On February 27, 2013, the House Committee on Government Reform held its second hearing on information technology (IT) acquisition reform.
BTOP Program Overbuilds Fiber in Colorado
On February 7, 2013, KUSA-Channel 9 News in Denver, Colorado investigated issues related to the administration of a Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) grant within the state of Colorado, which is reportedly using the funding to build new fiber optic lines alongside those already in existence in direct competition with local telecommunication providers.
It Isn’t 1996 Anymore
The year was 1996. Bill Clinton was in the White House; scientists reported that there might be life on Mars; Dolly the sheep, the first cloned mammal, was born; the T.V. hospital show E.R. topped the Neilsen’s ratings long before the “McDreamies” and “McSteamies” of the world entered onto the scene; the Simpsons became the longest running prime-time animated series; people were dancing to the Macarena; and on February 8, 1996, the Telecommunications Act of 1996 was enacted.
Make the Ban on Internet Taxation Permanent
Today’s increasingly digital age has surrounded everyone’s lives with constantly connected laptops, tablets, and Smartphones, with quick, easy access to the Internet. These modern technological achievements are largely due to the fact that since 1992, when the general public first gained access to the World Wide Web, the Internet has been mostly free from government regulation and taxation.
Fight for Internet Freedom Continues
Innovation and development of the Internet has been allowed to grow and flourish around the globe for years. However, efforts are being made to change the flow of information and Internet governance through a new U.N. regulatory treaty that would give the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) authority over the Internet. From December 3-14, 2012, the […]
Police Chiefs Issue Guidance for Cloud Computing
On February 21, 2012, a Swineline blog post proposed that cloud computing is a viable option for law enforcement.
Time to Reduce Wasteful Government IT Spending
On January 22, 2013, the House Committee on Government Oversight held a hearing on reducing wasteful information technology (IT) spending by the federal government. According to a video released prior to the hearing by the Committee, the federal government wastes nearly $20 billion in IT spending each year, the equivalent of the amount of taxes paid by the state of Kansas annually.
An Increasingly Connected Society Needs Spectrum
According to a January 7, 2013 article in Wireless Week, on December 25, 2012, nearly 17.4 million mobile devices, including tablets, Smartphones, and cell phones were activated.
CAGW’s Top Technology and Telecommunications Issues for 2013
The technology and telecommunications industries are vital and innovative sectors of the U.S. economy. Advances in these fields have a positive impact on other industries such as health care, education, transportation, and services.
GSA bats .333 on cloud security authorizations
In June 2012, Government Computer News reported that GSA hoped to have three cloud service providers approved for provisional authorizations to operate by the end of 2012. Batting .333 towards achievement of this goal, the General Services Administration announced on December 27, 2012 the first Joint Authorization Board (JAB) approval of a provisional cloud security authorization under the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP).