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Thursday Evening Links - - Thu, 02 Sep 2010

Cisco to Service Providers: Get Moving on IPv6 lightreading.com
Have we seen the last of M2Z? fiercebroadbandwireless.com
Rumor mill: AT&T could move to acquire C&W Worldwide fiercetelecom.com
U.S. Broadband Starts To Speed Ahead forbes.com
Former UK Communications Minister: Government was wrong to axe broadband tax pcpro.co.uk
Verizon Wireless Adds $30/Month Prepaid Unlimited Data Plan foxbusiness.com
90% of UK consumers confused by broadband advertising theregister.co.uk
Skype updates Android app for Verizon users, lets you keep the WiFi on engadget.com
FCC Gets Earful On Further Inquiries On Net Neutrality multichannel.com
IBM Introduces World's Fastest Processor: 5.2GHz Enterprise Chip hothardware.com
Wireless charger standard released electronicsweekly.com
Sony Shows Prototypes of a Planned 3-D VAIO Laptop mobile-tech-today.com
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Sonic.Net Treats Customers Well, Earns Praise - Carrier gets oodles of link love for new network build, customer service - Thu, 02 Sep 2010

Sure, incumbent lobbyists and dysfunctional regulators may have crushed the majority of major, independent, residential broadband ISPs in the United States, but California-based ISP Sonic.net not only survived the indie ISP-pocalypse, but they're busily building their own network. As we've covered for years, Sonic's offering ADSL2+ (bonded, when possible) capable of providing speeds up to 40 Mbps downstream. Sonic's suddenly getting a lot of love this week, with Ars Technica profiling the company and their "bandwidth-hog friendly" policies:

Analyst Dave Burstein also doled out some Sonic love in his widely-read broadband industry newsletter:The man behind the plan, CEO Dane Jasper, is a regular here in our forums often helping customers personally. As we've seen with other, customer-service-focused ISPs (like Canada's TekSavvy) that kind of personal touch is welcome in an industry dominated by giants, and is helping fuel Sonic's fairly steller reviews by our users. Meanwhile, Yankee Group analyst Benoit Felten this week conducted an very interesting review with Dane on their new network, and life as a modern independent U.S. ISP in a sector dominated by giants.

Jasper (who you can follow on Twitter) is a breath of fresh air as a broadband industry CEO that understands the repercussions of putting quarterly investor satisfaction ahead of your network, your company, and the satisfaction of your customers. The result is an ISP that speaks to the fact that staying small -- and focusing on what's important -- isn't necessarily a bad thing. The problem is that the drive to get increasingly bigger (and go public) is an all-pervasive presence, and as an ISP grows -- customer service is usually the first thing lost in translation.
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Google Sued Over Nexus One 3G Bugs - Suit alleges Google made misleading claims, failed to provide adequate support - Thu, 02 Sep 2010

While Google's Nexus One phone was supposed to rattle the wireless status quo by offering users unsubsidized phones via a Google store, the promised revolution never arrived. That was due to a number of factors, including the fact that the phone was initially only available via T-Mobile. However, the Nexus One also came with fairly awful 3G connectivity bugs and annoying fees -- but not with phone support (Google fixed the latter two eventually). But those 3G bugs never quite got fixed, and Google's now being sued for it:

The suit (correctly) also alleges that those who called either T-Mobile or Google for support got passed around like a hot potato, with the problems never really getting fixed. Google recently announced that the Nexus One experiment was over and there wouldn't be a Nexus Two, though Google considered the whole affair a success. Of course it was in the sense that it provided traction for Google's Android mobile OS -- Google just didn't make a very good phone retailer or a phone that could hold a reliable 3G signal.
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Samsung Unveils 'Galaxy Tab' Tablet - Will have embedded phone capabilities, likely sold through Verizon - Thu, 02 Sep 2010

