[Sosfbay-discuss] [Fwd: You say you want a revolution...]

Andrea Dorey andid at cagreens.org
Fri Jun 22 15:50:31 PDT 2007 

Yup. There are several bad winds blowing lately, but one good one has  
appeared suddenly with the opening doors to low-power stations.  Door  
will close in October.  If GP is interested in getting in the game,  
now's the time.
Andrea

On May 29, 2007, at 12:41 PM, Gerry Gras wrote:

>
> Anyone hear anything about this from some other source?
>
> Gerry
>
>
> -------- Original Message --------
> Subject: You say you want a revolution...
> Date: Tue, 29 May 2007 11:04:54 -0700
> From: "Adam Green, MoveOn.org Civic Action" <moveon- 
> help at list.moveon.org>
> To: "Gerald S. Gras" <gerrygras at earthlink.net>
>
>
>
>
> Clicking here will add your name:
>
> "The public airwaves should be used for the public good. The  
> government
> must protect our airwaves from corporate gatekeepers who would stifle
> innovation and competition in the wireless Internet market."
> <http://civic.moveon.org/airwaves/one_click_sign.pl?id=10433-824573- 
> CN9rVu&t=1>
> [click here]
> <http://civic.moveon.org/airwaves/o.pl?id=10433-824573-CN9rVu&t=2>
>
> Dear MoveOn member,
>
> The federal government is on the verge of turning over a huge  
> portion of
> our public airwaves to companies like AT&T, Verizon, and Comcast?who
> will use them for private gain instead of the public good.
>
> These newly available airwaves are a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to
> revolutionize Internet access?beaming high-speed Internet signals to
> every park bench, coffee shop, workplace, and home in America at more
> affordable prices than current Internet service. Phone and cable
> companies don't want this competition to their Internet service?they'd
> rather purchase the airwaves at auction and sit on them.1
>
> In June, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will make a major
> decision: Use the public airwaves for the public good, or turn them  
> over
> to big companies who will stifle competition, innovation, and the
> wireless Internet revolution.
>
> The FCC is only accepting public comments for a few more days. Can you
> sign this petition to them today, and send it to your friends?
>
> "The public airwaves should be used for the public good. The  
> government
> must protect our airwaves from corporate gatekeepers who would stifle
> innovation and competition in the wireless Internet market."
>
> Sign here:
> http://www.civic.moveon.org/airwaves/?id=10433-824573-CN9rVu&t=3
> <http://www.civic.moveon.org/airwaves/?id=10433-824573-CN9rVu&t=3>
>
>
> We'll deliver your petition signature and any accompanying note  
> directly
> to the FCC's public comment record, which FCC Commissioners use to  
> guide
> their decisions.
>
> There are many innovative companies jumping at the opportunity to  
> forge
> ahead with the wireless Internet revolution?bringing us high-speed
> wireless networks from coast to coast and all sorts of innovative
> wireless devices. But the old phone and cable companies are  
> aggressively
> trying to block this progress. They've spent billions laying wires,  
> and
> they enjoy having their customers locked in with few alternatives.
>
> Without access to the public airwaves, wireless innovators can't enter
> the marketplace. So the strategy of companies like AT&T, Verizon, and
> Comcast is to buy the administrative rights of our airwaves at
> auction?and then use those rights to block competition. They also  
> stifle
> the development of new wireless devices by only letting their own
> endorsed products work on their networks.
>
> We're urging the FCC to protect the public good by setting auction  
> rules
> that prohibit this anti-competitive behavior. If the government
> auctioned off the right to maintain a public highway to Ford, we would
> certainly not let Ford block Toyotas from the roads.  Likewise, big
> phone and cable should not be able to keep innovative companies off  
> our
> airwaves.
>
> They also shouldn't be able to tell their wireless Internet customers
> which websites they can access?as they do now. And just as phone
> companies can't tell customers what phones can be plugged into a wall
> jack, cell and wireless companies should not be able to dictate which
