LINK TO A FOLDER WITH  MOST OF THE SLIDE DECKS USE IN CLASS

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SUGGESTED BOOKS & ARTICLES FOR ANYONE INTERESTED IN MAKING DEEPER DIVES INTO THE SUBJECT

THE INTERNET & INFORMATION 

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CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK - I'll argue that the following is an excellent starting-point wrt a conceptual framework for understanding the role and effects of the Internet or any communications medium, that is accessible to an educated general reader, and is especially appropriate for any informatics, MSIM,  Computer Science or similar student.

In his 1996 book Understanding Media; the Extensions of Man, Marshall McLuhan points out that in analyzing the effects our communications media have on us, and our psychological, social, and (arguably) even neurological environments,  it is important to see that in crucial respects "the medium is the message".  See McLuhan, Marshall, 1911-1980. Understanding Media; the Extensions of Man. New York :Signet Books, 1966. For a much shorter version of that message, see chapter 1 of the book as is excerpted at: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MoO60-YkRuYizVshc1m_4tR1AAglPm1S/view?usp=sharing

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CONCEPTUAL TECHNICAL UNDERPINNINGS - ORIGINAL SOURCE DOCUMENTS These two technical readings may be of interest to any of you who have strong technical backgrounds in computer science, networking, and/or mathematically oriented  communications theory

Shannon, C. E., & Weaver, W. (1949). The Mathematical Theory of Communication. Urbana, IL: The University of Illinois Press, 1-117.  This paper is considered by many to be the cornerstone of communications theory as it applies to technologies of communication, and of networks. For the Wiki overview of the Snannon-Weaver model see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shannon%E2%80%93Weaver_model

Paul Baran; et al. (1964). "On Distributed Communications". Rand.  Seminal paper on the distributed packet switching model that underlies the Internet. 

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STANDARD TEXTBOOKS ON NETWORKING FOR CS OR HIGHLY TECH ORIENTED STUDENTS -  

Computer Networks, 6th edition, Andrew S. Tanenbaum rije University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, Nick Feamster University of Chicago,David J. Wetherall University of Washington.  Published by Pearson (July 13, 2021) © 2021

Computer Networks and Internets (6th Edition), Douglas E. Comer

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INFRASTRUCTURE - For a fairly accurate, and highly accessible & readable account of some of the underlying physical realities of the Internet, I'd recommend the following.

Tubes: A Journey to the Center of the Internet by Andrew Blum  [Hardcover: 304 pages, Publisher: Ecco; First Edition edition (May 29, 2012), ISBN-10: 0061994936 ISBN-13: 978-0061994937 ] A reasonably accurate book sketching the underlying (and important) infrastructure stuff out of which the internet was (and is) made. Provides a good sense of what is needed at the physical level to create and provide internet services/capabilities. As such it helps illustrate the underlying resource challenges of providing and extending basic as well as broadband internet capabilities to anyone/anywhere

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'STRATEGIC DISRUPTION' & INNOVATION:  

"The Innovator's Dilemma" by Clayton M. Christensen.  This is arguably the seminal book, and still among the most influential, concerning strategies for disruptive innovation; i.e. the goal of many technology companies and especially start-ups.  What Christensen says may surprise you.

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PEERING - i.e. the technology and inherent game theory  that is at the heart of the global internet. 

There is an excellent tutorial on peering at:  http://drpeering.net/index.php#  

You can find in depth coverage in the old but still highly relevant book: The 2014 Internet Peering Playbook: Connecting to the Core of the Internet  – 2014 -  by William B. Norton

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HISTORY

My recommendation for a reasonably accurate, - though I'll caution, 'somewhat dramatised'  - non-technical history of 'the internet is: 

Where Wizards Stay Up Late: The Origins Of The Internet by Matthew Lyon and Katie Hafner 

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THE FOLLOWING MATERIALS ARE VERY DATED - albeit relevant.  I'll be working to update the list during the quarter, but i may not be able to do that. Ron Johnson 3/11/24

Digital Disconnect: How Capitalism is Turning the Internet Against Democracy by Robert W. McChesney [ Hardcover: 320 pages, Publisher: New Press (March 5, 2013), ISBN-10: 1595588671 ISBN-13: 978-159558867 ]. 

