Sascha Meinrath: All Publications, Events and Press

White Space Devices & The Battle Over Innovation:

Wireless Future — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 09:27:00 -0400

I wouldn't be surprised if you've never heard of a “White Space Device.” And yet, white space devices have the potential to be one of the most revolutionary new technologies to come along in the past twenty years. White space devices will have a greater positive impact than Wi-Fi and spur far more innovation than mobile phones. And yet, the trade press and inside-the-beltway media have been inundated by a massive PR campaign, and congressional offices have been swarmed by hundreds of lobbyists, all claiming that white space devices will destroy television broadcasting and make wireless microphones inoperable. Why then, has a large and growing coalition… more

International Summit for Community Wireless Networks 2008

Communications — Wed, 28 May 2008 07:00:00 -0400

A New America Event
05/28/2008 - 4:00pm

The New America Foundation/Wireless Future Program is pleased to announce that the International Summit for Community Wireless Networks (ISC4CWN) will be held on May 28th – May 30th, 2008 in Washington, DC.

Co-hosted by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) at its downtown headquarters, IS4CWN is the largest gathering of community wireless networking developers, implementers and allies working to build universal, low-cost wireless broadband networks around the world. The Summit serves as an integral lynch pin for connecting and supporting an alliance between technologists, government leaders and community advocates implementing wireless networks worldwide, and providing a rare international forum for discussion of technology, policy and practical solutions to problems facing community wireless.

Since the first National Summit for Community Wireless Networks in 2004, over 300 Community Internet and municipal broadband projects have sprung up in the United States alone. Previous summits have also helped to spur the development of community wireless networks in places such as Chile and Venezuela, Ghana and South Africa, and throughout Europe. This year’s Summit will focus on how these networks can better serve their target populations, the policies needed to support broader deployment of community wireless systems, and the latest technological and software innovations.

For more information and to register, please visit the conference website.

Philadelphia Network Flop Points To Failure Of Corporate Franchise Model

Ron Tang — Fri, 16 May 2008 09:21:00 -0400

Last year, New America Foundation released an in-depth report and analysis of the Wireless Philadelphia Project, “The Philadelphia Story: Learning from a Municipal Wireless Pioneer.” We concluded that the private franchise model was suboptimal and that Philadelphia’s solution was problematic in a number of ways. At the time, we received good press coverage and a helluvalot of blowback from certain constituencies (who continued to assert that everything was on track).

Now that we’ve made it to May, 2008, Wireless Philadelphia is on its last legs. While many of us are still working to salvage something from this mess, reading through… more

The COMMONS Initiative

Ron Tang — Thu, 15 May 2008 10:52:00 -0400

Over the past several years, interest in municipal wireless and community networking has increased dramatically. Thus far, these initiatives have generally focused on networking local communities. The next evolution in networking involves peering these networks together. Research on broadband service provision is desperately needed to help forge new national telecommunications policies and inspire innovation in networking technologies.

With this goal in mind, the Cooperative Association for Internet Data Analysis (“CAIDA”) held a workshop to discuss -- and ultimately propose -- collaboration among researchers and networks to simultaneously solve three acute and growing problems facing the Internet. First, there exists a self-reported… more

Sascha Meinrath in New York Times | 'Hopes for Wireless Cities Fade as Internet Providers Pull Out'

Communications — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 07:27:00 -0400

New America in the News:

Hopes for Wireless Cities Fade as Internet Providers Pull Out (New York Times)

. . . “The entire for-profit model is the reason for the collapse in all these projects,” said Sascha Meinrath, technology analyst at the New America Foundation, a nonprofit research organization in Washington.

Mr. Meinrath said that advocates wanted to see American cities catch up with places like Athens, Leipzig and Vienna, where free or inexpensive Wi-Fi already exists in many areas.

He said that true municipal networks, the ones that are owned and operated by municipalities, were far more sustainable because they could take into account benefits that help cities beyond private profit, including property-value increases, education benefits and quality-of-life improvements that come with offering residents free wireless access.

Mr. Meinrath pointed to St. Cloud, Fla., which spent $3 million two years ago to build a free wireless network that is used by more than 70 percent of the households in the city. . .

Municipal Wireless Success Demands Public Involvement, Experts Say

Ron Tang — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 21:00:00 -0400

Most media have it wrong. Municipal wireless networks across the United States didn't stumble in 2007 -- high-profile cities where deals fell apart, such as Chicago, San Francisco and Houston, were not going to finance, own or operate their respective networks. These weren't municipal networks at all. The business model that faltered in 2007 was the "private corporate franchise" model based on the deal that Philadelphia and EarthLink agreed to in 2006. It was, in fact, the free market that failed last year -- not governments in their traditional role as the builders and maintainers of critical infrastructure.

