KOOP-FM Austin is presenting its award winning “A Neighborly Conversation” program this afternoon to discuss whether Time Warner Cable’s proposed bandwidth caps are good or bad for protecting the citizens of Austin and driving innovation. KOOP has invited two guests: Chip Rosenthal, Chair City of Austin Technology and Telecommunications Commission and Chris Boyd, owner of Midas Networks, a local internet services company.

The show ran Wednesday afternoon from 12-1pm CDT.   Thanks to our reader Brad who shared this news with us.

We liveblogged the event in the comments section.  I will post a link to the archived show when it is available so you can listen again.

A hat tip to Nathan who reminds us that there is a very important meeting for Austin residents upset with Time Warner about their broadband rationing plan to attend tonight.  I know it can be a pain to get downtown to go, but make the effort to help nip this in the bud now, or pay a lot more later.

Austin Community Technology and Telecommunications Commission
Regular Meeting
Wednesday – April 8, 2009 – 6:30 p.m.
City Hall – Room 1101
301 W. 2nd Street, Austin

Rep. Dan Maffei (D-NY) 25th Congressional District Map

Rep. Dan Maffei (D-NY), who represents New York’s 25th district (which includes eastern Monroe county), will be holding an open Town Hall meeting this Thursday at 6:00pm.

If you are interested in appealing to Congressman Maffei to work on the issue of broadband usage caps, and to ask him to support Congressman Massa’s efforts, please consider attending, especially if you reside in his district.

The meeting will take place at the Irondequoit Town Hall, 1280 Titus Avenue.

You can also contact Rep. Maffei’s local office to speak on this issue, even if you cannot attend. Calling is the most effective way to draw attention to an issue of concern. Writing/faxing a letter is second. E-Mailing is better than nothing, but most congressional offices are swamped with e-mail, and it can be less effective in measuring what hot button issues are most important in a district. Take a few minutes and call.

Irondequoit Office
1280 Titus Avenue
Rochester, NY 14617
Phone: 585-336-7291
Fax: 585-336-7274

Rep. Eric Massa (D-N.Y.)

[Update: 12:45pm (Wednesday): I have been in touch with Jared Smith, Congressman Massa’s communications director and provided him some pointers and direction with the legislation Rep. Massa is drafting.  I also alerted him to the potential Federal Trade Commission issue involving Time Warner claiming they will also force Earthlink to impose usage caps.  We will now be able to stay in touch back and forth and hopefully make sure our issues are addressed in the forthcoming bill.  I also heard from our reader Ben, who reports from his conversation with Rep. Massa’s office that with public funding of broadband initiatives now one of the hallmarks of the Obama Administration, the public absolutely deserves leverage and far more control over this issue than the top-down “we propose and you accept and like it” approach Time Warner is using.  He is confident the legislation can be passed, particularly because of the timeliness of the issue coinciding with President Obama’s own interests in improving broadband infrastructure.  “Improving” does not mean rationing your access and throwing enormous overage fees on people, unless you are the one cashing the checks.  I think it will also be time to revisit the issue of public/municipal broadband projects.  There was little incentive to provide them in a fair and equitable marketplace, but it’s patently obvious that isn’t going to be the case much longer if caps are forthcoming.]

[Update 10:35am (Wednesday) : While we are still waiting for a copy of the bill, just a note to alert people to the fact his protest has made the news in most of the cities where this usage cap is being introduced, which is nice to see, especially as other cities begin pressuring their own congressional delegation to step up and get involved.  I am still compiling contacts.]

[Update 4:00pm:  I have just learned that Rep. Massa is drafting legislation to prohibit/ban this kind of capping.  I do not yet have any details about the bill’s language, or the legislative approach he is taking.  When I have a copy of the bill, I will be bringing it up here.]

Rep. Eric Massa (D-New York) today announced his opposition to Time Warner’s broadband Internet cap, calling it monopolistic and outrageous.

Massa said he will be taking a lead in Congress to oppose Time Warner’s move to impose limits on customers at a time when access to information is driving our economic recovery.  He accused the company of “stagnating 21st century technology needed to rebuild America.”

