Telecom & Technology

On Monday, Google Chairman Eric Schmidt arrived in North Korea, a country that is almost completely cut off from the Internet. Schmidt, who is traveling with former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, is part of what has been termed a private humanitarian mission. The State Department has nonetheless expressed dissatisfaction, saying that the timing of the visit is not “particularly helpful.”   

Marc Goldwein explains how Congress brokered the fiscal cliff deal, and warned of rocky terrain still ahead as legislators tackle across-the-board spending cuts and the debt ceiling. Danielle Kehl discusses the real reason that broadband providers implement data caps, and why anyone with a mobile device should care. Elizabeth Weingarten hosts.

Every so often in human history, something new comes along that warrants a celebration, and that deserves its own holiday. That’s why I propose we celebrate “Internet Freedom Day” later this month.

NOBODY ever said that big cities make for easy living. The apps of the moment, Uber and Airbnb, try to mitigate matters by letting you book a car ride or rent someone’s apartment using your smartphone or computer. They are beloved by those contemplating scarce taxis or $500 hotel rooms. But they’re considerably less popular among city regulators, whose reactions recall Ned Ludd’s response to the automated loom.

This weekend saw xda-developers user alephzain post a previously unknown and extremely dangerous Android vulnerability that affects most Samsung Galaxy S II, Galaxy Note II, international Galaxy S III, Nexus 4, some Sony Xperia devices, and possibly many others.

Late last week, Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., announced he was leaving the Senate to become president of The Heritage Foundation, the country’s most influential conservative think tank. From his new office perch just five minutes from the Senate floor, DeMint, a tea party gladiator, will enjoy unrestricted power to pursue America’s ideological renewal at six times his Senate salary. Members of Congress cashing in on their experience is nothing new. But it would be wrong and simplistic to assume DeMint is trading his institutional power as a senator for money and ideological purity.

Since 2009, the federal government has funded 232 Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) digital training and access projects nationwide. New America Foundation’s Open Technology Institute (OTI) is a partner on two of them, in Detroit and Philadelphia. As these programs draw to a close at the end of 2012, researchers, policymakers, and practitioners are taking stock of the impact and outcomes of one of the largest and most comprehensive digital inclusion efforts ever undertaken.

Peter Bergen discusses how the new movie "Zero Dark Thirty" stacks up to the real account of how Osama bin Laden was captured and killed. Rebecca MacKinnon provides post-game analysis of the Internet governance summit in Dubai that wrapped up this week. Elizabeth Weingarten hosts.

The latest battle over who governs the Internet is taking place right now. Representatives from more than 150 nations gathered in Dubai last Monday for the World Conference on International Telecommunications, a two-week meeting hosted by the International Telecommunication Union, a specialized agency of the United Nations. Their mission: to renegotiate International Telecommunications Regulations treaty, which governs global interconnection and interoperability of telecommunications traffic. The outcome could change how the Internet works.

A similar version of this blog post also appeared on Global Voices Advocacy on Friday, December 7, 2012.