Boston

In Grove Hall, Radio Rebels Dig In

Stevie Converse — Fri, 16 May 2008 06:47:49 -0700

It's five minutes after 6 a.m. on a Tuesday morning and the loyal listeners of TOUCH 106.1FM - those who are awake, at least - have to settle for the crackle and puff of static from their speakers.

No James Brown, no New Edition, no Amiri Baraka. Just static.

Boston Moves to Bubbles of Access

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 08:24:40 -0700

The term “hotzone” is passé, apparently: The Boston Globe reports that efforts to build a city-wide Wi-Fi network in the cradle of liberty have faltered, with only hundreds of thousands of dollars towards a $15m goal raised; a retailoring of plans for more modest, inexpensive pilots; and the potential departure of the volunteer CEO in favor of a paid leader.

Boston Comes up Short in Wi-Fi Effort

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 08:08:26 -0700

Boston's ambitious push to provide citywide wireless Internet access is faltering: Fund-raising is millions of dollars short, the volunteer heading the project may step down, and plans for universal coverage are being scaled back and delayed.

OpenAirBoston Takes Turtle's Role in Urban Wi-Fi Race

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 11:36:39 -0700

Despite the well-publicized failure and stagnation of other large-scale community wireless programs around the country, OpenAirBoston.net, Boston's wireless initiative, officially launched its pilot wi-fi network in the Grove Hall and Dudley Square neighborhoods of Dorchester and Roxbury last week.

Net Neutrality: World War Web

Stevie Converse — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 05:03:52 -0700

You know the routine. We all do. Monday morning, 6:30 a.m: You wake up, shower, coffee and go online to check e-mail and CNN for gossip and news of the world.

Comcast Blocks the Internet, Then the Public

Stevie Converse — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 18:53:06 -0700

In recent decades the Federal Communications Commission has come down on the side of Big Telco -- the biggest media companies -- rather than looking out for the consumer. This time all indications are that the FCC will take a closer look into the public interest; the regulatory agency is taking very seriously Comcast's proven BLOCKING of internet communication.

Stanford Hearing an Internet Wake-Up Call

Holiday Shapiro — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 10:44:27 -0700

Get ready for Round Two in the Internet’s Battle Royale of 2008. At stake is whether we should allow a handful of giant corporations to close the Web for their own gain, or whether we should put in place baseline protections that will leave our Internet open to the millions of people who use it.

Boston Wireless Hotzone Officially Launches

Fri, 04 Apr 2008 09:19:32 -0700

The city of Boston, Massachusetts is officially launching a wireless hotzone in Grove Hall/Dudley Square neighborhood (by Roxbury and Dorchester).

'Net Pains

Stevie Converse — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 05:58:18 -0700

Several weeks ago, a federal hearing was held at Harvard Law School to address Comcast's interference with subscriber Internet traffic. Comcast had been accused of "blocking" (or slowing to the point of malfunction) traffic on specific sites and applications, and the hearing was intended to be an open forum for media groups and the public to voice their concerns. Unfortunately, very few voices were heard.

Cable TV Crew Digs New Digs

Stevie Converse — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 07:45:49 -0700

It's a regular Wednesday night, and the new home of Boston's public-access cable network is buzzing. In the computer lab, three teenagers edit their new show, "Swagger." Upstairs, newbies gather in Studio A to discuss production. And in Studio B, Southie artist Dan McCole is warming up for his weekly arts talk show, "Citizen's Corner."