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TOP STORIES FOR FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2003 Push for Single-Point Communications Standard Cell Phones Banned from New York Theaters Entertainment Groups Fight File Swapping in the Office Ban on Online Cigarette Sales Upheld AND Minority-Serving Institutions Call for More Funding Higher Education Group Looks to Buy Fiber-Optic Network PUSH FOR SINGLE-POINT COMMUNICATIONS STANDARD The U.S. government is supporting ENUM, a new electronic numbering system that would provide a "single identifier" to consolidate each consumer�s different numbers--telephone, e-mail and instant messaging addresses, faxes, and cell phones--under one number. Also known as e164.arpa, ENUM would seamlessly translate telephone numbers into Internet addresses and vice versa without requiring effort from consumers. The Federal Communications Commission and Commerce and State Departments are collaboratively developing the new standard, which is supported by 13 other countries. Communications security experts in the U.S. and abroad will review the system to ensure consumer data protection before it is enacted. The U.S. government insists on high security, competition, and privacy standards for ENUM, and is working with the International Telecommunications Union on global standards for electronic numbering. Internet News, 14 February 2003 http://www.internetnews.com/xSP/article.php/1584431 CELL PHONES BANNED FROM NEW YORK THEATERS Starting in April, using cell phones in theaters and other public venues in New York City will be illegal, subject to fines of $50. Theatergoers caught making calls, talking on cell phones, or whose cell phones ring during shows will be in violation of the new ordinance. Pagers and beepers that make noise are also banned. The law applies to concerts, cinemas, theatres, museums, and libraries. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg had opposed the new law, saying it was unnecessary and unenforceable. The city council, however, had enough votes to override Bloomberg's veto. BBC, 14 February 2003 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/2755875.stm ENTERTAINMENT GROUPS FIGHT FILE SWAPPING IN THE OFFICE A brochure created by three music and film industry trade groups aims to educate businesses on the consequences of illegal file swapping on company networks. The brochure and accompanying material will be distributed to Fortune 1000 companies to explain methods of preventing employee copyright abuse and warn of potential financial liabilities should they fail to take appropriate action. The Motion Picture Association of America, Recording Industry Association of America, and International Federation of the Phonographic Industry titled the brochure "A Corporate Policy Guide to Copyright Use and Security on the Internet." NewsFactor Network, 14 February 2003 http://www.newsfactor.com/perl/story/20767.html BAN ON ONLINE CIGARETTE SALES UPHELD A federal appeals court has upheld a New York state law banning online and mail-order cigarette sales. Two tobacco companies had challenged the law, winning an initial victory when the court said the law unfairly favors in-state sellers of cigarettes over out-of-state vendors. The appeals court, however, decided the law does not interfere with interstate commerce but merely allows for verifying the age of buyers and for paying the excise tax. New York has the highest cigarette tax in the nation, currently $1.11 per pack. It was partly in response to the raising of the excise tax that many New York consumers opted to buy their cigarettes online in the first place. Officials from the state were pleased with the ruling, calling it "a tremendous victory for the children of New York State." The tobacco companies that filed the original suit said they were undecided about further appeals. Wall Street Journal, 14 February 2003 (sub. req'd) http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB1045183289709152263,00.html AND ***************************************************** MINORITY-SERVING INSTITUTIONS CALL FOR MORE FUNDING Invited to testify before the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation on a bill proposed by Sen. George Allen (R.-Va.), five presidents of minority-serving institutions stated that their colleges need better digital and wireless infrastructures to prepare young people to join the work force. Allen's bill would create a grant program to help historically black colleges and universities, Hispanic-serving institutions, and tribal colleges develop wireless capabilities on campus, among other technologies. Chronicle of Higher Education, 14 February 2003 http://chronicle.com/free/2003/02/2003021401t.htm HIGHER EDUCATION GROUP LOOKS TO BUY FIBER-OPTIC NETWORK A consortium of five higher education institutions in Massachusetts is hoping to stop leasing network capacity from local carriers in favor of purchasing their own fiber-optic network to connect the members of the group. Five Colleges Inc. includes Amherst College, Hampshire College, Mount Holyoke College, Smith College, and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. The four colleges in the group currently pay what one institution called "exorbitant" rates to connect to the University of Massachusetts, which is the communications hub of the group. The five institutions hope to benefit from the current lull in consumer demand for fiber-optic service by purchasing those services they otherwise would be forced to lease from local carriers. Officials involved expect the system to pay for itself in saved leasing costs over the first five years. Several fiber-optic companies have submitted bids to the consortium, and negotiations are under way. Chronicle of Higher Education, 13 February 2003 http://chronicle.com/free/2003/02/2003021301t.htm ***************************************************** EDUPAGE INFORMATION To subscribe, unsubscribe, or change your settings, visit http://www.educause.edu/pub/edupage/edupage.html Or, you can subscribe or unsubscribe by sending e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To SUBSCRIBE, in the body of the message type: SUBSCRIBE Edupage YourFirstName YourLastName To UNSUBSCRIBE, in the body of the message type: SIGNOFF Edupage If you have subscription problems, send e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For past issues of Edupage or information about translations of Edupage into other languages, visit http://www.educause.edu/pub/edupage/edupage.html ***************************************************** OTHER EDUCAUSE PUBLICATIONS EDUCAUSE publishes periodicals, including "EQ" and "EDUCAUSE Review," books, and other materials dealing with the impacts and implications of information technology in higher education. 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