BroadbandPolitics
Technology and politics are inseparable. However, even though broadbandaccess influences every area of our society, from the economy to culture toeducation at the national and international level, broadband issues have beenthe exclusive domain of cable and telecommunications companies and theirlobbyists in
Washington
.It is time for citizens to engage the public in this debate. That's why IPDIformed our Broadband Politics Project, designed to increase awareness of anddiscussion about how broadband access -- and broadband policy -- affect howAmerican citizens communicate, learn, and engage with local and nationalgovernment.
Upcoming Events
In 2007 and 2008, IPDI will host aseries of live, interactive events that allow online and offline audiences tointeract with the issues and people involved in broadband policy anddistribution.
Upcoming events include
:
Thestate of
broadband
in the U. S. today – Deployment, Applications and Speeds: A Conversation WithVerizon
PART OF THE AUTUMN 2007 IPDI IDEASSERIES
The
Institute for Politics, Democracy, and Internet
will host adiscussion – the second in its autumn 2007 IPDI Ideas series – with
LinkHoewing
, Vice President for Internet and Technology Policy for
Verizon
,one of the nation’s leading telecommunications companies, on the present stateof the broadband access of the United States, Verizon’s perspective on theupcoming 700HMz spectrum auction and Google’s participation in it, and thefuture of broadband technologies like FiOS.
WHEN
: Friday. October 26
th
, 2007, 4:00pm. to 5:30pm.
WHERE:
George
Washington
University
’s
Marvin
Center
,
800 21st Street, N.W.
,
Washington
,
DC
, Room 301
Where do you stand in the discussion?
Email specific questions thatyou want our discussants to address to ipdi@ipdi.org. Let us know what yourorganization is doing – and blogging – about the issue, and we'll include yourwork in the roundtable discussion.
Discussants include
:
Link Hoewing
, Vice President, Internet and Technology Issues, Verizon
Julie Germany
, Deputy Director, Institute for Politics, Democracy,and the Internet
REGISTER NOW! –
RSVP to
ipdi@ipdi.org
For more information, email
cwimbush@ipdi.org
.
PastEvents
A Conversation with Google: The Future ofBroadband in
America
and Why the 700MHz Auction Matters
On February 18, 2009, the 700MHz frequency band of wireless communicationsspectrum will be vacated by television broadcasters who will be switching toall digital signal transmission. As a result, the Federal CommunicationsCommission has mandated that the newly vacant spectrum be used for broadbandwireless access and that it will be auctioned in February of 2009. This hascreated quite a stir in
Washington
as Google and the nation’s leading telecommunications companies have battledover the rules that will govern the auction.
-
Is there really a lack competition in the Broadband markets?
-
Is a third broadband pipeline necessary?
-
Will the FCC’s "Open Applications" and "Open devices" requirements have any major impact on broadband access?
-
On what basis did the FCC accept only two of Google’s four proposed spectrum requirements?
-
Is there better A better way beyond what Google is suggesting to ensure greater Broadband access?
Provocateur - Henry Farrell,
Assistant Professor of Political Scienceand International Affairs, the Elliott School of International Affairs, theGeorge Washington University
Discussant - Rick
Whitt
,
Washington
Telecom and Media Counsel, Google Inc.
Participation
What role does broadband play in you life, work or politicalactivities?
What kinds of issues does any broadband policy need to consider?
Share
your
opinions and expertise with IPDI.
ATTEND
an event
www.ipdi.org/blog
for upcoming events
JOIN
our email list
EMAIL
your opinions to IPDI (
ipdi@ipdi.org
)
SHAPE
the agenda
Tell us what questions you want our guests to answer and which topics you wantus to cover.
Blogs To Watch
IPDI’s Blog-
http://www.ipdi.org/Blog/
Google’s Public Policy Blog-
http://googlepublicpolicy
.blogspot.com/
Verizon’s Policy Blog-
http://policyblog.verizon.com
/PolicyBlog/blogs/policyblog
/default.aspx
SaveTheInternet.com’s Blog-
http://www.savetheinternet.com
/blog/
Tech Policy
Summit
Blog-
http://techpolicysummit.blogs
.com/tech_policy_summit/
IP Democracy-
http://www.ipdemocracy.com/
Congresspedia National Broadband Project Wiki Page
-
http://www.sourcewatch.org
/index.php?title=Sen._Dick
_Durbin's_national_broadband
_project
RESOURCES
-
Republican FCC Commissioner Robert M. McDowell addresses the 2007 Broadband
Summit
in
Crystal City
Virginia
. During the speech, McDowell challenges the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's broadband statistics which conclude that
America
is falling behind on broadband penetration. McDowell also advocates for a "hands off" approach to expanding broadband access. Broadband Policy
Summit
III. 7 June 2007.
http://www.broadbandpolicysummi
t.com/mcdowellkeynote.pdf
What’s going onin the rest of the world?
