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Jon Brodkin Nov 12, 2020 | Original Ars Technica here.

When SpaceX opened the Starlink public beta last month, the company told users to expect "brief periods of no connectivity at all" over the first few months. It’s one of the reasons that SpaceX calls this testing period the "Better Than Nothing" beta.

Early reports from Starlink beta testers confirm that users are suffering from this problem to some extent. But Starlink’s overall performance has wowed beta testers, many of whom previously had no access to modern broadband speeds.

"Link stability is a little rough," Reddit user Exodatum wrote on the Starlink subreddit yesterday. "We’re getting jumps bad enough to disconnect us from connection-sensitive servers every 5-10 minutes, but things like Netflix are working perfectly. We watched Airplane! as an inaugural stream and it was fabulous." (Buffering deployed by Netflix and other streaming services can keep videos running when there are brief Internet problems.)

Exodatum placed the Starlink satellite dish/user terminal on a picnic table outside the house, temporarily until it gets mounted on the roof. Bad weather may be having an effect on the service. "There is heavy snow in our area, and dense overcast for the most part with a few breaks today," Exodatum wrote, adding that upload speeds have varied from 10 Mbps to 30 Mbps and download speeds from 15 Mbps to 120 Mbps.

Starlink speeds and reliability should improve in the coming months as SpaceX launches more satellites and tinkers with the network. SpaceX told users in beta-invitation emails that

"data speeds [will] vary from 50Mbps to 150Mbps and latency from 20ms to 40ms over the next several months as we enhance the Starlink system."

"As we launch more satellites, install more ground stations, and improve our networking software, data speed, latency, and uptime will improve dramatically. For latency, we expect to achieve 16ms to 19ms by summer 2021," SpaceX said in the emails.

Continue reading “SpaceX Starlink Users Are Impressed”

By Andrew Maykuth, Nov 11, 2020 | Original Philadelphia Inquirer article here.

The statewide deployment of millions of wireless so-called smart meters has been thrown into turmoil after a court invalidated Pennsylvania’s policy that requires electric utilities to install the devices on all homes and businesses.

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission and Peco Energy this week asked the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to review a lower-court decision that invalidates a policy requiring the universal installment of smart meters. Several Peco customers objected to the installation of wireless devices on their homes, saying the radio frequency (RF) emissions made them ill.

State Commonwealth Court last month determined that the 12-year-old law requiring utilities to “furnish" smart meter technology by 2023 contained nothing to require “every customer to endure involuntary exposure” to radio emissions. The court’s opinion, written by Judge Ellen Ceisler, instead interpreted the law to support customer choice in the use of the smart-meter technology.

The PUC interpreted Act 129 of 2008, an energy-conservation law, as requiring smart meter technology for every customer without exception, and the utilities noted that the legislature had declined several attempts over the years to add an opt-out clause into the law.

Smart meters use radio technology similar to that of cellular telephones to establish two-way communication with each customer, giving the companies instantaneous readings about consumption and the operations of its power grid. The devices also allow utilities to remotely turn on or shut off service. Utilities say the gadgets have improved storm response by allowing them to quickly establish the location and extent of outages.

Scores of customers objected to the smart meters on the grounds that they were a health hazard or an invasion of privacy, but the PUC only considered cases filed by customers who argued that the electromagnetic frequencies emitted by the devices had made them sick.

The utilities supplied legions of expert witnesses who testified that the devices are safe, and Commonwealth Court affirmed the PUC’s finding that the customers had not established that their health issues were linked to smart meters.

Continue reading “Court Ruling Throws Pennsylvania So-called Smart-Meter Plan into Turmoil”

Dems tell Pai to follow tradition, work only on consensus items during transition.

​By Jon Brodkin, Nov 11, 2020 | Original Ars Technica article here.