How we… more

Sascha Meinrath in the New York Times politics blog | "Wanted: A More Digital Congress"

Communications — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 16:12:00 -0500

New America in the News:

Wanted: A More Digital Congress (New York Times)

. . . Another way to share content online with voters, said Sascha Meinrath of the New America Foundation, is including access to a program like Google Documents, which allows multiple users to edit the same document. The idea is that if congressmen put a preliminary draft of a bill in an open source program on their sites, then specialists out in their home districts could amend the language or add information that hadn’t been addressed for the legislator to consider.

“We should be tapping into that expertise,” Mr. Meinrath said. “Peer production is a massive untapped resource.” . . .

The Future of Municipal Wireless

Communications — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 14:00:00 -0500

A New America Event
02/06/2008 - 12:00pm

When EarthLink announced its decision to withdraw further investments in municipal wireless networks in November 2007, the future of Philadelphia's network, along with hundreds of municipal wireless projects, became uncertain. Wireless Philadelphia, the nation's first big-city municipal wireless initiative, led the way for cities to invest in broadband infrastructure. Although a number of other muni wireless networks have been set up and are running successfully (such as St. Cloud, FL and Chaska and Minneapolis, MN) troubles with the Philadelphia model serve as a warning for the future of municipal wireless. Meanwhile, cities like Pittsburgh must overcome state pre-emption laws, pushed through by incumbent carriers, aimed at preventing towns and counties from filling broadband gaps with government-subsidized services.

Two new reports from the New America Foundation on the state of municipal wireless in Philadelphia were released at this event: Joshua Breitbart, author of The Philadelphia Story: Learning from a Wireless Pioneer, discussed how Wireless Philadelphia evolved and will continue to impact the future of public and private investment in municipal networks. Dr. Jon Peha used Pittsburgh, PA as a case study for his new economic analysis that compares four alternative models for muni wireless networks: Sustainability of Possible Models for a Wireless Metropolitan-Area Network.

Other panelists described several innovative and successful community wireless networks including: the FunkFeuer network in Austria; the Austin Wireless City Project of Texas; the City of St. Cloud's free citywide WiFi network in Florida; and Minneapolis's wireless network in Minnesota.

Sascha Meinrath on NPR | 'Philly Fears Earthlink May Bail on WiFi Network'

Communications — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 18:39:00 -0500

New America in the News:

Philly Fears Earthlink May Bail on WiFi Network (NPR)

Philadelphia's wireless Internet network was supposed to be a model for the nation, but the project has been plagued by delays and spotty service. Now EarthLink, the company building it, is getting out of the municipal wireless business in other cities. That may leave Philadelphia disconnected.

...NPR reports on Philadelphia wireless and interviews Sascha Meinrath of the New America Foundation Wireless Future Program. Listen to the segment here.

The New Network Neutrality: Criteria for Internet Freedom

Ron Tang — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0500

The past year witnessed an event unprecedented in modern U.S. telecommunications history. A relatively obscure telecommunications policy debate spilled outside the rarefied airs of Congressional Committees and the Federal Communications Commission’s eighth floor to rage across the Blogosphere, major newspapers, YouTube and episodes of The Daily Show. This contentious discussion centers on an issue known as “network neutrality,” defined broadly as the non-discriminatory interconnectedness among data communication networks that allows users to access the content, and run the services, applications, and devices of their choice. Timothy Wu coined the term “network neutrality” in his seminal 2003 work, “Network Neutrality, Broadband… more

New America, Ethos Group Wi-Fi Case Study in Broadband Reports

Communications — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 12:19:00 -0500

New America in the News:
When discussing the state of municipal Wi-Fi in Philadelphia, the conversation is almost always about whether or not Earthlink is going to hold up its end of the deal and build out the system. (That seems unlikely in the face of their recent Philly no-show.) However, The Ethos Group has taken a broader view of Philadelphia’s municipal wireless system. They’ve published a 64-page report (pdf) which reviews the entire history of the system.

“This report examines how Philadelphia’s municipal wireless initiative helped shape the national debate regarding the need for public broadband infrastructure and the impact the project’s successes and failures had on the local community. The Philadelphia story holds numerous lessons for decision-makers and regulators and is a powerful tool for understanding the interactions between network implementers and the constituencies these networks are supposed to serve.” ...

For more on this story, please click here. New America released the report titled, "The Philadelphia Story: Lessons from a Municipal Wireless Pioneer," at an event on December 11.

MuniWireless Covers Wireless Future Event and Research Paper

Communications — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 11:17:00 -0500

New America in the News:

The Ethos Group's report, "The Philadelphia Story: Learning from a Municipal Wireless Pioneer," has been posted on the New America Foundation's web site. The report is stirring debate and will continue to as the discussion of life-after-EarthLink moves forward. ...

For the complete story, please click here. The report was released at an event organized by the New America Foundation in Philadelphia on December 11.

