New York Times: India Shut Down Kashmir’s Internet Access. Now, ‘We Cannot Do Anything.’. “As the Indian government’s shutdown of internet and phone service in the contested region enters its 11th day, Kashmir has become paralyzed. Shopkeepers said that vital supplies like insulin and baby food, which they typically ordered online, were running out. Cash was scarce, as metal shutters covered the doors and windows of banks and A.T.M.s, which relied on the internet for every transaction. Doctors said they could not communicate with their patients.”
internet access
Inverse: Can Hypergiant Actually Build Intergalactic Internet?
Inverse: Can Hypergiant Actually Build Intergalactic Internet?. “Hypergiant, a company better known for its A.I. software, has turned its attention to expanding the world’s largest computer network beyond the Earth. The moon, Mars, and beyond could get connected to all the musings and memes accessible on the world wide web, using a relay network of satellites that will also host an archive of human knowledge. It may sound like a rather pointless endeavor — who lives on the moon? — but that could soon change.”
NetBlocks: Algeria blocks YouTube and Google services after publication of political video
NetBlocks: Algeria blocks YouTube and Google services after publication of political video. “Network data from the NetBlocks internet observatory confirm that YouTube and several Google services and websites have been blocked across Algeria on the evening of Thursday 8 August 2019 by state-run Algeria Telecom (AS36947) and other leading internet providers.”
Engadget: Comcast expands its low-cost internet to another three million households
Engadget: Comcast expands its low-cost internet to another three million households. “Since 2011, Comcast’s Internet Essentials program has connected more than eight million low-income individuals from two million households to the internet. Today, the company announced that it’s bringing low-cost internet to an additional three million low-income households.”
Ars Technica: FCC finally orders ISPs to say exactly where they offer broadband
Ars Technica: FCC finally orders ISPs to say exactly where they offer broadband. “The Federal Communications Commission voted today to collect more accurate data about which parts of the US have broadband and which parts lack high-speed connectivity. From now on, home Internet providers will have to give the FCC geospatial maps of where they provide service instead of merely reporting which census blocks they offer service in.”
New York Times: Cuba Expands Internet Access to Private Homes and Businesses
New York Times: Cuba Expands Internet Access to Private Homes and Businesses. “The measures permit the creation of private wired and Wi-Fi internet networks in homes and businesses and allow the importation of routers and other networking equipment — though also maintain the government’s iron-fisted monopoly over commercial internet access.”
Poynter: The scary trend of internet shutdowns
Poynter: The scary trend of internet shutdowns. “Around the world, governments have been turning to network shutdowns with increasing frequency to quell unrest and suppress the spread of rumors and fake news. But there is no empirical evidence that proves this tactic is effective, and activists and journalists alike have raised concerns over the catastrophic side effects these shutdowns often have on communities.”
