Contributed by Organizations or Campuses; Articles, Papers, and Reports; and Federal Funding for IT
Feds Charge Former Telecom Exec With E-Rate Fraud
| Title: | Feds Charge Former Telecom Exec With E-Rate Fraud (ID: CSD4720) | | Author(s): | Roy Mark (Internet.com Corporation) | | Origin: | Contributed by Organizations or Campuses (2006) | | Type: | Articles, Papers, and Reports | | Abstract: | A federal grand jury has indicted Rafael G. Adame on nine counts of wire fraud in connection with what federal authorities said was a practice of defrauding the E-Rate program. Operated by the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) on behalf of the FCC, the E-Rate Program provides funds to extend Internet access to schools and libraries. Since it was implemented 10 years ago, the program has been the subject of numerous allegations of fraud and misuse. Adame is the 14th person to be charged in E-Rate fraud cases, and 12 companies have also been charged. Adame was the owner of ATE Tel, a telecommunications company in Texas that provided goods and services to the Weslaco Independent School District. Authorities said that Adame submitted fraudulent invoices totaling more than $140,000. Assistant Attorney General Thomas O. Barnett said, "Committing fraud upon the E-Rate program harms underprivileged school districts." | | View this resource: | |
Feds Fund VoIP Tapping Research
| Title: | Feds Fund VoIP Tapping Research (ID: CSD4151) | | Author(s): | Declan McCullagh (CNET News.com) | | Origin: | Contributed by Organizations or Campuses (2005) | | Type: | Articles, Papers, and Reports | | Abstract: | The National Science Foundation has given researchers at George Mason University a grant of more than $300,000 to develop a technology that would allow limited eavesdropping on voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) phone calls. Xinyuan Wang, assistant professor of software engineering at the university and principal investigator, has shown that his method can successfully trace VoIP users without their knowledge. As VoIP service has become more common, law enforcement officials have pointed out that they have no way of tapping such phone calls, potentially resulting in a "haven for criminals, terrorists, and spies," according to the Federal Communications Commission. The technology that Wang and his colleagues are working on does not decrypt conversations. It tracks packets as they move from one user to another, allowing authorities to see who is talking to whom, but not to see what they are saying. Wang conceded that "from a privacy advocate's point of view, this is an attack on privacy," but he also noted that "from a police point of view, this is a way to trace things." | | View this resource: | |
Tales of Fraud, Abuse in School E-Rate Program
| Title: | Tales of Fraud, Abuse in School E-Rate Program (ID: CSD3814) | | Author(s): | Roy Mark (Internet.com Corporation) | | Origin: | Contributed by Organizations or Campuses (2005) | | Type: | Articles, Papers, and Reports | | Abstract: | A new report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) puts forth renewed charges of fraud and mismanagement in the federal government's E-rate Program, designed to subsidize technology to connect U.S.schools and libraries to the Internet. The report was prepared for the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which is conducting its own investigation. Rep. Joe Barton (R-Tex.), chairman of the committee, blamed the Federal Communications Commission, unscrupulous vendors, and certain schools for the problems in the program, which he said was a "disgrace." Although investigations have led to a handful of penalties for abuse in the program, the report advises increased efforts to clean it up. Among the report's recommendations are calls to "comprehensively determine which federal accountability requirements apply to E-rate; establish meaningful E-rate performance goals and measures; and take steps to reduce its backlog of appeals." | | View this resource: | |
E-rate funding restarts, but crisis continues
| Title: | E-rate funding restarts, but crisis continues (ID: CSD3536) | | Origin: | Contributed by Organizations or Campuses (2004) | | Type: | Articles, Papers, and Reports | | Abstract: | Following a nearly four-month suspension of E-Rate Program payments, the federal organization that administers such payments has restarted issuing letters promising funds to schools and libraries around the country. The E-Rate Program has come under intense scrutiny for alleged fraud and abuse, and in August, government officials halted payments under the program based on revised accounting requirements. A number of school systems and libraries depend on E-Rate funds to provide basic computer services and connectivity, and at least one school district in Alaska shut down Internet service this summer because of concern that the E-Rate funds would end. Under the new rules, E-Rate letters cannot be sent until the funds they promise have been collected. The former system allowed letters to be sent after applications were approved, prior to collection of the funds, because the monies would not be disbursed for 12 to 18 months. The new regulation has resulted in a logjam in sending commitment letters and funds. Efforts in Congress have thus far failed to streamline the process. | | View this resource: | |
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