From left to right, Federal Communication Commission Chairman Ajit Pai and commissioners Michael O’Rielly, Brendan Carr, Jessica Rosenworcel, and Geoffrey Starks testify before the House Communications and Technology Subcommittee on December 05, 2019 in Washington, DC.

Congressional Democrats yesterday called on Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai to "immediately stop work on all partisan, controversial items" in recognition of Joe Biden’s election victory over President Donald Trump.

It has been standard practice to halt controversial rulemakings in the period between an election and inauguration when control of the White House switches from Republicans to Democrats or vice versa. In November 2016, Pai himself called on then-Chairman Tom Wheeler to "halt further action on controversial items during the transition period." Wheeler complied one day later.

But things could be different this time, because Trump is contesting the election despite Biden’s clear victory and making baseless allegations that the election was stolen by Democrats. The Trump administration has refused to formally begin the presidential transition and has reportedly continued budget planning and vetting candidates for job openings as if there will be a second Trump term. To comply with Democrats’ request to the FCC, Pai would effectively have to concede Trump’s defeat before Trump himself does so.

A spokesperson for Pai declined comment on his plans for the presidential transition when contacted by Ars today.

FCC leadership will “undoubtedly” change

"With the results of the 2020 presidential election now apparent, leadership of the FCC will undoubtedly be changing," Pai was told yesterday in a letter from House Democrats, namely Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-N.J.) and Communications and Technology Subcommittee Chairman Mike Doyle (D-Pa.). "As a traditional part of the peaceful transfer of power — and as part of our oversight responsibilities — we strongly urge the agency to only pursue consensus and administrative matters that are non-partisan for the remainder of your tenure."

Pallone and Doyle continued:

Continue reading “Ajit Pai Urged to Stop Controversial Rulemaking”

Voters in both cities made it clear they’re fed up with monopolies like Comcast.

By Karl Bode, November 9, 2020 | Original Vice.com article here.

Voters in both Denver and Chicago have overwhelmingly thrown their support behind local community broadband projects, joining the hundreds of U.S. communities that have embraced home-grown alternatives to entrenched telecom monopolies.

In Chicago, roughly 90 percent of voters approved a non-binding referendum question that asked: “should the city of Chicago act to ensure that all the city’s community areas have access to broadband Internet?" The vote opens the door to the city treating broadband more like an essential utility, potentially in the form of community-run fiber networks.

In Denver, 83.5 percent of the city’s electorate cast ballots in favor of question 2H, which asked if the city should be exempt from a 2005 law, backed by local telecom monopolies, restricting Colorado towns and cities from being able to build their own local broadband alternatives. Colorado is one of nearly two-dozen states that have passed laws, usually directly written by regional telecom monopolies, that hamstring or prevent the creation of such networks.

But in Colorado’s case, the state’s 2005 law included language that allows local towns and cities to opt-out of the restriction if voters agree to do so. Christopher Mitchell is director of community broadband networks for the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, a nonprofit that advocates for local solutions for sustainable development. He told Motherboard that in the 15 years since Colorado’s law was passed, 140 communities have opted out, opening the door to citizen-built ISPs like Nextlight in Longmont.

Christopher Mitchell, Institute for Local Self-Reliance said:

“I think the margin in Chicago and Denver is remarkable. When we work with communities where half the residents have a cable monopoly and the other half don’t have any broadband, the demand for something better is strong among both populations.”

Continue reading “Voters Overwhelmingly Back Community Broadband in Chicago and Denver”

By Timothy Martin: WSJ Korea bureau chief, Nov 9, 2020. | Original Wall Street Journal article here.

In South Korea, there are roughly nine million 5G subscribers, making it most 5G-dense place on Earth. The rollout has been plagued by bad reception and a lack of consumer apps.

SEOUL — I have lived with 5G for a year, and I can now report this: Not much has changed. Literally. I’ve toggled it off in favor of the tried-and-true 4G LTE.

Even when I had 5G switched on, the coverage was random and elusive, rather than a technological expressway providing new ways to communicate, game or stream.

