Proposals to expand schools' Internet access and increase broadband competition are scheduled for discussion at the FCC's next open meeting on Thursday, May 20.

Both items are part of the commission's National Broadband Plan, and both involve issues the FCC said earlier this month are unaffected by a federal court decision that essentially stripped the commission of its power to regulate broadband providers. The agency's action at the end May will ultimately initiate the public comment and rule-making process for both new proposals.

The FCC first hopes to upgrade E-Rate, commissioned in 1996 to expand classroom Internet use nationwide. While lawmakers ponder possible funding increases to that program, which was designed to address the digital divide, the FCC hopes to raise E-Rate's funding cap and streamline its application process using its own rule-making powers.

The commission also plans to issue notice on possible changes to "pole attachments" -- essentially, rules that the FCC believes will ensure "nondiscriminatory, just and reasonable access" to utility poles. The commission believes its efforts will trigger more competition in the broadband industry.

Also on the FCC's May agenda: discussion of a new report on mobile wireless competition, a report and order to allow mobile providers to use a new range of spectrum and a second report on transferring local telephone numbers.

Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) is imploring the tech community to work with congressional lawmakers to address cybersecurity reform before the nation experiences "a cyber-Katrina, or a cyber-9/11."

During a speech Thursday at the Business Software Alliance's 2010 Cybersecurity Forum, the chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee predicted anything less that full cooperation would threaten national security and increase the likelihood that an attack would trigger a public response in support of "tough, unbending solutions" that do not favor private industry.

Rockefeller, however, cautioned tech leaders not to balk prematurely at federal attempts to secure government and private networks. Touting his own cybersecurity bill, drafted last year with the help of Ranking Member Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), he stressed "shared responsibility" would be the only way to deter and respond to cyber threats before they wreaked serious havoc.

"So let me be very clear: The regulation-versus-leave it to the markets debate dominates all hearings, but it's a very damaging and false choice," Rockefeller said during the BSA luncheon. "The government cannot do this on its own, and neither can the private sector. We can only succeed if we work together, but to do so we must develop a new way of thinking."

Beware of that copy machine in your office: it could be storing sensitive information on its digital hard drive.

Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) is concerned that digital hard drives in copy machines are storing images of every document scanned, copied or emailed by the machine. And the machines are usually leased and then passed on to other companies, making previously stored documents accessible on the hard drives for years to come.

Markey today sent a letter to the Federal Trade Commission, urging the agency to "immediately investigate the matter" and giving consumers information about privacy risks associated with digital copy machines.

"I am very concerned that these copy machines can be a treasure trove for identity thieves, allowing criminals to easily access highly sensitive personal information," Markey said.

Last week, CBS aired an investigative report revealing that nearly every digital copier manufactured since 2002 contain hard drives that store images of documents. The report also showed that a 2008 study found that 60 percent of Americans aren't aware of the storage capabilities.

A copy of the letter is here.

It's impossible to attend a hearing on Capitol Hill these days without seeing half the audience--and half the lawmakers--tap away on their BlackBerrys.

Members use the devices to keep tabs on staffers, follow calendars and look up facts on the fly during floor debates.

Want to know what some members of Congress do with their BlackBerrys? Check out the story I wrote with my colleague JT Rushing from today's paper.

Industry leaders cautioned federal lawmakers during a hearing Thursday not to seek too drastic changes to long-standing rules that govern how websites safeguard children's privacy.

While both Microsoft and Facebook argue that recent technological advances, including the rise of the mobile Web, necessitate new protections for children under 13, they signaled that aggressive changes to the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) would harm innovation and perhaps even the law's original intent.

However, those companies' calls for only modest COPPA changes seemed to contrast greatly with statements from the Senate Commerce Committee's top Democrats, who signaled on Thursday they hoped to beef up COPPA's mandate.

Popular mobile Web tools -- including GPS technology and ads that target smartphone users, including teens, based on their preferences -- may have stretched COPPA  to its limit, according to consumer protection subcommittee Chairman Mark Pryor (D-Ark.). His concerns echoed those posed recently by the Federal Trade Commission, which announced last month it would review the COPPA rule to determine whether any such changes are necessary.