"A provocative and far-reaching account of how capitalism has shaped the Internet in the United States. . . . a valuable addition to the literature on the digital age.” —Kirkus Reviews

Global Digital 'Disparities'

Digital Disparities and International Competitiveness/Trade etc  (e.g. for those interested see comparative global data on internet access, speed, attacks etc see the materials Akamai has at: http://www.akamai.com/stateoftheinternet/ ; and, for a gov't view wrt internet 'competitiveness' at: http://www.wsj.com/articles/eu-digital-chief-urges-regulation-to-nurture-european-internet-platforms-1429009201

DIGITAL DIVIDE - DIGITAL EXCLUSION

For an overview there is what I think is a really great TED talk by Aleph Molinari on Digital Divide/Digital Exclusion.  It's only ~10 minutes and I highly recommend watching it.  https://www.ted.com/talks/aleph_molinari_let_s_bridge_the_digital_divide In my view it very well and concisely frames both the 'demand' and 'supply' side meta-issues, as well as the larger issue of the importance of access.

For a general audience piece on trying to address the global digital divide see http://www.wsj.com/articles/tech-companies-struggle-to-get-world-on-internet-1429631689 

For some fairly recent Google based perspective on net access policy & practical issues see: http://www.lightreading.com/net-neutrality/googles-medin-urges-competition-friendly-net-policies/d/d-id/715043

Net Neutrality

John Oliver has an arguably highly partisan, and to many, entertaining, video that, in my own admittedly partisan opinion, nicely and simply frames the USA net neutrality issue, at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpbOEoRrHyU . 

A Wall Street Journal based video with a contrary opinion is available at: http://www.wsj.com/video/opinion-the-case-against-net-neutrality/040E9501-8673-457C-AA20-7A6EC2EF53E3.html . And, here's a general audience video from a conservative group that takes an opposing view wrt net neutrality at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeCj4y36UKM .

For a - to me - interesting perspective from a Google expert - in the context in which Google has been a supporter of net neutrality - see this piece on Milo Medin's comments/thinking at: http://www.fiercetelecom.com/story/google-fibers-medin-net-neutrality-doesnt-promote-broadband-competition/2015-04-13   aka "Net neutrality doesn't promote broadband competition".

And here, for more 'balance' is an anti net neutrality argument by Robert Litan and Hal Singer entitled "Why Business Should Oppose Net Neutrality" that appeared in the Harvard Business Review: https://hbr.org/2010/08/why-business-should-oppose-net-neutrality

BROADBAND, Universal Service etc:

U.S. Government Federal Communications Commission FCC 'National Broadband Plan' (2010):  http://www.broadband.gov/

NTIA has a chart graphically depicting frequency allocations as of 2011 at:

   http://www.ntia.doc.gov/files/ntia/publications/spectrum_wall_chart_aug2011.pdf

U.S. FCC 'Spectrum Dashboard' for basic information as to what uses have what wireless spectrum:   http://reboot.fcc.gov/reform/systems/spectrum-dashboard

GETTING BROADCASTERS TO SELL SPECTRUM - Here is a link to short general audience 2015 NYT piece on some of the issues inherent in the FCC's efforts to get Broadcasters to sell some of their spectrum. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/17/technology/local-broadcasters-could-reap-billions-in-airwaves-auction.html?_r=0

U.S. "The Telecommunications Act of 1996"; materials at: http://transition.fcc.gov/telecom.html

U.S. 'Section 254' - i.e. the specific 'Universal Service' provisions - of the Telecommunications Act of 1996:  http://transition.fcc.gov/learnnet/254.html

U.S FCC 'International Broadband Data Report' (2011): http://www.fcc.gov/reports/international-broadband-data-report-second  , with the actual report at http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-11-732A1.pdf