It was as if my phone had an identity crisis: In my apartment-building lobby? 5G. On my couch? 4G LTE. The same patchiness occurred during my bus commute and at the office. 5G was there, then not there. More often than not, my phone displayed the LTE logo in its upper right corner.

The network vacillating had consequences.YouTube videos darted from HD to grainy. Webpage loading stalled. Playing “Clash Royale,” the mobile strategy game, became impossible, as a relapse to 4G LTE meant a disconnection — and a restarted battle.

That’s why my 5G-enabled Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ is now set on 4G LTE—and I’m far from the only user who’s taking that step. We’re finding that 5G is like a buzzy superfood, feeling like a chore to use and leaving an indistinct aftertaste. Think flaxseeds or coconut water. I know 5G is supposed to be good for me. But when, and most strikingly, how?

I expect my experience is one that in the coming years will be replicated all over the world. South Korea is just getting there a little earlier. While few believe 5G will ultimately flop, it’s going to take awhile for this new world to have much of an effect. The slow roll out has a cascading effect.

Carriers and phone makers must offer further discounts to entice people to sign up, leaving companies with less cash to spruce up coverage or add features. A low user base means software companies have less incentive to dive in, meaning apps that could highlight why 5G is awesome are slower to emerge.

It seems like a Catch-22: Carriers can’t provide ubiquitous 5G until they’ve signed up enough subscribers to justify the massive investments in network gear.

Continue reading “I’ve Seen the 5G Future. So Far, I’m Not Impressed.”

The Republican-controlled FCC has not only removed nearly all regulations but is allowing private companies to take over state utility wired networks.

By David Rosen | Nov 9, 2020 Original The Progressive article here.

On October 27, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) met to address a number of goals of the Trump Administration. These included:

• Blocking efforts to reestablish net neutrality
• Privatizing public utility networks
• Blocking cities and states from dealing with wireless issues
• Providing $9 billion to private telecoms for rural 5G upgrades

The Commission is composed of five members, three Republicans and two Democrats.

During the meeting, FCC commissioners voted 3-2, along party lines, to conclude that there was no basis to alter the agency’s stand against net neutrality. Strong opposition to the majority vote came from the two Democratic members.

Continue reading “How the U.S. Became an Inferior Communication Nation”

By Karl Bode, Nov 3, 2020 | Original Techdirt article here.

Space X has begun sending invites out to folks interested in participating in the company’s Starlink low-orbit satellite broadband service. Users took to Reddit to note that Starlink is promising users speeds of 50-100 Mbps downstream for about $100 per month, plus $500 down for a connection terminal and antenna. The company is also promising significantly lower latency (20 to 40ms) than what you’ll typically see with satellite broadband (often 200ms or higher). The best part, no monthly usage caps and overage fees (so far):

"Expect to see data speeds vary from 50Mbps to 150Mbps and latency from 20ms to 40ms over the next several months as we enhance the Starlink system. There will also be brief periods of no connectivity at all.

As we launch more satellites, install more ground stations, and improve our networking software, data speed, latency, and uptime will improve dramatically. For latency, we expect to achieve 16ms to 19ms by summer 2021.

The Starlink phased-array user terminal, which is more advanced than what’s in fighter jets, plus mounting tripod and Wi-Fi router, costs $499 and the subscription costs $99/month.

Space X is clearly attempting to get ahead of expectations that the offering poses a serious challenge to entrenched U.S. broadband monopolies. So much so that the company is calling this the "Better Than Nothing" beta. And for good reason. As we’ve noted previously, Musk himself has repeatedly acknowledged the system will lack the capacity to provide service to anything outside of rural markets.

From a conference earlier this year:

"The challenge for anything that is space-based is that the size of the cell is gigantic… it’s not good for high-density situations," Musk said. "We’ll have some small number of customers in LA. But we can’t do a lot of customers in LA because the bandwidth per cell is simply not high enough."

