Trump signs repeal of US broadband privacy rules

WASHINGTON -- US President Donald Trump on Monday signed a repeal of Obama-era broadband privacy rules, the White House said, a victory for internet service providers and a blow to privacy advocates.

Republicans in Congress last week narrowly passed the repeal of the privacy rules with no Democratic support and over the strong objections of privacy advocates.

The signing, disclosed in White House statement late on Monday, follows strong criticism of the bill, which is a win for AT&T Inc., Comcast Corp and Verizon Communications Inc.

The bill repeals regulations adopted in October by the Federal Communications Commission under the Obama administration requiring internet service providers to do more to protect customers' privacy than websites like Alphabet Inc.'s Google or Facebook Inc.

The rules had not yet taken effect but would have required internet providers to obtain consumer consent before using precise geolocation, financial information, health information, children's information and web browsing history for advertising and marketing.

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai praised the repeal in a statement late on Monday for having “appropriately invalidated one part of the Obama-era plan for regulating the internet." Those flawed privacy rules, which never went into effect, were designed to benefit one group of favored companies, not online consumers."

Pai said the FCC would work with the Federal Trade Commission, which oversees websites, to restore the "FTC’s authority to police internet service providers’ privacy practices."

Republican FCC commissioners have said the Obama rules would unfairly give websites the ability to harvest more data than internet service providers.

The action is the latest in a string of reversals of Obama administration rules. On Monday, the FCC reversed a requirement that Charter Communications Inc extend broadband service to 1 million homes that already have a high-speed provider.

On Friday, Comcast, Verizon AT&T Inc. said they would voluntarily not sell customers’ individual internet browsing information.

Verizon does not sell personal web browsing histories and has no plans to do so but the company said it has two advertising programs that use "de-identified" customer browsing data, including one that uses "aggregate insights that might be useful for advertisers and other businesses."

The American Civil Liberties Union said last month Congress should have opposed "industry pressure to put profits over privacy" and added "most Americans believe that their sensitive internet information should be closely guarded."

Trade group USTelecom Chief Executive Jonathan Spalter in a statement praised Trump for "stopping rules that would have created a confusing and conflicting consumer privacy framework."

Last week, 46 Senate Democrats urged Trump not to sign the bill, arguing most Americans "believe that their private information should be just that."

Republicans later this year are expected to move to overturn net neutrality provisions that in 2015 reclassified broadband providers and treated them like a public utility - a move that is expected to spark an even bigger fight.

source: interaksyon.com

New York launches probe into speeds at major Internet broadband providers

The New York attorney general is probing whether three major Internet providers could be short-changing consumers by charging them for faster broadband speeds and failing to deliver the speeds being advertised, according to documents seen by Reuters.

The letters, which were sent on Friday to executives at Verizon Communications Inc, Cablevision Systems Corp and Time Warner Cable Inc, ask each company to provide copies of all the disclosures they have made to customers, as well as copies of any testing they may have done to study their Internet speeds.

“New Yorkers deserve the Internet speeds they pay for. But, it turns out, many of us may be paying for one thing, and getting another,” New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said in a statement.

Time Warner Cable spokesman Bobby Amirshahi said in a statement: “We’re confident that we provide our customers the speeds and services we promise them and look forward to working with the AG to resolve this matter.”

Cablevision spokesman Charlie Schueler said the company’s Optimum Online service “consistently surpasses advertised broadband speeds, including in FCC and internal tests. We are happy to provide any necessary performance information to the Attorney General as we do to our customers.”

Verizon declined comment, saying it had not yet seen the letter.

The probe by the attorney general is particularly focused on so-called interconnection arrangements, or contractual deals that Internet service providers strike with other networks for the mutual exchange of data.

In the letters, the office says it is concerned that customers paying a premium for higher speeds may be experiencing a disruption in their service thanks to technical problems and business disputes over the interconnection agreements.

A 2014 study by the Measurement Lab Consortium, or M-Lab, found that customers’ Internet service tended to suffer at points where their broadband providers connected with long haul Internet traffic carriers including Cogent Communications Group Inc.

