PAST EVENT
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
10:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Washington, DC
As increasingly innovative and sophisticated communications technology comes to market, new questions about the application of the Electronic Communications Privacy Act of 1986 have arisen. On May 17, the Brookings Institution hosted a Judicial Issues Forum to convene key stakeholders in the debate to reform the Electronic Communications Privacy Act – including investigators, prosecutors, civil libertarians and industry representatives – and explore whether the apparently rigid battle lines in this fraught policy discussion mask common ground. Read More
PAST EVENT
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
10:00 AM to 11:30 AM
Washington, DC
On March 30, the Center for Technology Innovation at Brookings hosted a forum on wireless spectrum’s role in advancing economic growth and innovation, focused on identifying a concrete policy framework. Moderated by Governance Studies Director Darrell West, a panel of experts including James Cicconi, senior executive vice president for external and legislative affairs at AT&T; Blair Levin, communications and society fellow at the Aspen Institute; and Brookings Senior Fellow Adele Morris discussed the wireless spectrum’s vital contribution to the current economic recovery and a path toward future domestic growth. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Robert Matheson and Adele Morris, March 03, 2011, The Brookings Institution
Rapidly evolving technology and increasing demands for wireless services mean the current regulatory structure for the allocation of wireless frequencies is increasingly poorly suited to optimizing the distribution of the spectrum. Robert Matheson and Adele Morris describe a conceptual framework to articulate clear rights of access to spectrum in a way that fosters a market-based allocation of the resource. Read More
PAST EVENT
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
2:30 PM to 4:00 PM
Washington, DC
Recent research finds that demand for mobile broadband could outpace the amount of available wireless spectrum in the United States in three years. On October 20, the Center for Technology Innovation at Brookings hosted a forum on the wireless spectrum and its role in advancing mobile technology growth and innovation. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Darrell M. West, August 16, 2010, The Brookings Institution
Google and Verizon recently announced a “legislative framework” for Internet regulation that some critics say could put an end to net neutrality, or the openness of the Internet, by creating a two-tiered data system. In a recent video, Senior Fellow Darrell West takes a look at net neutrality and the Google-Verizon plan. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Darrell M. West, August 09, 2010, Bloomberg News
Darrell West comments on the recent Verizon-Google joint policy proposal on handling Internet traffic, and what it means for the Federal Communications Commission. In the proposal, Internet service will be open to the possibility of multi-tier pricing. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Darrell M. West, February 2010, The Brookings Institution
In the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, the U.S. Congress charged the Federal Communications Commission with developing a national broadband policy. Darrell West examines what other countries are doing in terms of broadband applications, to inform the process of developing a U.S. broadband policy that is efficient, effective and affordable, and that recognizes the central role that digital infrastructure plays in economic, social and civic development. Read More
PAST EVENT
Monday, November 09, 2009
2:00 PM to 3:30 PM
Washington, DC
Broadband and wireless technologies are key elements of our nation’s economic, social and civic development. With the Federal Communications Commission’s stated goals of bringing broadband access to all Americans, it is crucial to determine how to be innovative when investing in broadband infrastructure. On November 9, the Brookings Institution hosted a policy forum to examine this issue and to discuss ways to overcome barriers to developing this infrastructure. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Darrell M. West, September 21, 2009, The Brookings Institution
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski announced his plan to expand “net neutrality” rules for Internet providers. The chairman advocated an anti-discrimination rule that would prevent Internet providers from blocking or slowing the utilization of competing services, and a transparency rule that would require providers disclose how they manage traffic, writes Darrell West. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Manasi Deshpande and Douglas W. Elmendorf, July 2008, Hamilton Project Strategy Paper
Infrastructure investment has received more attention in recent years because of increased delays from road and air congestion, high-profile infrastructure failures, and rising concerns about energy security and climate change. Manasi Deshpande and Doug Elmendorf discuss a strategy for America to increase investment in physical and telecommunications infrastructure to spur a more prosperous economy. Read More
VIDEO
Robert W. Crandall and Martha Raddatz, April 16, 2008
Few industries remain subject to classic economic regulation in the United States. Senior Fellow Robert Crandall says the next president should help remove some of the controls left on these industries in order to help promote economic expansion.
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Hal J. Singer and Robert W. Crandall, July 11, 2007, The Wall Street Journal
Robert Crandall and Hal Singer argue that, eventually, either the FCC or the courts will realize that regulating competitive telecommunications networks for the benefit of select content providers is not in the interest of American consumers. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Robert W. Crandall, February 28, 2007, Opportunity 08
Since the 1970s, deregulation has succeeded in increasing overall economic welfare and sharply reducing prices, generally by about 30 percent, for transportation—including air travel, rail transportation, and trucking—and for natural gas and telecommunications. Few industries remain subject to classic economic regulation in the United States. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Robert Hahn and Robert E. Litan, November 2006, AEI-Brookings Joint Center Working Paper
Robert Litan and Robert Hahn examine the Internet industry today, especially in light of the current "network neutrality" debate, and conclude that further regulation of the Internet is not warranted at this point in time. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Robert E. Litan and Robert Hahn, March 2006, AEI-Brookings Joint Center
In this statement, a group of economists make the following recommendations to improve the competitive provision of broadband services. Read More