Wireless Future Program: Recent and Upcoming Events

Fewer than one in ten American families have fast Internet access, and the slow deployment has badly damaged e-commerce companies. Congress is moving to try to fix the problem, but Jim Glassman believes it may instead establish a monopoly that will only make it worse.

Glassman maintains the broadband crisis has badly damaged the economy, and the only sensible alternative -- even for a fanatic free-market advocate like him -- is to break up the Bells.

Last December Sen. John McCain described the 1996 grant of a second channel to broadcasters - ostensibly for the purpose of quickening the conversion to high-definition TV - as "one of the great rip-offs in American history. They used to rob trains in the Old West, now we rob spectrum." What he could not have foreseen is that the conductor of the spectrum gravy train -- the FCC -- would decide not only to allow broadcasters operating… more

The rapid deployment of high-speed Internet access could prove critical to lasting economic recovery and to continuing the high levels of productivity growth achieved in recent years. Eric Benhamou - chairman and former CEO of 3Com - will provide an overview of the principles he and his industry colleagues are developing to address the need to accelerate business and residential access to both wireline and wireless broadband. He will discuss the need for rational long-range policy alternatives instead… more

Before Sept. 11, one of the hottest issues in international relations was the UN Convention on Climate Change and its Kyoto Protocol. Negotiated for more than 8 years, most of the world's countries finally signed the treaty this past Summer while the US watched from the sidelines. Europeans accused the US of endangering the planet, while the US accused Europeans of being unrealistic and signing an "unimplementable" treaty. In fact, discussions on climate change had become so heated that people were talking about a growing "US-European rift." The… more

ICANN is a technical coordination body for the Internet. Created in October 1998 by a broad coalition of the Internet's business, technical, academic, and user communities. ICANN assumes responsibility for a set of technical functions previously performed under U.S. government contract by IANA (Internet Assigned Names Authority) and other groups. Specifically, ICANN coordinates the assignment of the following identifiers that must be globally unique for the Internet to function: (1) Internet domain names; (2) IP address numbers; and (3)… more

In "Who Owns the Sky? Our Common Assets and the Future of Capitalism," entrepreneur Peter Barnes redefines the debate about climate change. By treating the sky as a commonly owned asset, he argues, we can protect the atmosphere while paying cash to every American. Barnes proposes a non-governmental Sky Trust that would charge rent for carbon emissions and pay equal yearly dividends to each one of us. The Sky Trust would also ease the burden on workers,… more

The U.S. wireless industry argues that mobile Internet and other advanced ("3G") services will be delayed unless spectrum, already occupied by powerful incumbents, is reallocated and auctioned. The Pentagon, broadcasters, satellite firms, universities and fixed wireless providers are battling to hold on to their valuable spectrum licenses. Policy makers are desperately seeking a "deal" to free up spectrum for 3G. The FCC and Commerce Department have just decided to delay their recommendations; meanwhile, Rep. Pickering (R-MS) has proposed… more

As Japan's political culture evolves under the premiership of the eccentric but popular Junichiro Koizumi, many questions arise about the net results and sustainability of this new "reform" government. Prime Minister Koizumi has proposed sweeping reforms across the governmental spectrum in Japan, from tax allocations to Japan's military relationship with the United States to the organization of power within the central government itself. Koizumi's handling of the telecommunications industry, in particular, will be telling as to whether he can… more

Most Americans do not realize that they collectively own many of our nation's most valuable resources -- public assets worth hundreds of billions of dollars. Yet too many common assets are not managed in the public's best interest. It could be called the enclosure of the American commons -- the private appropriation of public forests, minerals, electromagnetic spectrum, government research and information, civic spaces and dozens of other assets owned by the American people. These practices encourage overuse, deprive taxpayers… more

The New York Times has called the airwaves the most valuable resource of the New Economy -- the auctions concluded last week raised a record $17 billion. One central issue the administration and Michael Powell, the FCC's new chairman, must confront is how to… more