Broadband technologies, which enable the high-speed transmission of information via the Internet, play an increasingly important role in the state’s economy. As broadband telecommunications services are deployed throughout New York, we must ensure that individuals from every corner of the state have equal access to this critical network at a reasonable cost. Therefore, I was pleased to co-sponsor the Omnibus Telecommunications Reform Act, which was introduced by Assemblymember Richard Brodsky. Specifically, the legislation would:

• Create competition among cable television providers-thereby lowering prices for consumers-by allowing statewide video franchises. In areas where competitive markets exist, consumers see bills on average 28% lower than in locales where one cable monopoly dominates.

• Include strong network neutrality language, prohibiting providers of telecommunications services to discriminate based on content-either by access tiering (giving priority to some sites over others), by impairing transmission, or by prohibiting the use of devices or applications on their networks.

• Require build-out of high-speed Internet infrastructure throughout the state (85% of the state within 6 years) as a condition of any statewide franchise.

• Improve telephone service quality for customers by requiring the Public Service Commission to study the decline in telephone service quality and propose rules and regulations based on that study to improve the situation.

• Strengthen the system of Public, Education and Governmental (PEG) channels by providing much-needed funding and more channel space.

• Provide free cable and Internet service to hospitals, schools, firehouses, and other municipal buildings.

• Create a Broadband Development Authority to manage, regulate, and assist with funding of infrastructure enhancement projects necessary for universal broadband access.

While many other states have begun to issue statewide franchises for telecommunications, this bill would set the bar in providing these services with strong consumer protections. Not only does the bill guarantee broadband at just and affordable rates, but the net neutrality provisions, requirements for build-out to rural and lower-income areas, and payments to municipalities for public access channels are some of the most pro-consumer in the nation. The bill certainly has its opponents, but it is a critical fight to win and I look forward to taking it up when the legislature returns to Albany next January.

Assemblymember Rosenthal questions representatives from Verizon at a recent Assembly Corporations Committee hearing.

The issue of a corporation’s right to limit speech extends beyond just text messages. Proponents of "network neutrality" or "net neutrality" advocate for a free and open Internet-that is, Internet providers should not be able to speed up, slow down, or block access to websites based on content, source, ownership, or destination. This underlying principle has been part of our communications systems since the days of the telegraph. Providers of these services are not, for instance, allowed to deliver mail favorable to one political party more quickly than they would deliver mail favorable to another, in the same way that phone companies cannot drop a call based on the content of callers’ conversations.

At the public hearing, Verizon said that its rejection of NARAL’s application was simply a mistake and that it has since updated its policies. However, I am concerned that ultimately, telecommunications corporations could view censorship as their prerogative. We must protect First Amendment rights to free speech by making sure that no private organization has the right to censor emails, web content, text messages, or any other form of communication. At the hearing, I posed this question to a Verizon official who testified on behalf of the company: What would Verizon do in the event that I wished to obtain a text messaging code to send out a blast message urging other customers to boycott Verizon? She responded, "I think the suits would go into a room again and huddle."

While the question of net neutrality is best considered on a federal level, these questions have been ignored or worse by the Bush Administration and its appointees to the Federal Communications Commission. There are steps we are taking at the state level to drive the debate and secure protections for consumers within our jurisdiction. As noted elsewhere in this newsletter, the Omnibus Telecommunications Reform Act contains some of the strongest net neutrality language seen in any state telecommunications bill. New York can also use its procurement power by agreeing only to contract telecommunications services (which include Internet, Blackberry, and phone services) with companies that agree to net neutrality provisions. As more and more of our communications are conducted in digital formats, we need to update laws to protect our basic rights. Speech must be free wherever it occurs - on the Internet, over cell phones, and on the streets.

Assemblymember Rosenthal helps load computers to be responsibly recycled as part of the Electronics Recycling Day she sponsored with PerScholas outside her district office on West 72nd Street.

Every year, millions of people fall prey to "phishing," a tactic that uses fraudulent websites and emails to lure consumers into divulging personal and financial data such as credit card numbers, account usernames, passwords and Social Security numbers. This information is then used to make fraudulent charges, empty bank accounts, and in some cases steal identities. In the most common cases, emails purport to be from legitimate sources, such as banks, Internet providers, retailers, or even government agencies, and lead people to fake websites in which consumers are asked to input sensitive data.

The Anti-Phishing Working Group, a member organization of more than 2,600 e-merchants and law enforcement agencies, reports that as of May 2007, the number of phishing sites stood at 37,000, and that over 150 million phishing emails are sent to people every day. Experts also indicate that even as the phishing scam takes off, it’s already evolving. Predatory emails are sent from familiar sources-e.g. a phony colleague or your bank.

Consumer protection groups offer some tips on how to prevent getting scammed by phishers:

• Do not trust emails that ask you to divulge any personal information. Report these emails to your Internet service provider and delete any emails that ask you to enter personal information at a linked website. Similarly, you should not send usernames, passwords, or any other confidential information via email to a company.

• Verify the source. If you do receive email from what appears to a legitimate source asking for personal information-your company, your school, your bank, or even a friend-call the institution or friend to verify that the email is really from them.

• Type online bank and retailer site addresses directly into your browser. Visiting sites directly, by either typing a Web address directly into your browser or bookmarking the legitimate site, will prevent you from visiting a fraudulent, counterfeit site.

If you or someone you know does get caught in a phishing scam, you should report it. While your information might already be compromised, reporting a scam can help countless other consumers from being duped by the same email or fake website. Most companies that do business online now have information on their websites about how to report an attack. The United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT) is a federal entity that compiles a list of phishing emails and spoofed websites. Forward any of these emails to phishing-report@us-cert.gov. Additionally, the Anti-Phishing Working Group keeps a list of scam emailers and websites. To add to their list, forward emails to reportphishing@antiphishing.org.

New York State Law also offers redress against phishing attacks. Last year, we passed a law to combat phishing by authorizing the Attorney General, industry, and nonprofits to bring civil actions against the perpetrators of Internet phishing.