There’s an important new study out that offers some historical analysis of spectrum auctions and how they can best be fashioned to benefit the economy and consumers . The study, by Georgetown University’s Center for Business and Public Policy visiting senior policy scholar... Read The Story...

A few weeks back, I attended the Rainbow PUSH Coalition Telecommunications 2011 Symposium. The conference had a significant focus on broadband — both adoption and deployment.

Highlights of the symposium included the following:
–Blair Levin (Architect of the FCC’s National Broadband Plan) raised concerns that the recent USF reform order should have done more to connect schools to high speed broadband service;
– National Consumer League’s John Breyault spoke about the costs of broadband and the cost of not having broadband (consumers need to hear more about the benefits);
– NTIA’s Deputy Administrator Anna Gomez, spoke about the need to build-out broadband in areas that currently don’t have access, and also the importance of broadband adoption;
– Speakers on a panel about spectrum policy debated the most effective measures for making new spectrum available to meet the increasing demand for our mobile broadband devices. AT&T’s Hank Hultquist spoke about the importance of promoting policies that will make more spectrum available as soon as possible. Jane Mayo (National Association of Broadcasters), said that while they don’t oppose efforts such as incentive auctions to make more spectrum available, they also want to make sure broadcasters can still provide services for their customers.

The real star of the day was Aneesh Chopra, US Chief Technology Officer. He spoke passionately about the critical importance of mobile broadband and how incentive auctions will help get the additional spectrum that is needed. Chopra pointed to three important uses of mobile broadband for health, education and jobs.

The Rainbow PUSH Symposium emphasized three points that I agree with and have previously mentioned in blogs: 1) the value of broadband and mobile broadband, 2) the importance of broadband adoption and deployment initiatives, and 3) the need for additional spectrum to support the growing demand for mobile broadband services.

Guest Post By Jules Polonetsky, Director and Co-chair of the Future of Privacy Forum

With the holiday season fast approaching, mobile apps have become popular gifts for parents to get their children. According to Flurry, a mobile analytics firm, 5 billion apps will be downloaded this December in time for the holidays. Many apps are educational and can be a great way to keep children entertained.

With these estimates in mind, anyone downloading apps for their own use or for a child’s should think about online privacy in order to be a smart consumer. Here are some things to consider:

• Check out www.commonsensemedia.org/app-reviews to find the best app for your child’s age group. The site rates apps based on ease of use, educational value, adult content, violence, privacy and safety, and more.
• Should you check the apps privacy policy before downloading? Sure, but that is easier said than done. According to a study we did in May 2011, 75% of the top mobile apps didn’t have any privacy policy. The Future of Privacy Forums runs a resource site for app developers at www.applicationprivacy.org to help developers create policies and some app platforms require that developers have policies. But progress has been slow, leaving many consumers guessing when it comes to what an app will do with their data.
• Be aware of “COPPA,” the Kids Privacy Law. Companies are forbidden from collecting personal information from kids under 13 without their parents’ consent. Many free web sites or apps will do this by asking for a parent to enter their credit card information for the purpose of verifying that they are an adult.
• The popular iTunes and Android app stores are technically not for kids under 13 and officially restrict kids from purchasing apps. An adult is responsible for the account and any apps that are downloaded. Parents who do allow kids to download apps can set their phone to require a special password before an app can be downloaded, so they can stay in control.
• How can so many apps be “free”? These apps are supported by advertising, those sponsored links or banner ads you see. And often the ads are targeted based on information about you. Some apps will let you opt-out of the targeting, but you will still see ads.
• Other free apps earn their way with promotions for other apps, or with in-app purchases. Others are “freemium” – the basic version of the app is free but to use all the features you may need to pay. And some apps give away nothing at all, but serve as a base for you to buy content.
• Traveling during the holidays? Some apps may ask for your location to help you with something useful, like directions, but others want it to better target ads. Children should ask an adult before allowing an app to use their location. The newest iPhone operating system has a setting that allows you to tell Apple not to use your location to choose your ads.

Much of this advice is also useful for teens, but we are aware that teens are often the ones advising their parents about the best apps! In fact, smartphones and related apps are so popular with teens that the New York Times suggests that many teens are choosing a new smartphone over a new car! Automakers seem to be responding by seeking to add new Internet features to make cars “smart.” We are all for better navigation and safety tools, but social media apps or games will need to be handled very carefully, lest we provide a new source of distractions to high-risk teen drivers. This isn’t science fiction, as Ford has discussed plans for a model that could stream your Twitter feed.
The app store business model is rapidly evolving and has grown exponentially over the last few years. While consumers stand to benefit from downloading apps, understanding the terms of the data you may be providing is the best way to ensure you get a fair deal.

I was in St. Louis last week to attend the annual conferences of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners and the National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates. There were several interesting speakers and panels, but a big topic of discussion was the FCC’s Universal Service Fund reform order that the Commission approved a few weeks ago.

Although we are all reading through the recently released order for the details (it’s about 600 pages long), we know the general outline of the plan for reform. I think the FCC did an amazing job of balancing all the interests to find solutions to some very complicated issues.

FCC Commissioner Michael Copps addressed the NARUC conference on Tuesday morning and spoke about the FCC’s USF decision. He said that the Fund needed a major overhaul, that it needed to evolve, just as technology has evolved. Copps talked about the transformative power of broadband, how critical it is for everyone to have it, and the importance of having a USF that supports both fixed and mobile broadband. “Every citizen has a right — a civil right — to this…” Although he’s not satisfied with everything in the order, he thinks it’s time to move forward and focus on implementing these changes. He made a very strong statement against appealing the order. “Don’t spend time on litigation. America doesn’t have time to fight this out in court while Americans go unserved.” He also said that he was going to name the first party to appeal the order the “Great Courthouse Copp-Out.” He really wants the reform to go forward.

Across the hotel, at the NASUCA conference, speakers were not following Commissioner Copps’ important advice. At a panel on the USF reform order, speakers were lined-up in opposition to both the decision-making process at the FCC, and the results of the order. State Commissioner Cawley (PA) spoke strongly about his concerns and vowed to appeal the order. Dave Bergmann, formerly with the Ohio Consumers Counsel and now NASUCA consultant, also raised concerns about the order.

In contrast, on two NARUC panels, several analysts and industry representatives lauded the FCC for the extraordinary work that went into the order. Several mentioned that based on the initial information received, they anticipate there are parts that aren’t perfect, but that it’s a series of compromises and a real effort to resolve issues and move forward. While we are all waiting for the details, I agree that it does seem that the FCC has done an amazing job of reforming and updating the USF — a long overdue task.

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Consumer Resources

Below are additional resources to more information about online privacy.

Consumer Guide to Online Privacy (PDF)
What is 4G Wireless Service? (PDF)
Consumer Online Privacy Survey
2008 Online Safety Survey
bNetS@vvy
www.onguardonline.gov
www.ikeepsafe.org/
www.getnetwise.org
www.fosi.org
www.enough.org

Other Organizations

National Caucus and Center on Black Aged:
http://www.ncba-aged.org/

National Consumers League:
http://www.nclnet.org/