Michael Calabrese in eWeek on White Space Devices

Communications — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 10:40:00 -0500

New America in the News:

Beset with preliminary technical woes and a lack of political traction in Congress and at the Federal Communications Commission, a new organization started up on Dec. 12 to promote the unlicensed use of interference buffer spectrum between television channels.

The Wireless Innovation Alliance, a coalition of technology companies, public interest advocates, think tanks and higher education groups, said it hopes to work with Congress and the FCC to develop regulations for the use of the spectrum known as "white spaces."

Although broadcasters are allocated hundreds of megahertz of spectrum in every U.S. television market, significant chunks are unused, serving as interference zones from other channels. In Boston and Chicago, for instance, almost 50 MHz is fallow. The unused spectrum is considered ideal for wireless broadband because the radio signals penetrate walls and other objects.

Google, Microsoft and other tech firms covet the spectrum as an alternative to telecommunications and cable companies delivering Internet connections. A group led by the companies known as the White Spaces Coalition has been unsuccessfully lobbying Washington all year for approval of unlicensed white spaces devices.

With many of the same players from the coalition in attendance Dec. 12, the new Wireless Innovation Alliance promised a new push.

"Much as telephones, radios and TVs revolutionized telecommunications in previous generations, white space devices will transform every aspect of civil society," Michael Calabrese, vice president of the New America Foundation, said at press conference at the National Press Club. "White space devices provide an innovative platform for a new generation of technologies, services and applications." ...

For the complete article, click here.

New America's Municipal Wireless Report in The Bulletin (Philadelphia)

Communications — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 11:23:00 -0500

New America in the News:

By almost all reports, and there were a number of them yesterday, the attempt of EarthLink, Inc. to blanket Philadelphia with affordable wireless internet service is in trouble.

City Council is openly worried the city may be forced to take over and run the new citywide wireless network - perhaps as an exclusive provider for city employees without any public access.

The reports confirmed the project is running 40 percent over budget and has missed its target date for the system build-out. EarthLink has undergone management changes and clearly no longer wants to be in the municipal wireless business.

City Council's Technology and Information Services Committee were given these reports yesterday during a hearing to determine the status of the city's Wi-Fi project. ...

The grand purpose of the city's deal with EarthLink is to bridge the digital divide - the access to the Internet many low-income households cannot afford.

In a world where the Internet is becoming key to everything from education to healthcare to jobs the ability to access and navigate the Internet is critical.

New America Foundation, a non-profit research group in Washington, D.C., issued a report yesterday titled "The Philadelphia Story: Learning from a Municipal Wireless Pioneer."

It notes EarthLink, in addition to the above problems, has had trouble attracting customers. Councilman Frank Rizzo speculated the customer number was approximately 3,000.

"If I was CEO of a $20 million investment with less than 3,000 customers I'd be worried," he noted. "Their reputation is not good."

The New America Foundation report surmises, "Given the substantial history of telecom incumbents not delivering what they promised, residents remain understandably skeptical of private providers." ...

For the complete article, please follow this link. New America's report was released at an event in Philadelphia on December 11.

New America in eWeek for Filing Text Messaging Petition

Communications — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 10:49:00 -0500

New America in the News:

Consumer and public advocacy groups are urging the Federal Communications Commission to declare that text messages deserve the same nondiscriminatory treatment by telephone carriers as e-mail and voice messages.

In a petition filed with the FCC on Dec. 11, the groups claim: "Mobile carriers currently can and do arbitrarily decide what customers to serve and which speech to allow on text messages, refusing to serve those that they find controversial or that compete with the mobile carriers' services."

In September, Verizon Wireless was caught blocking text messages from the pro-abortion group NARAL Pro-Choice America. Blaming the initial decision to block the messages on an "incorrect interpretation" of company policy, the nation's second largest wireless carrier quickly reversed its decision.

"This type of discrimination would be unthinkable and illegal in the world of voice communications, and it should be so in the world of text messaging as well," the Dec. 11 petition states.

The petition asks the FCC to act immediately to declare that text messaging services, including those sent to and from short codes, are governed by the anti-discrimination provisions of the Communications Act. According to the petition, "The Commission should make it explicit that these discriminatory actions will not be tolerated in the future." ...

In addition to Public Knowledge and Free Press, other groups signing the petition include the Consumer Federation of America, Consumers Union, EDUCAUSE, Media Access Project, New America Foundation and U.S. PIRG. ...

For the complete article, please follow this link.

The Philadelphia Story: Learning from a Municipal Wireless Pioneer

Communications — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 14:00:00 -0500

A New America Event
12/11/2007 - 2:00pm

On Tuesday, December 11th, New America Foundation, The Ethos Group, and the Center for International Media Action will release an in-depth analysis and report on Philadelphia’s efforts to build a municipal wireless network. Philadelphia’s initiative to promote wireless technology and address the problem of the digital divide has influenced municipal wireless projects nationwide and helped shape the national discussion over municipal broadband.