“Internet service provider interconnection has a substantial impact on consumer Internet performance – sometimes a severely

negative impact,” the study said, adding that business relationships rather than technical issues were often at the root of the problem.

A spokesman for the attorney general’s office said the findings in the 2014 study, coupled with consumer complaints and internal analysis, prompted the inquiry into the Internet speeds.

Some of the letters also raise questions about speeds delivered by Time Warner Cable and Cablevision to consumers over “the last mile,” a term that refers to the point where a telecommunication chain reaches a retail consumer’s devices.

source: interaksyon.com

EU bets on 5G to catch up in mobile technology race

BRUSSELS/BARCELONA — The European Union is looking to sign agreements with China, Japan, and the United States to cooperate on developing the next generation of mobile broadband as it seeks to help its companies catch up in the race to develop such technologies.

Europe, once a leader in the 1990s in the second-generation GSM technology standard for mobile phone networks moving into the digital era, has fallen behind the United States, Japan, and South Korea in the deployment of the latest 4G standard for mobile broadband services.

The region’s network operators including Britain’s Vodafone and Spain’s Telefonica were slower to move to 4G than Japan, Korea, and the United States and adoption in Europe remains lower compared to other advanced economies.

European policymakers are now trying not to repeat the mistakes of the past and are seeking to be at the forefront of developing the standards for 5G, which promises much faster video downloads, denser network coverage and the possibility of connecting billions of everyday electronic objects to create “the internet of things”.

“With 5G, Europe has a great opportunity to reinvent its telecom industrial landscape,” Guenther Oettinger, the EU’s Commissioner for the Digital Economy and Society, told the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona on Tuesday.

In June last year the European Commission signed an agreement with South Korea in which the two sides committed to cooperating on setting technical standards and ensure the necessary radio frequencies are able to support the new network.

“It is our intention to sign similar agreements with other key regions of the world, notably Japan, China, and the United States,” Oettinger said.

The Commission will soon start formal discussions on 5G with China, according to a person familiar with the matter, which is also keen to have its say on what 5G should do. China is home to the world’s second-biggest maker of mobile network equipment, Huawei, and ZTE, the fifth biggest.

But the chief executive of France’s Orange said work remained to be done on 4G, whose rollout across Europe has been patchy and slow.

“We need to prepare for 5G but let’s not jump too fast. We should enjoy 4G,” he said.

Most industry experts expect the first commercial deployments of 5G in the run-up to the Tokyo Olympics in 2020.

Much work remains to be done to set technical standards for the technology, and figure out exactly what it is supposed to do that current 4G gear cannot, experts say.

In the meantime, companies that make mobile network equipment such as Sweden’s Ericsson, Huawei, Finland’s Nokia and France-based Alcatel-Lucent are jockeying for position and carrying out experiments with operators to prepare for 5G.

Japan’s NTT DoCoMo is already working with Nokia and Ericsson to develop networks running at high frequencies for use in the 5G wireless era – technology expected to be showcased at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Meanwhile Huawei has said it will invest $600 million in 5G research and expects to have a network ready for deployment by 2020.

“We are closely working with our customers to get to 5G. It is the only way to fully meet the demand of machine to machine technology,” said Huawei’s chief executive Ken Hu.

The head of Nokia, Rajeev Suri, said that he thinks the drive to develop 5G technology promises to be a “three-horse race” between Ericsson, Huawei and his firm, leaving out the fourth biggest equipment maker, Alcatel-Lucent.

“I don’t aspire only to be third,” said Suri on a panel on Tuesday. “We will move up.”

source: interaksyon.com

Google super-fast US Internet service spreads

SAN FRANCISCO — Google’s super-fast Internet service — up to 100 times quicker than basic broadband — is heading for four more US metropolitan areas as the technology titan ramps up pressure on cable service giants.

A Google Fiber program launched nearly five years ago will expand to 18 cities in the Atlanta, Charlotte, Nashville and Raleigh-Durham areas.

“We can’t wait to see what people and businesses across the southeast US do with gigabit speeds,” Google Fiber vice president Dennis Kish said in a blog post announcing the expansion Tuesday.

Google Fiber is live in Kansas City, Provo and Austin.

