February 2015 - NA-Discuss - lists.icann.org

FCC Comments
by Glenn McKnight Feb. 4, 2015

Feb. 4, 2015

http://www.npr.org/blogs/alltechconsidered/2015/02/04/383520623/after-month… Chairman Wheeler Backs Regulating Internet As Public Utility FEBRUARY 04, 2015 7:03 AM ET [image: Elise Hu] <http://www.npr.org/people/144449221/elise-hu> ELISE HU <http://www.npr.org/people/144449221/elise-hu> Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/officialelisehu> Twitter <http://www.twitter.com/elisewho> [image: Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler unveiled his plan in a Wired op-ed on Wednesday. The FCC is scheduled to vote on the proposal Feb. 26.]i <http://www.npr.org/blogs/alltechconsidered/2015/02/04/383520623/after-month…> Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler unveiled his plan in a *Wired* op-ed on Wednesday. The FCC is scheduled to vote on the proposal Feb. 26. Karen Bleier/AFP/Getty Images *Updated Feb. 4, 11:52 a.m. ET: Wheeler Outlines His Proposal InWired.* Today is the day net neutrality watchers had been waiting for, according to numerous reports. After months of debate, discussion and the culling of nearly 4 million public comments on the matter, the Federal Communications Commission appears poised to decide how it will regulate the Internet. FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler laid out his proposal in a first-person essay Wednesday in *Wired* <http://www.wired.com/2015/02/fcc-chairman-wheeler-net-neutrality>. He proposes using the FCC's authority to regulate the Internet as a utility, writing: "I am proposing that the FCC use its Title II authority to implement and enforce open internet protections. "Using this authority, I am submitting to my colleagues the strongest open internet protections ever proposed by the FCC. These enforceable, bright-line rules will ban paid prioritization, and the blocking and throttling of lawful content and services. I propose to fully apply—for the first time ever—those bright-line rules to mobile broadband. My proposal assures the rights of internet users to go where they want, when they want, and the rights of innovators to introduce new products without asking anyone's permission." The FCC issued more details of Wheeler's proposal <http://media.npr.org/documents/2015/feb/fcc-wheeler-openinternet.pdf> Wednesday afternoon. [image: Randall Stephenson, chairman and CEO of AT&T, introduces President Obama before the latter's remarks Dec. 3 at the quarterly meeting of the Business Roundtable, a group Stephenson chairs. Stephenson has said that increasing regulation of the broadband industry — as proposed by the president — would have a substantial chilling effect on its investment in infrastructure.] <http://www.npr.org/blogs/alltechconsidered/2015/02/03/383408537/would-fcc-p…> ALL TECH CONSIDERED <http://www.npr.org/blogs/alltechconsidered/>Would FCC Plan Harm Telecom Investment? Even Industry Opinion Is Mixed <http://www.npr.org/blogs/alltechconsidered/2015/02/03/383408537/would-fcc-p…> [image: President Obama called on the Federal Communications Commission to implement a strict policy of net neutrality and to oppose content providers in restricting bandwidth to customers.] <http://www.npr.org/blogs/alltechconsidered/2015/01/21/378844286/critics-say…> ALL TECH CONSIDERED <http://www.npr.org/blogs/alltechconsidered/>The Battle Over Open-Internet Rules Shifts To Congress <http://www.npr.org/blogs/alltechconsidered/2015/01/21/378844286/critics-say…> [image: President Obama speaks at Cedar Falls Utilities in Cedar Falls, Iowa, on Wednesday. He encouraged the Federal Communications Commission to pre-empt state laws that stifle competition for high-speed Internet service.] <http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2015/01/14/377230778/obama-pushes-fcc-t…> THE TWO-WAY <http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/>Broadband A 'Necessity,' Obama Says, As He Pushes FCC To Expand Access <http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2015/01/14/377230778/obama-pushes-fcc-t…> The FCC had to essentially start over on its net neutrality rules after its old rules were struck down by a federal court <http://www.npr.org/blogs/alltechconsidered/2014/01/14/262454310/feds-cant-e…> in January 2014. Net neutrality is the concept that your Internet provider should be a neutral gateway to everything on the Internet, not a gatekeeper deciding to load some sites slower than others or impose fees for faster service. At issue now is how to ensure this concept. Wheeler originally floated a proposal last summer that received wide backlash from Silicon Valley companies, open-Internet supporters and even the White House. So the new proposal would "fundamentally change the way it oversees high-speed Internet service," *The Wall Street Journal* reports <http://www.wsj.com/articles/fcc-to-propose-strong-net-neutrality-rules-1422…>. It would do so by proposing to regulate the Internet as a public utility, like telecom companies. The move is supported by President Obama, who made waves last fall when he came out in support <http://www.npr.org/blogs/alltechconsidered/2014/11/10/363013806/the-white-h…> of treating Internet service providers like telecommunications companies. It would subject the ISPs to closer oversight of how they manage traffic on their networks. For example, the FCC would ban broadband providers from slowing down your Netflix streams. Some cable companies and their lobbying groups have fervently opposed this, saying <http://corporate.comcast.com/comcast-voices/comcast-supports-the-open-inter…> they support an open Internet and believe any additional government regulation will stifle innovation and investment. (NPR's Joel Rose on Tuesday examined whether investment would indeed be stifled <http://www.npr.org/blogs/alltechconsidered/2015/02/03/383408537/would-fcc-p…> .) What would this proposal mean for you, in the short term? *WSJ* says not much: "The rules shouldn't change how most consumers experience the Internet in the short-term, as they would largely codify what has been voluntary practice for the broadband industry. Down the road, however, they could make it easier for companies to offer bandwidth-hungry services such as online video-streaming without having to first seek approval or enter into business arrangements with the broadband providers. "Changing the broadband industry's regulatory status could also have ramifications beyond the immediate question of how to enforce net neutrality. While Mr. Obama and others have said they don't want the FCC setting prices for broadband providers, a future FCC may decide differently. Reclassifying broadband as a telecommunications service may also amplify calls for the government to subsidize the deployment and adoption of broadband networks in underserved areas." The FCC is expected to vote on Wheeler's latest proposal Feb. 26. Glenn McKnight mcknight.glenn(a)gmail.com skype gmcknight twitter gmcknight .

