Issue: Online Access: Broadband / Cable

A controversy about broadband and cable access is raging across the United States now that some companies have succeeded in obtaining exclusive rights to the broadband markets in certain cities.

Here are some resources, including media coverage and links to organizations and related publications about broadband and cable access. More general information about online policy issues is available from the Issues list in the right column of most pages on this site.

Media Coverage

	Don't Privatize Our Airwaves
	The contemplated FCC action to privatize the airwaves could result in the biggest special interest windfall, at the expense of American taxpayers, in history, Mercury News (August 13, 2003)

	Survey Says: Palo Altans Want Fiber
	Many Palo Altans are clamoring for the day when the city's utility department will bring ultra-high-speed Internet access -- as well as video and phone services -- into their homes using a city-installed system of glass fiber lines, Palo Alto Weekly (October 4, 2002)

	Pacific Bell Aims Its Guns at Palo Alto
	Palo Alto still has many questions to sort out about its fiber-to-the-home Internet utility, Palo Alto Weekly (September 27, 2002)

	ACLU Pushes for Open Access
	The Internet's status as an open forum for ideas will come under attack if cable companies aren't forced to open up their broadband networks to rivals, civil liberties and consumer advocacy groups said Monday, CNET News.com (July 30, 2002)

	High-Speed Internet Service Users on Rise
	The number of subscribers to high-speed Internet access services in South Korea is continuing its upward curve, reaching 9.21 million as of the end of June, a gain of 430,000 from the end of March, Korea Herald (July 20, 2002)

Recent Coverage

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Organizations and Related Publications

OPG Co-Hosts Bridging the Digital Divides Event Join us the week of August 25-29 as we discuss "Bridging the Digital Divides, Equal Access to the Internet" on Techsoup's Digital Divide Forum, including topics such as class-based disparity in available technology, the role race, ethnicity, and religion play in the digital divide, women and technology, the impact of Internet blocking software on the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community, and access to technology for people with disabilities, Online Policy Group (August 25, 2003)

	Community Broadband Networks
	A blog that publishes daily links to news and comments on community-based broadband initiatives, Community Broadband Networks (August 5, 2003)

	"Pay as You Surf?" or "Bringing Home the Gold to Cable and Phone Monopolies"
	Amazon's Misener and his Coalition of Broadband Users and Innovators, which includes Microsoft, Yahoo, Apple, Disney, and others, are urging the FCC to adopt a safeguard that would prevent cable or phone giants from "impair [ing] consumer access to Internet content", Center for Digital Democracy (July 28, 2003)

	The Wireless Commons
	We have formed the Wireless Commons because a global wireless network is within our grasp, Wireless Commons (December 2, 2002)

	Cable Modems -- Less Boon Than Beast
	Cable modems keep us in the dark ages of Internet access, seriously distorting Internet usage, economics, and policy, O'Reilly Network (July 2, 2002)

Recent Publications

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