> phones or wireless devices people use on their networks.
>
> The opportunity to revolutionize the Internet and wireless world is at
> our fingertips. The only question is whether our government will  
> embrace
> it, and whether regular people will fight for it.
>
> The FCC is only accepting public comments for a few more days. Can you
> sign the petition to them today, and send it to your friends?
>
> Sign here:
> http://www.civic.moveon.org/airwaves/?id=10433-824573-CN9rVu&t=4
> <http://www.civic.moveon.org/airwaves/?id=10433-824573-CN9rVu&t=4>
>
>
> Thanks for all you do.
> -Adam Green, MoveOn.org Civic Action
>    Tuesday, May 29th, 2007
>
> PS?Most people haven't heard about this critical issue yet?so it's
> really important that we spread the word and get others involved.  
> As you
> consider who else to tell about this issue, here's what innovation and
> competition in the wireless world means for regular people:
>
>      * Families would no longer be forced to choose solely between
>        high-priced phone and cable Internet. A new wireless
>        market?including lots of competition within that market? 
> would mean
>        more affordable Internet access for families.
>      * Poor and rural communities which phone and cable companies  
> never
>        bothered to wire with high-speed Internet access could now have
>        high-speed Internet signals beamed directly into their homes.
>      * Blackberry and other handheld wireless users are currently  
> blocked
>        by phone companies from accessing Internet-based phone  
> service and
>        other innovative services.2 The FCC could stop these
>        anti-competitive, anti-consumer practices by mandating wireless
>        Net Neutrality.
>      * Socially responsible buyers could someday go to a store,  
> scan the
>        bar codes of products with an Internet-equipped cell phone, and
>        find out which items are socially responsible. Phone  
> companies can
>        currently block such innovations from working with their  
> devices
>        (they often try to shake down innovators into giving them a
>        massive cut of their profits)?but the FCC can prohibit such
>        practices on these newly available airwaves.
>      * Technology consumers in America are currently denied all  
> sorts of
>        cutting-edge technology that people in other countries have? 
> like
>        using Internet-equipped cell phones to buy products, transfer
>        money, or give to charity. By opening the doors to  
> competition and
>        innovation, the FCC can change that.
>
> P.P.S. Can you support this people-powered campaign today? As
> corporations like AT&T and Verizon spend millions to get public policy
> skewed in their favor, we will win these fights because of the  
> power of
> regular people. A donation of $10, $20, or more would go a long  
> way. You
> can donate here:
> https://civic.moveon.org/donatec4/creditcard.html?id=10433-824573- 
> CN9rVu&t=5
>
> <https://civic.moveon.org/donatec4/creditcard.html?id=10433-824573- 
> CN9rVu&t=5>
>
>
> Sources:
>
> 1. Paper describing "warehousing" of airwaves by dominant companies to
> keep competition out of the market?by Simon Wilkie, Director of Center
> for Communication Law and Policy at the University of Southern
> California, March 26, 2007
> http://www.moveon.org/r?r=2594&id=10433-824573-CN9rVu&t=6
> <http://www.moveon.org/r?r=2594&id=10433-824573-CN9rVu&t=6>
>
> 2. "Wireless Net Neutrality: Cellular Carterfone and Consumer  
> Choice in
> Mobile Broadband," Working Paper by Prof. Tim Wu, February 15, 2007
> http://www.moveon.org/r?r=2592&id=10433-824573-CN9rVu&t=7
> <http://www.moveon.org/r?r=2592&id=10433-824573-CN9rVu&t=7>
>
> Hooking Up," Prof. Tim Wu commentary in Forbes, May 18, 2007
> http://www.moveon.org/r?r=2627&id=10433-824573-CN9rVu&t=8
> <http://www.moveon.org/r?r=2627&id=10433-824573-CN9rVu&t=8>
>
> 3. "Use spare spectrum for the Net; High-speed internet should be  
> one of
> the FCC's priorities as it auctions valuable airwave rights," Los
> Angeles Times editorial, April 13, 2007
> http://www.moveon.org/r?r=2593&id=10433-824573-CN9rVu&t=9
> <http://www.moveon.org/r?r=2593&id=10433-824573-CN9rVu&t=9>
>
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