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A source of some international telecom (both wireline and wireless) industry based/oriented statistics is the International Telecommunications Union (ITU).  Some of the statistical material is available at: http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/ict/   . Be cautions though, a lot of this info is telco's in effect self-reporting and for example in looking at broadband it often uses 'advertised' speeds rather than actual.  The ITU's main web page is at: http://www.itu.int/en/Pages/default.aspx

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U.S. Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA).   "Our Mission. NTIA is the Executive Branch agency that is principally responsible for advising the President on telecommunications and information policy issues. NTIA’s programs and policymaking focus largely on expanding broadband Internet access and adoption in America, expanding the use of spectrum by all users, and ensuring that the Internet remains an engine for continued innovation and economic growth."  http://www.ntia.doc.gov/about  Featured initiatives now are: Digital Literacy http://www.digitalliteracy.gov/  ;  Broadband USA, including the major Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) efforts http://www2.ntia.doc.gov/ ; Internet Policy Taskforce http://www.ntia.doc.gov/category/internet-policy-task-force ; Wireless Broadband 500mhz http://www.ntia.doc.gov/category/500-mhz-initiative ; National Broadband Map http://www.broadbandmap.gov/ . 

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U.S. NTIA  "Broadband Technology Opportunities Program" (BTOP) including roughly $4 billion in recent funding and over 200 projects including over 100 'infrastructure projects totaling about $3.5 billion, ~66 'Public Computer Center' projects, and ~44 'Sustainable Broadband Adoption' projects.  See http://www2.ntia.doc.gov/about   .

To quote: "NTIA administers the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) within three project categories: 

• Comprehensive Community Infrastructure: Projects to deploy new or improved broadband Internet facilities (e.g., laying new fiber-optic cables or   upgrading wireless towers) and to connect “community anchor institutions” such as schools, libraries, hospitals, and public safety facilities. These networks help ensure sustainable community growth and provide the foundation for enhanced household and business broadband Internet services.

• Public Computer Centers: Projects to establish new public computer facilities or upgrade existing ones that provide broadband access to the general public or to specific vulnerable populations, such as low-income individuals, the unemployed, seniors, children, minorities, and people with disabilities.

• Sustainable Broadband Adoption: Projects that focus on increasing broadband Internet usage and adoption, including among vulnerable populations where broadband technology traditionally has been underutilized. Many projects include digital literacy training and outreach campaigns to increase the relevance of broadband in people’s everyday lives.

In the long term, these Recovery Act investments will help bridge the digital divide, improve access to education and  Broadband USA, Connecting America's Communities"  http://www2.ntia.doc.gov/    "

An interesting, Sept. 2011report to congress by NTIA on BTOP is at: http://www.ntia.doc.gov/files/ntia/publications/10th-btop-quarterly-congressional-report-sept-2011.pdf

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THE 'UNDERSERVED' - E.g.:

U.S. NTIA "FALLING THROUGH THE NET: A Survey of the "Have Nots" in Rural and Urban America,  National Telecommunications and Information Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce,  July 1995 http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/fallingthru.html

Pew Research Center - "Digital Differences, For Some Groups Digital Disparities Still Remain" April 13, 2012  http://pewresearch.org/pubs/2240/internet-adoption-digital-online-broadband-mobile

"One-in-five adults do not use the internet. The difference between that group and the majority of Americans who do go online remains strongly correlated with age, education, and household income, which are the strongest positive predictors of internet use. ... "

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IS INTERNET ACCESS A HUMAN RIGHT?   E.g.:

    United Nations Report dated May 16 2011: "Report of the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom  of opinion and expression, Frank La Rue*"

http://www.article19.org/data/files/pdfs/reports/report-of-the-special-rapporteur-on-the-promotion-and-protection-of-the-righ.pdf

    Los Angeles Times (June 3 2011) piece: "United Nations report: Internet access is a human right" June 3, 2011 (internet edition) http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2011/06/united-nations-report-internet-access-is-a-human-right.html

    New York Times Editorial by (a 'father of the internet' aka) Vint Cerf: "Internet Access Is Not a Human Right", Jan. 4 2012

