Caron Carlson

New Privacy Czar on Way

Eager to head off criticism from privacy advocates and users over the expanded surveillance provisions in its forthcoming National Strategy for Securing Cyberspace, the Bush administration is expected to recommend appointing a federal “privacy czar” to act as watchdog. Chief among the czars duties would be to vet all government data gathering and security initiatives […]

Bush to U.S. Colleges: Send in the CIOs

The Bush administration is expected to call on U.S. colleges and universities to put people and processes in place to further help the government collect and share data. The plan, which is part of a draft of the National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace and was crafted by the Presidents Critical Infrastructure Protection Board, also suggests […]

Carriers Join on Local Network Proposal – 2

BellSouth Corp. and Time Warner Telecom Inc. went to the government last week with a joint proposal to resolve a long-standing industry dispute over access to the local telephone network. The compromise, if approved, would further differentiate the tele- communications services—and possibly the prices—offered to businesses and residential consumers. The proposal responds to an ongoing […]

BellSouth, Time Warner Seek to Resolve Telecom Dispute

BellSouth Corp. and Time Warner Telecom Inc. went to the government today with a joint proposal to resolve a long-standing industry dispute over access to the local telephone network. The compromise, if approved, would further differentiate the telecommunications services—and possibly the prices—offered to businesses and residential consumers. The proposal responds to an ongoing and highly […]

Broadband Rivals See Victory

Trying to read the smoke signals billowing from the Bush administration last week for clues about the federal governments plans for promoting broadband services, each telecommunications camp saw a victory for its side. RBOCs (Regional Bell Operating Companies) and their rivals, including the major long-distance companies and Competitive Local Exchange Carriers, have been locked in […]

Awaiting a Resolution

When the federal government decided to prosecute Microsoft Corp. for antitrust violations in the high-flying boom times of the late 90s, corporate America was a different place. Back then, the economy was still “new,” the advice of Wall Street analysts was widely considered untainted and Martha Stewarts greatest alleged crime was being too prissy. But […]

Telecom Rivals Call Bush Speech a Victory

Trying to read the smoke signals billowing from the Bush administration yesterday for clues about the governments plans for promoting broadband services, each of the diametrically opposed telecommunications camps interpreted them as a victory for its side. The Regional Bell Operating Companies and their rivals, including the major long-distance companies and competitive local exchange carriers, […]

Sprint Turns to Covad to Expand DSL Offerings

With a little help from Covad Communications Inc.—the only digital subscriber line carrier to thrive past last years telecommunications shakeout—Sprint Inc. is expanding its DSL offerings to cover 94 cities, adding faster connections and almost tripling the footprint that it had cobbled together on its own. Rather than continue to build out its own DSL […]

Telcos Brace to Recertify Accuracy of Accounting

By Wednesday of this week, the CEOs and chief financial officers of more than 700 publicly traded companies must have personally attested to the accuracy of their companies accounting, as ordered by the Securities and Exchange Commission in June. The order came in the wake of several large accounting scandals, including the biggest to date, […]

Users Wary of Microsoft Settlement

Microsoft Corp. is touting compliance with its pending federal antitrust settlement, but users are already complaining that even full adherence to the agreement will not protect competition in the desktop operating system market or promote choice in middleware. By summers end, OEMs, developers and users will be able to hide or remove access to five […]