Today: NIST IoT Paper, Vermont Net Neutrality Lawsuit

NIST IoT Paper

The National Institute of Standards and Technology released a Draft Report on Internet of Things (IoT) Trust Concerns.  The report identifies seventeen technical trust-related issues that may negatively impact the adoption of IoT products and services.  They include: scalability, heterogeneity, ownership and control, interoperability, integration, and compatibility, synchronization, measurement, predictability, IoT-specific testing and assurance approaches, IoT certification criteria, security, reliability, data integrity, and speed and performance.  It also offers recommendations for mitigating or reducing the effects of these concerns while also suggesting additional areas of research with regard to the subject of “IoT trust.” A public comment period for this draft document is open until November 5, 2018. 

Vermont Net Neutrality Lawsuit

The American Cable Association, CTIA, USTelecom, and NCTA filed a lawsuit in federal court challenging the State of Vermont’s Internet Bill (S. 289) and Executive Order No. 2-18.  Inteserra Briefing Service subscribers see Briefings dated 2/19/18 and 6/4/18.  The parties issued the following statement about their lawsuit:

“Broadband providers are united in support of an open Internet and committed to delivering the content and services consumers demand. We oppose the actions in Vermont because states cannot use their spending and procurement authority to bypass federal laws they do not like. A 50-state patchwork approach threatens service for customers, hampers innovation and dampens investment in local communities, which is why Congress should adopt a permanent, enforceable, national framework to safeguard an open Internet for all Americans.”

In response to the lawsuit, Vermont Governor Phil Scott issued a statement saying: “Our net neutrality legislation and my Executive Order demonstrate a clear commitment from Vermont’s elected officials, across branches and party lines, to preserving and promoting a free and open internet in Vermont.  I am disappointed to hear national telecom and cable organizations plan to sue us for taking action to protect our citizens and our economy. While I understand consistent regulation is important to ensuring a vibrant and thriving telecom and cable sector, our obligation as a state government is to our citizens, who I strongly believe have a right to free and open access to information on the internet. In the absence of a national standard to protect that right, states must act.  I am committed to working with the Attorney General’s Office to stand up for these rights in court.”

____________________________

The Regulatory Mix, Inteserra’s blog of telecom related regulatory activities, is a snapshot of PUC, FCC, legislative, and occasionally court issues that our regulatory monitoring team uncovers each day. Depending on their significance, some items may be the subject of an Inteserra Briefing.