The New America Foundation and the Media Mobilizing Project will host a panel of municipal broadband experts to discuss the report's findings and implications. The panel presents a unique opportunity to discuss the future of municipal networks, provide insight on the features of the Philadelphia network, and increase public engagement on the city’s efforts to promote broadband adoption.

New America TV 'White Space' Paper in Telecom A.M.

Communications — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 11:03:00 -0500

New America in the News:

Spectrum sensing, of the kind that's required to allow wireless devices to use TV white spaces to access the Internet without causing harmful interference, is a “proven and well-understood technology,” the New America Foundation said in a white paper released Monday. The group said the goal of the paper is to counter “the torrent of misinformation” in arguments made by broadcasters and others opposed to opening the spectrum for unlicensed use by portable devices. Sources said Monday the paper comes with the white spaces item -- once slated for an October vote -- still stalled at the FCC pending a second round of device tests. ...

For the complete article, click here.

New America-Signed Petition to the FCC in The Washington Post

Communications — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 10:55:00 -0500

New America in the News:

A consortium of consumer groups is planning to urge federal regulators to clarify how much control cellphone companies can have over the messages and services delivered over their networks.

In a petition to be filed with the Federal Communications Commission today, these groups say the agency should prohibit wireless carriers from blocking text messages sent by any company, nonprofit group or political campaign. These groups -- including Public Knowledge, Free Press, Media Access Project, Consumers Union and the New America Foundation -- also say carriers should deliver all text messages to their customers, including those sent by competing phone services.

"Mobile carriers currently can and do arbitrarily decide what customers to serve and which speech to allow on text messages, refusing to serve those that they find controversial or that compete with the mobile carriers' services," the petition says. "This type of discrimination would be unthinkable and illegal in the world of voice communications, and it should be so in the world of text messaging as well."

It is the latest in a string of complaints and petitions filed with the FCC, pushing commissioners to take a stronger stance on the issue known as net neutrality, which refers to an effort to bar Internet and wireless providers like Verizon Wireless and AT&T from giving preferential treatment to content on their networks. ...

For the complete story, please follow this link.

BusinessWeek Covers Wireless Debate, and Highlights Advocacy Groups

Communications — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 10:21:00 -0500

New America in the News:

Even as the wireless industry chants a new gospel about opening mobile-phone networks to outside devices and applications, some of the biggest U.S. carriers are quietly blocking new services that would compete with their own.

Would-be mobile-service providers, ranging from startups to major banks to eBay's (EBAY) PayPal have encountered these roadblocks, erected by the likes of AT&T (T) and Verizon Wireless. In some cases, cellular carriers have backed down, but only after inflicting costly delays on the new services.

At issue is a type of mobile text message known as a short code, essentially a shortcut that lets cell-phone users access an array of services—say, getting sports scores or voting for a contestant on American Idol—by punching in five or six digits instead of the usual seven plus area code. ...

The Federal Communications Commission, which has never conducted proceedings or issued rulings concerning short codes, declined to comment for this article. Some industry experts say there's no clear-cut law being violated but suggest that legal precedents set in other areas of telecommunications may be applicable to short codes.

There's no question that this sounds anticompetitive, but that doesn't mean it's illegal," says Michael Salsbury, a partner at law firm Chadbourne & Parke and former general counsel for MCI, the long-distance carrier purchased by Verizon Communications (VZ). "It's definitely improper, because I think from a consumer perspective [a phone company] should have its service compete on the merits of features and cost. It shouldn't be blocking someone else." But, Salsbury adds, if it's still possible to provide a service via text message rather than a short code, then the carriers may be acting within their rights.

The FCC may need to deal with the issue sooner rather than later. On Dec. 11, Public Knowledge and seven other consumer advocacy groups [one being the New America Foundation] filed a petition with the FCC, calling carrier interference in text messaging a threat to free speech. The groups also asked the regulator to ban the practice. The petition cites the September refusal by Verizon Wireless to allow a short code for NARAL Pro-Choice America. Verizon Wireless quickly reversed the decision and apologized. Petitioners also refer to the Rebtel matter. ...

For the complete article, please click here.

The Philadelphia Story

adminn — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 10:12:00 -0500

Joshua Breitbart authored this report. Naveen Lakshmipathy compiled the appendixes, while Sascha Meinrath served as editor.

The Philadelphia story told here is an analysis of one city's efforts to build a municipal wireless network. This report examines how Philadelphia's municipal wireless initiative helped shape the national debate regarding the need for public broadband infrastructure and the impact the project's successes and failures had on the local community. The Philadelphia story holds numerous lessons for decision-makers and regulators and is a powerful tool for understanding the interactions between network implementers and the constituencies these networks are supposed to serve.… more