Highlights of 2010. 31.12.10

Internet Highlights from 2010    

Last year witnessed a range of fast moving events which left many unresolved issues:
 
Google withdrew from China having claimed she had been singled out for hacker attacks by the Chinese government (January, 2010)
 
The FCC (USA) Report on Digital Exclusion was published with a stimulus budget of $8 billion with no accountability built in to the bidding procedures (March 2010)
 
The iPad was launched in USA with end-of year sales put at 5.5 million with predictions (these chnage almost weekly) of 13 million by year end 2011. (April, 2010)
 
A weakened Digital Economy Bill (UK) was included in the “Wash-Up” before the UK General Election was called (April 2010)
 
Neither of the parties in the new UK Coalition Government had any internet policies other than lose manifesto promises (May 2010)
 
The UK’s Coalition Government cancelled, without a murmur, Sir Tim Berners-Lee Institute of Science costing £30 million which would have created a world class centre (May, 2010)
 
Broadband speeds became an issue everywhere including in the UK in an Ofcom v ASA head-to-head (July 2010)
 
The Indian government announced a new slimmer iPad clone costing $35 (July, 2010)
 
In the UK, the NHS had 4,121 web sites costing £85 million (August 2010)
 
Research in Motion, the Canadian makers of Blackberry, almost ran aground in the Mid East and India over security issues (August 2010)
 
The Australian government announced a whole range of child online safety measures (September, 2010)
 
Net Neutrality raised its head again in the USA between September-December 2010 as Congress underwent changes in the mid-term elections; and in the UK, the Coalition suddenly changed tack on its own stance (November 2010)
 
And right at the close the Wikileaks story ran and ran and ran (December, 2010)