Google is meanwhile working on a new generation of applications designed to capitalize on Internet speeds available using Fiber, but did not disclose details.

“Today, we aren’t the only ones talking about gigabit broadband,” Kish said.

“From the White House to main street, a chorus of new voices is standing up for speed.”

Some US telecommunications firms stepped up with higher-speed Internet plans of their own after Google started weaving Fiber into cities.

Expansion of the Fiber program comes amid media reports that Google is getting ready to sell wireless telephone services directly to US consumers after reaching deals with carriers T-Mobile and Sprint.

The move would have a big impact on the US wireless industry, potentially resulting in price cuts and improved speeds.

Google is already in a powerful position in the wireless world, with its Android operating system running on more than 80 percent of the world’s mobile phones.

US cellphone service is currently dominated by Verizon, AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile.

source: interaksyon.com

Tattoo 4G Superstick now more affordable

MANILA, Philippines - Imagine a broadband connection backed-up by the largest 4G network in the country for a most reliable and seamless browsing experience using a device that allows connection to not just five but eight devices for premium multi-connectivity. Complete the experience knowing that this device is more affordable compared to its counterpart in the market.

“The Tattoo 4G Prepaid Superstick is the perfect companion of the busy, mobile subscriber who needs to keep constantly connected but does not want the inconvenience of always trying to look for free public WiFi to fire up his gadgets,” explains Dong Ronquillo, Head of Tattoo Nomadic Broadband Business.

Subscribers will enjoy fast, reliable and consistent downloading, browsing and uploading, running on the country’s largest 4G network with the more expansive HSPA+ nationwide coverage of 3,015 sites of Globe Telecom for a superior broadband experience. Making it the best value-for-money bundle, the Tattoo 4G Prepaid Superstick is now priced lower at only P2,895.

For subscribers with multiple gadgets, the Tattoo 4G Prepaid Superstick allows the multi-connectivity of up to eight of his essential gadgets online anytime, anywhere.

“There are lots of subscribers with multiple devices such as laptop, tablet and mobile phone and they all want these devices to be fired up and online all the time. Tattoo 4G Prepaid Superstick is the answer to that,” Ronquillo said.

Subscribers also get free 1 hour surfing using their Tattoo 4G Prepaid Superstick.


Relish your personal hot spot with the more affordable Tattoo 4G Prepaid Superstick!

Visit tattoo.globe.com.ph or the Globe store nearest you to get your own Tattoo 4G Prepaid Superstick.

source: philstar.com

PLDT to roll out ‘Fibr’ outside Metro Manila

MANILA, Philippines — Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co (PLDT) on Monday said it would roll out ultra-fast and reliable broadband connection in areas outside Metro Manila.

In a statement, Gary Dujali, head of PLDT HOME broadband said the company will roll out its Fibr service in Cavite, Laguna and Cebu in the next couple of months.

Fibr is already available in over 100 exclusive villages in Metro Manila, including Forbes Park, Dasminas Village, Ayala Alabang, Greenhills and Valle Verde.

“Barely a month since we launched the HOME brand of the PLDT Group, we are giving our customers quality content using the ultra-fast and reliable connection of Fibr,” said Ariel Fermin, executive vice president and head of PLDT HOME Business.

Earlier, PLDT partnered with Clickplay.ph to movie-streaming service to Fibr broadband subscribers.

Clickplay.ph has over 70 Hollywood movies in its database, including The Dark Knight Rises, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, The Hangover, Happy Feet and Superman Returns, among others.

Its movie list is expected to grow to about 200 by March and will soon include Filipino movies.

“PLDT is committed to provide consumers an integrated offering combining the best of voice, broadband, and content services to sustain market leadership, and we will soon be launching more new services as part of this commitment,” said Fermin.

In this new service, Fibr subscribers will receive different packages based on their subscription plan.

Plan 3500 subscribers get three free movies, while Plan 5800 subscribers get four free movies. Plan 8800 subscribers get 10 free movies and Plan 20,000 subscribers get 20 free movies.

