From vancurama at yahoo.com Thu Oct 12 09:18:14 2006 From: vancurama at yahoo.com (MaryAnn VanCura) Date: Thu Oct 12 11:23:03 2006 Subject: [Ccan-announce] FTC ISSUES MUNICIPAL WIRELESS REPORT Message-ID: <20061012151814.53321.qmail@web60717.mail.yahoo.com> >From the Benton "Communications-related Headlines" for 10/11/06: FTC ISSUES MUNICIPAL WIRELESS REPORT [SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton] Federal Trade Commission Commissioner Jon Leibowitz says a new staff report on municipal wireless Internet networks released by the FTC Tuesday should be used to counter state attempts to prohibit cities and towns from creating a government "third pipe" to the home. The 61-page study does not come down on one side or the other of the issue, however, spelling out federal and state legislative proposals and pros and cons of municipal service. Pros include increasing competition, lowering prices, and increasing efficiency. Cons are primarily associated wit incentives for government to engage in anticompetitive practices. But the study does site the advantages of broadband rollout and competition, and advises that "policymakers considering this issue may want to evaluate whether competition and consumers would be better served if they permitted municipalities to provide broadband Internet services but insured that municipalities would not engage in conduct that disadvantaged or excluded private competitors." It suggests letting the government participate in an open bidding process is another option. But the report also says that a one-size-fits-all policy does not work, saying there is a difference between markets where there are already several competing providers and rural ones without wireless service, the latter being the more conducive to municipal entry. http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6379787.html?display=Breaking+News ___________ From the Baller-Herbst list [If you would like to join their list, please send an e-mail to info@baller.com.] : FTC issues municipal wireless staff report offering guidance for policymakers . . . http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2006/10/muniwire less.htm (press statement) http://www.ftc.gov/os/2006/10/V060021 municipalprovwirelessinternet.pdf (report) http://dw.com.com/redir?destUrl=http%3A %2F%2Fwww.ftc.gov%2Fspeeches%2Fle ibowitz%2F061010_V060021concurringst atewireless.pdf&siteId=3&oId=/Net neutra lity showdown/2009-1028_3-6055133.html &ontId=10784&lop=nl.ex (Comm'r Jon Leibowitz's concurring statement) http://muniwireless.com/municipal/watch /1409 http://www.theregister.com/2006/10/10/ftc _issues-muni_wifi_guidelines/ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mapnp.Geeks.ORG/pipermail/ccan-announce/attachments/20061012/b505d73a/attachment.html From catherine at digitalaccess.org Mon Oct 30 09:23:00 2006 From: catherine at digitalaccess.org (Catherine Settanni) Date: Mon Oct 30 09:23:04 2006 Subject: [Ccan-announce] Wireless Cities... Communities of Interests Message-ID: Call for Interest Wireless Cities... Communities of Interests April 16 & 17, 2007 University of Minnesota, Minneapolis? Please complete our _Call for Interest Survey_ by November 10, 2006:? http://www.zoomerang.com/survey.zgi?p=WEB225T63ZPFJT What do Chicago, Helsinki, Sacramento, Corpus Christi, Lucerne and Minneapolis have in common? They are all well on their way to making municipal wireless networks a reality in their community. The University of Minnesota, the Metropolitan Design Center and Digital Watershed announce the second "Wireless Cities? Communities of Interests? conference, to be held April 16 &17, 2007 at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities Campus, Minneapolis, MN.? We have sent you this Call for Interest because you are part of a community that we believe would be interested and interesting to be included in the discussion. The Wireless Cities conference will bring together educators, researchers, project coordinators, funders, community activists and policy-makers to discuss the implications of wireless communities. Identifying opportunities and considering obstacles are critical to realizing innovative and effective use of regional wireless networks. If you are interested in the impact municipal wireless networks will have on the arts, education, governance, neighborhoods and policies then the Wireless Cities conference is an event you won?t want to miss. Please take a few minutes to fill out a short online survey. We will craft the conference agenda based on responses. You can use this conference as an opportunity to hear from various stakeholders about the impact of municipal wireless networks and to showcase your own projects.?? So again, please complete our _Call for Interest Survey_ by November 10, 2006.?? HYPERLINK:??http://www.zoomerang.com/survey.zgi?p=WEB225T63ZPFJT Then, please visit our Conference Website.? ? HYPERLINK:??http://dtc.umn.edu/wirelesscities.? On-line conference registration will be available in December.??The cost of the two-day conference will be $175.00, which includes: continental breakfast and lunch (both days), a welcome reception, and a banquet.??U of M attendees and DTC affiliates can register for the reduced fee of $75.? Thank you for your interest. The Conference Planning Committee October 27, 2006 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mapnp.Geeks.ORG/pipermail/ccan-announce/attachments/20061030/4db4f881/attachment.html From catherine at digitalaccess.org Mon Oct 30 14:29:01 2006 From: catherine at digitalaccess.org (Catherine Settanni) Date: Mon Oct 30 14:29:04 2006 Subject: [Ccan-announce] The Connections for All (C4All) Accessibility Institute is coming to Minneapolis Message-ID: The Connections for All (C4All) Accessibility Institute is coming to Minneapolis, MN on Wednesday, November 16, 2006! Register now to learn about how to assess, plan for, and implement strategies to make your CTC more accessible to people of all abilities. If your community technology center has considered questions such as... What can we do to make our center more usable to individuals with disabilities? What are some best practices for CTCs and how does our center "measure up"? What are some ways to increase our accessibility that won't take a big bite out of our budget? ...Then you should attend the C4All Institute presented by Community Technology Centers' Network (CTCNet) and the Alliance for Technology Access (ATA)! Institute registration is only $30 for CTCNet members and $40 for non-members. Your registration fee includes training materials and resources, breakfast, lunch, and the chance to learn from and network with CTC peers. Plus, ONLY Accessibility Institute participants will be qualified for C4All funding opportunities including: * $1000 AccessNow Awards, which will be awarded in a drawing at the Institute and * Eligibility to apply for $20,000 Accessibility Grants, which will be awarded through a competitive grant process in early 2007. The C4All Accessibility Institute will be hosted by the PACER Simon Technology Center (STC), a community technology center that was founded in 1987. Since opening the doors, the STC has been helping people with disabilities and their families reach their potential using assistive technology. Through hands-on instructional workshops, consultations, and library memberships, the PACER Simon Technology Center serves all children and adults with disabilities in Minnesota. http://www.ctcnet.org/what/initiatives/C4All/institute.htm Catherine Settanni Wireless Minneapolis Digital Inclusion Task Force 612.724.9097 catherine@digitalaccess.org http://www.digitalaccess.org -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mapnp.Geeks.ORG/pipermail/ccan-announce/attachments/20061030/b2e5a99e/attachment.html