States Pick Up Dropped Broadband Ball

A dozen vehicles, 60 people involved in massive pile-up on Tenn. highway

(NEWSER) - A snowstorm yesterday stunned a swath of southern states, where it triggered massive traffic accidents and snuffed out power. Parts of Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia were battling the flakes, reports AP . Some 52,000 Appalachian Power customers were without power last night, and 350 car accidents were reported in Virginia alone. A dozen vehicles, including eight tractor-trailers and a Greyhound bus, were in a massive chain reaction pile-up on Interstate 75 in Tennessee near the Kentucky state line. Some 60 people were involved, and five were so seriously injured that they had to be airlifted from the scene, reports the Knoxville News Sentinel . Weather is expected to begin a return to more seasonal conditions today, and temperatures could be as high as the 60s in Virginia later this week, reports the Richmond Times-Dispatch . More»

(NEWSER) - The Trust for America's Health has come out with its fourth annual report on obesity. And the losers are:

1. Mississippi
2. West Virginia
3. Alabama

Payroll tax compromise could lead to faster wireless speeds

(NEWSER) - Congress is expected to approve a bill that would sell off public airwaves currently used for television to wireless Internet companies, speeding up broadband for mobile devices across the country, while at the same time creating a long-sought-after national communications network for emergency services. What is this revolutionary communications bill? The payroll tax holiday extension . Yes, the New York Times points out, the sweeping changes come not as part of a communications policy effort, but as part of an effort to raise revenue. More»

'Fake' neutrality plan doesn't go far enough, critics say

(AP) - New rules aimed at prohibiting broadband providers from becoming gatekeepers of Internet traffic now have just enough votes to pass the Federal Communications Commission today. The new "net neutrality" rules would prohibit phone and cable companies from abusing their control over broadband connections to discriminate against rival content or services, such as Internet phone calls or online video, or play favorites with Web traffic. More»

Proposal might amount to net neutrality order

(NEWSER) - FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski is making yet another valiant stab at introducing net neutrality or something like it today. In a speech today, Genachowski will propose a new regulatory framework that would forbid Internet broadband providers from blocking lawful content, the New York Times reports. The rules would also allow providers to charge different rates for different levels of service, and to manage traffic to limit congestion or harmful traffic. More»