Fibr can deliver speeds of up to 100 Mbps, using a dedicated connection straight to the subscribers’ homes. This allows them to stream HD content, play lag-free online gaming, and adopt seamless cloud computing.

Fibr rides on PLDT’s extensive fiber optic network that extends 54,000 kilometers nationwide.

source: interaksyon.com

BOI approves tax perks for P890-M broadband project

MANILA - Converge Information and Communications Technology Solutions Inc. will put up an P890-milion data communication network using fiber optic and wireless technologies, with broadband speed reaching up to 100 megabits per second, the Board of Investments said on Thursday.

In a statement, the BOI said it approved last week tax and other perks for CICTSI’s project, which will use Gigabit-capable Passive Optic Network or GPON, which the incentives-giving agency described as “a pioneer technology for installing, operating and maintaining nationwide wired and wireless broadband networks.”

At present, the Philippines’ telecommunications network can handle data volume transmitted at 250 gigabits per second, the BOI said.

“The rapid Internet growth and enormous bandwidth consumption it entails pose a challenge to telecommunications infrastructure. [CICTSI’s] project will help address telecommunication gap by ensuring faster Internet speed and ability to meet the growing volume of data traffic,” BOI said.

The project will undergo three phases, with the initial phase culminating in December for the coverage of the National Capital Region, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac, Clark Freeport Zone and Olongapo City.

The next two phases will be rolled out elsewhere in the country in three to five years, with the areas to be covered serving as switching nodes with a 10-Gbps capacity, the BOI said.

CICTSI will hire 278 workers for this project.

The company aims to attract 40,000 subscribers in the first five years of operations.

This project has qualified for fiscal incentives under the 2012 Investment Priorities Plan, in line with government moves to address the growing number of Internet subscribers in the country—estimated to reach more than 30 million by yearend and projected to grow by 23 percent yearly, data from the National Telecommunications Commission and global research company International Data Corporation show.

source: interaksyon.com

PLDT expands coverage of 100Mbps fiber Internet service

MANILA, Philippines — Telecom provider Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) is expanding its ultra-fast home Internet service to other posh villages in Metro Manila, the company announced Tuesday.

Under the PLDT Fibr brand offering, the telco’s fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) Internet service enables download speeds of up to 100Mbps, or about a hundred times faster than the average download rates in the Philippines.

Initially available in upscale villages such as Ayala Alabang and Forbes Park, PLDT said it is expanding the service to cater to the following areas: East, West, North, and Northeast Green Hills, Acropolis, Green Meadows, La Vista, and Valle Verde in Quezon City; Alabang Hills, Alabang 400, and Hillsborough in Alabang, Muntinlupa; and Dasmariñas Village, San Lorenzo Village, and Urdaneta Village in Makati.

An 8Mbps plan from the service costs P3,500 per month, while a 15Mbps plan is available for P6,500 a month. A 100Mbps plan is also available for P20,000 a month.

Unlike cable Internet, which shares bandwidth among nearby customers, PLDT Head of Home Business Ariel Fermin said PLDT Fibr provides a “dedicated broadband connection” to every subscriber through its use of fiber-optic cables.

Fiber Internet uses fiber optic technology, which transmits data via light signals sent through hair-thin strands of pure glass. Instead of the usual copper going to the homes of customers, thin fiber optic cables will be used.

“All PLDT Fibr plans are equipped with an Optical Network Unit (ONU) Modem, which has a fiber optic cable connection that delivers its enviable ultra-high speed feature,” Fermin added.

The new platform will be able to deliver simultaneously voice, video and data services at much higher speeds and larger capacities than DSL or cable technologies, PLDT added.

The expansion of the service comes as the telco nears completion of the installation of 50,000 kilometers of fiber optic cable nationwide, part of its P67-billion network modernization program.

Just recently, the telco announced the completion of the $400 million Asia Submarine-Cable Express, touted as the largest-capacity international submarine cable system in the country, which links Japan, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore through a fiber optic cable.

The completion of the undersea cable system brings the telco’s local landing stations to three, enabling it to efficiently deliver bandwidth-heavy applications requiring Internet access the likes of VoIP, IP-based data, and other multimedia content.

source: interaksyon.com