DOCSLIB.ORG

The Book of Broken Promises:$400 Billion Broadband Scandal

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Book of Broken Promises:$400 Billion Broadband Scandal THE BOOK OF BROKEN PROMISES: $400 BILLION BROADBAND SCANDAL & FREE THE NET FOR ERIC LEE, AUNT ETHEL, ARNKUSH, AND THE TEAM Author: Bruce Kushnick, Executive Director New Networks Institute February, 2015 Cover Art: Ferrari Wall Paper1, Broken Skateboard by Pr0totyp2 Disclaimer: AT&T, Verizon and CenturyLink are the progeny of the original AT&T. The AT&T logo is the property of AT&T Inc. and the use has not been authorized, sponsored by, or endorsed by the trademark owner. The Verizon logo is the property of Verizon Communications, Inc, and the use has not been authorized, sponsored by, or endorsed by the trademark owner. The CenturyLink logo is the property of CenturyLink, and the use has not been authorized, sponsored by, or endorsed by the trademark owner. All rights reserved. This book has been prepared by New Networks Institute. All rights reserved. Reproduction or further distribution of this report without written authorization is prohibited by law. For additional copies or information please contact [email protected]. © 1997, 2004, 2015 New Networks Institute The Book of Broken Promises 1 What others have said about Bruce Kushnick’s research and previous books: 3 David Cay Johnston, Recipient of the Pulitzer Prize, Author of The Fine Print, 2012 “Kushnick’s estimate comes from his meticulous analysis of disclosure document filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and other regulatory agencies… Kushnick’s estimate might significantly understate how much extra money people paid for an electronic highway they did not get. It seems very likely that Kushnick’s numbers are uncomfortably close to the truth.” Dr. Robert ("Bob") Metcalfe, co-inventor of Ethernet, and creator of “Metcalfe’s Law”. Foreword for The Unauthorized Bio of the Baby Bells, 1999. “The part of Kushnick's expose that angers me most is how the Bells have used the Information Superhighway to win concessions on how much money they can extract from their monopolies. Kushnick recounts extravagant Iway promises, shows them to be just a Bell ploy, and documents how they've not been kept. He tracks billions intended for I-way deployment to Bell executives, to their shareholders, and, of course, to almost all of your elected representatives in government.” Bill Moyers’ Emmy Nominated, The Net at Risk, 20064 “In The Net at Risk, telecom industry watchers Bruce Kushnick and Tom Allibone of Teletruth a consumer advocacy group which has published an e-book, $200 Billion Broadband Scandal, fault the telephone companies for not fulfilling the promises they made in the 1990s to provide fiber-optic connections to households. Had their grand plans been implemented, 86 million customers in the The Book of Broken Promises 2 United States would have received much faster service than is currently available.” Cover Story, Washington Technology, September 15th, 19945 “A telecom analyst's report should raise some eyebrows among those who want to build the forthcoming National Information Infrastructure (NII) and do business on solid, honest ground…If telecommunications analyst Bruce Kushnick is talking the truth (and we think he is), systems integrators, content providers, Internet service providers and just about anyone involved with building the forthcoming National Information Infrastructure had better read his report word by word.” Verizon spokesman Lee Gierczynski, The Bergen Record, March 25, 20146 "For nearly two decades, he has made the same, tired baseless allegations over and over again about Verizon and its predecessor companies — not only in New Jersey but in other states as well… His specious arguments are devoid of