Continue reading “Space X Tempers Expectations As Starlink Better-Than-Nothing Broadband Beta Starts”

Tiny sensors could take medicine, energy efficiency and many other sectors to a whole new dimension.

By Javier Garcia-Martinez | Original Scientific American article here.

Credit: World Economic Forum

Editor’s Note: This article is part of a special report on the Top 10 Emerging Technologies of 2016 produced by the World Economic Forum. The list, compiled by the Forum’s Meta-Council on Emerging Technologies, highlights technological advances its members, including Scientific American Editor in Chief Mariette DiChristina, believe have the power to improve lives, transform industries and safeguard the planet.

The Internet of Things (IoT), built from inexpensive microsensors and microprocessors paired with tiny power supplies and wireless antennas, is rapidly expanding the online universe from computers and mobile gadgets to ordinary pieces of the physical world: thermostats, cars, door locks, even pet trackers. New IoT devices are announced almost daily, and analysts expected to up to 30 billion of them to be online by 2020.

The explosion of connected items, especially those monitored and controlled by artificial intelligence systems, can endow ordinary things with advanced capabilities — a house that unlocks the front door when it recognizes its owner arriving home from work, for example, or an implanted heart monitor that calls the doctor if the organ shows signs of failing. But the real Big Bang in the online universe may lie just ahead.

Scientists have started shrinking sensors from millimeters or microns in size to the nanometer scale, small enough to circulate within living bodies and to mix directly into construction materials. This is a crucial first step toward an Internet of Nano Things (IoNT) that could take medicine, energy efficiency and many other sectors to a whole new dimension.

Continue reading “The Internet of Things Goes Nano?”

By Tyler Durden, Oct 28, 2020 | Original ZeroHedge article here.

Edward Snowden’s whistleblowing campaign exposed the National Security Agency in 2013 for having "backdoors" into commercial technology products. The US spy agency worked with some Silicon Valley tech firms to develop covert methods of bypassing the standard authentication or encryption process of a network device so it could scan internet traffic without a warrant.

Snowden revealed the NSA’s special sauce in how it conducted domestic and foreign backdoor operations to collect vital intelligence, resulted in the agency reforming its spying process, and had to formulate new rules to limit future breaches and how it conducts spy operations, three former intelligence officials told Reuters.

Continue reading “NSA Dodges Questions About Controversial Backdoors In Tech Products”

By John Roberts | Original Fox News article here.

Bobulinski: “Joe Biden claims he never talked business with son. That is false.”

Former business associate of Hunter Biden addresses media in Nashville, Tenn. ahead of second presidential debate.

President Trump brought former Hunter Biden associate Tony Bobulinski as his guest to the final presidential debate Thursday night.

Bobulinski is a retired lieutenant in the U.S. Navy and the CEO of Sinohawk Holdings, which he explained "was a partnership between the Chinese operating through CEFC/Chairman Ye and the Biden family." He said he was brought on as CEO by Hunter Biden and James Gilliar and on Thursday released emails and text messages that appear to show Joe Biden’s involvement with his son’s foreign business dealings.

HUNTER BIDEN BUSINESS PARTNER CALLS EMAIL ‘GENUINE,’ SAYS HUNTER SOUGHT DAD’S ADVICE ON DEALS

Bobulinski, in a statement to Fox News, said he does not believe Joe Biden’s past claim that he did not discuss his son Hunter’s business affairs with him, claiming that Hunter "frequently referenced asking him for his sign-off or advice on various potential deals."

"I’ve seen Vice President Biden saying he never talked to Hunter about his business. I’ve seen firsthand that that’s not true, because it wasn’t just Hunter’s business, they said they were putting the Biden family name and its legacy on the line," Bobulinski said.

"The Biden family aggressively leveraged the Biden family name to make millions of dollars from foreign entities even though some were from communist-controlled China," he added.

Continue reading “Tony Bobulinski Invited to Presidential Debate”