News

WASHINGTON — With the Federal Communications Commission poised for a Nov. 4 vote on the Verizon Wireless-Alltel merger and the Sprint Nextel-Clearwire deal, Free Press is calling for conditions that require both wireless networks to be open to all devices and applications.

NEW YORK — In the partisan minefield of the closing days of the 2008 campaign, supporters of both Barack Obama and John McCain gave CBS News anchor Bob Schieffer a thumbs-up for his moderation of the third and final presidential debate at Hofstra University on Long Island.

WASHINGTON — According to news reports, engineers at the Federal Communications Commission are expected to issue a report endorsing the unlicensed use of “white spaces” — empty airwaves between television channels — to provide high-speed Internet access nationwide.

WASHINGTON — Free Press filed a letter last night urging the Federal Communications Commission to make universal, affordable broadband a priority in any plans to reform the Universal Service Fund.

NEW YORK — John McCain’s supporters seemed happy with the ground rules of the second presidential debate in Nashville. Barack Obama’s supporters seemed happy with the results.

NEW YORK — Moderator Gwen Ifill of PBS received more plaudits from supporters of Barack Obama than from supporters of John McCain for her conduct during the vice presidential debate in St. Louis on Thursday night.

WASHINGTON — The Digital Freedom Campaign, a broad-based coalition dedicated to defending the rights of artists, consumers and innovators in the Digital Age, today announced its partnership with Free Press, a national, nonpartisan organization dedicated to promoting universal access to communications.

WASHINGTON — Sprint Nextel’s new XOHM wireless service includes a clause that allows the company to limit consumers’ access to content and applications on the WiMAX network. According to XOHM’s “network management” policy, Sprint “may use various tools and techniques designed to limit the bandwidth available for certain bandwidth intensive applications or protocols, such as file sharing.”

WASHINGTON — Last week, the Senate passed the “Broadband Data Improvement Act” (S. 1492), legislation that would improve the information gathered at the federal and state level on the availability, speed and value of high-speed Internet service.

NEW YORK — Supporters of Sen. Barack Obama were more frustrated than those of Sen. John McCain at the conduct of the first presidential debate in Mississippi, according to the “Citizens Media Scorecard.” By wide margins, they were more dissatisfied with the narrow scope of the foreign policy questions chosen by moderator Jim Lehrer of PBS.