A representative from Facebook, however, told the committee that an overhaul of COPPA could backfire on "companies like ours that are trying to do the right thing," adding that Facebook was built with COPPA in  mind. Microsoft, meanwhile, said it did not believe "legislative amendment is necessary at this time," noting the Federal Trade Commission could clarify existing law on its own.

But that only invoked the ire of full committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.), who questioned whether self-regulation could truly protect children in an era in which technology poses new privacy challenges for all.

"I have this odd feeling about this panel... it's like we're discussing some kind of breakfast cereal, whether it's good for you or not, and children have already disappeared from this process," Rockefeller said tersely.

"Both you and you," he continued, referring to Facebook and Microsoft, "have good things to say, but you ultimately ended up saying we'll do this by ourselves, and we don't need the government to tell us what to do."

Ultimately, Microsoft's Michael D. Hintze, associate general counsel, later clarified to say he was not advocating exclusively for self-regulation. Facebook's Timothy Sparapani, director of Public Policy, also elaborated that his remarks mostly focused on the law's effects on innovation, which he said a COPPA expansion could stifle.

Still, Ranking Member Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) seemed to rise to both companies' defense.

"I appreciate the chair's willingness to get into the weeds on this, but I think the testimony of all of our panelists have been helpful," he said. "And do thing there is a way to, there must be a way, to have it both ways -- to encourage innovation and to protect privacy of children's information at the same time."

Lawmakers on the Senate Commerce Committee on Thursday hammered Google and Apple for declining an invitation to testify on possible changes to children's online privacy rules.

While Microsoft and Facebook did agree to testify at this week's discussion about changes to the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), the two other tech giants informed the committee earlier this week they would not.

Their absence ultimately led Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) to rail on the two companies for their absence and later brandish his power of congressional subpoena.

"I appreciate the fact that Microsoft and Facebook are here. I also do not appreciate that Apple and Google are not here, and I'm curious as to why they're not," Rockefeller said, noting their absence raised concerns about the companies' behavior. "Was it too expensive to send an associate legal counsel?"

"I have this power of a subpoena that I would absolutely love to use," the senator continued. "I have not at this point. but all [the companies' absence] does is increase our interest what they're doing and why they didn't show up... so shame on them."

Both Google and Apple did not immediately return e-mails for comment on Thursday.

The House subcommittee that has jurisdiction over some of the biggest technology issues could have a drastically different roster after this year’s elections.

At least six members of the House Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on Communications, Technology and the Internet are either retiring or running for higher office. Several others are facing tough races in their districts and are at risk of losing their seats.

The subcommittee’s chairman, Rep. Rick Boucher (D-Va.), is facing a tough challenge from state House Majority Leader Morgan Griffith. Boucher, who’s held his seat for 28 years, has spearheaded a number of initiatives on the committee, from drafting privacy legislation to making plans to reform a telecom fund that could expand the reach of broadband into rural areas.

The oldest Congress ever is getting more hip to today’s technology.

WEDNESDAY BLOG ROUNDUP:
Sen. Schumer, you can't be serious - Thomas O'Toole, BNA
Microsoft's move to We-Gov continues - Nick Judd, techPresident
Green not expecting vote on performance resolution - Juliana Gruenwald, Tech Daily Dose
U.S. Telecomm: Reclassification would be overturned - Cecilia Kang, Post Tech
Piracy problems? Music industry grew in 13 markets in 2009 - Nate Anderson, ars technica
Report: FB CEO doesn't care about privacy - Eliot Van Buskirk, Wired
HP buying Palm for $1.2 billion - Erica Ogg, CNet

OTHER STORIES FROM THE HILL:
FB: Lawmakers aire 'legitimate' concerns, but most users like changes - The Hill
China's encryption rule could shut U.S. biz out of market - The Hill
Kaufman, others call for Web censorship circumvention in Iran - The Hill
Report: Recession took toll on high-tech employment - The Hill