News Briefs

ICANN Community Leader Stéphane Van Gelder Has Died

ICANN community leader and long-time CircleID participant Stéphane Van Gelder has died in a motorcycle accident. He was 51. more

Governing the Invisible: AI Risks in Telecom Infrastructure Outpace Global Legal Frameworks

As AI systems take on critical roles in telecommunications, global regulatory frameworks remain outdated and fragmented, leaving essential infrastructure vulnerable to novel risks that current laws on cybersecurity and data protection fail to address. more

China Continues to Be at the Forefront of Fibre Adoption, Saw 26% FTTH Growth in Past 12 Months

China's fiber adoption constituted 80% of global FTTH growth in the past 12 months, according to the latest report from Point Topic. The country has reported a 26 percent annual growth in FTTH connections. more

Detroit, Memphis and Miami Amongst Worst Connected Cities in the US

The National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA) has ranked all 185 U.S. cities with that 50,000 households by the total percentage of each city's households lacking fixed broadband internet subscriptions. more

EFF Says Stop Illegal Surveillance; Sues NSA, President Bush, and Vice President Cheney

The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) and other government agencies today on behalf of AT&T customers to stop the alleged illegal, unconstitutional, and ongoing dragnet surveillance of their communications and communications records. The five individual plaintiffs are also suing President George W. Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, Cheney's chief of staff David Addington, former Attorney General and White House Counsel Alberto Gonzales and other individuals who have ordered or participated in the domestic surveillance. more

Ransomware Attacks on US Hospitals Trigger Significant Ripple Effects on Neighboring Facilities

In a study published in the JAMA Network, evidence indicates that ransomware attacks on healthcare delivery organizations (HDOs) lead to substantial disruptions in patient care and emergency department workflows. more

24 Million Domain Names Registered in 2008, Total Reaching 177 Million Worldwide

According to a new report, the number of domain names increased by 24 million globally in 2008 increasing the total to 177 million domain name registrations across all of the Top Level Domains (TLDs). This represents 16% growth over the previous year, reports the latest Domain Name Industry Brief published by VeriSign. It is also noted that the last quarter of 2008 saw more than 10.1 million new domain names registered across all TLDs. This reflects a slower growth in new registrations with a decline of 12% from the third quarter 2008 and 17% from the same quarter in the previous year. more

Vermont Governor 5th to Take a Stand Against Rollback of Net Neutrality Rules

Vermont Gov. Phil Scott is the latest state governor to take a stand against the FCC's rollback of net neutrality rules. more

FCC Approves Google’s Project Loon Balloons for Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

The FCC has granted Alphabet's Project Loon an experimental license to operate in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands for the purpose of helping the islands regain Internet connectivity. more

Wi-Fi Alliance Has Officially Confirmed Wi-Fi 7 Standard; Certification Now Underway for New Devices

The Wi-Fi Alliance has officially certified devices supporting Wi-Fi 7, the highly anticipated next generation of wireless home internet. Starting in 2024, phones, laptops, and routers equipped with this standard are expected to deliver significant speed and efficiency gains compared to Wi-Fi 6E. more

Andrew Sullivan Selected as the New President & CEO of Internet Society

The Internet Society announced today that it has selected Andrew Sullivan as the organization's new President and Chief Executive Officer. more

Wi-Fi Alliance Launches Wi-Fi 6 Certification Program

Wi-Fi Alliance, the non-profit entity that oversees implementation of the Wi-Fi standard, officially launches the Wi-Fi 6 certification program. more

Total Domains Reach 280 Million Worldwide

The second quarter of 2014 closed with a base of 280 million domain name registrations across all top-level domains (TLDs) -- an increase of four million domain names or 1.4 percent over the first quarter of 2014 -- according to Verisign in its latest issue Domain Name Industry Brief. Registrations have grown by 18.6 million, or 7.2 percent, year over year. more

Current Security Measures Not Enough to Protect Data in Lost or Stolen Laptops, Experts Warn

A weakness in modern computers allows attackers to steal encryption keys and other sensitive information, according to the latest discovery by cybersecurity firm F-Secure. more

SpaceX and T-Mobile to Test Satellite-To-Cell Service This Year

SpaceX and T-Mobile are set to begin testing their satellite-to-cell service this year, an executive of Elon Musk's company confirmed Monday. Jonathan Hofeller, SpaceX vice president of Starlink Enterprise Sales, made the announcement during a panel at the Satellite 2023 conference in Washington, D.C. more