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/05/opinion/internet-access-is-not-a-human-right.html

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PEW RESEARCH CENTER PUBLICATIONS ON TECHNOLOGY & THE INTERNET -   As per its 'about' page ( http://pewresearch.org/about/projects/ as downloaded April 2012), the "Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan "fact tank" that provides information on the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world. It does not take positions on policy issues". The Pew presently has seven major project areas among which is its Pew Internet & American Life Project which " conducts original research that explores the impact of the internet on children, families, communities, the work place, schools, health care and civic/political life. It seeks to be an authoritative source for timely information on the internet's growth and societal impact." See http://pewresearch.org/topics/internetandtechnology/ for the many (and to me very high quality) studies and reports on relevant topics.

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BENTON FOUNDATION - http://benton.org/ - To quote from their web site (  http://benton.org/about  as of April 2012), "The Benton Foundation works to ensure that media and telecommunications serve the public interest and enhance our democracy. We pursue this mission by seeking policy solutions that support the values of access, diversity and equity, and by demonstrating the value of media and telecommunications for improving the quality of life for all."   Benton is a good source of materials on various current, and often hot telecommunications topics including broadband issues, that often focuses on access.

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CONCEPTS & REALITIES OF "UNIVERSAL SERVICE" - e.g.: wrt Postal Service/Mail, Electricity, Telephones and 'the Internet'.

Who Pays for Universal Service, When Telephone Subsidies Become Transparent,by Robert W. Crandall and Leonard Waverman; Brookings Institution Press, 2000.

Electrifying the Rural American West, Stories of Power, People & Place, by Leah S. Glaser, University of Nebraska Press, 2009

The Next Greatest Thing, edited by Richard Fence, The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, 1984

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"Measuring Broadband America - February 2013,  A Report on Consumer Wireline Broadband 

Performance in the U.S" FCC’s Office of Engineering and Technology and

Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau,  http://www.fcc.gov/measuring-broadband-america/2013/February

"Background and Overview 

This 2013 Measuring Broadband America—February Report contains the most recent results from the Federal Communication Commission’s (FCC) Measuring Broadband America program. This program, whose first results were published in August 2011, is an ongoing, rigorous, nationwide study of residential broadband performance in the United States. This study, like those conducted before, involves actual performance tests for thousands of subscribers of Internet Service Providers (ISPs) serving well over 80 percent of the residential market. Our initial Measuring Broadband America Report presented the first broad-scale study of actual consumer broadband performance throughout the United States. This effort was followed approximately a year later by a second report, released in July 2012, and now the present report."

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FCC News Release January 18, 2013 "FCC CHAIRMAN JULIUS GENACHOWSKI ISSUES GIGABIT CITY CHALLENGE TO

PROVIDERS, LOCAL, AND STATE GOVERNMENTS TO BRING AT LEAST ONE ULTRA-

FAST GIGABIT INTERNET COMMUNITY TO EVERY STATE IN U.S. BY 2015

FCC’S BROADBAND ACCELERATION INITIATIVE TO FOSTER GIGABIT GOAL"

http://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-chairman-genachowski-issues-gigabit-city-challenge

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WHITESPACE

"WhiteSpace Alliance Formed to Deliver Affordable, High-Speed Broadband Internet Access to 3.5 Billion Households" http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20111215005492/en/WhiteSpace-Alliance-Formed-Deliver-Affordable-High-Speed-Broadband

http://www.whitespacealliance.org/

"The mission of the Whitespace Alliance is to promote the development, deployment and use of standards based products and services as a means of providing broadband capabilities via WhiteSpace spectrum. By promoting the use of standards, the Alliance will enable companies to provide broadband connectivity at reasonable cost. The WSA will also act as an enabler of the emerging white spaces ecosystem by helping to put in place interoperability, conformance, and compliance testing to make sure that our member stakeholders get the needed information & collaborations to succeed both in the market place and with regulatory requirements. WhiteSpace Alliance will promote the use of IEEE, 3GPP and IETF Standards for use in the WhiteSpaces."