TECHNOLOGY
Wednesday, November 22, 2017
East Oregonian
FCC chairman sets out to scrap
rules for open internet access
By RYAN NAKASHIMA
and MICHAEL LIEDTKE
AP Technology Writers
MENLO PARK, Calif. —
The chairman of the Federal
Communications Commission
set out Tuesday to scrap rules
around open internet access, a
move that would allow giant
cable and telecom companies to
throttle broadband speeds and
favor their own services if they
wish.
Ajit Pai followed through
on a pledge to try to repeal “net
neutrality” regulations enacted
under the Obama administra-
tion. The current rules treat
internet service providers such
as Comcast, AT&T and Verizon
as if they were utility companies
that provide essential services,
like electricity. The rules
mandate that they give equal
access to all online content and
apps.
Pai said those rules
discourage investments that
could provide even better and
faster online access. Instead,
he said new rules would force
AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, File
ISPs to be transparent about Federal Communication Commission Commissioner Ajit Pai
their services and management speaks during an open hearing in February 2015 and vote on
policies, and then would let the “Net Neutrality” in Washington.
market decide.
“Under my proposal, the “Under my proposal, the federal government
federal government will stop
micromanaging the internet,” Pai
will stop micrmanaging the internet.”
said in a statement.
Pai distributed his alternative
— Ajit Pai, FCC commissioner
plan to other FCC commis-
sioners Tuesday in preparation are concerned that repealing net the private sector to build out
for a Dec. 14 vote. Pai promised neutrality will give ISPs even the networks especially in rural
to release his entire proposal more power to block or slow America,” Pai said.
Wednesday. Although the down rival offerings.
In a Wall Street Journal edito-
FCC’s two Democrats said
A repeal also opens the ability rial published Tuesday, Pai cited
they will oppose the proposal, for ISPs to charge a company a report by a nonprofit think tank,
the repeal is likely to prevail as like Netflix for a faster path to the Information Technology &
Republicans dominate 3-2. The its customers. Allowing this Innovation Foundation, that said
vote for net neutrality in 2015 paid-priority market to exist investment by the dozen largest
was also along party lines, but could skew prices and create ISPs fell about 2 percent from
Democrats dominated then.
winners and losers among 2015 to 2016, to $61 billion. The
Equal treatment for all web fledgling companies that require group didn’t link the drop solely
traffic has been a fundamental a high-speed connection to end to the stiffer rules introduced in
principle of the internet since users.
2015.
its creation but companies
Pai, who was appointed by
The attempt to repeal net
have increasingly put their President Donald Trump, said neutrality has triggered protests
thumb on the scales of access. in an interview on Fox News from consumer groups and
AT&T, for example, doesn’t Radio that Trump did not have internet companies. A data
count use of its streaming any input on his proposal. Asked firm called Emprata that was
service DirecTV Now against whether deregulation would backed by a telecom industry
wireless data caps, potentially result in higher prices and put group found in August that
making it seem cheaper to its speedy internet access out of the after filtering out form letters,
cellphone customers than rival reach of blue-collar Americans, the overwhelming majority of
TV services. Rivals would have Pai said “it’s going to mean comments to the FCC — about
to pay AT&T for that privilege.
exactly the opposite.”
1.8 million — favored net
Regulators, consumer advo-
“These heavy-handed regu- neutrality, compared with just
cates and some tech companies lations have made it harder for 24,000 who supported its repeal.
Carmen Scurato, director of
policy and legal affairs for the
National Hispanic Media Coali-
tion, said ISPs’ ability to impose
monthly caps on data use already
act to raise prices and limit
access. Repealing net neutrality,
she said, “is just erecting more
barriers.”
Among those that will be hit
hardest are startups that depend
on high-speed internet connec-
tions for growth, said Colin
Angle, co-founder and CEO of
iRobot, maker of the Roomba
robot vacuum cleaners. He said
his own company wouldn’t be
dramatically affected in the near
term, but the nascent robotics
industry overall might.
“The need for these robots to
consume bandwidth is certainly
on the rise,” Angle said.
Google said in a statement
that net neutrality rules “are
working well for consumers
and we’re disappointed in the
proposal announced today.”
Other tech companies were
more muted, with some referring
instead to their trade group, the
Internet Association. Netflix,
which had been vocal in support
of the rules in 2015, tweeted that
it “supports strong #NetNeu-
trality” and opposes the rules
rollback.
But the streaming-video
company said in January that
weaker net neutrality wouldn’t
hurt it because it’s now too
popular with users for broadband
providers to interfere.
AT&T executive vice presi-
dent Joan Marsh said new rules
requiring ISPs to disclose their
management practices will keep
them honest. “Any ISP that is so
foolish as to seek to engage in
gatekeeping will be quickly and
decisively called out,” she said in
a statement.
Comcast said its commitment
to consumers will remain the
same. “We do not and will not
block, throttle, or discrimi-
nate against lawful content,”
Comcast’s senior executive vice
president David Cohen said.
Pai’s plan also restores the
Federal Trade Commission as
the main watchdog to protect
consumers and promote compe-
tition.
