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    • Talk about ISP Politics on the ISP-Politics disucssion list.
    • Directory of Internet Lawyers
    • State PUC Directory
    • Directory of ISP Associations
    • Hot legal topics on ISP-Planet: CALEA and spectrum white space.

Warning: FCC Cracking Down on CPNI Alex Goldman
[June 6, 2008] If you offer CLEC or VoIP services and you don't know about the FCC's rules on private data, contact your lawyer immediately to learn about CPNI rules.

F2C: Clay Shirky and Here Comes Everybody Alex Goldman
[May 2, 2008] The Freedom to Connect conference concluded with a speech about the new freedoms of the internet and why those who hate the new freedoms will go after ISPs.

F2C: Dewayne Hendricks Alex Goldman
[April 25, 2008] This internet pioneer warned that the internet is being redefined for the benefit of a few powerful special interests.

F2C: Wireless Politics Alex Goldman
[April 22, 2008] Michael Calabrese of the New America Foundation talked common sense on wireless and spectrum issues.

F2C: The Politics of Open Fiber Alex Goldman
[April 18, 2008] Presenters from Amsterdam, Burlington, and Lafayette said that open fiber is what their community needs.

F2C: Templeton Asks for Less Regulation Alex Goldman
[April 15, 2008] The time period between 1996 and 2008 has shown that the U.S. system of government is so riddled with institutional corruption that a net neutrality law will only be co-opted by the telcos it is meant to govern.

FCC Chairman's Open Market Rhetoric Is A Sham Al Senia
[April 2, 2008] Martin is preparing to empower the telecom industry's existing hierarchy to crush smaller competitors.

Why I'm Attending the Freedom to Connect Conference Alex Goldman
[January 11, 2008] Every year, I attend this conference in order to take a step back and look at the big picture, the future of the internet.

Telco Dmarc Games Best of ISP-Lists
[January 10, 2008] This is just one more method the phone company can use to deny you a customer.

DSL Prime: FCC Chief: "I Failed My President" Dave Burstein
[January 8, 2008] Martin attempts an honest examination of his legacy, as technology improves and more of the world gets connected. Also, Apgar's data suggests the U.S. internet runs faster than previously believed.

A Startup's Alternative Spectrum Plan Gerry Blackwell
[December 31, 2007] When this company went before the FCC with an alternative way to manage spectrum, the incumbents fought back.

Jaguar Communications' Rural Fiber Network Alex Goldman
[December 21, 2007] This is the sort of company that should be in every rural area in America; the obstacles it has overcome show why there is still a digital divide between city and country in the U.S.

EarthLink Applauds FCC Denial of Verizon Petition Alex Goldman
[December 5, 2007] The FCC found that Verizon faces limited competition in six major metro markets.

ISPCON: The 700 MHz Auction Alex Goldman
[November 19, 2007] A multitalented group of presenters described how the auction for this spectrum will work.

How They Got $480 Billion in Spectrum Giveaways Alex Goldman
[October 1, 2007] We need more research like this, focused on the long term effects of Washington D.C.'s short term telecommunications policies, which are greased with graft.

The Fight for 700 MHz Gerry Blackwell
[July 26, 2007] Wireless politics in Washington, D.C. heats up as a new company with powerful backers seeks to change the rules and challenge the monopolists.

Giant victory for e-mail privacy Brad Templeton
[June 18, 2007] We hope and expect this to become the full law of the land, though for now, I might advise all e-mail service providers to move their servers to the 6th circuit (MI, OH, TN, KY) for full protection.

ISPCON Policy Update: Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA) of 1994 Alex Goldman
[June 8, 2007] This time, the FBI showed up at ISPCON.

ISPCON Policy Update: The Law and the WISPs Alex Goldman
[June 8, 2007] At ISPCON's regular policy and government update, there was lots of news for wireless ISPs, and some of it was good news.

Editorial: Today is CALEA Day Alex Goldman
[May 14, 2007] New rules go into effect, with consequences for the internet industry that are entirely unpredictable.