Samsung today unveiled their response to the Apple iPad: the Galaxy Tab. Unlike the iPad, the Android-powered device has two cameras, is a bit smaller (7.5 by 4.7 by .5 inches) and lighter (13.4 ounces), and actually operates as a phone. As such, the device will be offered through a phone partner, rumored to be Verizon. It's not clear yet if it's exclusive, given specs indicate it supports HSDPA and HSUPA (which could mean AT&T/T-Mobile, or it could simply mean European carrier support). Much like the recent netbook craze, you can expect this to be the opening salvo in a wave of subsidized tablets tied to carriers aimed at locking users into long-term contracts. Motorola and HTC are also rumored to be developing Android tablets for use on Verizon's network.
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AT&T Forgets They Began The Network Neutrality Debate - Then calls people "conspiracy theorists" for pointing it out - Thu, 02 Sep 2010

Consumer group Free Press is apparently hitting some of AT&T's buttons this week, if this missive from AT&T lobbyist Hank Hultquist is any indication. Hultquist this week attacked the consumer group as a purveyor of "Da Vinci Code conspiracy theories" for a recent letter the group wrote to the FCC that points out how AT&T's long-standing dream of "paid prioritization" could be bad for consumers. In it, Free Press notes they don't oppose intelligent network management, just paid prioritization:

AT&T retorted by trying to conflate QOS network management (which, especially in more intelligent modern incarnations, few if any oppose) with paid prioritization, or an ISP charging content companies an extra surcharge if they wish to have their content reach AT&T customers more quickly. AT&T also accuses the group of being inconsistent conspiracy theorists -- simply for pointing out AT&T's long-documented ambitions on this front:Why would an entrenched, incredibly powerful duopoly carrier impose an "elaborate scheme" to milk more money out of consumers and businesses that already pay for bandwidth? To make more money, of course. While the Free Press is certainly known for occasional hyperbole, suggesting that AT&T could abuse their market position using paid prioritization certainly isn't conspiracy material. It's not even controversial.

AT&T enjoys ignoring this fact: AT&T started the entire network neutrality debate in 2005 by proclaiming that they were going to charge content companies (who already pay for bandwidth) an extra, nonsensical toll to reach AT&T customers quickly. Thanks predominantly to lobbyist distortion, the debate has grown into a ridiculous, often-incoherent monster since then. However, it should be remembered that it was AT&T's vocalized desire to act as a bridge troll that began the network neutrality debate, and the original goal of network neutrality rules was to prevent AT&T from abusing its duopoly/monopoly power to extort passers by.

Update: The IETF also thinks AT&T's conclusions are misleading:
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UK ISP ADSL24 Launch 40Mb Fibre Optic Based FTTC Broadband Packages - Fri, 03 Sep 2010
Broadband provider ADSL24 has today become the latest ISP to add 'up to' 40Mb fibre optic ( FTTC ) based HOME and BUSINESS broadband packages to its line-up of UK internet access solutions. Prices start from just £24.99 inc. VAT per month (+£42.00 activation, includes VDSL2 modem) and come with a 30GB peak usage allowance (unlimited off-peak).

Lord Carter Slams 2Mb UK Broadband Delay and Axing of the 50p Phone Tax - Fri, 03 Sep 2010
Labours former Communications Minister and author of the original Digital Britain (June 2009) report, Lord Stephen Carter, has told a Westminster eForum that he does "not agree" with delaying the 2Mbps UK broadband for all (Universal Service Commitment) from 2012 to 2015.

ITU and UN Seek Cheaper Universal Broadband in Developing Countries - Fri, 03 Sep 2010
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has revealed new statistics that highlight a significant global disparity in the adoption and affordability of broadband internet access services. It found that consumers in the UK typically spend 0.63% of their monthly income on fixed broadband ISPs, while those in the Central African Republic (the most expensive) would need to spend 3891%!

Dubai police chief calls BlackBerry a spy tool (AP) - Fri, 03 Sep 2010

AP - Dubai's police chief says worries about spying by the U.S., Israel and others helped push plans to limit BlackBerry services in the United Arab Emirates.

Google, Skype targeted in India security crackdown (AP) - Thu, 02 Sep 2010

AP - India has widened its security crackdown, asking all companies that provide encrypted communications — not just BlackBerry-maker Research In Motion — to install servers in the country to make it easier for the government to obtain users' data. That would likely affect digital giants like Google and Skype.

Dell's enterprise challenge remains after 3Par (AP) - Fri, 03 Sep 2010

AP - Dell Inc. doesn't have to start over in its quest to become a significant purveyor of technology for businesses after losing a multibillion dollar bidding contest for an obscure data-storage maker.