Teletruth News Alert: August 1st, 2006

Harvard's Neiman School of Journalism Watchdog project is publishing a series of articles about America's broadband, Internet and telecom future written by Teletruth's Bruce Kushnick. "The Nieman Watchdog Journalism Project grows from this premise and this goal: to help the press ask penetrating questions, critical questions, questions that matter, questions not yet asked about today's news."

To see the five current articles and bio http://www.niemanwatchdog.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=about.viewContributor&bioid=130

Current Article: (Fifth in the series)

Why is Congress considering such anti-consumer telecom bills?

http://www.niemanwatchdog.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=ask_this.view&askthisid=00219

Q. Is 200KBPS a reasonable broadband standard for America? (Asian countries are now using 100 Mbps in both directions for their standard. That is 500 times more powerful.)

Q. Given that the telcos have repeatedly failed to live up to the promises they made in return for huge subsidies in the past, why would it be different this time?

Q. Who is speaking on behalf of the consumers?

Q. Why do phone companies with excessive profit margins need Universal Service Fund subsidies?

Congress has decided to update the Telecommunications Act of 1996. There are two proposed bills; both would benefit the large telephone firms at the expense of consumers. The press has pretty much left the public in the dark when it comes to what these bills would do. Decent coverage is long overdue, especially considering the likely increases in telephone, broadband taxes and new Internet constraints on users.

Other Articles:

1) Where’s that broadband fiber-optic access?, March 14, 2006

http://www.niemanwatchdog.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=Ask_this.view&askthisid=186

In spite of huge payments and other financial incentives to the country’s monopolistic telecommunication giants, the United States is 16th in broadband Internet technology and falling. How did things go wrong in your state?

2) How the Baby Bells and the government destroyed competition for DSL, long distance and local phone service, April 13, 2006

http://www.niemanwatchdog.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=Ask_this.view&askthisid=196

Reporters should be asking why the promised era of competition to lower prices and bring broadband to America never materialized.

3) Telecoms, cable and the ‘Net neutrality’ fight, May 03, 2006 http://www.niemanwatchdog.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=Ask_this.view&askthisid=206

Who paid for, who owns the broadband ‘pipes?’ Customers largely paid for them; phone companies claim ownership. Also: Open vs. closed networks.

4) How do the big telecoms qualify as small businesses?, June 23, 2006 http://www.niemanwatchdog.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=Ask_this.view&askthisid=219

Giant firms are gaming the system, using false fronts as 'very small businesses' for FCC auctions of the airwave spectrum -- saving billions.

FUTURE ARTICLES IN THE SERIES:

* Kill Humpty Dumpty: It is clear that the Bell mergers harmed the growth of broadband, competition and even the economy. Why aren't we calling For "Divestiture II: Break up of the Bells"?

* Phone Bill Outrage: Raise the FCC Line Charge on every local phone bill to $10.00, even though it doesn't go to the FCC and was never audited?

* How Astroturf and "Skunkworks" groups, funded by the phone companies harm America's broadband and telecommunications future.

* Five Scandals You Should Investigate.

About Harvard Nieman School of Journalism Watchdog project http://www.niemanwatchdog.org/index.cfm

About Bruce Kushnick: http://www.niemanwatchdog.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=about.viewContributor&bioid=130

The series is based on the ebook: $200 Billion Broadband Scandal http://www.newnetworks.com/broadbandscandals.htm

To learn more about Teletruth: http://www.teletruth.org