Think You Can Put Off CALEA? Read the Rules! Alex Goldman
[May 7, 2007] Filing for an extension to CALEA is not at all like filing for an extension to your taxes. You will need a lawyer even if you're not in compliance.

National Broadband Policy Rant Mark Koskenmaki
[May 1, 2007] The federal government appears to think that without specific government policies there'd be no food to eat, no water to drink, and of course, no broadband.

FCC Punts on 700 MHz rulemaking Paul Kapustka
[April 25, 2007] In a rare late-night version of its monthly open meeting, the FCC did what it does best: postponed hard decisions.

A Description of Lawful Intercept and CALEA Alex Goldman
[April 24, 2007] We talked to a guy who's so enmeshed in this stuff that he's got a blog about it: demystifying li.

WISPA's CALEA FAQ Michael Erskine of Kaballero.com (team leader), Brent Anderson of Great American Networks, Martha Huizenga of DC Access, Marty Dougherty of Road Star Internet, and Eric Plikuhu of ImageStream
[April 6, 2007] As members of the ISP-Wireless list discuss the relative benefits of various antennas, we provide additional information from the ISP-Planet archives.

CALEA: The Equipment Makers Alex Goldman
[April 6, 2007] As warranted wiretap of VoIP becomes the law, every network in the U.S. must comply. Some equipment makers see an opportunity.

Summary of the Freedom to Connect Conference by Bruce Sterling and Jasmina Tesanovic Alex Goldman
[March 30, 2007] Science Fiction novelist Bruce Sterling and his wife, feminist Belgrade-based journalist Jasmina Tesanovic, concluded the conference with vigor. America is a nice place, but the telecommunications system sucks.

Our National Broadband Strategy is Hope Without Action Alex Goldman
[March 23, 2007] The Freedom to Connect Conference saw calls for a "national broadband strategy" and although it's true that the current non-strategy is failing, it's not clear what would succeed. FCC Commissioner Adelstein shared his hopes for the future.

Government Wants ISPs to be Better Parents Alex Goldman
[March 19, 2007] A conservative think tank author warned of yet another government power grab.

The Vermont Way Forward Alex Goldman
[March 8, 2007] The plan of Vermont's Republican governor for universal statewide broadband is extremely ambitious and not very detailed.

Editorial: Doubts About Net Neutrality Alex Goldman
[March 2, 2007] For a phrase whose meaning is still disputed, this idea has generated a lot of buzz and could generate some very flawed legislation.

Consumers Unrepresented at FTC Broadband Workshop David Isenberg
[February 16, 2007] At its FTC Workshop on Broadband Connectivity this week, the FTC proved in real time that it was incapable of fulfilling its mission.

Privacy Groups Hit ISP Data Storage Bill Roy Mark
[February 15, 2007] New proposal would give Department of Justice wide discretion over how much and how long ISPs must keep customer data, such as IP addresses. ISPs failing to comply with the bill's vague language could face fines of $150,000 to $300,000.

Editorial: Know Your Politicians Alex Goldman
[January 23, 2007] You can benefit from knowing your local, state, and federal representatives.

DSL Prime: AT&T's Net Neutrality Offer is Just Hot Air Dave Burstein
[January 4, 2007] AT&T promises to deliver bits without traffic shaping, but the agreement excludes the parts of the network it can control.

Muni Broadband: the Good, Bad, and the Ugly Marlon Schafer
[December 26, 2006] While politicians love to throw money at broadband providers, one guy who's built a three county network without asking for a penny has a few suggestions.

DSL Prime Editorials: Politicians Sweep Midterm Elections Dave Burstein
[December 8, 2006] The Rebpublicans now have an opportunity to become the party of ethics—and the Democrats now have every opportunity for corruption. ISPs beware: this is a Dingell alert.

ISP Associations Talk Dollars Alex Goldman
[November 10, 2006] ISP associations came to ISPCON to show prospective members what they have to offer, touting tangible financial rewards, even as America voted for change.