fact, relying on misinformation and myths to prop up his claims.” I, Cringley, PBS7 “The $200 Billion Rip-Off: Our broadband future was stolen.” Ed McFadden, Verizon Communications, July 2014 “I run media affairs for Verizon public policy, and was wondering which editor has some oversight of Bruce Kushnick. Who reviews his material before it is posted? In his latest, he makes several The Book of Broken Promises 3 inaccurate statements, the facts for which were publicly available and where he appears to be making an effort to misdirect your readers.” Front Page, The New York Times, November 19888 ''There will be a turf war over what services should be billed for and what services should be free,'' predicted Bruce Kushnick, an analyst…” The Book of Broken Promises 4 Table of Contents Introduction 9 Part I Broadband Scandal, 1991-2005 23 Chapter 1 Promises, Promises: The Future Is Always. Chapter 2 Why Do It? Benefits of the Superhighway — Justifying the Hype Chapter 3 Hollywood Calling — TELE-TV and Americast Chapter 4 Hollywood Calling, Part 2 Chapter 5 And the Promises? The Annual Reports Tell No Lies. Chapter 6 And the Promises? Video Dialtone Commitments Chapter 7 The Promises? Fiber Optic Upgrades, (and Sometimes Coaxial Cable) To-The-Home Were Promised. Chapter 8 And the Promises? Speed Matters: The Faster the Service — the More Stuff You Get, Faster Chapter 9 And the Promises? NOT DSL — SPEED and Coverage Are the Issues. Chapter 10 And the Promises? Channels Galore, Interactive Programming Chapter 11 And the Promises? Open to All Competition Chapter 12 Change State Regulations: Pitch Fiber Optics Chapter 13 Splat — The Retreat: What Happened with the Info Bahn? Chapter 14 Technology Didn't Work and It Was too Expensive: The Original Cost Models Were Cooked. Chapter 15 Follow the Money: The Regulations Chapter 16 Alternative Regulations: The I-Way Sleight of Hand Chapter 17 Fiber Optic Scandal Alternative Regulation, Round 2 Part II Act Against Nature: The Bells Married Their Siblings 138 Chapter 18 The SBC-Pacific Telesis-SNET-Ameritech Mergers Were the Death of State Fiber Optic Deployments. Chapter 19 Failure to Compete, Failure of the FCC to Enforce Merger Conditions The Book of Broken Promises 5 Table of Contents Chapter 20 The Verizon-Bell Atlantic-NYNEX-GTE Mergers Were the Death of State Fiber Optic Deployments: The “Con Job”. Chapter 21 Analysis of Verizon's Merger Conditions and "Truth in Speech" Statements Part III The Awakenings: 1996-2005 215 Chapter 22 How the Bells and the FCC Killed Broadband, Internet, Phone and Cable Competition. Chapter 23 The Last Merger: BellSouth: AT&T Cleans Up Loose Ends with Again More Broadband Promises. Chapter 24 The Rise of AT&T U-Verse and Verizon’s FiOS Part IV Alternative Paths Leading to the Same Conclusion 258 Chapter 25 The Other Path: The Rise and Fall of AT&T, 1894-2005 Chapter 26 Municipality Broadband and the ‘Barriers to Entry’ Chapter 27 US West, Renamed Qwest, Renamed CenturyLink, 1984-2014 Part V Deception is the Phone Companies’ Strongest Trait 290 Chapter 28 Fake Consumer Groups, Biased Research, Lots of Lobbyists, Paid-Off Politicians: Behind the Broadband Curtain Chapter 29 The Statewide Cable Franchise Attack — One More Broken Promise After Another Part VI Mob Bell: The Takeover: 2010-2014 327 Chapter 30 The National Broadband Plan - Or How to Raise Rates and Taxes. The Book of Broken Promises 6 Table of Contents Chapter 31 The Fall of AT&T U-Verse and Verizon’s FiOS — and Why there’s No Cable Competition in America. Chapter 32 The Perfect Man-Made Storm: The US End Game of Telecommunications.. Chapter 33 Debunking Myths — Line Losses; Everyone’s going Wireless-Only Part VII Overcharging America in the Name of Broadband 374 Chapter 34 Scorecard for America: AT&T’s U-Verse, Verizon’s FiOS and the Rest of the World