but its moves continue to influence its competitors. Just a few weeks after T-Mobile said it would allow phone customers to roll over their unused data month after month, AT&T said it would provide a similar offering. http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/01/07/following-t-mobile-att-allows-some-customers-to-roll-over-unused-data/ -or- http://goo.gl/O5osMb |
| Date: Thu, 8 Jan 2015 05:42:21 -0800 From: "Harold Hallikainen" <harold@hallikainen.org> To: telecomdigestsubmissions.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org. Subject: Re: Natural Monopolies Message-ID: <34e4d57d7f09b2ffe4cca6cb10392c14.squirrel@www.hallikainen.org> > From: Neal McLain <nmclain.remove-this@and-this-too.annsgarden.com> > Over the years there have been sporadic attempts to regulate CATV > companies as utilities but CATV companies have successfully fought off > these attempts. FCC decisions dating back to 1958 have ruled that > CATV companies are not common carriers because they -- the CATV > operators themselves -- choose the signals to be delivered to > subscribers.[1,2] > > Several subsequent laws and court decisions have limited this right > [3], but the fundamental classification remains in place: CATVs are > not common carriers. It's great having the depth of expertise here! I agree that since CATV exercises editorial control over what content it chooses to provide, the CATV service is not a common carrier, but more like a publication or "information service." "Information Service" and ISP are defined at http://www.hallikainen.com/FccRules/2014/54/5/. It SEEMS to me that someone who indeed chooses content (editorial control) and may or may not deliver that content is a publisher and not a common carrier. But, someone providing Internet access does no content choosing. Instead, they are transporting the content that the user is selecting. As such, it appears to me that they are a common carrier. The television broadcast portion of CATV still remains "publishing," but ISP functions appear to be pure telecom- munications. As these telecommunications functions start to duplicate other telecommunications functions (VoIP versus POTS), the distinction between the two and the different regulation of the two seems inappropriate. I find it interesting to compare ISP functionality to POTS functionality. For example, recent net neutrality discussions have mentioned AT&T getting paid by content providers to have that content not apply against a user's data limit. This, to me, seems very similar to a collect call or 800 number, which is widely accepted in POTS. Should it not be widely accepted on the Internet? Thanks! Harold -- Not sent from an iPhone. |
| Date: Thu, 8 Jan 2015 16:51:25 -0500 From: Bill Horne <bill@horneQRM.net> To: telecomdigestsubmissions.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org. Subject: Re: Natural Monopolies Message-ID: <20150108215125.GA2124@telecom.csail.mit.edu> On Thu, Jan 08, 2015 at 05:42:21AM -0800, Harold Hallikainen wrote: > I find it interesting to compare ISP functionality to POTS functionality. > For example, recent net neutrality discussions have mentioned AT&T getting > paid by content providers to have that content not apply against a user's > data limit. This, to me, seems very similar to a collect call or 800 > number, which is widely accepted in POTS. Should it not be widely accepted > on the Internet? No, it should not, and for an important reason: POTS and WATS (800) services are both offered on the PSTN, which is (at least for the moment) a network that is designed to use virtual circuits for every phone call. If the customers talk or if they don't, they still pay for and get a 4KHz (64Kbps) pipe in both directions, but if they can't be connected, they don't pay for that pipe. The Iternet is not able to guarantee that bandwidth to each customer simultaneously, but the customers pay for the pipes no matter what. It's fundamentally a flat rate system, with bandwidth allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. Bill Horne -- (Remove QRM from my address to write to me directly) Your mother's ghost stands at your shoulder Got a face like ice, just a little colder - David Crosby |
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