Demonstrating the power and effectiveness of the Internet to organize and mount effective public relations campaigns, the coordinated protest of the SOPA and PIPA in Congress by several of the largest Internet related companies successfully derailed efforts to bring the bills to a vote.  Like so many recent events, broadband and organized campaigns using social media and the Internet continue to shape world events.

Net Neutrality Also a Hot Issue for Congress in 2012

The Senate was scheduled to bring its version of the online piracy legislation (Protect IP Act (PIPA) for a procedural vote on Tuesday on whether the bill should be brought up for consideration by the entire Senate.  On Friday Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said the vote was being postponed "in light of recent events."

What is SOPA?

The House followed suit with House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith releasing a statement saying he will "postpone consideration of the legislation until there is wider agreement on a solution."

The actions taken by both leaders underscore the effectiveness of the opposition  campaign executed by a consortium of Internet giants including Google, Wikipedia, Facebook, Reddit, and Twitter.  Their efforts were bolstered by events staged around the country using traditional methods of protest, as well as varying levels of online activities to spread the word and build support.  Traditional protests took place in Seattle, San Francisco, Washington DC, and New York City, which brought hundred of protestors to the streets.

While the future of SOPA and PIPA appears to be uncertain at best, Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) used recent events regarding opposition to the bills as an opportunity to advance his version of legislation to combat online piracy.  Dubbed the OPEN Act (Online Protection and Enforcement of Digital Trade), Congressman Issa claims his bill considers the technical complexity of the Internet  while accomplishing the same goals that SOPA and PIPA were intended to accomplish.  According to Issa:

"It is clear that Congress needs to have more discussion and education about the workings of the Internet before it moves forward on sweeping legislation to address intellectual property theft on the Internet," Issa said. "I look forward to working with my colleagues and stakeholders to achieve a needed consensus about the way forward."

Critics of the bill (as well as the sponsor of SOPA) claim that the OPEN Act would be ineffective to address online piracy.  One thing is for certain - catchy acronyms and an impressive number of co-sponsors  (Issa's bill currently has 25 co-sponsors) does not guarantee success.

Keep the Web Open image from issa.house.gov

Although the coordinated public relations campaign staged by major Internet players yesterday was effective in raising awareness about the controversial provisions contained in the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the Protect IP Act (PIPA) opponents are not declaring victory yet.  Opponents are wary of the bill's sponsors making enough changes to the bill to seemingly address the free speech and technical concerns, and bring the bill to a vote.

Online Piracy Bill Faces Uncertain Future - Where Does SOPA and PIPA Stand Now?

According to Consumer Electronics Association Vice President of Government Affairs Michael Petricone: "The majority leader is still set to bring it to the floor. It's not dead at all."  Petricone was speculating at a Capitol Hill briefing on Thursday, after the widespread Internet protest staged on Wednesday was widely hailed as an effective opposition campaign.

UPDATE (1/20/12): Consideration of SOPA and PIPA Legislation in Congress on hold

What is the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the Protect IP Act (PIPA)?

The opposition campaign was impressive by the numbers themselves - and resulted in a number of legislators dropping themselves from the list of co-sponsors, while the main sponsors in both the Senate and Assembly worked to salvage the bill.

While the opposition to the bill has the attention of the public at the moment, one thing everyone seems to agree on is addressing the problem of online piracy - illegal downloading of copyrighted content such as software, movies, and music.  If the bill's sponsors are successful in shifting public opinion away from the free speech and technical issues - the large Internet companies currently opposed to the bill will find it difficult to retreat from their current position.

A recent story in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution highlights how broadband for telemedicine makes healthcare tremendously more efficient and cost effective.

Spotlight on Broadband: Telemedicine

The story is a good illustration of the many benefits broadband can bring to rural healthcare.  There are many advantages to using broadband to help patients in rural communities receive a higher quality of healthcare.  Specialists in large cities, normally not accessible to rural communities, are able to speak and "examine" patients using videoconferencing technology.  Doctor are able to access real-time diagnostic data regarding a patient, and specialists are able to collaborate on a diagnosis.

Why is Broadband Important to Other National Initiatives?

The FCC recently approved the first "white space" device for accessing broadband. This is a significant event because this issue has been debated between the FCC and advocates for using white space for for the past four years.  White space is the previously unused band of spectrum available between television station frequencies.

FCC Advances Use of White Space for Broadband

The approved device is manufactured by Koos Technologies (KTS), and is called an Agility Data Radio (photo courtesy KTS Wireless).  The device works with an FCC approved database which will determine which frequencies are available for access.

The current device is more a pilot than anything else at this point, as its use is restricted to the Wilmington, North Caroline area.  The Wilmington area was chosen because the first county to complete the transition from analog to digital television.

According to FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski, "With today's approval of the first TV white spaces database and device, we are taking an important step towards enabling a new wave of wireless innovation."