DSL Prime: Net Neutrality and the Closing of the Web Worldwide Dave Burstein
[September 11, 2006] As regulators around the world fail to regulate, ILECs are on the verge of finding new ways to restrict free choice of applications.

Note To Telcos: Please Get Better Shills Mike @ Techdirt (h/t broadbandreports.com)
[August 29, 2006] After all, she was the very telco mouthpiece claiming that "the Internet, as we know it, will be over" if net neutrality legislation came to be. Yet, now she's against scare tactics?

ISPs and RLECs Have Much in Common Alex Goldman
[August 21, 2006] A recent survey released by the National Telecommunications Cooperative Association included comments from the RLECs themselves that are fascinating but have been virtually ignored.

Regulation Briefs, June 2006 Kristopher Twomey and Andrew Ganz
[July 27, 2006] A practicing law office provides key updates on telecommunications regulation across the U.S.

DSL Prime: India Blocks Yahoo, Google, Blogs Dave Burstein
[July 27, 2006] As the net neutrality debate heats up, a relatively liberal nation implements censorship. Of course, totalitarian regimes do this all the time, with U.S. equipment, without facing the press.

DSL Prime: The Telcos' Latest Multibillion Dollar Subsidy Dave Burstein
[July 27, 2006] As the net neutrality debate heats up, a relatively liberal nation implements censorship. Of course, totalitarian regimes do this all the time, with U.S. equipment, without facing the press.

DSL Prime Editorial: The Buck Stops Here, Mr. Chairman Dave Burstein
[July 24, 2006] Kevin Martin is responsible for fulfilling the President's universal broadband pledge. If he has the backbone, he will demand actual deployment as part of the merger conditions, and maybe even threaten to enforce the conditions of previous mergers.

Teletruth Sends Letter to Judge Sullivan Regarding the Bell-AT&T-MCI Merger Review TeleTruth
[July 20, 2006] Teletruth also asks for your comments, which will be forwarded to Judge Sullivan. TeleTruth argues that Bell mergers have already harmed competition and the U.S. economy, and further mergers will do further harm.

DSL Prime: AOL's Death Revisited Dave Burstein
[July 13, 2006] Bad government policies assassinated what was once the world's largest ISP.

RESEND: FISPA Alert FISPA
[July 11, 2006] As the consequences of the Bell South merger with AT&T start to look worse and worse, we reprint this FISPA alert and action request.

$50 billion later, what has the Universal Service Fund accomplished? Daniel Berninger
[July 10, 2006] Open letter to the House and Senate Commerce Committees.

Isenberg Discusses the Future of the Internet Alex Goldman
[May 31, 2006] At ISPCON, the ex-Bell Labs engineer (now prosultant) challenged ISPs to articulate their vision for the future of the internet.

What is the Price of Bandwidth? Alex Goldman
[May 31, 2006] ISPCON attendees said that David Isenberg's arguments about net neutrality ignore the reality of how regular sized ISPs buy and sell connectivity.

Who Lost the Internet? Alex Goldman
[April 28, 2006] FCC policy needs to take into account the value of public property, the value of free speech, and the effect of our policies on China, argued former FCC Chairman Reed Hundt. He concluded his speech to the Freedom to Connect conference with three recommendations.

The Economics of Internet Rebellions Alex Goldman
[April 27, 2006] One speaker at the Freedom to Connect conference said that fundamental Western values are being discarded in the pursuit of monopoly profits. Luckily, the economics of the internet promote group ownership and punish monopolies.

The More Telecom Monopolies Change, the More They Stay the Same Alex Goldman
[April 17, 2006] Concerns about monopoly power in communications and commerce predate the telephone, and we can learn much from history.

Rick Boucher Addresses the Freedom to Connect Conference Alex Goldman
[April 14, 2006] This congressman understands the issues.

Templeton's Dark Sense of Humor Alex Goldman
[April 13, 2006] He's done it before, and at the Freedom to Connect conference, EFF Chairman Brad Templeton championed internet freedom by channeling the dark side.

