To the Point

Broadband: If You Build It, Will They Come?

High-speed Internet connections promise a whole new way of life: instant movies, kitchens that think, even "smart toilets" that examine bodily waste. Hundreds of thousands of miles of fiber-optic cable are now in place, but promoters insist that the "last mile" required for universal hook-up is being stymied by too much government regulation. That Broadband could bring the US out of the current recession is a hot topic in Congress and in business. But are tax-breaks and subsidies needed or has the promise of Broadband gone unfilled because consumers don't want it? We ask get answers from telecommunications specialists on both sides of the debate. Newsmaker: An Expert's Take on the bin Laden Tape - Viewers around the world have different reactions to yesterday's broadcast of the Osama bin Laden videotape. While many agree it's the "smoking gun" that convicts bin Laden for September 11, some skeptics see it as contrived propaganda. What about experts on terrorism? Bruce Hoffman, vice-president for external affairs at The Rand Corporation in Washington, is a student of that subject. Reporter's Notebook: Sharon-Arafat Showdown, American Envoy Leaves Israel - Israeli troops, tanks and air-strikes continued today in the West Bank and Gaza as Washington begins considering the future of General Anthony Zinni's peace mission. From Jerusalem, Matt Rees, of Time magazine, has an update of today's military strikes in the Middle East.