It's one thing to see an organization with an agenda produce a slanted and worthless article. It's an entirely different thing to see a major newspaper do the same thing. As trusted gatekeepers of information, we expect journalists to aspire to higher standards to report the whole story from an… Continue reading
As the nation prepares to ditch analog signals for digital nirvana, a lot of consumers are being left in the lurch. Most of you readers know about the upcoming switch to digital TV signals, but does your dear Aunt Sally? According to a recent survey, probably not. Less than half… Continue reading
Thanks to some foot-dragging by Uncle Sam, UTOPIA construction in Centerville has been put on hold until the Phase II funding comes through. This isn't the first time either; Phase I cities experienced some months-long delays while the loan application was being processed. The delays now are related to releasing… Continue reading
It's a bad time to be Comcast. They dropped 7% in the American Consumer Satisfaction Index. They banished public access channels to expensive and less visible digital tiers. Rumors are flying that the Comcast Hammer Lady got dropped off the air while she was on Good Morning America. Then they… Continue reading
Undaunted in his previous attempts at curbing the growth of cable operators (arguably to the benefit of incumbent telcos), FCC Chairman Kevin Martin managed to get the commission to pass a rule to prevent cable operators from growing past 30% of the available national subscribers. The 70/70 rule used to… Continue reading
Remember Verizon's lawsuit just a few months ago trying to get rid of the open access requirements in the 700MHz auction? Neither does Verizon, apparently. The company decided to allow anyone to bring any compatible device of their choosing to the network. The timeline? It'll be done by the end… Continue reading
It's no secret that Provo City Councilman George Stewart has been a rather outspoken opponent of iProvo. The former mayor has given Mayor Lewis Billings one heck of a fight over the system and it's financing by the city. However, an anonymous commenter on a recent story at the Deseret… Continue reading
Here's some more recent blog posts about UTOPIA. Some of these have aged a bit, but they're still worth reading and responding to. The Utah Taxpayer's Association brings up UTOPIA's financial data and proceeds to trump up a bunch of half-truths. It's no secret that the UTA hates on municipal… Continue reading
As further evidence that we don't have a truly competitive marketplace comes a round of price increases on all kinds of telecommunications services. Verizon has decided to jack up rates a whopping 12% on FIOS TV before the dust has even settled on installations in most states. Cablevision, though they… Continue reading
FCC Chairman Kevin Martin seems to not be in the business of making friends lately. Despite talking tough on "a la carte" stations and cable conglomerates, he's failed to make much headway with fellow members of the commission or members of Congress. His goal? To treat cable operators like phone… Continue reading