Chapter 35 Comparing the US Broadband to the Rest of the World Statistics Chapter 36 Overcharging by the Numbers Chapter 37 $400 Billion in Overcharging: Broadband Scandal Chapter 38 Opportunity Costs: How Much Money Did Verizon and AT&T’s Failure to Deliver Fiber Optic Service Cost America? Chapter 39 Cooked Books? Broadband Scandal? Accounting Scandal. Chapter 40 Special Access: The ‘Secret’ Network and Excess Chapter 41 The Comcast and Time Warner Cable ‘Social Contract’ — on America. Chapter 42 How Many Times Are We Going to Pay for the Wiring of Schools? Part VIII Case Study of One State: New Jersey 475 Chapter 43 Case Study: Opportunity New Jersey — A Broadband Failure Part IX ` Net Neutrality Is Not the Issue 513 Chapter 44 The Net Neutrality Raucous Chapter 45 Fast Lane, Slow Lane, No Lane, End Game in Telecommunications. Chapter 46 Verizon FiOS is Based on an FTTP, Fiber-To-The-Premises, Title II, Common Carriage, Telecommunications Service. The Book of Broken Promises 7 Part X Time to Fix Communications — Say and Do Something 536 Chapter 47 Aunt Ethel’s Revenge: Break Up AT&T and Verizon… Again. Chapter 48 A Plan to Get to an Open, Affordable, Broadband Utility to Everyone. Appendix 1 List of Exhibits Endnotes The Book of Broken Promises 8 The Players: . at&t — Southwestern Bell (SBC), Pacific Telesis, Ameritech, BellSouth, SNET (formerly independent), and AT&T . Verizon — Bell Atlantic, NYNEX, GTE (formerly independent), and MCI . CenturyLink — formerly US West, then Qwest BEFORE AFTER The Book of Broken Promises 9 Introduction Imagine if you could say anything or do anything, with the odds of getting caught being almost nil. Even if you are apprehended, there would be little, if any, repercussions. Welcome to The Book of Broken Promises. There is a wire that goes into your home, school or office as everyone in America is entitled to phone service. This wire was put in as part of the state- based utility and most of them are controlled by what are now AT&T, Verizon and Centurylink. Starting in 1993, (though it varies by state) this copper wire was supposed to be replaced with a fiber optic wire — and the companies were able to change state laws to charge you to do this upgrade. (Fiber optics can handle much higher download and uploads speeds.) Instead, the companies pulled a bait- and-switch and used the old copper wires for a slow broadband service called ADSL.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Essays on Financial Communication in Earnings Conference Calls
    Essays on Financial Communication in Earnings Conference Calls Xiaoxi Wu This dissertation is submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy September 2019 Department of Accounting and Finance Abstract Earnings conference calls are an important platform of financial communication. They provide researchers with unique opportunities to observe firm managers’ and financial analysts’ interactions and natural communication style in a daily-task environment. Relying on multidisciplinary theories and methods, this dissertation studies financial communication in conference calls from both the managers’ and the sell-side analysts’ perspectives. It consists of three self-contained studies. Chapter 2 focuses on managers’ communication strategies in conference calls. It explores, in the small non-negative earnings surprises setting, whether non-manipulators design communication strategies to separate themselves from earnings manipulators, and whether manipulators pool through obfuscation. Chapters 3 and 4 focus on sell-side analysts’ communication behaviour in conference calls. Chapter 3 examines how analysts’ people skills affect their communication behaviour and relationships with firm management. Chapter 4 applies both qualitative and quantitative discourse analyses and investigates how analysts use linguistic politeness strategies to establish socially desirable identities in publicly accessible analyst-manager interactions. The three studies combined contribute to the accounting literature by furthering our understanding of managers’ and analysts’