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eBook and Audio Recordings
by Carlton Samuels Feb. 4, 2015

Feb. 4, 2015

This is an eminently sensible proposition by Glenn. I would urge NARALO to expand this action to embrace the needs of other RALOs by bringing this to the ALAC. I have been saying from the earliest days that old technology, radio, is indispensable for increasing internet access and connecting the next billion. This initiative moves along those lines; it is the results that matter. -Carlton ============================== Carlton A Samuels Mobile: 876-818-1799 *Strategy, Planning, Governance, Assessment & Turnaround* ============================= > > Today's Topics: > > 1. Ebooks and Audio Recordings (Glenn McKnight) > 2. Re: Ebooks and Audio Recordings (Allan Skuce) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Sat, 31 Jan 2015 19:37:56 -0500 > From: Glenn McKnight <mcknight.glenn(a)gmail.com> > To: NA Discuss <na-discuss(a)atlarge-lists.icann.org> > Subject: [NA-Discuss] Ebooks and Audio Recordings > > > The Finance and Budget for FY16 has asked for submissions for > consideration . I have proposed to the committee the idea of converting > the myriad of ALAC Training materials into E Books with Audio > recording capacity to enable the community to use the resources on their > phones and e-readers. This expands the utility of these resources > beyond the pdf format, plus it provides more accessibility for the > resources. > > I am posting a request from NARALO on the community interest in supporting > this idea > > Thanks > > Glenn McKnight > mcknight.glenn(a)gmail.com > skype gmcknight > twitter gmcknight > . > >

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Meeting Invitation/ NARALO Monthly meeting in Singapore
by ICANN At-Large Staff Feb. 4, 2015

Feb. 4, 2015

Dear All, The NARALO face to face meeting in Singapore is scheduled on Thursday 12 February 2015 from 10:00 - 11:00 local time in Indiana Meeting Room (60 minutes). For other times: http://tinyurl.com/ljsxva9 The draft agenda is available at: https://community.icann.org/x/OSjxAg Remote participation details are available at: http://singapore52.icann.org/en/schedule/thu-naralo Adobe Connect: https://icann.adobeconnect.com/sin52-indiana/ Wiki workspace: https://community.icann.org/x/N5Qi If you require a dial-out, please contact At-Large staff at staff(a)atlarge.icann.org<mailto:staff@atlarge.icann.org><mailto:staff@atlarge.icann.org> with your preferred contact number. Please Thank you. Regards, Heidi Ullrich, Silvia Vivanco, Ariel Liang, Gisella Gruber, Nathalie Peregrine and Terri Agnew ICANN Policy Staff in support of ALAC E-mail: staff(a)atlarge.icann.org<mailto:staff@atlarge.icann.org> Facebook: www.facebook.com/icann.atlarge<https://www.facebook.com/icann.atlarge> Twitter: @ICANN_AtLarge<https://twitter.com/ICANN_AtLarge> One World, One Internet

