OVERNIGHT TECH: Locke says U.S. falling behind at CES

by Gautham Nagesh - 01/07/11 12:55 AM ET

FCC: Schools still boast slow Web connections

A report released by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on Wednesday showed 80 percent of survey respondents who receive funding through the E-rate program said their broadband connections do not fully meet their needs.

Why they’re not satisfied: More than half most said their connections
are too slow; more than a third said getting online is too expensive. The E-rate program, directed by the FCC, provides $2.25 billion annually to educational institutions to help them pay for telecom services. http://bit.ly/h6vxJ2

Facebook reaches agreement with state governments

Facebook announced an agreement with the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) that will allow state governments to take advantage of the social networking site in the same manner as federal agencies.

The move mirrors a similar agreement between Facebook and the General Services Administration in 2009 that led to a surge in federal agencies on Facebook. http://bit.ly/gPfXaC

Can’t-miss news

Former FCC chairman Kevin Martin joined the board of AirWalk Communications. http://bit.ly/gqQ46O

Apple opened its new app store for Mac users to download software. http://bit.ly/e3bEWG

House Oversight Chairman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) keeps his streak of attending every CES since 1982. http://bit.ly/hGaqUf

Verizon is lobbying Congress to overhaul the 1996 Telecommunications Act. http://bit.ly/h6m9wL

LinkedIn is reportedly planning an IPO for 2011. http://bit.ly/dLensx

Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) wants to limit full-body screening at airports. http://bit.ly/fZlv7U

Watercooler

The online video service Boxee said Thursday at CES that it will begin selling episodes of CBS series later in the year, the first content deal between Boxee and a major television network. Boxee among several companies looking to integrate TV and the Web; competitors include Google TV, Apple TV, Hulu and on-demand video offerings from cable and satellite providers. http://nyti.ms/hPL0At

Tags Jason Chaffetz