    [Show full text]
  • Issues Related to the Emergence of the Information Superhighway and California Societal Changes
    IISTPS Report 96-4 Norman Y. Mineta International Institute for Surface Transportation Policy Studies Created by Congress in 1991 ISSUES RELATED TO THE EMERGENCE OF THE INFORMATION SUPERHIGHWAY AND CALIFORNIA SOCIETAL CHANGES Mineta Transportation Institute San Jos é State University San Jose, CA 95192-0219 ISSUES RELATED TO THE EMERGENCE OF THE INFORMATION SUPERHIGHW...Page 1 of 117 IISTPS Report 96-4 ISSUES RELATED TO THE EMERGENCE OF THE INFORMATION SUPERHIGHWAY AND CALIFORNIA SOCIETAL CHANGES December 1996 Dr. Jan L. Botha, Professor of Civil Engineering, Dr. Roger Salstrom, Associate Professor, Organization & Management Dr. R. Benjamin Knapp, Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering Shirley Chan, Research Assistant A publication of the Norman Y. Mineta International Institute for Surface Transportation Policy Studies IISTPS Created by Congress in 1991 Technical Report Documentation Page http://www.transweb.sjsu.edu/publications/Information%20Superhighway.htm 11/6/2003 ISSUES RELATED TO THE EMERGENCE OF THE INFORMATION SUPERHIGHW...Page 2 of 117 1. Report No FHWA/CA/OR-96/23 2. Government Accession No. 3. Recipients Catalog No. 4. Title and Subtitle: 5. Report Date Issues Related to the Emergence of the Information Superhighway and December 1996 California Societial Changes 6. Performing Organization Code 7. Author: 8. Performing Organization Report No. Dr. Jan Botha, Dr. Roger L. Salstrom, Dr. R. Benjamin Knapp, Shirley Chan A94RM63 9. Performing Organization Name and Address: 10. Work Unit No. California Department of Transportation New Technology and Research, MS-83 P.O. Box 942873 Sacramento, Ca. 94273-0001 11. Contract or Grant No. 65VRM63 12. Sponsoring Agency Name and Address: 13. Type of Report and Period Covered: California Department of Transportation Final Report Office of Research- MS4 400 7th Street, SW Sacramento, CA 94273-0001 14.
    [Show full text]
  • ABSTRACT the Emphasis of the Symposium Was the Internet, Or Information Superhighway, and the Provision of Information Services to End Users
    DOCUMENT RESUME ED 381 176 IR 055 472 AUTHOR Helal, Ahmed H., Ed.; Weiss, Joachim W., Ed. TITLE Information Superhighway: The Role of Librarians, Information Scientists, and Intermediaries. Proceedings of the International Essen Symposium (17th, Essen, Germany, October 24-27, 1994). INSTITUTION Essen Univ. (Germany). Library. REPORT NO ISBN-3-922602-19-3; ISSN-0931-7503 PUB DATE 95 NOTE 488p.; Festschrift in honor of Frederick Wilfrid Lancaster. PUB TYPE Collected Works Conference Proceedings (021) EDRS PRICE MF02/PC20 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Academic Libraries: *Access to Information; *Computer Networks: Cooperation; Developing Nations; Electronic Publishing; Foreign Countries; Higher Education; 'Information Networks; Information Technology; 'Librarians; *Library Role; Library Services, Professional Training; Quality Control; Users (information) IDENTIFIERS 'Information Superhighway; *Internet; Virtual Libraries ABSTRACT The emphasis of the symposium was the Internet, or information superhighway, and the provision of information services to end users. Many internationally recognized librarians shared their experiences and expressed their ideas on new developments and possibilities related to the information superhighway. The 34 papers presented at the symposium addressed the following issues:(1) definition, applications, cost, security, privacy, access, delivery, and ease of use;(2) strategies and tactics for accessing information . on the superhighway, as well as concern for unauthorized use; (3) tremendous amounts of irrelevant information,
