In “Verizon officials catch static over cable TV plan“, Globe staff reporter, Caroyln Johnson writes
Over and over, local officials appeared before the committee noting the current franchise process was working fine, with 49 Verizon cable franchises in place and 19 more pending. Critics voiced concerns that public, educational, and governmental access programming would suffer, that [...]

I recently returned from the first half of the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy hearing on cable franchising in Gardner Auditorium at the MA State House today. The near capacity-filled room was dotted with bright yellow, green, and pink stickers that read, “Don’t Mess with Access” worn by opponents of the bill.
City and [...]

There is a public hearing tomorrow at the State House at 10am in Gardner Auditorium. The future of locally produced community television, Public, Educational, and Goverment access cable in Massachusettes hangs in the balance of bill sponsored by Verizon that will be debated by those who support and oppose the bill.
But there is much [...]

As noted, in several articles over the past week, Verizon is raising its rates for DSL subscribers due to the Universal Service Fund being removed. This morning, I received my email:
Dear Valued Verizon Online Customer,
Effective August 14, 2006, Verizon Online will stop charging the FUSF (Federal Universal Ser vice Fund) recovery fee. We will stop [...]

Becca just posted a terrific summary of yesterday’s DTE hearing in downtown Boston on the ACMEBoston blog.
While Verizon representatives spoke first in a challenge to Massachusetts towns, who they claim have a ‘bureaucratic resistance to change,’ town and city representatives, board of selectpersons members, cable advisory committee volunteers and PEG channel producers and executives from [...]

David Isenberg, Fellow at the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard Law School (where I work) and member of the Save The Internet Coalition had this to say about yesterday’s vote on the COPE bill, affecting the future of access to the Internet and community media:
“Last night the U.S. House of Representatives voted [...]