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NARALO General Assembly
by Glenn McKnight Feb. 4, 2015

Feb. 4, 2015

Hi Folks It's this time for the ALAC Finance and Budget submission and the deadline is February 4th, 2015 One of the ideas that has merit is a proposal to do a NARALO General Assembly. This assembly could be scheduled during the ARIN meetings in Montreal during early October. This will be the first NARALO General Assembly and also it's been 16 months since ATLAS 2. This meeting is an Inreach meeting to build capacity. The session would also be streamed to permit members who could not make the sessions This request would be off season so it would be reasonable and North American travel to Montreal isn't that expense including the two ALS''s from PR. Please comment on this idea to warrant a submission Thanks all skype gmcknight twitter gmcknight .

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Proposal to Change ICANN Compliance Oversight
by Garth Bruen Feb. 4, 2015

Feb. 4, 2015

Dear colleagues, Following a multi-year analysis of the way ICANN handles its compliance function and being directly involved in the existing process every level I have come to the conclusion that some changes are required if ICANN is to actually be accountable and transparent. There are some fundamental problems within the organization which prevent compliance from operating in a truly independent fashion which serves all parties equally. In short, ICANN compliance has been unable enforce the contract with registrars in specific cases and has been unable to explain why. Testing of the compliance process at every level has revealed technical failures, inconsistencies and lost complaints. Compliance staff failed to recognize violations for an extended period of time and later contradicted their own findings in later statements. The overall issue is we have been regularly assured that Compliance is not only fair but up to the challenges of an expanding Internet. Multiple discoveries call fairness and ability into question. Through cases presented directly by At-Large to Compliance staff we stressed the importance of accepting patterns of abuse and not simply single complaints. While Compliance staff agreed to this on transcript in Singapore, they later rejected the same patterns of abuse in private. One of the more problematic discoveries in this analysis concerns the oversight of compliance itself. As many of you are aware the current CEO moved compliance from under the Legal department to his direct supervision. This was seen by the community as a positive move. However, budget documents show that Compliance actually receives its funding from ICANN's Business division. Additional Compliance funds also still originate with Legal. Having the domain-business division fund Compliance appears to be an inherent conflict of interest and does not engender community trust. While we were told Compliance was being made more independent, this was not the case. It has also been revealed that the head of Compliance is the wife of a business associate of both the CEO and the head of ICANN's Business Division. The main recommendation listed in the proposal is to move Compliance outside the organization. I am also recommending that the community become directly involved in Compliance oversight. I have detailed the history and recommendations here: https://community.icann.org/display/NARALO/NARALO+Reports+on+ICANN+Complianc e+-+January+2015 A formal memo to be forwarded to ALAC is here: https://community.icann.org/download/attachments/51417250/icann_alac_memo_on _compliance.pdf A timeline of critical events is also posted here: https://community.icann.org/download/attachments/51417250/APPROVEDONLINEPHAR MACY_public.pdf I am looking to move this agenda through At-Large starting within NARALO. Please feel free to send any questions or concerns to me and discuss this on the list. -Garth ------------------------------------- Garth Bruen gbruen(a)knujon.com 617-947-3805 http://www.knujon.com Chair of ICANN At-Large North America (naralo.org) http://www.linkedin.com/pub/4/149/724 Twitter: @Knujon Skype: gobruen "If history is deprived of the Truth, we are left with nothing but an idle, unprofitable tale" -Polybius

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Ebooks and Audio Recordings
by Glenn McKnight Feb. 1, 2015

Feb. 1, 2015

The Finance and Budget for FY16 has asked for submissions for consideration . I have proposed to the committee the idea of converting the myriad of ALAC Training materials into E Books with Audio recording capacity to enable the community to use the resources on their phones and e-readers. This expands the utility of these resources beyond the pdf format, plus it provides more accessibility for the resources. I am posting a request from NARALO on the community interest in supporting this idea Thanks Glenn McKnight mcknight.glenn(a)gmail.com skype gmcknight twitter gmcknight .

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