But Democratic Commis-
sioner Mignon L. Clyburn said
the proposal was “a giveaway to
the nation’s largest communica-
tions companies.”
After pushback, AT&T prepares to fight for Time Warner
By TALI ARBEL
AP Technology Writer
NEW YORK — Seeing an
attempt to block its buyout out
of Time Warner as a “radical”
departure by the U.S. govern-
ment, AT&T is preparing for a
fight to see the $85 billion deal
through.
One key asset owned by
Time Warner, CNN, could
create problems for the U.S. and
President Donald Trump, whose
very public spat with the news
network has raised suspicions
that he might have interfered
with the department’s decision.
DOJ’s antitrust chief, Makan
Delrahim, insists that Trump did
not tell him what to do. White
House spokeswoman Sarah
Huckabee Sanders said Monday
she wasn’t aware of any specific
action related to the case taken
by the White House.
In a press release, Delrahim
said that a combined AT&T-Time
Warner would “greatly harm
American consumers” by hiking
television bills and hampering
innovation, particularly in online
television service. The DOJ said
AT&T would be able to charge
rival distributors such as cable
companies “hundreds of millions
of dollars more per year” for
Time Warner’s programming —
payments that would ultimately
get passed down to consumers
through their cable bills.
In an emailed statement
Monday, AT&T general counsel
David McAtee said the lawsuit
is a “radical and inexplicable
departure from decades of
antitrust precedent” and that the
AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File
In this Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2016, photo, AT&T Chairman and
CEO Randall Stephenson, left, testifies on Capitol Hill in Wash-
ington, before a Senate Judiciary subcommittee hearing on
the proposed merger between AT&T and Time Warner, as Time
Warner Chairman and CEO Jeffrey Bewkes listens at right.
company is confident that it will
prevail in court.
AT&T runs the country’s
second largest wireless network
and is the biggest provider of
traditional satellite and cable
TV services. Time Warner owns
HBO, CNN, TBS and other
networks, as well as the Warner
Bros. movie studio.
The government’s objections
to the deal surprised many on
Wall Street. AT&T and Time
Warner are not direct compet-
itors, and “vertical” mergers
between such companies have
typically had an easier time
winning government approval
than deals that combine two
rivals.
The last time the U.S.
government won a court victory
in a vertical merger antitrust case
DENTAL Insurance
Physicians Mutual Insurance Company
A less expensive way to help get the dental care you deserve
If you’re over 50, you can get coverage for about
$1 a day*
Keep your own dentist! NO networks to worry about
NO annual or lifetime cap o n the cash benefi ts
No wait for preventive care and no deductibles
– you could get a checkup tomorrow
Coverage for over 350 procedures including
cleanings, exams, fi llings, crowns…even dentures
you can receive
FREE Information Kit
1-877-599-0125
www.dental50plus.com/25
*Individual plan. Product not available in MN, MT, NH, RI, VT, WA. Acceptance guaranteed for one insurance policy/certificate of this type. Contact us for complete details
about this insurance solicitation. This specific offer is not available in CO, NY; call 1-800-969-4781 or respond for similar offer. Certificate C250A (ID: C250E; PA: C250Q);
Insurance Policy P150(GA: P150GA; NY: P150NY; OK: P150OK; TN: P150TN) 6096C
MB16-NM001Gc
was in 1972, when the Supreme
Court said Ford’s takeover of
a spark-plug business violated
antitrust law.
Many had expected govern-
ment approval of the deal
because Obama-era antitrust
officials approved a similar
deal — Comcast’s purchase
of NBCUniversal — in 2011,
after imposing restrictions on
Comcast’s behavior that were
meant to protect consumers.
As a candidate, however,
Trump vowed to block the
pending AT&T-Time Warner
deal because it would concen-
trate too much “power in the
hands of too few.” As president,
Trump has often blasted CNN
for its coverage of him and his
administration, disparaging it
and its reporters as “fake news.”
At a press conference
Monday, AT&T CEO Randall
Stephenson addressed spec-
ulation over whether the
government’s lawsuit was “all
about CNN,” saying, “Frankly,
I don’t know.” But Stephenson
said AT&T would not agree to
anything that would result in it
losing control of CNN.
A person familiar with the
matter, who could not go on the
record, previously told the Asso-
ciated Press that DOJ wanted
the combined company to sell
either Turner — the parent of
CNN, TBS and other networks
— or DirecTV to satisfy its
antitrust concerns. A DOJ offi-
cial, speaking on condition of
anonymity in order to discuss a
pending legal case, said Monday
that the government is still
willing to work with AT&T on
“structural relief,” or selling off
assets.
AT&T has argued that
buying Time Warner would let it
package and deliver video more
cheaply, over the internet, rather
than in expensive cable bundles.
It already has a DirecTV Now
streaming service, which puts
popular live TV networks
online, and costs $35 a month
and up, cheaper than traditional
cable bundles.
Consumer advocates and
some Democratic politicians
applauded the lawsuit as a blow
against media consolidation.
