Good morning tech

Good morning!

SHAPING THIS WEEK:

In the next few days, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will issue a contentious report to Congress on the state of U.S. broadband deployment, according to trade pub Communications Daily. 

The FCC's "706 report" looks at whether broadband is being deployed to all Americans in a reasonable and timely fashion.

The agency may make waves this week by concluding — for first time since the broadband report began in 1999 — that the answer is "no," pointing to the 14 million to 24 million Americans who do not have access to broadband.

The two Republican commissioners are expected to dissent from the findings, pointing to the fact that this means 95 percent of Americans have access to broadband.

The report is significant because it could help the Democratic members of the FCC in bids for more regulations on broadband access.

COMING TODAY — A group of minority and diversity organizations will issue a letter to the leaders of the congressional commerce panels on Monday warning them against the reclassification of broadband's legal status, a plan supported by the Democratic members of the FCC. According to an advance copy of the letter, seventeen organizations will urge the members to pass legislation about broadband services rather than allow the FCC to try to write broadband regulations on its own. What to expect: Some of the groups' short histories on telecommunications issues may cause opponents to raise their eyebrows over whether the letter is just "astroturf" lobbying.

PUSHING BACK ON STEVE JOBS — Research in Motion (RIM) has pushed back on Steve Jobs' contention that many phones have problems, a claim he made in attempt to vindicate the iPhone 4. In his press conference on Friday, Jobs said handsets from RIM, Motorola and HTC have antenna problems similar to the iPhone. RIM chief executives Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie pushed back over the weekend: "Apple’s attempt to draw RIM into Apple’s self-made debacle is unacceptable. Apple’s claims about RIM products appear to be deliberate attempts to distort the public’s understanding of an antenna design issue and to deflect attention from Apple’s difficult situation." Nokia also released a statement pushing back on Jobs' claims.

CAN'T-MISS NEWS

Hill Notes

'COMPETES' act introduced in Senate to fund R&D, education. Senate Commerce Chairman Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) announced the introduction of the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010 on Friday, a measure to fund science, technology and engineering education and R&D. After the companion bill passed the House in May, the bill's main proponent, House Science Chairman Bart Gordon (D-Tenn.), called for final passage before the August recess, a possibility that now looks next to impossible. The Commerce Committee will mark up the bill this Thursday. U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Business Roundtable each support the measure. 

Reid pushes senators on cybersecurity. Chris Strohm reports at Nextgov that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) met privately last Wednesday with the heads of Senate panels with jurisdiction over cybersecurity to discuss the passage of a comprehensive cybersecurity bill. Aides said Reid urged the senators to merge competing pieces of cybersecurity legislation by September, if not earlier. Before that can happen the Senate will have to come to some sort of agreement on the turf war over civilian cybersecurity; two competing pieces of legislation would give either DHS or the Commerce Department authority to impose security measures on private sector assets deemed critical to national security.

Executive Notes

Commerce upgrades Internet's security. The Department of Commerce has upgraded the security for the Domain Name System (DNS), a critical component of the Internet infrastructure. The DNS is the central directory for the Internet that assigns user-friendly domain names (www.TheHill.com) to numeric Web addresses to make it easier for the public to navigate. The DNS was not designed with strong security mechanisms, enabling hackers to redirect users to malicious sites.

Industry Notes

Production of business equipment is up. Fewer good signs for consumer goods. "Production of business equipment has jumped 5 percent this year through June, while consumer goods have risen 0.2 percent, Federal Reserve data show," Bloomberg reports. That's why Intel's chief executive Paul Otellini told investors July 13 that "he is seeing 'renewed economic momentum.'" Meanwhile, "a day later, Yum! Brands chief financial officer Richard Carucci predicted 'sustained unemployment and a concerned U.S. consumer.'"

Policing the Web's lurid precincts. The New York Times looks at the tough job of screening offensive photos for websites. "The surge in Internet screening services has brought a growing awareness that the jobs can have mental health consequences for the reviewers, some of whom are drawn to the low-paying work by the simple prospect of making money while looking at pornography."

SCHEDULE

8 a.m. — The Minority Media and Telecom Council begins its two-day conference that will feature all five FCC commissioners.

11 a.m. to 3 p.m. — The White House, Commerce and the FCC will host an event showcasing technologies for people with disabilities. Main foyer of the Commerce Department, 1401 Constitution Ave., N.W. Entrance on 14th St., just north of Constitution Ave. Accessible entrance on 14th St., at the National Aquarium entrance.

1 p.m. — FCC to host "special access" workshop. FCC meeting room.

SAID

"That's like motherhood, everyone wants to vote for that and I certainly support that."

—WSJ columnist Walt Mossberg on expanding broadband access in rural areas.

NUMBER

$1.3 billion. The amount Nokia Siemens Networks is expected to pay for Motorola's wireless equipment business, according to a report from Bloomberg, which says the deal is nearly complete.

WATERCOOLER

SILICON SLOWDOWN — During the Q&A portion of Apple's iPhone 4 press conference Friday, Steve Jobs said AT&T can add a new cell tower in Texas in about three weeks, but the same task would take three years in San Francisco. Hardly a ringing endorsement of what's considered the home of America's technology industry.