    [Show full text]
  • A Case of Corporate Deceit: the Enron Way / 18 (7) 3-38
    NEGOTIUM Revista Científica Electrónica Ciencias Gerenciales / Scientific e-journal of Management Science PPX 200502ZU1950/ ISSN 1856-1810 / By Fundación Unamuno / Venezuela / REDALYC, LATINDEX, CLASE, REVENCIT, IN-COM UAB, SERBILUZ / IBT-CCG UNAM, DIALNET, DOAJ, www.jinfo.lub.lu.se Yokohama National University Library / www.scu.edu.au / Google Scholar www.blackboard.ccn.ac.uk / www.rzblx1.uni-regensburg.de / www.bib.umontreal.ca / [+++] Cita / Citation: Amol Gore, Guruprasad Murthy (2011) A CASE OF CORPORATE DECEIT: THE ENRON WAY /www.revistanegotium.org.ve 18 (7) 3-38 A CASE OF CORPORATE DECEIT: THE ENRON WAY EL CASO ENRON. Amol Gore (1) and Guruprasad Murthy (2) VN BRIMS Institute of Research and Management Studies, India Abstract This case documents the evolution of ‘fraud culture’ at Enron Corporation and vividly explicates the downfall of this giant organization that has become a synonym for corporate deceit. The objectives of this case are to illustrate the impact of culture on established, rational management control procedures and emphasize the importance of resolute moral leadership as a crucial qualification for board membership in corporations that shape the society and affect the lives of millions of people. The data collection for this case has included various sources such as key electronic databases as well as secondary data available in the public domain. The case is prepared as an academic or teaching purpose case study that can be utilized to demonstrate the manner in which corruption creeps into an ambitious organization and paralyses the proven management control systems. Since the topic of corporate practices and fraud management is inherently interdisciplinary, the case would benefit candidates of many courses including Operations Management, Strategic Management, Accounting, Business Ethics and Corporate Law.
    [Show full text]
  • New Networks Institute
    New Networks Institute The History, Financial Commitments and Outcomes of Fiber Optic Broadband Deployment in America: 1990-2004 The Wiring of Homes, Businesses, Schools, Libraries, Hospitals and Government Agencies. Filed as Part of: GN Docket Nos. 09-47, 09-51, 09-137, DA 09-2458 Presented by New Networks Institute Bruce Kushnick, Executive Director With Assistance by Alexander Goldman Filed: December 4th, 2009 1 New Networks Institute Table of Contents Introduction APPENDIX ONE: Executive Summary APPENDIX TWO: Implications for America’s Broadband Future. 1.0 Pre-2004 Fiber Optic-based Broadband Announcements 1.1 Bell Broadband and Capital Expenditure Announcements 1.2 Phone Company Groups: Tele-TV and Americast. 1.3 Summary of the Announcements on a Timeline 1.3 Filed FCC Applications for “Video Dialtone” Services 1.4 Announced Financial Commitments 1.5 State Alternative Regulation Financial Incentives and Commitments 1.6 Fiber Optic Services for Schools, Libraries, Hospitals, Government Agencies, etc. 1.7 Overall Deployment Plans: Speed, Services, Ubiquitous, Common Carriage 1.8 The Speed of Broadband in 1993 was 45Mbps in Both Directions. 1.9 Ubiquitous Fiber Optic Deployments 1.10 Broadband Funding: Upgrades of the Public Switched Telephone Networks (PSTN) 1.11 Increases of Local Rates to Fund Broadband Continues Today. 2.0 Outcome of Deployments 2.1 Fiber Optic-Based Broadband Compared to Annual Report DSL Data 2.2 Fiber Optic-Based Broadband Announcements Compared to FCC Data. 2.3 Video Dialtone “Permanent” Deployments Compared
    [Show full text]