Consumers Union, an advocacy
group that opposes the deal, said
there were “legitimate reasons”
to block the deal to protect
consumers, but called reports of
political pressure “concerning.”
Page 9A
Oregon Tech
starts Cyber
Defense Center
in Wilsonville
Aims to help businesses
address security threats
By ANDREW THEEN
The Oregonian/OregonLive
PORTLAND — Kris Rosenberg’s oven
has Wi-Fi, and it makes the Oregon Institute
of Technology cybersecurity professor a bit
nervous.
Rosenberg said the design feature in and
of itself isn’t an issue. But the oven presents
a risk, in theory, because it could be hacked
and remotely activated.
In a world of smartphones, ever-changing
passwords and cameras everywhere, the
oven is just another device that needs to be
managed and protected.
“There is no such thing as perfect
security,” Rosenberg said in an interview
Monday. “That’s never the goal. The goal
is to manage risk, and as we increase our
risk, we need to make smarter and better
decisions.”
On Monday, OIT launched its Cyber
Defense Center, a public-private partnership
that Rosenberg and school officials hope
will go a long way toward helping Oregon
businesses make smarter decisions about
security issues big and small.
Rosenberg modeled the cyber center
after a teaching hospital. OIT students will
be paid $15 an hour in the suburban lab and
work under the guidance of cybersecurity
professionals.
Cybersecurity, like the medical world, is
predicated on trust and skill.
“You don’t want somebody who just went
to med school performing their first surgery
on you with no supervision,” Rosenberg
said.
The school said students will create
weekly threat reports for the companies,
track ongoing internal and external vulner-
abilities and offer recommendations to beef
up security. The setup positions students
for good-paying jobs upon graduation and
allows small businesses benefit from cyber-
security work that would otherwise cost tens
of thousands of dollars more.
Gov. Kate Brown, who was on hand for
the Wilsonville center’s unveiling, declared
a “Day of Cyber” to draw more attention to
cybersecurity.
A public-private website, CyberOregon.
com, also started Monday with links to
resources and more information about the
cyber threat.
Brown and U.S. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici
spoke about the importance of cybersecurity
to a room filled with industry professionals
and students.
Brown said she’s had her own experience
with a security breach, citing a 2014 hack
of the Secretary of State’s office which cost
taxpayers $177,000.
“We all have to have confidence in these
systems,” she said.
Brown recently signed Senate Bill 90,
which creates a statewide cybersecurity
council to tackle the issue across state
bureaus and private industry. Her office also
is supposed to establish a Cybersecurity
Center of Excellence by January 2019 to
coordinate and relay relevant security threats
across public and private sectors in Oregon.
Nagi Naganathan, OIT’s president, said
cybercrime is an “epidemic” that requires
constant vigilance.
The Equifax data breach was among
many incidents that compromised the
personal information of millions of people
this year. The credit reporting agency
estimated that cybercriminals stole Social
Security numbers, birth dates and other
information from more than 145.5 million
consumers.
Naganathan said OIT wants to be a “solu-
tions magnet” for small and medium-sized
businesses. Large and wealthy companies
have the resources to pay for cybersecurity
firms. “This is the place where we really
want a great melding of practitioners and
students,” he said.
Rosenberg said the cybersecurity industry
has about 2 million open jobs but a lack of
skilled workers.
OIT set aside $250,000 in non-tuition
related funds to start the cyber defense center.
Rosenberg said it will be self-sufficient, with
companies that contract with OIT paying the
salaries of the instructors and the students’
hourly wages. Already, Rosenberg said,
the school is working with four companies
and is in discussions with others to work on
cybersecurity issues.
Currently, about 200 OIT students are
in the information technology bachelor’s
degree program, with about half of those
students focusing on cybersecurity.
OIT is starting a dedicated cybersecurity
degree program, Rosenberg said, with hopes
of enrolling its first cohort of students in
2018.
MORE HD CHANNELS,
FASTER INTERNET AND
UNLIMITED VOICE.
The support you need to find quality
• Speeds up to 60Mbps
• Unlimited data – no data caps
SENIOR LIVING SOLUTIONS
SPECTRUM INTERNET™
AS LOW AS
29
$
A Place for Mom has helped over one million families find
senior living solutions that meet their unique needs.
99
/per mo.
for 12 mos
when bundled*
Blazing fast Internet is available and can be yours with Spectrum Internet™ With speeds starting at 60 Mbps
125+ CHANNELS
SPECTRUM TRIPLE PLAY TM
TV, INTERNET AND VOICE
UP TO 60MBPS
UNLIMITED CALLING
89
$
from
97
/mo each
for 12 mos
when bundled*
CONTACT YOUR LOCAL AUTHORIZED RETAILER
855-613-2321
*Bundle price for TV Select, Internet and Voice is $89.97/mo. for year 1; standard rates apply after year 1. Available Internet speeds may vary by
address. WiFi: Equipment, activation and installation fees apply. Services subject to all applicable service terms and conditions, subject to change.
Services not available in all areas. Restrictions apply. All Rights Reserved. ©2017 Charter Communications.
There’s no cost to you!
CALL (855) 864-4711
! We’re paid by our partner communities