Skeptical About Net Neutrality Alex Goldman
[April 11, 2006] Although he called net neutrality "crypto-nationalization," blogger and telecom guru Martin Geddes at times suggested that net neutrality would be too little rather than too much.

The Freedom To Connect Alex Goldman
[April 4, 2006] The Freedom To Connect conference opened with a speech from an FCC Commissioner followed by a speech by the conference's founder, both addressing the same topic: the future of the internet.

Why Net Neutrality is Necessary Alex Goldman
[March 31, 2006] All we are asking for is a free market untainted by lobbyists, fake grassroots groups, push polls, and all the other weapons of regulatory capitalism.

Engineers See the Politics in the Internet Alex Goldman
[March 28, 2006] It was law professor Lawrence Lessig who famously noted that code is law on the internet. Now even the engineers are realizing that regulators could break the net, and they're meeting at the Freedom to Connect conference.

The Ultimate Power of Deregulation Best of ISP-Lists
[March 27, 2006] As the regulation of the phone company is eliminated in the U.S., a glimpse of what it's like to run an ISP in Central America could be a taste of the future.

e-Book Review: $200 Billion Broadband Scandal Alex Goldman
[March 16, 2006] In a news cycle entirely free of historical data and analysis, the phone companies can promise the same thing over and over again, win concessions, and fail to deliver. Here's the documentation of the scandal.

Regulation Briefs, February 2006 Kristopher Twomey and Andrew Ganz
[March 9, 2006] A practicing law office provides key updates on telecommunications regulation across the U.S.

FCC Form 477 Kristopher Twomey
[March 6, 2006] The FCC is requiring WISPs to file data on their number of subscribers twice each year.

A Threat to Rural Dialup Alex Goldman
[February 28, 2006] It always seemed that no matter how little residential competition existed in the cities, the nation's rural senators would protect the little townships, but soon there may be zero competition in some small towns, as a database change goes into effect on March 5, 2006.

Lawmakers Hammer Tech's China Policy Roy Mark
[February 15, 2006] The nation's leading technology companies were lectured and hectored today by lawmakers accusing them of collaborating with Chinese censors.

Regulation Briefs, January 2006 Kristopher Twomey and Andrew Ganz
[February 9, 2006] A practicing law office provides key updates on telecommunications regulation across the U.S.

Editorial: The Fight the Bells Will Lose Alex Goldman
[January 13, 2006] If the Bells block google and other content providers, they will find that regular, decent ISPs gain as the RBOCs are finally forced to pay for their latest abuse of monopoly power after years in which they got away with everything.

E-Rate Pays Alex Goldman
[January 3, 2006] An ISPCON speaker and ISP CEO has an interesting message: if you're willing to do the homework—lots and lots of homework—this government program can pay you as you do good, helping your local schools.

Triennial Review Part IV: A Game Played Every Year Alex Goldman
[October 17, 2003] Tucked away in the FCC's triennial review is a provision that sets up an annual contest between CLECs and the local phone company. It is a high stakes game for the CLECs, but penne ante for the phone company.

Triennial Review Part III: Another Unfunded Mandate Alex Goldman
[October 3, 2003] The FCC claims that state commissions have a better understanding of local markets than the FCC, logic that conveniently justifies pass-the-buck policies.

Triennial Review Part II: The FCC's Fiber Failure Alex Goldman
[September 26, 2003] A small group of companies, hoping to sell equipment to the Bells, have manipulated FCC fiber policy, ignoring, ironically, the only entities actually deploying fiber: CLECs and municipal governments.

Triennial Review Part I: A Definition of Competition Alex Goldman
[September 19, 2003] In the first hundred pages of the triennial review, the FCC defines competition. This deceptively esoteric subject is the foundation of the effort to end line sharing.

Regulatory Future? More Uncertainty Alex Goldman
[January 10, 2003] As the FCC conducts its triennial review of rules for the telecommunications industry, glimpses into the secretive process give hints of deep ideological and political divides within the commission, with little apparent room for agreement or compromise.