  • USCA Case #97-1524 Document #394723 Filed: 11/06/1998 Page 1 of 10
    <<The pagination in this PDF may not match the actual pagination in the printed slip opinion>> USCA Case #97-1524 Document #394723 Filed: 11/06/1998 Page 1 of 10 United States Court of Appeals FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA CIRCUIT Argued September 4, 1998 Decided November 6, 1998 No. 97-1524 Time Warner Cable, Petitioner v. National Labor Relations Board, Respondent On Petition for Review and Cross-Application for Enforcement of an Order of the National Labor Relations Board Jon W. Tryon argued the cause for the petitioner. Leslie Randolph, Attorney, National Labor Relations Board, argued the cause for the respondent. Linda Sher, Associate General Counsel, Aileen A. Armstrong, Deputy Associate General Counsel at the time the brief was filed, and Peter Winkler, Attorney, were on brief. John D. Burgoyne, <<The pagination in this PDF may not match the actual pagination in the printed slip opinion>> USCA Case #97-1524 Document #394723 Filed: 11/06/1998 Page 2 of 10 Acting Deputy Associate General Counsel, entered an appear- ance. Before: Williams, Henderson and Garland, Circuit Judges. Opinion for the court filed by Circuit Judge Henderson. Karen LeCraft Henderson, Circuit Judge: Time Warner Cable, Inc. (Time Warner) petitions for review of an order of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB or Board) con- cluding that it engaged in an unfair labor practice by refusing to bargain with the Communication Workers of America, Local 1120 (Union). Time Warner Cable, 324 N.L.R.B. No. 25 (Aug. 5, 1997). The NLRB cross-applies for enforcement of its order. Time Warner admitted that it refused to bargain but challenged the validity of the Union's certification based on the NLRB's disqualification of a challenged, and potentially determinative, ballot.
    [Show full text]
  • The City of Geneva, Illinois
    The City of Geneva, Illinois Broadband Network Initiative United Telesystems, Inc. 1 Greatcoat Lane Savannah, Georgia 31411 912 598-7223 September 20, 2002 RESTRICTIONS ON DISCLOSURE OF DATA The data furnished in this document shall not be disclosed outside the organization or government to which it is submitted and shall not be duplicated, used, or disclosed in whole or in part, for any purpose other than to evaluate the document and to implement the plan that it sets forth. This restriction does not limit any right to use information contained in this document if it is obtained from another source. United Telesystems, Inc. THE CITY OF GENEVA, ILLINOIS BROADBAND NETWORK INTITIATIVE TABLE OF CONTENTS SEPTEMBER 20, 2002 1 TAB - Executive Summary of Business Plan 2 TAB - Broadband Services Industry Overview 3 TAB - Partnering Opportunity 4 TAB - Qualifying Statements and Plan of Financing 5 TAB - Municipal Administrative and Utility Applications 6 TAB - Broadband System Development & Marketing Plan 7 TAB - Proposed Video, Data and Telephone Services 8 TAB - Geneva Only Financial Projections Years 1 - 10 9 TAB - Geneva Only Financial Projections Months 1 - 12 10 TAB - Geneva Only Financial Projections Months 13 - 24 11 TAB - Tri-Cities Combined Financial Projections Years 1 - 10 12 TAB - Tri-Cities Combined Financial Projections Months 1 - 12 13 TAB - Tri-Cities Combined Financial Projections Months 13 - 24 14 TAB - Broadband Network Equipment Costs Detail 15 TAB - Video Service Provider Overview 16 TAB - Incumbent Telecommunications Provider Overview 17 TAB - Illinois Competitive Local Exchange Carrier Overview Confidential Page 1. 9/20/02 United Telesystems, Inc. THE CITY OF GENEVA, ILLINOIS BROADBAND NETWORK INTITIATIVE TABLE OF CONTENTS SEPTEMBER 20, 2002 (Continued) 18 TAB - Service Area Franchise Agreements 19 TAB - Federal and State Legal Review 20 TAB - Broadband Terms Glossary Confidential Page 2.