“Internet access is as essential to our economy as water is to our survival,” said Congressman Eric Massa. “With limited choices in broadband providers, and virtual monopolies in many market areas, I view this as nothing more than a large corporation making a move to force customers into paying more money. I firmly oppose capping internet usage and I will be taking a leadership role in stopping this outrageous, job killing initiative.”

Massa predicted that cell-phone style pricing of broadband would lead to a steep decline in Internet usage or else middle income families would see outrageous Internet bills.  He also expressed concern about sweeping First Amendment issues that are at stake from the artificial limiting of access to what has become an essential communications tool used by most Americans.

Massa represents New York’s 29th District which extends from the southern tier into the southern suburbs of Rochester.

Contact Rep. Eric Massa:

Washington DC Office
1208 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-3161
Fax: (202) 226-6599

Corning District Office
89 W. Market Street
Corning, NY 14830
Phone: (607) 654-7566
Fax: (607) 654-7568

Olean Office
317 North Union Street
Olean, NY 14760
Phone: (716) 372-2090
Fax: (716) 372-2869

Pittsford District Office
1 Grove St
Suite 101
Pittsford, NY 14534
Phone: (585) 218-0040
Fax: (585) 218-0053

Contact Eric Massa by e-mail

[Editor’s Note: Please be sure to thank Congressman Massa for taking a lead on this issue and for being among the first federal officials that has responded positively to our campaign!  We are making a difference, so also applaud yourselves for getting involved and fighting back!]

There is snow outside. Not enough to shovel, but still… how much more of this do we have to take?

In more bad news, you’ll find an article here from this morning suggesting that Earthlink is also going to be capped. How do we know? Because Time Warner’s corporate public affairs guy tells us so! So much for that Federal Trade Commission settlement back in 2000 that opened Time Warner’s network to competitors. Earthlink still has not called or written us back to give their side, even though we’ve left a bunch of messages at their corporate headquarters. It’s nice to know that Time Warner evidently gets to decide on Earthlink’s business plans. We’re going to have to wait awhile longer on this to find out exactly what is true here.

By popular request, the Alternative Providers list is now linked at the top of the page. At the moment, it’s a reprint of the article from last week on alternatives for Rochester area residents. I am still working on the other cities so hang in there.

Customers "want this": Broadband Reports covers Time Warner's propaganda campaign

Karl Bode at Broadband Reports has another great article up quoting from Time Warner Cable COO Landel Hobbs who came out the other day to praise the revolutionary thinking of Time Warner’s new ration-your-Internet plan.  It’s part of the grand propaganda effort underway at Time Warner to convince serfs customers that this is exactly the change they were hoping for.  Because when I think of people who are in touch with my needs and are just like me and my neighbors, I think of executives in the upper floors at Time Warner headquarters.  Yeah.

Beware cable companies bearing gifts.  How lucky we all are to benefit from this amazing plan!

There’s another great article this afternoon on the grand myth Time Warner’s corporate types are selling that people are clamoring to have their Internet accounts rationed away written by Karl Bode over at Broadband Reports.  Check it out.

We have our first contributing writer here this morning as well. A lot of you are asking me what more you can do to help. We need a lot of things. Writers to help post articles here, people who like to share news tidbits they’ve uncovered, and lots of data gatherers. I need to prioritize the fight back section work, and it’s slow going for me, especially for the other cities. If you want to help collect data on alternative providers and what their pricing, packages, and contact information is, that would be very useful, especially if you have experience using their services and can share insight on what people can expect.

Another area is figuring out who the movers and shakers are in other cities on this issue so we make sure we are linking to them and publishing their information.

If you are so talented, we could also use people to capture video clips from any future news coverage on this issue, and then upload them to Dailymotion or YouTube so we can embed them here. In fact, any video or other multimedia on this question containing original or new information is very welcomed.

If you are artistic or creative, we could use your help in creating things like protest banner ads, editorial cartoons, and I even have some ideas for some video web ads which could potentially get some free exposure in the media, but although I have that radio voice thing going, I’m inept in the artistic talent and video software department.

Basically, anything you think is missing here, want to have here, and especially that you can help make possible here I want to know about.

Please consider registering for an account and using the contact form to request more information about writing articles here and join the team!  It’s very easy to do, because I managed to figure it out.  If I can, you can too.

Lunch time…  I wonder if anything else is happening in the world;  I’ve lost touch since April 1st for some reason.