    [Show full text]
  • 10/3/00 Vacation-Drainage & Utility Easements
    1013100 VACATION - DRAINAGE & UTILITY EASEMENTS - BRENDAN GLENN I City Of Edina, Minnesota DEPARMNT OF AD~TRA'ITON 4801 West 50fhStreet, Edina, Minnesota 554241394 Phone (612) 927-8861 TDD (612)826-0379 Fax (612) 826-0390 Proposed Property,/Area To Be Vacated Brendan Glenn City Engineer by Acceptable Opposed RConditional U Minnegasco by 0Acceptable Opposed c] Conditional NSP by Acceptable 0Opposed c].Conditional Paragon Cable by 0Acceptable Opposed 0Conditional U.S.West by Acceptable Opposed Conditional Location: Please sign and return indicating receipt of notice. Thank you for your cooperation. Return to: City Clerk City of Edina 4801 W. 50" Street Edina, MN 55424 Telephone: 826-0408 Fa: 826-0390 t REPORT/RECOMMENDATION To: Mayor & City Council Agenda Item # 1I.A. From: Francis J. Hoffman Consent City Engineer &d Information Only [7 Date: October 3,2000 Mgr. Recommends [7 To HRA To Council Subject: Vacation of Existing Action Motion Easement over a portion of Resolution the NW %of S6 TI16 R21 Ordinance c] Discussion Recommendation: Vacate existing easement in Document No. 3490171 over a portion of the northwest quarter of Section 6, Township 116, Range 21 with the condition that the existing easement be replaced on the new Brendan Glenn Plat. Info/Backg round: The proposed vacation of the existing easement is requested by the developer of the Brendan Glenn Plat. The new plat will have a new drainage and utility easement which will replace the existing easement. Staff recommends the vacation be approved. NSP (Xcel Energy), US West (Qwest), Time Warner and Minnegasco (Reliant Energy) have all approved the request.
    [Show full text]
  • S: 181 Ent Age Bandwidth Gave Cable Operators the Pole Position
    UNICATIONS ENGINEERING & DESIGN GAZINE OF BROADBAND COMMUNICATIONS s: 181 ent age Bandwidth Gave Cable Operators the Pole Position. teenuge ip leg Aire' An*L But in The Race For Cyberspace Only Motorola Can Put You in The Winner's Circle. Take The Checkered Flt The race for cyber space has reached the final lap and the stands are filled with subscribers anxiously waiting at the finish line. They won't notice who finishes second, so it's essential that you choose a vehicle that is second to none, Motorola's CyberSURFRTM cable modem. An exciting product of Motorola's CableComm technologies, the CyberSURFR modem drives data downstream at remarkably high speeds. Turning to the upstream path, it successfully outmaneuvers the inherent 114111Mit. noise ingress in HFC networks, accelerating information through at 768 kilobits per second. Thus connecting personal computers to a transmission system that delivers lightning fast multimedia communica- CyberSURFR' Cable Modem tions to your speed-hungry subscribers. And as these new speeds enable the next generation of applications and content, the protocol adapts to meet the needs. But speed alone is not enough. Unique technologies that economize precious cable spectrum, use of proven frequency agility techniques, forward error correction, and dynamic load balancing, provide your subscribers with ample bandwidth on demand. While standards based encryption protects their sensitive information. Innovation, reliability, quality and attention to detail will allow the winners to pull away from the rest of the pack. And since these characteristics are the hallmark of all Motorola products, no one else is more capable of helping you lap the competition.
    [Show full text]
  • Conspiracy of Fools”
    Submitted version of review published in GARP Risk Review Review of “Conspiracy of Fools” Joe Pimbley Kurt Eichenwald’s Conspiracy of Fools (Broadway Books, 2005) is a spellbinding account of the rise and fall of Enron. In nearly 700 pages the reader finds answers to “what happened?” and “how did it happen?” Based on retrospective interviews with more than a hundred primary and secondary actors in this drama, the author creates multiple, parallel story lines. He jumps back and forth between these sub-plots in a manner that maintains energy and gives the reader many natural stopping points. The great strengths of Conspiracy are that it’s thorough, extremely well- written, captivating, and, finally, it rings true. The author avoids the easy, simple conclusions that all the executives are “guilty” of crimes or plain greed and that the media-lionized whistle-blower is pure of heart. We see the ultimate outcome as personal tragedies for Jeff Skilling (President) and Ken Lay (CEO) even though they are undeniably culpable. Culpability and guilt are not synonymous, however, and different readers will have widely different judgments to render on these two men. The view of Andrew Fastow is not so murky. He and a handful of his associates did indeed lie, cheat, and steal for personal gain. Fastow’s principle “contribution” to Enron was the creation of structured finance transactions to skirt accounting rules. This one-sentence description doesn’t tell the reader much. Eichenwald gives many examples to flesh out the concept. The story of “Alpine Investors” provides the simplest case. The company wished to sell the Zond Corporation, a wind-farm operator, prior to the closing of Enron’s purchase of Portland General.
    [Show full text]
  • 180226-2018-Rules-Regulations-And
    Rules, Regulations, and Specifications for Contractors 2018 Introduction 00 0000 - 1 INTRODUCTION The City of Orlando’s Housing and Community Development Department (HCD) welcomes your participation in the housing assistance programs. It is our pleasure to present the Rules, Regulations, and Specifications for Contractors, for the rehabilitation, construction, or reconstruction of homes that qualify for HCD housing assistance in the City of Orlando. It is important for the Contractors to know that a great deal of time and effort has been committed to ensuring that the Rules, Regulations, and Specifications for Contractors meet standard construction practices. This document applies to all Contractors on the Rotating Contractor List, applicants to the List, as well as all construction projects as a part of the Contract Documents. All Contractors providing services and/or materials are required to perform in accordance with the Rules, Regulations, and Specifications for Contractors on all housing rehabilitation, construction or reconstruction activities. As the Scope of Work, provided by HCD personnel, is keyed to the Rules, Regulations, and Specifications for Contractors, Contractors are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the standards set herein. While the HCD endeavors to promulgate Specifications that are accurate, performance based, and non-restrictive for bidding purposes; the manufacturer’s name and article numbers are often included for demonstration and / or performance purposes. The intent of the Specifications, as a part of the Contract Documents, is to provide clarity and consistency in Bidding, the Scope of Work, and the finished construction outcome. Contractors must attend a Contractor Registration Meeting scheduled by the Housing Development Program Manager and submit all required documentation for review and approval prior to inclusion on the Rotating Contractor List.
    [Show full text]
  • The Enron Failure and the State of Corporate Disclosure George Benston, Michael Bromwich, Robert E
    Following the Moneythe The Enron Failure and the State of Corporate Disclosure George Benston, Michael Bromwich, Robert E. Litan, and Alfred Wagenhofer AEI-Brookings Joint Center for Regulatory Studies 00-0890-FM 1/30/03 9:33 AM Page i Following the Money 00-0890-FM 1/30/03 9:33 AM Page iii Following the Money The Enron Failure and the State of Corporate Disclosure George Benston Michael Bromwich Robert E. Litan Alfred Wagenhofer - Washington, D.C. 00-0890-FM 1/30/03 9:33 AM Page iv Copyright © 2003 by AEI-Brookings Joint Center for Regulatory Studies, the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research, Washington, D.C., and the Brookings Institution, Washington, D.C. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without per- mission in writing from the AEI-Brookings Joint Center, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in news articles, critical articles, or reviews. Following the Money may be ordered from: Brookings Institution Press 1775 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20036 Tel.: (800) 275-1447 or (202) 797-6258 Fax: (202) 797-6004 www.brookings.edu Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication data Following the money : the Enron failure and the state of corporate disclosure / George Benston . [et al.]. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-8157-0890-4 (cloth : alk. paper) 1. Disclosure in accounting—United States. 2. Corporations—United States—Accounting. 3. Corporations—United States—Auditing. 4. Accounting—Standards—United States. 5. Financial statements—United States. 6. Capital market—United States.
    [Show full text]